| Song Title | Artist | Topic |
| Raag Darbari Sargam | Ustad Amir Khan | drone music |
| Rabbit Action | Jimmy Haggett | rabbits |
| Rabbit Fur Coat | Jenny Lewis | fashion |
| Rabbit in the Log | Bashful Brother Oswald | rabbits |
| The Race | Yello | sport |
| Race for the Prize | The Flaming Lips | science |
| The Race Is On | George Jones | competition |
| Race to Be King | Seth Lakeman | cetaceans |
| Race with the Devil | Gun | speed |
| Race with the Devil | Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps | speed |
| Racing in the Street | Bruce Springsteen | channelling pain |
| Rad Gumbo | Little Feat | cooking |
| Radar Love | Golden Earring | cars & driving |
| Radio Africa | Bhundu Boys with Latin Quarter | Africa |
| Radio Babylon | Meat Beat Manifesto | radio |
| Radio Cure | Wilco | radio |
| Radio Gaga | Queen | ears & hearing |
| Radio Song | Esperanza Spalding | mood-changing music |
| Radioland | Kraftwerk | radio |
| Ragazzo solo, ragazzo sola | David Bowie | foreign language versions |
| Rage of Thrones | The Axis of Awesome | libraries |
| Raggle Taggle Gipsies | Waterson:Carthy | adultery & infidelity |
| Ragtime Cowboy Joe | Sons of the Pioneers | nicknames & pseudonyms |
| The Raider’s March | John Williams | treasure |
| Railroad Man | Murray McLauchlan | switches & buttons |
| Rain | The Beatles | notable outros or codas |
| Rain | José Feliciano | nursery rhymes |
| The Rain | Oran “Juice” Jones | infidelity |
| The Rain Came Down | Steve Earle | farming |
| Rain Falls Unceasingly on the Sea | Kim Allen Kluge & Kathryn Kluge | natural disasters |
| The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) | Missy Elliott | bad weather |
| Rainbo Conversation | Stereolab | narcissism |
| A Rainbow in Curved Air | Terry Riley | sky |
| Rainbow Round My Shoulder | Leon Bibb | rainbows |
| Rainbow Serenade | Ali Akbar Khan, John Handy and Dr. L. Subramaniam | rainbows |
| Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head | B. J. Thomas | resilience |
| Raining Gravel | Tim Bluhm | banks & banking |
| Rainy Days Never Stays | The Brilliant Green | channelling pain |
| Rainy Night in Georgia | Brook Benton | loneliness |
| A Rainy Night in Soho | The Pogues | bad weather |
| Raise (63 Steps to Heaven) | Bocca Juniors | synth pop 1980-2000 |
| Raise Your Window High | Cléoma Breaux | from New Orleans |
| Raised on Robbery | Joni Mitchell | pick-up lines & marriage proposals |
| Raisins | Barenaked Ladies | non sequiturs |
| The Rake’s Song | The Decemberists | villains |
| Rally Round the Drum | Paul Kelly | fighting |
| Rally Round the West Indies | David Rudder | cricket |
| Ram Goat Liver | Pluto Shervington | shaggy dog stories & tall tales |
| Ram On | Paul and Linda McCartney | solo Beatles songs |
| Ramble On | Led Zeppelin | fantasy |
| Ramble On Rose | Grateful Dead | similes |
| Ramble Tamble | Creedence Clearwater Revival | songs with sudden changes |
| Ramblin’ Man | Lemon Jelly | list songs |
| The Randall Knife | Guy Clark | remembrance songs |
| Randy Scouse Git (Alternate Title) | The Monkees | the Beatles |
| Range Life | Pavement | self-referential songs |
| The Rap | Millie Jackson | substitutions |
| Rap das Armas | MC Júnior & MC Leonardo | South America |
| Rap Her to Bank | Jack Elliott | North East England |
| The Rape of the World | Tracy Chapman | climate change |
| Rappaport’s Testament: I Never Gave Up | Chumbawamba | D-day |
| Rapper’s Delight | The Sugarhill Gang | one-hit wonders |
| sampling & recycling |
| Rapture | Blondie | genre switch |
| Rapunzel | Gecko | fairytales |
| Rapunzel | Let’s Eat Grandma | strange & surreal |
| Rare, Precious and Gone | Mike Scott | upbeat break-up #2 |
| Raspberry Beret | Prince and the Revolution | hats |
| Rasputin | Boney M. | royalty |
