The table below lists all A-listed songs by artists beginning with Q and R. Some artists are also linked to their own individual pages.
Artist | Song Title | Topic |
Q-Tip | Breathe and Stop | stop-start songs |
Quads | There Must Be Thousands | out-of-tune songs |
Quantum Jump | The Lone Ranger | specific or obscure places |
Quarterhead | Head Shoulders Knees & Toes (with Ofenbach, ft Norma Jean Martine) | bodily motion & exercise |
Quarteto em Cy | Quando O Carnaval Chegar | carnivals & funfairs |
Quasi | Birds | birds |
I Never Want to See You Again | mixtape closers | |
Quatro, Suzi | Lipstick | makeup |
Official Suburbian Superman | spring cleaning & household chores | |
Your Mamma Won’t Like Me | bad boys & bad girls | |
Quaye, Caleb | Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad | indecipherable songs |
Queen | ’39 | ships & boats |
Another One Bites the Dust | upbeat break-up #2 | |
Bohemian Rhapsody | capital punishment | |
Brighton Rock | echoes | |
Crazy Little Thing Called Love | Elvis | |
Don’t Stop Me Now | positive songs | |
Fat Bottomed Girls | curves & spheres | |
God Save the Queen | the Commonwealth | |
I Want It All | greed | |
Killer Queen | queens | |
The Millionaire Waltz | 3/4 time | |
The Prophet’s Song | prophets | |
Radio Gaga | ears & hearing | |
Seaside Rendezvous | old meets new | |
Under Pressure (with David Bowie) | duets | |
We Are the Champions | determination | |
We Will Rock You | handclaps | |
Queen Ifrica | Mi Nah Rub | tattoos & piercings |
Queenadreena | Razor Blade Sky | sharp objects |
Queens of the Stone Age | Burn the Witch | New England |
Feel Good Hit of the Summer | list songs | |
Quick and to the Pointless | lust | |
Quicksilver Messenger Service | Fresh Air | gases |
quinnie | Itch | itching & scratching |
Quintessence | Jesus Buddha Moses Gauranga | religion |
Quinteto Violado | Vaquejada | collective nouns |
Quireboys | Stubborn Kinda Heart | stubbornness |
Raconteurs | Old Enough | violin |
Top Yourself | suicide | |
Radcliffe, Jimmy | Long After Tonight Is All Over | devoted love |
Long After Tonight Is All Over | falling in love | |
Radiators from Space | Television Screen | breaking things |
Walking Home Alone Again | being single | |
Radio 4 | Dance to the Underground | dancing |
Radio Birdman | Aloha Steve and Danno | famous or notable duos |
Radio Stars | Dirty Pictures | photography |
Radio Tarifa | Mañana | tomorrow |
Radiohead | Airbag | close calls |
Black Star | stars | |
Creep | unrequited love | |
The Daily Mail | newspapers | |
Electioneering | elections | |
Everything in Its Right Place | genre switch | |
Everything in Its Right Place | obsession | |
Fake Plastic Trees | tattoos & piercings | |
Fitter Happier | anxiety | |
Just | bad decisions | |
Lift | stairs, ladders & elevators | |
Like Spinning Plates | spinning | |
Lucky | edges & ledges | |
The National Anthem | national anthems | |
No Surprises | silence | |
Palo Alto | the future | |
Planet Telex | vibrato, tremolo & oscillations | |
Sail to the Moon | fathers | |
Subterranean Homesick Alien | space travel | |
Talk Show Host | wanting to be someone else | |
Raekwon | Heaven and Hell | heaven & hell |
Ice Cream | food | |
Sneakers | shoes | |
Raelettes | Come Get It, I Got It | girl groups |
Rafferty, Gerry | Baker Street | urban environment |
Get It Right Next Time | resilience | |
Night Owl | owls | |
Whatever’s Written in Your Heart | arguments #2 | |
Rafi, Mohammed | Jaan Pehechan Ho | personal theme songs |
Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind Par | disappointment | |
Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan | Asian cities | |
Ragamuffins | Hobbin and A Bobbin (ft Bob Andy) | winter sports |
