1
A Day in the Life
A 1967 Beatles song closing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," combining two unfinished pieces by Lennon and McCartney with a 40-piece orchestral crescendo.
Below are songs that contain the letter I anywhere in the name. Each of the 92 songs below opens to a full profile.
Table of contents
List of Songs That Contain I
2
Africa
A 1982 soft-rock single by American band Toto, written by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, featuring layered synthesizers and an evocative chorus about longing.
3
Africa Unite
A 1979 Bob Marley and the Wailers track from the album "Survival," a reggae anthem calling for pan-African political unity and shared identity.
4
Always on My Mind
A country ballad first cut by Brenda Lee in 1972, made a hit by Willie Nelson in 1982, and remade as a synth-pop single by Pet Shop Boys in 1987.
5
American Pie
An eight-and-a-half-minute 1971 folk-rock song by Don McLean that obliquely recounts the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper.
6
Billie Jean
A 1982 Michael Jackson single built on a distinctive bass riff, addressing a fan who claimed he had fathered her child, and a landmark in pop dance production.
7
Blowin' in the Wind
A 1963 Bob Dylan protest folk song featuring rhetorical questions about peace, war, and freedom, popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary.
8
Bohemian Rhapsody
A 1975 progressive rock epic by Queen, written by Freddie Mercury, fusing ballad, opera, and hard rock sections in a six-minute single.
9
Boogie Wonderland
A 1979 disco single by Earth, Wind and Fire featuring the Emotions on backing vocals, with brisk horn arrangements and a sustained dance groove.
10
Bridge Over Troubled Water
A 1970 piano-led ballad by Simon and Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon and sung by Art Garfunkel, drawing on gospel and soul vocal traditions.
11
California Dreamin'
A 1965 folk-rock song by the Mamas and the Papas, written by John and Michelle Phillips, evoking a longing for California during an East Coast winter.
12
Candle in the Wind
A 1973 piano ballad by Elton John and Bernie Taupin originally written about Marilyn Monroe, later rewritten in 1997 to memorialize Diana, Princess of Wales.
13
Careless Whisper
A 1984 saxophone-driven pop ballad written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, released as Michael's first solo single during the Wham! era.
14
Closing Time
A 1998 alternative rock single by Semisonic, written by Dan Wilson, ostensibly about a closing bar but partly inspired by impending parenthood.
15
Crazy in Love
A 2003 R&B and hip-hop single by Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, built on a horn sample from the Chi-Lites' "Are You My Woman."
16
Dancing Queen
A 1976 ABBA single in disco-pop style, written by Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, describing a young woman on a Friday night.
17
Day Tripper
A 1965 Beatles single built on a riff by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, released as a double A-side with "We Can Work It Out."
18
Despacito
A 2017 Spanish-language reggaeton single by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee that became one of the most-streamed songs in recorded music history.
19
Don't Stop Believin'
A 1981 arena rock anthem by Journey, built on a sustained piano motif by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry's high lead vocal, set to a city girl meeting a small-town boy.
20
Drive
A 1999 alternative rock single by Incubus, a downtempo guitar ballad about anxiety and forward motion despite uncertainty.
21
Empire State of Mind
A 2009 hip-hop single by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys, celebrating New York City with a piano hook built around Keys's chorus.
22
Englishman in New York
A 1987 single by Sting written about the writer Quentin Crisp, who had recently moved from London to Manhattan, with a Branford Marsalis saxophone solo.
23
Eye of the Tiger
A 1982 rock single by Survivor written for the film "Rocky III" at the request of Sylvester Stallone, built on a heavy palm-muted guitar opening.
24
Faith
A 1987 George Michael solo single that opens with a church organ rendering of "Freedom" before shifting to a rockabilly-influenced acoustic groove.
25
Firework
A 2010 pop single by Katy Perry, an empowerment-themed dance-pop song built on a kick-drum-driven chorus and Perry's belted vocal lines.
26
Folsom Prison Blues
A 1955 Johnny Cash country single later re-recorded live at Folsom State Prison in 1968, capturing a famous concert response from inmates.
27
Free Bird
A 1973 Lynyrd Skynyrd track that opens as a slide-guitar ballad and closes with an extended three-guitar instrumental jam, a defining Southern rock recording.
28
Friday I'm in Love
A 1992 single by The Cure, an unusually bright pop song from a band better known for darker textures, marking each day of the week.
29
Gangsta's Paradise
A 1995 hip-hop single by Coolio featuring L.V., built on a sample of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" and written for the film "Dangerous Minds."
30
Good Riddance
A 1997 acoustic ballad by Green Day, also known as "Time of Your Life," written by Billie Joe Armstrong about a former girlfriend.
31
Good Vibrations
A 1966 Beach Boys single produced by Brian Wilson over six months across multiple studios, featuring an Electro-Theremin and a modular sectional structure.