| The Rat | The Walkmen | outstanding percussion |
| Rat in My Kitchen | Sleepy John Estes | rodents |
| Rat Race | The Drifters | competition |
| Rat Race | The Specials | education |
| Ratamahatta | Sepultura | South America |
| Rated X | Miles Davis | drone music |
| Rats | Pearl Jam | rodents |
| The Rat’s Revenge | The Rats | urban wildlife |
| Rattlesnake Daddy | Joe D. Johnson | reptiles |
| Rattlesnakes | Lloyd Cole & the Commotions | similes |
| Rave On | Buddy Holly | music as nutrition |
| Rave On, John Donne | Van Morrison | inspired by poetry |
| The Raven That Refused to Sing | Steven Wilson | loss |
| Raymond Chandler Evening | Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians | evening |
| Razor | Foo Fighters | sharp objects |
| Razor Blade Sky | Queenadreena | sharp objects |
| Razor’s Edge | Defunkt | edges & ledges |
| Razzle in My Pocket | Ian Dury | mistakes |
| Re-Make/Re-Model | Roxy Music | secret admirers |
| Re: Person I Knew | Bill Evans Trio | tribute songs |
| Re: Your Brains | Jonathan Coulton | unexplained phenomena |
| Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand) | Diana Ross | touch |
| Reach Out I’ll Be There | Four Tops | gifts & giving |
| Read About Seymour | Swell Maps | reading |
| Readings in Astrology | Curtis Mayfield | star signs |
| Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love) | The Delfonics | long titles |
| Ready Teddy | Little Richard | great album or mixtape openers |
| The Real Ambassador | Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross | pioneers |
| The Real Me | The Who | doctors |
| Real Rock | Sound Dimension | sampling & recycling |
| The Real Thing | Russell Morris | authenticity & fakery |
| Really Love | D’Angelo & the Vanguard | misunderstanding |
| Reason to Believe | Rod Stewart | denial |
| Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3 | Ian Dury & the Blockheads | joyous songs |
| Rebel Girl | Bikini Kill | gangs |
| Rebel Rebel | David Bowie | gender & LGBTQ+ |
| Rebel Without a Pause | Public Enemy | more questions than answers |
| Rebellious Jukebox | The Fall | jukeboxes |
| Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) | Digable Planets | coolness |
| Record Shop | Pablo | hearing, choosing & playing records |
| Recurring Dream | Tankus the Henge | gravity |
| Red | Okkervil River | red |
| Red Barked Trees | Wire | trees |
| Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache | Warren Smith | red |
| Red Cortina | The Saw Doctors | innocence |
| The Red Corvette | John McCutcheon | sales, selling & bargains |
| Red Cross, Disciple of Christ Today | John Fahey | red |
| Red Dirt Girl | Emmylou Harris | pathos |
| Red Dust | Screen 3 | Hollywood |
| The Red Flag | Robert Wyatt | left wing politics |
| Red Gold and Green | Burning Spear | colours |
| Red Headed Stranger | Willie Nelson | strangers |
| Red House | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | red |
| Red Kite (Penguin Café Mix) | Grasscut | urban wildlife |
| Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured | Arctic Monkeys | dialogue |
| Red Right Ankle | The Decemberists | joints of the body |
| Red Right Hand | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | treachery & betrayal |
| The Red Rooster | Howlin’ Wolf | laziness |
| Red Sea | Asobi Seksu | red |
| The Red Shoes | Kate Bush | inspired by or about films |
| Red Solo Cup | Toby Keith | plastic |
| Red Sun No 5 | Owen Pallett | red |
| Red Wine and Promises | Lal and Mike Waterson | red |
| The Redback on the Toilet Seat | Slim Newton | spiders |
| Redemption Song | Bob Marley & the Wailers | freedom |
| Red’s Dream | Louisiana Red | tyranny & dictatorship |
| Reedcutter’s Daughter | Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith | drone music |
| Reefer Madness | UB40 | hidden tracks |
