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 N anywhere in the name. Each of the 84 songs below opens to a full profile.
Table of contents
List of Songs That Contain N
2
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.
3
All Along the Watchtower
A 1967 folk-rock song written by Bob Dylan, later transformed by Jimi Hendrix into a definitive electric rock interpretation in 1968.
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
Anaconda
A 2014 hip-hop single by Nicki Minaj, built on a sample of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" with new verses and a music video that broke 24-hour view records.
7
Bad Romance
A 2009 electropop single by Lady Gaga, co-written with RedOne, built on a hooked vocal refrain and a heavily art-directed music video.
8
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.
9
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.
10
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.
11
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.
12
Born to Run
A 1975 Bruce Springsteen single layered with dense Phil Spector-influenced production, depicting young lovers planning to escape a dead-end town.
13
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.
14
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.
15
Closing Time
A 1998 alternative rock single by Semisonic, written by Dan Wilson, ostensibly about a closing bar but partly inspired by impending parenthood.
16
Comfortably Numb
A 1979 progressive rock song by Pink Floyd from "The Wall," with verses by Roger Waters and a sustained David Gilmour guitar solo over an orchestral arrangement.
17
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."
18
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.
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
Don't Stop Me Now
A 1978 Queen single written by Freddie Mercury, built on a fast piano figure and a chorus that celebrates a euphoric night out.
21
Edge of Seventeen
A 1981 Stevie Nicks single built on a sixteenth-note guitar figure by Waddy Wachtel, written about the deaths of John Lennon and Nicks's uncle.
22
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.
23
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.
24
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.
25
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.
26
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."
27
God Only Knows
A 1966 Beach Boys song written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, featuring a French horn introduction and complex shifting harmonic motion.
28
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.
29
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.
30
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.
31
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.
32
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.
33
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.
34
Imagine
A 1971 John Lennon ballad with piano and string arrangement, asking listeners to consider a world without borders, possessions, or religious divisions.
35
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.
36
Jolene
A 1973 Dolly Parton country single, an address to another woman pleading with her not to take the singer's partner, set to a fast acoustic strum.
37
Karma Chameleon
A 1983 Culture Club single, a country-influenced pop song with a prominent harmonica part by Judd Lander and Boy George's sung lead vocal.
38
Killer Queen
A 1974 Queen single written by Freddie Mercury, an early commercial breakthrough featuring layered vocal harmonies and a vaudevillian piano arrangement.
39
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.
40
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.
41
Love Me Tender
A 1956 Elvis Presley ballad adapted from the 1861 Civil War-era folk song "Aura Lee," recorded for and named after his first film.
42
Money
A 1973 Pink Floyd single from "The Dark Side of the Moon," built on a seven-beat bass riff and featuring a sampled tape loop of cash registers.
43
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.
44
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.
45
No Scrubs
A 1999 TLC single from the album "FanMail," a contemporary R&B song defining a slang term for an underachieving suitor.
46
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.
47
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.
48
Numb
A 2003 Linkin Park single, a downtempo nu-metal track combining Chester Bennington's sung lead with electronic textures and piano motif.
49
Old Town Road
A 2018 country-trap single by Lil Nas X, built on a sample of a Nine Inch Nails instrumental, that became the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 number one.
50
One
A 1991 single by U2, a sustained ballad written during recording sessions in Berlin for "Achtung Baby," addressing fractured intimacy.
51
Only You
A 1982 single by British electronic duo Yazoo, written by Vince Clarke, with Alison Moyet's soul-influenced vocal over a synthesizer arrangement.
52
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.
53
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.
54
Paper Planes
A 2007 alternative hip-hop single by M.I.A., built on a sample of The Clash's "Straight to Hell" and a chorus interrupted by gunshot sound effects.
55
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.
56
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.
57
Quando Quando Quando
A 1962 Italian bossa nova song composed by Tony Renis with lyrics by Alberto Testa, later widely recorded in English by Engelbert Humperdinck and others.
58
Queen of Hearts
A 1981 country-rock single by Juice Newton, written by Hank DeVito, becoming one of the year's most-played U.S. radio singles.
59
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.
60
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.
61
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.
62
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.
63
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.
64
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.
65
Stand by Me
A 1961 soul single by Ben E. King, drawing on a gospel hymn, with a sustained walking bass line and Latin-influenced percussion.
66
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.
67
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.
68
Take On Me
A 1985 synth-pop single by Norwegian band a-ha, featuring a distinctive synthesizer hook by Magne Furuholmen and Morten Harket's high falsetto chorus.
69
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.
70
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.
71
Under Pressure
A 1981 collaboration between Queen and David Bowie, built on a bass riff developed during a jam session at Mountain Studios in Montreux.
72
Uptown Funk
A 2014 funk-influenced single by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, built on horn arrangements and a chord pattern referencing 1980s Minneapolis funk.
73
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.
74
Venus
A 1969 Dutch rock band Shocking Blue single, later transformed in 1986 by Bananarama into a Hi-NRG dance-pop number-one, with a distinctive ascending guitar lick.
75
Vincent
A 1971 Don McLean acoustic ballad about the painter Vincent van Gogh, often referred to by the opening line "Starry, Starry Night."
76
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.
77
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.
78
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.
79
Wonderwall
A 1995 Oasis single written by Noel Gallagher, with an open-tuned acoustic guitar pattern and Liam Gallagher's lead vocal, becoming the band's signature track.
80
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.
81
Xanadu
A 1980 single by Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra, the title track to the 1980 film of the same name, a roller-skating disco-pop fantasy.
82
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.
83
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.
84
Zorba's Dance
A 1964 instrumental piece by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, written for the film "Zorba the Greek" and adapted from a traditional Cretan dance form.
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