32
Hotel California
A 1976 Eagles single, an allegorical song about excess and the American dream, featuring a closing dual-guitar harmony solo by Don Felder and Joe Walsh.
33
I Walk the Line
A 1956 Johnny Cash country single that pledges fidelity, built on a key-change pattern between verses and hummed inter-verse pitch references.
34
I Want It That Way
A 1999 Backstreet Boys single written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, with a chord pattern built around the tension between verse and chorus.
35
I Want to Hold Your Hand
A 1963 Beatles single that became the band's first U.S. number one and triggered the wave known as the British Invasion.
36
I Will Always Love You
A 1973 Dolly Parton country ballad transformed in 1992 into a worldwide pop hit by Whitney Houston for the film "The Bodyguard."
37
Imagine
A 1971 John Lennon ballad with piano and string arrangement, asking listeners to consider a world without borders, possessions, or religious divisions.
38
In the End
A 2001 Linkin Park single, combining Mike Shinoda's hip-hop verses with Chester Bennington's sung chorus over a piano-led arrangement and rock instrumentation.
39
Jailhouse Rock
A 1957 Elvis Presley single written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for the film of the same name, opening with a famous repeated guitar punctuation.
40
Juicy
A 1994 hip-hop single by The Notorious B.I.G., built on a sample of Mtume's "Juicy Fruit," recounting his rise from Brooklyn to stardom.
41
Karma Police
A 1997 Radiohead single from "OK Computer," a piano-led track with an extended ambient outro, with a music video shot in a single moving-vehicle take.
42
Kashmir
A 1975 Led Zeppelin track built on a sustained guitar riff in an unusual time signature, with strings and brass orchestration over a long instrumental form.
43
Kids
A 2007 indie electronic single by MGMT built around a sustained synthesizer hook, looking back nostalgically on a generation's childhood.
44
Killer Queen
A 1974 Queen single written by Freddie Mercury, an early commercial breakthrough featuring layered vocal harmonies and a vaudevillian piano arrangement.
45
Kiss
A 1986 Prince single, a stripped funk track with a falsetto lead vocal that originally began as a demo for the group Mazarati.
46
Let It Be
A 1970 Beatles single written by Paul McCartney, inspired by a dream about his mother, with a gospel-influenced piano arrangement and a closing guitar solo.
47
Like a Rolling Stone
A 1965 Bob Dylan single, a six-minute electrified track that helped define the album-era expansion of pop song length and form.
48
Lithium
A 1992 Nirvana single from "Nevermind," its verses moving quietly against loud chorus crashes, a defining structural pattern of early 1990s alternative rock.
49
London Calling
A 1979 single by The Clash, a post-punk track addressing nuclear anxiety and the Three Mile Island accident, with a Morse-code "SOS" guitar coda.
50
Mamma Mia
A 1975 ABBA single that gave its title to the later jukebox musical and film featuring the band's songs, with an arpeggiated marimba-like keyboard introduction.
51
Material Girl
A 1984 Madonna single from "Like a Virgin," a synth-pop song about an unapologetic pursuit of wealth, with a music video referencing Marilyn Monroe.
52
Moves Like Jagger
A 2011 single by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera, a whistled-hook dance-pop track named after Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.
53
Mr. Brightside
A 2004 single by The Killers, an indie-rock breakthrough about jealousy and an imagined infidelity, with a sustained eighth-note guitar pattern by Dave Keuning.
54
Mrs. Robinson
A 1968 Simon and Garfunkel single, written for the film "The Graduate," with references to Joe DiMaggio and a brisk acoustic guitar rhythm.
55
Nine to Five
A 1980 Dolly Parton single written for the film of the same name, a country-pop song about office workers featuring typewriter sound effects.
56
Nothing Compares 2 U
A 1985 Prince song originally recorded by The Family, transformed in 1990 by Sinead O'Connor's stark vocal version into a worldwide number one.
57
November Rain
A 1991 Guns N' Roses single, an eight-and-a-half-minute piano-led rock ballad written by Axl Rose, with extended guitar solos by Slash.
58
Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
A 1968 Beatles song from "The White Album," with a ska-influenced rhythm written by Paul McCartney, telling a brief storybook narrative of Desmond and Molly.
59
Oops I Did It Again
A 2000 Britney Spears single, the title track from her second album, with production by Max Martin and Rami Yacoub and a memorable spoken-word interlude.
60
Paint It Black
A 1966 Rolling Stones single in a minor key, with a sitar part by Brian Jones, opening with a tom and acoustic-guitar groove unusual in pop singles of its era.
61
Piano Man
A 1973 Billy Joel song narrating a slow night at a Los Angeles piano bar, drawn from his own experience working as a lounge pianist during a contract dispute.
62
Pumped Up Kicks
A 2010 indie pop single by Foster the People with a whistle-driven hook, addressing a troubled narrator with implied violent thoughts in upbeat sound.