| Reel du forgeron | La Bottine Souriante | dance instrumentals |
| Reet Petite | Jackie Wilson | trombone |
| The Referee’s Alphabet | Half Man Half Biscuit | cheating |
| Reflections | Diana Ross & the Supremes | retrospection |
| Reflections of Charles Brown | Mickey Buckins & the New Breed | melancholy songs |
| Refrigerator | Patrick Duff | eccentric songs |
| Refugee | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers | great album or mixtape openers |
| Refugee Children | Chip Taylor | migrants & refugees |
| Regarde je tends la main vers toi | Susi Hyldgaard | hands |
| Regina | The Sugarcubes | geology |
| Regret | New Order | regrets |
| Regrets | Jay-Z | guilt & apology |
| Rehab | Amy Winehouse | healing |
| Rehearsals for Retirement | Phil Ochs | failure |
| Reichstag Fire | David Rovics | September 11 attacks |
| Reign On | The Brian Jonestown Massacre | roses |
| Reindeer | The Knife | anti-Christmas songs |
| Rej | Meute | songs by buskers |
| Relax | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | orgasms |
| Release | Afro Celt Sound System ft Sinéad O’Connor | Gaelic songs |
| Release the Kraken | The Daysleepers | sound like other songs |
| Release the Pressure | Leftfield | raise the heartrate |
| Releasing Hypnotical Gases | Organized Konfusion | strange, rare or unlikely words |
| Relight My Fire | Dan Hartman | great arrangements |
| Religion I/II | Public Image Ltd | sinners |
| Religious Songs | Withered Hand | religion |
| Religious Vomit | Dead Kennedys | deception |
| Remember | Josh Groban | legacy |
| Remember | Oneohtrix Point Never | drone music |
| Remember a Day | Pink Floyd | innocence |
| Remember Me | Diana Ross | upbeat break-up |
| Remember Me | British Sea Power | legacy |
| Remember the Mountain Bed | Billy Bragg & Wilco | mountains |
| Remember (Walking in the Sand) | The Shangri-Las | memory |
| Remind Me | Royksopp | forgetting |
| Reminisce Part Two | Dexys Midnight Runners | songs about love songs |
| Renaissance Fair | The Byrds | markets & fairs |
| Rendering Intuitions | Caterina Barbieri | drone music |
| Rendez-Vu | Basement Jaxx | rendezvous |
| René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War | Paul Simon | contentment |
| Renegade | Steppenwolf | tyranny & dictatorship |
| Renegade | Warren Zevon | compass points |
| Reno | Bruce Springsteen | prostitution |
| Rent | Pet Shop Boys | money |
| Rent Collector | Kofi | formal agreements |
| Rent Man | Max Romeo | formal agreements |
| Rented Room | Craig Finn | hearing, choosing & playing records |
| Repetition | The Fall | repetition |
| Repo Man | Iggy Pop | recorded for movies |
| Réponds-moi | Mathématiques Modernes | slow, sexy love songs |
| The Reputation of Ross Francis | My Latest Novel | lies |
| Requiem | Killing Joke | choosing & using words |
| Requiem for the Static King | A Winged Victory for the Sullen | kings |
| Requiem pour un con | Serge Gainsbourg | insulting songs |
| R.E.S. | Cardiacs | startling songs |
| Rescue Me | Fontella Bass | pick-up lines & marriage proposals |
| Rescue Me | Skepta | persistence |
| Resistance Now | Senser | resistance |
| Resistencia | Los de Abajo | resistance |
| Resolution Road | Karine Polwart | songs offering advice |
| Respect | Aretha Franklin | revolution |
| Respect Yourself | The Staple Singers | conditional phrases |
| Resurrection | The Aerovons | sound like other songs |
| Resurrection | Terence Trent D’Arby | recovery |
| The Resurrection Shuffle | Ashton, Gardner and Dyke | chicken and egg |
| Retaliation | Ice-T | revenge |
| Retired Grocer Constructs Tiny Mount Rushmore Entirely Out of Cheese | Jad Fair & Yo La Tengo | making things |
| Return of Django | The Upsetters | dance instrumentals |
| The Return of Pan | The Waterboys | paganism |
| Return of the Grievous Angel | Gram Parsons | reunions |
