John Mayers Continuum: All 12 Tracks Ranked 

A top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit and Grammy winner to boot, the mildly politically charged “Waiting on the World to Change†is the biggest commercial hit on Continuum, and one of the biggest of his career. That being said, it simply does not match the lyricism and grooviness of the rest of the project.  

What's bolder than love? Covering a track by arguably the best guitarist in music history so well that it finds a permanent spot on your studio release. Today, Mayer is widely known to be one of the best guitarists of modern times — but even then, he did justice to the late, great Jimi Hendrix.   

“I'm Gonna Find Another You†puts a bow on Continuum. Mayer reaches the final stage of his grief and heartbreak — acceptance — as he sings of the future. With a well-rounded mix of the various drums, saxophone, keyboards and organs that comprise the sound of the entire album, it's a solid closing track on the project. 

Similar thematically to “Waiting on the World to Change†(“We're never gonna win the world/ We're never gonna stop the warâ€), this track takes a bluesier route that makes it a better sonic fit for the larger project.  

The penultimate track on the journey of this heartbreak album, “In Repair†feels like we're rounding the corner. While acknowledging his brokenness, he looks toward the future (“I'm in repair/ I'm not together but I'm getting thereâ€). Of course, he tosses in another epic guitar solo, for good measure. 

This one is straight easy listening. From the groove through the vocal runs, you could easily have this song play on repeat in your favorite lounge and be perfectly content. 

The delicate piano intro lulls you into Mayer's heartsick subconcious on “Dreaming with a Broken Heart,†and the dreamlike state continues until it burts at the climax of the track. By the end, he's practically shouting with urgency until he's awake in his solo reality again: “Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?/ Would you get them if I did?/ No, you won't, because you're gone.â€Â 

Mayer is facing his critics, or rather, his “vultures,†head-on here, but what makes “Vultures†a standout cut on Continuum is Mayer's vocal range. It's not often he'll flex those high highs — yet nearly the entire track is composed of them, layered with a punctuating keyboard and searing guitar solo. 

John, your optimist is showing! The steady, upbeat strumming throughout pulls you into and makes you believe the message that it's going to be okay: “No, it won't all go the way it should / But I know the heart of life is good.â€Â 

Mayer has a way of verbalizing the innermost thoughts people are either afraid to, or can't find the words to say. “Stop This Train†embodies the feelings of it all being too much coupled with not knowing what the heck we're all doing in this life. He opts for bluntness in the verses, a direct foil to the clear-as-day metaphoric chorus — “Don't know how else to say it, don't want to see my parents go/ One generation's length away from fighting life out on my own†— and, later, “So scared of getting older/ I'm only good at being young/ So I play the numbers game to find a way to say that life has just begun.â€

Bluesy and soulful, “Gravity†brings Mayer's guitar playing to the forefront. The track has gone on to become a quintessential JM track, and an always-on-rotation curtain-closer for his live sets, with one of his most enduring lyrics powering through the outro: “Just keep me where the light is.â€Â 

The John Mayer song to end all John Mayer songs. Despite never being released as a single, it's often cited as one of the best songs in his entire discography. While titled with perhaps his most poignant visual metaphor to date, the ever-evolving guitar solo is what helped cement him as a live music legend over the last 20 years.