Rage Against the Machine | Bullet in the Head | guns |
Killing in the Name | sweary songs | |
Wake Up | social mobility | |
RAH Band | Clouds Across the Moon | missing someone |
Rahbani, Elias | Liza…Liza | 12″ singles to 1979 |
Rahman, A. R. | Ghanan Ghanan | clouds |
Jai Ho | winners | |
Telephone Dhoon Me (ft Hariharan & Kavita Krishnamurty) | telephones | |
Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera (with Berklee College) | great arrangements | |
Rail Band (see Super Rail Band) | ||
Rain Parade | 1 Hour 1/2 Ago | fractions & portions |
Rainbow | Kill the King | royalty |
Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll | mood-changing music | |
Since You’ve Been Gone | limbo | |
Stargazer | fantasy | |
Tarot Woman | fortune tellers | |
Rainbow Chorus | The March of the Women (music by Dame Ethel Smyth, lyrics by Cicely Hamilton) | feminism |
Raincoats | No Looking | violin |
The Void | discordant songs | |
Rainey, Ma | Prove It on Me Blues | gender & LGBTQ+ |
Rainy Day | I’ll Keep It with Mine (ft Susanna Hoffs) | gifts & giving |
Räisänen, Jenny | Arctic Fox | frozen north |
Raitt, Bonnie | Angel from Montgomery | disappointment |
I Gave My Love a Candle | melancholy songs | |
Meet Me Half Way | equality | |
Nick of Time | passage of time | |
Nick of Time | punctuality | |
Papa Come Quick (Jody and Chico) | sisters | |
Storm Warning | storms | |
Turn Me Around (with Mavis Staples) | confidence | |
Rajaram, Rajiv | I’ve Been Everywhere | the Commonwealth |
Rajasthani Folk Musicians | Podino | flavour |
Rakes | Strasbourg | places in Europe |
We Are All Animals | id, ego & superego | |
Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep) | work | |
Raman, Susheela | Trust in Me | trust |
Rammstein | Amerika | multilingual songs |
Amerika | start with the chorus | |
Ramones | Blitzkrieg Bop | personal theme songs |
Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment | healing | |
Got a Lot to Say | ten words or fewer | |
I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement | rooms | |
I Wanna Be Sedated | aviation | |
I Wanted Everything | greed | |
Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) | alternative Christmas songs | |
My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg) | long titles | |
Outsider | oddballs, outcasts & outsiders | |
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School | education | |
Rockaway Beach | New York | |
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker | girls’ names | |
Spider-Man | masks | |
Swallow My Pride | pride | |
Teenage Lobotomy | teenagers | |
You Should Never Should Have Opened That Door | bad decisions | |
Ramsey Lewis Trio | The In Crowd | songs that fit every topic |
Rancid | Black Derby Jacket | philosophers |
Randall, Jon | Whiskey Lullaby | whiskey |
Robert Randolph | Going in the Right Direction (with the Family Band) | steel guitar |
Randy & the Rainbows | Denise | named after women |
Ranglin, Ernest | Gimme Back Me Shilling | coins |
Montego Bay Spleen (with St. Germain) | old meets new | |
Psychedelic Rock | psychedelia | |
Rankin Family | Jimmy mó Mhilé Stór (with the Chieftains) | Gaelic songs |
Rise Again | national anthems | |
Ranking Trevor | Truly (with the Jays) | 12″ singles to 1979 |
Ranks, Shabba | Pirates Anthem (with Home T & Cocoa Tea) | pirates |
Rascal, Dizzee | Fix Up, Look Sharp | artistic trends of the 21st century |
I Luv U | dialogue | |
I Luv U | arguments #2 | |
Rascals | Good Lovin’ | healing |
Groovin’ (as the Young Rascals) | afternoon | |
Raspberries | Overnight Sensation | false endings |
Rasputin’s Stash | Mr. Cool | boastful songs |
Rats | The Rat’s Revenge | urban wildlife |
Rattles | The Witch | running |