| Return to Sender | Elvis Presley | rejection |
| Reunion | Bobbie Gentry | stereotypes |
| Reuters | Wire | journalism & the news |
| Reverberation (Doubt) | The 13th Floor Elevators | psychedelic songs |
| Reverence | The Jesus and Mary Chain | hanging |
| Reverend Black Grape | Black Grape | preachers, priests & religious leaders |
| Reverend Lee | Roberta Flack | preachers, priests & religious leaders |
| Reverend Lee | Colleen Hewett | honorific titles |
| Reversing | Four Tet | reversing |
| Revival | Soulsavers | one word titles |
| Revolution | Bob Marley & the Wailers | revolution |
| Revolution | Iyeoka Okoawo | songwriting |
| Revolution 0 | boygenius | notable outros or codas |
| Revolution Blues | Neil Young | California |
| The Revolution Was Postponed Because of Rain | Brooklyn Funk Essentials | distractions & diversions |
| The Revolution Will Be Televised | Jeff Beck | resistance |
| The Revolution Will Not Be Televised | Gil Scott-Heron | spoken word |
| Reward | The Teardrop Explodes | idioms & common expressions |
| Rewind | Artful Dodger ft Craig David | reversing |
| Rewrite | Paul Simon | writing |
| Reynard the Fox | Julian Cope | mammals |
| Reynardine | Bert Jansch | surprise encounters |
| Rhapsody in Blue | George Gershwin | redefined by film |
| Rhinestone Cowboy | Glen Campbell | ambition |
| Rhino Skin | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers | rough & smooth |
| Rhinocratic Oaths | Bonzo Dog Band | strange & surreal |
| Rhumba Again | Arrow | the Caribbean |
| Rhymin’ and Stealin’ | Beastie Boys | pirates |
| Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts) | A Tribe Called Quest | rhythm, beat & boogie |
| Rhythm of the Night | DeBarge | rhythm, beat & boogie |
| Rhythm of the Rain | The Cascades | fools |
| Rich and Strange | Cud | Shakespeare |
| Rich Bitch | Die Antwoord | winners |
| Richard Cory | Simon & Garfunkel | named after men |
| Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation | Joe Henry | misleading or incongruous titles |
| The Riddle Song | Megson | chicken and egg |
| The Ride | David Allan Coe | hitchhiking |
| Ride Forever | Paul Gross | Canada |
| Ride of the Valkyries (from Die Walküre) | Richard Wagner | incidental music |
| Ride On | AC/DC | melancholy songs |
| Ride On | Parliament | spine & neck |
| Ride on Time | Black Box | made you fall in love with music |
| Ride Your Donkey | The Tennors | animals |
| Ride Your Horse (騎你的馬) | Gong Gong Gong | energising songs |
| Riders on the Storm | The Doors | natural disasters |
| Riding with the King | John Hiatt | Elvis |
| Right Next Door (Because of Me) | Robert Cray | neighbours |
| Right Off Part 1 | Miles Davis | stick it to the man |
| Right Place, Wrong Time | Dr. John | misunderstanding |
| The Right Profile | The Clash | bright songs about dark subjects |
| Right Said Fred | Bernard Cribbins | safety & danger |
| Right Side of My Neck | Faye Webster | spine & neck |
| Right to Arm Bears | Paul Westerberg | bears |
| Rime of the Ancient Mariner | Iron Maiden | inspired by poetry |
| Rims | King Creosote | bicycles |
| Ring of Fire | Johnny Cash | accidents |
| Ring Ring | ABBA | tautonyms |
| Ring the Alarm | Ursula Rucker | influenced by dub |
| Ring Them Bells | Liza Minnelli | chance & coincidence |
| Ringo Beat | Ella Fitzgerald | the Beatles |
| Rio | Michael Nesmith | escape |
| aviation |
| Riot in Cell Block Number Nine | Wanda Jackson | prisons |
| Riot on Broad Street | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | New England |
| Riot Van | Arctic Monkeys | law enforcement |
| Rip Her to Shreds | Blondie | insulting songs |
| Rip It Up | Little Richard | the weekend |
| Rip It Up | Orange Juice | other songs |
| Rip This Joint | The Rolling Stones | US presidents |
