By 10 a.m. the day before Greta Van Fleet’s Orion Amphitheater concert, fans were already lining up. They wanted to get as close as possible to the front of the stage, in the general admission pit section, once gates opened 6 p.m. Wednesday. Thirty-three hours before the show’s scheduled 7 p.m. start … with two opening acts.

The 30 or so Greta superfans in line were all young women, from what I saw, and mostly from out of town. They’d come here to Huntsville from south Alabama, the opposite end of the state, and out-of-state cities like Atlanta. Even from the U.K.

I chatted with some fans at the front of the line. I’ve interviewed bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka, seen the band play an underplay club gig on their first tour, and stuck up for GVF in a piece I wrote for Rolling Stone. These young fans knew more as much or more about all those subjects than I did.

Beyond their obvious passion for the band, they had nuanced takes on Greta Van Fleet’s music and why they love it. One of the recurring themes: This is timeless sounding rock and roll for, made by and about their generation.

When I was their age, I felt the same way about The Black Crowes, another polarizing band with a classic sound. It wasn’t too cool to like The Crowes back in the ‘90s, and it’s not cool to like Greta Van Fleet now.

But true music fans like what they like. If cork-sniffing/ring-kissing critics say it sucks that only makes us love our bands more. Much of what gets good album reviews doesn’t connect with me anyway.

When Greta Van Fleet first hit in fall 2017 with their chart-topping boogie-rock debut single, “Highway Tune,” they quickly became a love ‘em or hate ‘em band. Haters (the vast majority of which will never light the world on fire) were appalled songs written by (then) teenagers from Frankenmuth, Mich., so boldly (and competently) conjured the sound of Led Zeppelin, rock’s greatest hard-rock band.

Never mind that Zep – who I love dearly – how shall we say, borrowed heavily from blues artists. Or that many critical darlings also wear influences on their sleeves. Nirvana, as great as they became, at first sounded like replacements of The Replacements. Kurt Cobain’s vocals echo Paul Westerberg as much as Greta Van Fleet singer Josh Kiska’s do Robert Plant.

Over three albums and two EPs, Greta Van Fleet’s expanded their sound with elements of prog, folk and world music. And they haven’t bowed down to trends. No rapping. No popstar collabos. No dinky production or Auto Tune jive.

The Kiska brothers – Sam, Josh and guitar wizard Jake Kiska – and drummer Danny Wagner have always been talented. And Greta Van Fleet an exciting live act. But in the nearly seven years they’ve been famous, they’ve become much better musicians and writers. Since they’ve kept the same lineup, the musical chemistry’s deepened too.

Another big change for Greta Van Fleet: When the band first began touring, much of the crowd were older dudes. Like me. Gradually, though, and then steeply their fanbase shifted younger and skewed female. That’s a terrific sign for a band’s longevity. And how cool these young fans will have a rock band to grow up with and to?

With Greta Van Fleet on tour for their latest album, 2023′s “Starcatcher,” here’s my picks for the band’s 10 best songs so far. The list is dedicated to the young Greta fans I met yesterday. I’d love to know their top 10s — theirs would be way better than mine.

10. “When The Curtain Falls”

From: “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” 2018

A hot, slinky rocker with lyrics chronicling a fall-from-grace.

9. “Flower Power”

From: “Black Smoke Rising,” “From the Fires” EPs, 2017

A folk-metal ode to a hippie-gal who hung the moon.

8. “Meeting The Master”

From: “Starcatcher,” 2023

This cinematic power ballad’s the perfect soundstage for Josh’s increasingly dynamic singing.

7. “The New Day”

From: “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” 2018

A deep-cut that sashays to bohemian grooves and a crank-the-volume-up guitar solo. On Greta’s current tour, get there early to hear guitarist Jake Kiszka’s new side-project Mirador. They’re opening the shows, with Jake essentially playing a double-header each night.

6. “The Cold Wind”

From: “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” 2018

Tolkien-worthy troubadour-isms set to bell-bottom thunder.

5. “Light My Love”

From: “The Battle at Garden’s Gate,” 2021

A grandiose ballad that warms the soul.

4. “Safari Song”

From: “Black Smoke Rising,” “From the Fires” EPs, 2017

Tarzan rock for the Snapchat/Tik Tok generation.

3. “Waited All Your Life”

From: “Starcatcher,” 2023

The best male rock musicians often tap into their feminine sides too, which makes the melodies and dynamics more interesting and far-reaching.

2. “My Way, Soon”

From: “The Battle at Garden’s Gate,” 2021

Travelogue set to a stomp that hasn’t showered today, and probably couldn’t wash the smile off its face anyway.

1. “Heat Above”

From: “The Battle at Garden’s Gate,” 2021

With each successive album, keyboards factor more into Greta Van Fleet’s music, widening the sonic tapestry. A prime example is “Heat Above,” the opening track on, for my money, the band’s best album yet (even though it took a bit for it to grow on me). In general, ballads aren’t my jam. Too snoozy. Too sappy. Greta Van Fleet, though, finds a way to make their balladry feel alive and electric. When the band performs “Heat Above” live, Josh Kiszka isn’t just singing it to the fans, he’s singing it for them.

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