63
Purple Rain
A 1984 Prince single, the title track of his sixth album and the accompanying film, building over eight minutes through ballad and extended guitar solo sections.
64
Quiet Storm
A 1975 Smokey Robinson song that gave its name to a U.S. R&B radio programming format featuring smooth, slow soul and jazz-influenced ballads.
65
Riders on the Storm
A 1971 song by The Doors, recorded shortly before Jim Morrison's death, featuring electric piano by Ray Manzarek and a sustained thunderstorm sound effect.
66
Rock with You
A 1979 Michael Jackson single from "Off the Wall," produced by Quincy Jones, with a smooth disco-funk arrangement and Jackson's tightly phrased lead vocal.
67
Rolling in the Deep
A 2010 Adele single, a soul-influenced rock track produced by Paul Epworth, blending acoustic guitar opening with a gospel-influenced chorus.
68
Single Ladies
A 2008 Beyonce R&B single also known as "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," with a black-and-white music video that became one of the most-imitated of its era.
69
Smells Like Teen Spirit
A 1991 Nirvana single that helped break grunge into the mainstream, with a four-chord guitar riff and Kurt Cobain's mumbled vocal phrasing.
70
Somebody That I Used to Know
A 2011 indie pop single by Gotye featuring Kimbra, a dialogue duet about a breakup, built on a Luiz Bonfa guitar sample.
71
Stairway to Heaven
A 1971 Led Zeppelin track that opens with a fingerpicked acoustic guitar pattern, builds through electric instrumentation, and closes with a guitar solo by Jimmy Page.
72
Sweet Caroline
A 1969 Neil Diamond single inspired in part by a Life magazine photo of Caroline Kennedy as a child, with a singalong chorus phrase widely echoed at sports venues.
73
Sweet Child o' Mine
A 1987 Guns N' Roses single built on a Slash guitar riff that began as a string skipping exercise, with Axl Rose's lyric about his then-girlfriend.
74
Take Five
A 1959 instrumental jazz composition by Paul Desmond, performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, in 5/4 time, one of the best-selling jazz singles of all time.
75
Thriller
A 1983 Michael Jackson single, the title track of his sixth album, featuring a spoken-word coda by horror actor Vincent Price.
76
Time After Time
A 1984 Cyndi Lauper single, a soft-pop ballad with synthesizer texture and a chorus phrase echoed across decades of pop culture.
77
Tiny Dancer
A 1971 piano-led ballad by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin, written about Maxine Feibelman, Taupin's then-girlfriend and later wife.
78
Tom's Diner
A 1987 a cappella Suzanne Vega song remixed in 1990 by DNA into a club hit, and later used as the audio test signal for the development of the MP3 codec.
79
Toxic
A 2003 Britney Spears single, an electropop track produced by Bloodshy and Avant featuring an opening sample of "Tere Mere Beech Mein" by Lata Mangeshkar.
80
Uptown Girl
A 1983 Billy Joel single written about the woman who became his second wife, model Christie Brinkley, in a doo-wop style with a Frankie Valli vocal reference.
81
Video Killed the Radio Star
A 1979 single by British synth-pop duo The Buggles, lamenting changes brought to popular music by television, which famously became MTV's first music video.
82
Vincent
A 1971 Don McLean acoustic ballad about the painter Vincent van Gogh, often referred to by the opening line "Starry, Starry Night."
83
Viva la Vida
A 2008 Coldplay single, a string-driven anthem about the fall of a king, with a baroque arrangement and a title borrowed from a Frida Kahlo painting.
84
We Are the Champions
A 1977 Queen anthem written by Freddie Mercury, often paired with "We Will Rock You" on sports broadcasts and at championship events worldwide.
85
What's Going On
A 1971 Marvin Gaye single from his concept album of the same name, addressing the Vietnam War, civil rights, and the conditions of urban America.
86
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
A 1968 Beatles song written by George Harrison from "The White Album," featuring an uncredited lead guitar performance by Eric Clapton.
87
Wicked Game
A 1989 Chris Isaak rock single, a slow-burning track with reverb-heavy guitar that became widely known after featuring in David Lynch's 1990 film "Wild at Heart."
88
X Gon' Give It to Ya
A 2002 DMX single from the soundtrack to the film "Cradle 2 the Grave," produced by Shatek King with a heavy synth bass riff.
89
You Are the Sunshine of My Life
A 1972 Stevie Wonder single, a soft soul ballad with electric piano and an introductory verse sung by Jim Gilstrap and Lani Groves.
90
You've Got a Friend
A 1971 Carole King song from her album "Tapestry," and also a 1971 James Taylor recording that became his only U.S. number-one single.
91
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
A 1946 song written for the Disney film "Song of the South" by Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
92
Zombie
A 1994 Cranberries single written by Dolores O'Riordan about a 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington, with a distorted guitar arrangement uncommon in the band's earlier work.
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