| Rippin Kittin | Golden Boy with Miss Kittin | knives |
| Ripple | The Church | cruel songs |
| Ripple | Grateful Dead | gifts & giving |
| Riptide | Lew Stone & His Band with Al Bowlly | tides |
| Riptide | Laura Veirs | tides |
| Rise | Richard Earnshaw ft Ursula Rucker & Roy Ayers | words of wisdom |
| Rise | Gabrielle | redemption |
| Rise | Public Image Ltd | anger |
| Rise Above | Black Flag | ascension |
| Rise Again | The Rankin Family | national anthems |
| Rise from Your Grave | Phuture | resurrection |
| Rise Up Lazarus | Patty Loveless | resurrection |
| Rise Up With Fists!! | Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins | revolution |
| The Rising | Bruce Springsteen | ascension |
| A Ritual Mask | Peter Hammill | masks |
| River | AKB48 | borders, barriers, walls & fences |
| River | Ibeyi | starting over |
| The River | King Trigger | forests & woodlands |
| The River | Terry Reid | water |
| The River | Bruce Springsteen | youthfulness |
| River Guard | Smog | work |
| River Man | Nick Drake | rivers |
| River of Orchids | XTC | urban wildlife |
| The River Sings | Enya | paganism |
| The River Tune | Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba | rivers |
| Riverbed 3 | Buck 65 | neighbours |
| The Riverboat Song | Ocean Colour Scene | Birmingham & the Black Country |
| Rivers of Babylon | The Melodians | exile |
| Rivers Run | Karine Polwart | immortality & longevity |
| The Road | The Burning Hell | fixing & repairing |
| The Road | Frank Turner | compass points |
| The Road Goes On Forever | Robert Earl Keen | songs that fit every topic |
| The Road Not Taken | Bruce Hornsby & the Range | alternative outcomes |
| The Road tae Dundee | Bert Jansch | road trips |
| The Road to Cairo | David Ackles | change of mind |
| The Road to Hell Is Paved with Good Inventions | Sonic Boom Six | machinery, industry & technology |
| Road to Joy | Bright Eyes | classical songs |
| Road to Nowhere | Talking Heads | knowledge |
| spirit of 2021 |
| Roadblock | Stock Aitken Waterman | obstacles |
| Roadhouse Blues | The Doors | wheels |
| Roadnotes | Laura Nyro | birthdays |
| Roadrunner | The Modern Lovers | radio |
| Roam | The B-52s | motivation |
| Roar | Katy Perry | determination |
| Roaring 40s | Christian Kjellvander & Nina Persson | wind |
| Roast Fish & Cornbread | Lee Perry | food |
| Robbin’ Banks | Jeffrey Frederick & the Clamtones | banks & banking |
| Robert De Niro’s Waiting… | Bananarama | famous people |
| Robin Hood | Dick James | forests & woodlands |
| Robot Man | Connie Francis | machines, robots & computers |
| Robots | Flight of the Conchords | artificial intelligence |
| The Robots | Kraftwerk | artificial intelligence |
| Rock & Roll | The Velvet Underground | music genres |
| Rock and Roll Music | The Beatles | music genres |
| Rock Around the Clock | Bill Haley & the Comets | patterns & sequences |
| Rock Around the Rockpile | Ray Anthony & His Orchestra with Jayne Mansfield | alarm sounds |
| Rock Bottom Riser | Smog | gold |
| Rock Creek Park | The Blackbyrds | parks |
| Rock el Casbah | Rachid Taha | unlikely cover songs |
| Rock Island Line | Lonnie Donegan | trains |
| Rock Lobster | The B-52s | the coast |
| Rock ‘n’ Roll High School | Ramones | education |
| Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle | Cake | hedonism |
| Rock ’n’ Roll Star | Oasis | celebrity |
| Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide | David Bowie | suicide |
| Rock On | David Essex | songs that give you goosebumps |
| Rock-Paper-Scissors | Katzenjammer | decisive songs |
| Rock Show | Peaches | concerts |
| A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop | Neil Young with Promise of the Real | farming |
| Rock Steady | Aretha Franklin | dance styles |
| Rock Steady Wedding | Jackie Mittoo & the Soul Vendors | weddings |