Ravel, Maurice | Pavane pour une infante défunte | remembrance songs |
Piano Concerto in G major | piano songs | |
Raveonettes | Bowels of the Beast | monsters |
Raw Spitt (see Whitehead, Charlie) | ||
Rawlings, David | I Hear Them All | ears & hearing |
Ray, Gemma | The Switch | switches & buttons |
Raydio | Jack and Jill | famous or notable duos |
Raye | Ice Cream Man | ice cream |
Raye, Don | The House of Blue Lights (with Freddie Slack & Ella Mae Morse) | nightclubs |
Rays | Silhouettes | windows |
Razorcuts | Big Pink Cake | bread & baking |
Brighter Now | getting brighter | |
Rea, Chris | Sandwriting | tides |
Stainsby Girls | Yorkshire | |
Read, Al | You’re Seeing Too Much of the Telly | television |
Reader, Eddi | Ae Fond Kiss | leaving or being left behind |
Dolphins | cetaceans | |
Green Grow the Rashes O | green | |
John Anderson My Jo | everlasting love | |
Readers Wifes | Nostalgia | movie & TV stars |
Real Thing | You to Me Are Everything | everything |
Real Tuesday Weld | Bathtime in Clerkenwell | retro style |
Last Words | choosing & using words | |
Me and Mr. Wolf | innuendo | |
Reality | Acapulco Gold | gold |
Rebirth Brass Band | Why Your Feet Hurt | from New Orleans |
Record, Eugene | Overdose of Joy | euphoria |
Records | Paint Her Face | painting & painters |
Red Eye | Little England | flags |
Red Guitars | Good Technology | making things |
Red Hot Chili Peppers | Californication | compass points |
Give It Away | funk | |
Under the Bridge | bridges | |
Red House Painters | Dragonflies | insects |
Rollercoaster | coming of age | |
Wop-A-Din-Din | cats | |
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus | Your Guardian Angel | survival |
Redbone | Come and Get Your Love | album tracks better than the singles |
The Witch Queen of New Orleans | witches | |
Redd, Sharon | Beat the Street | urban environment |
Redding, Otis | Cigarettes and Coffee | smoking |
Hard to Handle | seduction | |
I’ve Been Loving You Too Long | volume changes | |
Love Man | narcissism | |
Mr. Pitiful | nicknames & pseudonyms | |
My Lover’s Prayer | prayer | |
Pain in My Heart | heartbreak | |
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay | California | |
Tramp | duets | |
Try a Little Tenderness | kindness | |
White Christmas | alternative Christmas songs | |
Reddy, Helen | I Am Woman | being a man or a woman |
Redgum | Midnight Sun | frozen north |
Redman | How to Roll a Blunt | smoking |
Redmenace | Kia Ora (Lab Rat Dub) | hello |
Redpath, Jean | Dancing at Whitsun | remembrance songs |
Reed, Blind Alfred | Always Lift Him Up and Never Knock Him Down | underdogs |
How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live | poverty | |
There’ll Be No Distinction There (with Orville Reed) | acceptance | |
Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls | hair | |
Reed, Jerry | Guitar Man | musical instruments |
Bright Lights, Big City | light | |
Reed, John | My Name Is John Wellington Wells | prophets |
Reed, Lou | The Bed | beds |
Dirty Blvd. | New York | |
Egg Cream | chocolate | |
The Gun | shooting | |
Hello It’s Me (with John Cale) | remembrance songs | |
I Wanna Be Black | wanting to be someone else | |
Images (with John Cale) | works of art | |
Keep Away | refusal | |
The Kids | unsettling songs | |
Last Great American Whale | cetaceans | |
The Last Shot | drinking | |
Make Up | makeup | |
Metal Machine Music A-1 | forgotten follow-ups | |
Perfect Day | relaxation & leisure | |
Street Hassle | songs with special guests | |
Style It Takes (with John Cale) | using your imagination | |
Trouble with Classicists (with John Cale) | visual art & photography | |
Vicious | cruel songs | |
Walk on the Wild Side | movie & TV stars | |