| Rock the Casbah | The Clash | honorific titles |
| Rock This Town | The Stray Cats | jukeboxes |
| Rockabye | Clean Bandit ft Sean Paul & Anne-Marie | nursery rhymes |
| Rockaria! | Electric Light Orchestra | surprising intros |
| Rockaway Beach | Ramones | New York |
| The Rocker | Thin Lizzy | stereotypes |
| Rocket 88 | Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats | cars & driving |
| Rocket Man | Kate Bush | space |
| Rocket Man | Elton John | space travel |
| Rocket U.S.A. | Suicide | songs by duos |
| Rockhouse | Ray Charles | dance instrumentals |
| Rockin’ Bicycle | Fats Domino | bicycles |
| Rockin’ Chair | Hoagy Carmichael | chairs |
| Rockin’ Chair | Gwen McCrae | chairs |
| Rockin’ in Rhythm | Duke Ellington & His Orchestra | dance instrumentals |
| Rockin’ in the Free World | Neil Young | reckless consumption |
| Rocking Chair (It’s Gonna Be All Right) | Dean Friedman | chairs |
| Rockit | Herbie Hancock | dance instrumentals |
| Rocks | Primal Scream | retro style |
| Rocks Off | The Rolling Stones | orgasms |
| Rocky Mountain High | John Denver | mountains |
| Rocky Mountain Time | John Prine | leaving or being left behind |
| Rocky Raccoon | The Beatles | revenge |
| Roddy McCorley | Heather Dale | capital punishment |
| Roforofo Fight | Fela Kuti | offensive, insulting songs |
| Roger Ebert | Clem Snide | eureka moments |
| Roger the Rocket Ship | Markley | ships & boats |
| Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner | Warren Zevon | character songs |
| Roll Alabama | Bellowhead | Liverpool & Merseyside |
| Roll Another Number (For the Road) | Neil Young | smoking |
| Roll Bus Roll | Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard | buses |
| Roll Me Through the Rushes | Chaka Khan | influenced by gospel |
| Roll Over Beethoven | Chuck Berry | jukeboxes |
| Roll with It | Steve Winwood | spirit of 2021 |
| A Roller Skating Jam Named “Saturdays” | De La Soul | Friday & Saturday |
| Rollercoaster | Red House Painters | coming of age |
| Rolling | Michael Kiwanuka | wheels |
| Rolling Home | Roy Bailey | music for funerals |
| Rolling in the Deep | Adele | disappointment |
| The Roman Road | Super Furry Animals | Italy |
| Romeo and Juliet | Alec R. Costandinos | quoting Shakespeare |
| Romeo and Juliet | Dire Straits | teenagers |
| Romeo and Juliet | Toby Twirl | Shakespeare |
| Romulus | Sufjan Stevens | gripping or intriguing narrative |
| Ronan (Taylor’s Version) | Taylor Swift | heartbreak |
| Ronnie Scott Mambo | Machito and his Salsa Big Band | made you fall in love with music |
| Ronnie, Talk to Russia | Prince | Russia |
| Room 29 | Chilly Gonzales & Jarvis Cocker | furniture |
| Room at the Top | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers | rooms |
| Room Service | Fischer-Z | hotels |
| Room to Move | John Mayall | harmonica |
| Roots, Rock, Reggae | Bob Marley & the Wailers | music genres |
| Rosa Parks | OutKast | named after women |
| Rosa Parks: I Sat on a Bus | Dominique Moore | pioneers |
| Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) | Bruce Springsteen | girls’ names |
| A Rosary for Rhythm | Flytronix | hearing, choosing & playing records |
| Roscoe | Midlake | named after men |
| Rose, 1956 | Waxahatchee | roses |
| Rose Colored Glasses | Millie Jackson | eyewear |
| Rose Colored Glasses | Lothar and the Hand People | red |
| A Rose for Emily | The Zombies | flowers |
| Rose Garden | Lynn Anderson | trees, grass & flowers |
| Rose Goes to Yale | Jefferson Starship | higher education |
| Rose Hip November | Vashti Bunyan | autumn |
| months of the year |
| Rose Parade | Elliott Smith | roses |
| Rose Petals, Incense and a Kitten | The Association | roses |
| Rose Tattoo | Dropkick Murphys | tattoos & piercings |
| Roses Blue | Joni Mitchell | fortune tellers |
| Rosie the Riveter | The Four Vagabonds | iron & steel |
| Rossmore Road | Barry Andrews | addresses |
| Rotating Head | The Beat | joints of the body |
| Rothko Chapel | David Dondero | museums, galleries & exhibitions |
| Rotlaust tre fell | Wardruna | religion |
| Rotting on Remand | Billy Bragg | Liverpool & Merseyside |
| Rough God Goes Riding | Van Morrison | rough & smooth |
| Rough Lover | Aretha Franklin | rough & smooth |
| Round and Round | Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti | fairgrounds |
| Round Midnight | Oscar Peterson | times of day |
| Route 66 | Chuck Berry | American west |
| Router | Pangaea | equality |
| The Row Between the Cages | Bob Fox & Stu Luckley | North East England |
| Rowche Rumble | The Fall | companies & corporations |
| Rowena | Meic Stevens | Welsh songs |
| Roxanne | The Police | stop-start songs |
| Roxette | Dr. Feelgood | eavesdropping |
| Roxy Girls | The Yummy Fur | meta-songs |
| Royal Café | American Music Club | restaurants & cafes |
| Royal Garden Blues | Bix Beiderbecke & His New Orleans Lucky Seven | music venues |
| Royal Tour | Roaring Lion | the Commonwealth |
| Royals | Lorde | precious stones |
| Roygbiv | Boards of Canada | nature |
| ROYGBIV | Public Service Broadcasting | acronyms |
| The Rub | George & Gwen McCrae | touch |
| Rub | Peaches | bodily fluids |
| Rubber Room | Porter Wagoner | startling songs |
| Rubberband Girl | Kate Bush | resilience |
| The Rubettes | The Auteurs | nostalgia |
| Ruby | Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté | red |
| Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town | Kenny Rogers | jealousy |
| Rubylove | Cat Stevens | unusual time signatures |
| Ruby’s Golden Wedding | Danny Wilson | old age |
| Rudie Can’t Fail | The Clash | incidental music |
| Rüdiger | Mark Knopfler | collecting & listing |
| Ruido de Magia | Invisible | songs in Spanish |
| Rum & Coca-Cola | Calypso Rose | cocktails & spirits |
| Rum and Coca-Cola | Lord Invader | the Caribbean |
| Rumble | Link Wray | instrumentals |
| Rumble in the Jungle | Fugees ft A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes & John Forté | single-mindedness |
| Rumble on Mersey Square South | Wimple Winch | northern England |
| Ruminants | Lisa Germano | stomach & guts |
| Rumour Has It | Donna Summer | gossip |
| Run | Air | running |
| Run | Plug | running |
| Run into Flowers | M83 | trees, grass & flowers |
| Run Run Run | Ghostpoet | running |
| Run, Run, Run | The Third Rail | anxiety |
| Run Run Run | The Who | running |
| Run, Run, Run to the Centre Pompidou | Grant Hart | museums, galleries & exhibitions |
| Run Straight Down | Warren Zevon | gases |
| Run Through The Jungle | Creedence Clearwater Revival | walking & running |
| Run to the Hills | Hellsongs | running |
| Runaround Sue | Dion | from New York City |
| Runaway | Del Shannon | organ |
| Runaway Love | Alice Gold | France |
| Runaway Train | Soul Asylum | impressive videos |
| Runnin’ | The Pharcyde | walking & running |
| Runnin’ Away | Sly and the Family Stone | departures |
| Runnin’ Down a Dream | Tom Petty | great riffs |
| Runnin’ with the Devil | Van Halen | the Devil |
| Running | Baby Huey | running |
| Running Away | Roy Ayers Ubiquity | running |
| Running Scared | Roy Orbison | escape |
| Running the World | Jarvis Cocker | politicians |
| Running to Stand Still | U2 | chicken and egg |
| Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) | Kate Bush | defined or redefined by television |
| Runs in the Family | Amanda Palmer | inheritance |
| Rupert the Bear | Jackie Lee | bears |
| Rusholme Ruffians | The Smiths | alliteration |
| Russia | Fat Freddy’s Drop | influenced by dub |
| Russian Roulette | The Limiñanas | wheels |
| Russians & Americans | Al Stewart | Russia |
| RV | Faith No More | inheritance |