What’s Good? | bereavement | |
Reef | Consideration | songs that fit every topic |
Reeps One | We Speak Music (with Second Self) | more questions than answers |
Reese, Della | Clock That’s Got No Hands | clocks & watches |
Reeves, Jim | He’ll Have to Go | volume |
Reeves, Martha & the Vandellas | Dancing in the Street | celebration |
Heat Wave | heat | |
Jimmy Mack | long-distance relationships | |
Nowhere to Run | stuck or trapped | |
Quicksand | sand | |
Reeves, Vic | Dizzy (with the Wonder Stuff) | spinning |
Meals on Wheels | volunteering | |
Reflection Eternal | The Human Element | prisons |
Regents | 7 Teen | teenagers |
Reggae Roast | Soundsystem (ft Brother Culture) | media for listening to recorded music |
Regina | Haluan sinut | gender & LGBTQ+ |
Regina, Elis | A Corujinha | owls |
Águas de Março (with Tom Jobim) | list songs | |
Águas de Março (with Tom Jobim) | whistling | |
Menino das Laranjas | orange | |
Tatuagem | tattoos & piercings | |
Regurgitator | ! (The Song Formerly Known As) | crowds |
Rei, Sofia | La Gallera (with TEKEYÉ) | finger snaps & toe taps |
Reich, Steve | Clapping Music | handclaps |
Different Trains: II. Europe – During the War (with Kronos Quartet & Pat Metheny) | trains | |
Six Marimbas | hammer & mallet instruments | |
WTC 9/11 | September 11 attacks | |
Reid, Terry | The River | water |
Reinhardt, Django | Coucou | tautonyms |
Minor Swing | without percussion | |
Nuages | songs in French | |
Swing de Paris | Paris | |
Rekindle | Ice Skating Girl (Linus Loves Remix) | cold |
R.E.M. | At My Most Beautiful | telephones |
Crush with Eyeliner | makeup | |
Cuyahoga | rivers | |
Daysleeper | sleep & insomnia | |
(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville | long-distance relationships | |
E-Bow the Letter | made you fall in love with music | |
Electrolite | striking album endings | |
Everybody Hurts | the obvious | |
Exhuming McCarthy | politicians | |
Fall on Me | environment | |
Finest Worksong | superlatives | |
Half a World Away | tiredness | |
It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) | list songs | |
King of Birds | eureka moments | |
Little America | America | |
Losing My Religion | fear | |
Man on the Moon | male names | |
Nightswimming | autumn | |
The One I Love | songs that aren’t what they seem | |
Orange Crush | spine & neck | |
Shiny Happy People | crowds | |
The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight | misheard, nonsense or inaudible lyrics | |
Stand | notable key changes | |
Star 69 | stars | |
Superman | boastful songs | |
Sweetness Follows | cello | |
Untitled | hidden tracks | |
World Leader Pretend | deceptive appearances | |
The Wrong Child | games | |
Ren | Hi Ren | id, ego & superego |
Renaissance | Song of Scheherazade | fairytales |
Rendell, Don (see Don Rendell / Ian Carr Quintet) | ||
Reno, Ginette | Un peu plus haut, un peu plus loin | Canada |
Renwick, Tim | Dawn Returning (with Dave Griffiths) | songs to start the morning |
REO Speedwagon | Tough Guys | surprising intros |
Reol | Drop Pop Candy (with GigaP) | bright and beautiful |
Reparata & the Delrons | I’m Nobody’s Baby Now | heartbreak |
Replacements | Androgynous | gender & LGBTQ+ |
Beer for Breakfast | drinking | |
Birthday Gal | birthdays | |
Election Day | elections | |
I Will Dare | dares | |
Left of the Dial | radio | |
Little Mascara | makeup | |
Merry Go Round | fairgrounds | |
Shiftless When Idle | laziness | |
Sixteen Blue | boredom | |
Skyway | ‘high’ songs | |
Restarts | No Escape | climate change |
Square One | games | |
Reuben | Let’s Stop Hanging Out | upbeat break-up #2 |
Reverberi, Gianfranco & Gian Piero | Nel cimitero di Tucson | Italy |
Reverend Horton Heat | It’s Martini Time | cocktails & spirits |
Revkin, Andrew | Liberated Carbon | climate change |
Rey, Alvino | The Ferris Wheel | fairgrounds |
Reyne, James | Stood Up | sitting & standing |
Reynettes | Kowloon, Hong Kong | Asian cities |
Reynolds, Anthony | Bread and Wine | bread, cakes, pastry & biscuits |
Rezillos | Can’t Stand My Baby | coolness |
(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures | visual art & photography | |
Top of the Pops | music industry | |
Rheingans Sisters | The Yellow of the Flowers | eternity |
Rhoda (see Dakar, Rhoda) | ||
Rhymes, Busta | Break Ya Neck (ft Twista) | indecipherable songs |
Rhys, Gruff | The Last Conquistador | confusion & delusion |
No Profit in Pain | nursing & healthcare | |
Skylon! | flying | |
Slashed Wrists This Christmas | anti-Christmas songs | |
Rhythim Is Rhythim (see May, Derrick) | ||
Rhythm Makers | Zone | dance instrumentals |
Rice, Boyd | Disneyland | misanthropic songs |
Rice, Chase | Three Chords and the Truth | guitars |
Rice, Sir Mack | Nobody Wins Till the Game is Over | competition |
Rice, Reverend D. C. & His Sanctified Congregation | He’s Got His Eyes on You | eyes & sight |
Rich, Buddy | The Beat Goes On (ft Cathy Rich) | different 7″ versions |
Rich, Charlie | The Most Beautiful Girl | superlatives |
Who Will the Next Fool Be | uncertainty | |
Richard, Cliff | Devil Woman | fortune tellers |
Richardson, Neil | Approaching Menace | TV theme songs |
Richie, Lionel | All Night Long (All Night) | hedonism |
Richman, Jonathan (solo) | No One Was Like Vermeer | painting & painters |
Velvet Underground | other musicians | |
You’re Crazy for Taking the Bus | buses | |
Richman, Jonathan & the Modern Lovers (see also Richman, Jonathan) | Abominable Snowman in the Market | unexplained phenomena |
The Beach | sand | |
Chewing Gum Wrapper | trash | |
Corner Store | shopping | |
Corner Store | modernity | |
Dignified & Old (as the Modern Lovers) | optimistic songs | |
Double Chocolate Malted | chocolate | |
Government Center (as the Modern Lovers) | multitasking & being busy | |
Hospital (as the Modern Lovers) | buildings | |
Ice Cream Man (live) | false endings | |
I’m a Little Airplane | children’s songs | |
I’m Just Beginning to Live | fresh starts | |
I’m Straight (as the Modern Lovers) | substitutions | |
Just About Seventeen | ages | |
Lonely Financial Zone | loneliness | |
The Morning of Our Lives | empathy | |
Neon Sign | bright and beautiful | |
New England | New England | |
Pablo Picasso (as the Modern Lovers) | famous people | |
Roadrunner (as the Modern Lovers) | radio | |
That Summer Feeling | innocence | |
Vincent Van Gogh | 19th century life | |
Richmond Fontaine | 5 Degrees Below Zero | travelling |
The Kid from Belmont Street | coming of age | |
Let’s Hit One More Place | hedonism | |
White Line Fever | itinerants & migration | |
Richter, Max | On the Nature of Daylight | lower the heartrate |
Ricochets | Like a Tiger | tigers |
Ride | Leave Them All Behind | volume changes |
Vapour Trail | notable outros or codas | |
Ridings, Freya | Maps | maps |
Rigby, Amy | Cynically Yours | anti-love songs |
We’re Stronger Than That | marriage | |
Righteous Brothers | Unchained Melody | songs that build |
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling | crooners | |
Rihanna | American Oxygen | gases |
California King Bed | furniture | |
Love on the Brain | the brain | |
Stay (ft Mikky Ekko) | slow, sexy love songs | |
Work (ft Drake) | tautonyms | |
Riley, Jeannie C. | Harper Valley PTA | arguments |
Riley, Terry | A Rainbow in Curved Air | sky |
Rillera, Ricky & the Rhythm Rockers | El Loco Cha Cha Cha | sampling & recycling |
Rilo Kiley | A Better Son/Daughter | recovery |
Rimbaud, Mike | Saving Up to Go Bankrupt | banks & banking |
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai | Flight of the Bumblebee | onomatopoeia |
Ríos, Elvira | Vereda Tropical | songs in Spanish |
Rip Rig + Panic | Tax Sex | taxation |
Riperton, Minnie | Inside My Love | sexy songs |
Les Fleurs | trees, grass & flowers | |
Lovin’ You | songs that go ‘la’ | |
Ripley, Alice | When I’m by Your Side (with Emily Skinner) | famous or notable duos |
Rise Against | Hero of War | army |
Risto | Pupu Tupuna | rabbits |
Rita & the Tiaras | Gone with the Wind Is My Love | similes |
Ritter, Josh | Another New World | treachery & betrayal |
The Bone of Song | songwriting | |
The Curse | monsters | |
The Temptation of Adam | basements & underground | |
Ritter, Tex | Blood on the Saddle | blood |
Rivera, Ismael | Ahi Na Ma (with Cortijo y su Combo) | perfection |
Rivera, Mon | Lluvia con Nieve | trombone |
Roach, Archie | Down City Streets | underdogs |
Into the Bloodstream | Australia | |
Keep Your Handouts, Give Us Back Our Land | rejection | |
Took the Children Away | tyranny & dictatorship | |
Roach, Max | The Drum Also Waltzes | 3/4 time |
Freedom Day | freedom of expression | |
Parisian Thoroughfare (with Clifford Brown) | Paris | |
Triptych: Prayer/Protest/Peace | screams, howls, grunts & shrieks | |
Roaring Lion | Royal Tour | the Commonwealth |
Rob & Goldie (see Playford, Rob) | ||
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock | It Takes Two | sampling & recycling |
Robbins, Marty | A White Sport Coat | white |
Man Walks Among Us | raptors | |
Robert Glasper Experiment | Black Radio (ft Mos Def) | collaborations & side projects |
I Stand Alone | dares | |
Roberts, Alasdair | Leaving St. Kilda (with Robin Robertson) | islands |
Roberts, Kathryn | Hunting the Hare (with Kate Rusby) | a cappella |
Robertson, B. A. | To Be or Not to Be | Shakespeare |
Robertson, Robbie | It Is a Good Day to Die | treachery & betrayal |
Robertson, Robin | Leaving St. Kilda (with Alasdair Roberts) | islands |
Robeson, Paul | A Perfect Day | perfection |
Going Home | roots | |
Joe Hill | underdogs | |
Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho | biblical songs | |
The Minstrel Boy | bravery | |
No More Auction Block for Me | fresh starts | |
Passing By (There Is a Lady, Sweet and Kind) | surprise encounters | |
Shenandoah | American west | |
Robins | Double-Crossing Blues (with the Johnny Otis Quintette & Little Esther) | treachery & betrayal |
Robinson, Smokey (see Miracles for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) | Being with You | indifference |
Let Me Be the Clock | clocks & watches | |
Travelin’ Thru’ | compass points | |
Robinson, Tom | 2-4-6-8 Motorway | hitchhiking |
Atmospherics: Listen to the Radio | ears & hearing | |
Better Decide Which Side You’re On | left & right | |
Blue Murder | North East England | |
Glad to Be Gay | taboos | |
Hard | being a man or a woman | |
Martin | hero worship | |
Power in the Darkness | tyranny & dictatorship | |
Robinson, Vicky Sue | Turn the Beat Around | instruments imitating voice & vice versa |
Robots in Disguise | Turn It Up | mood-changing music |
Robyn | Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do | stubbornness |
Konichiwa Bitches | Asian cities | |
With Every Heartbeat | from Nordic countries | |
Roche, Suzzy & Maggie | Clothes Line Saga | spring cleaning & household chores |
Roches | We | brothers & sisters |
Pete Rock | Warzone (ft Dead Prez) | nightclubs |
Rock, Pete & CL Smooth | Good Life | social class |
Tell Me | fate & destiny | |
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) | bereavement | |
Rockmore, Clara | The Swan (composed by Camille Saint-Saëns) | electronic music to 1983 |
Rockwell | Somebody’s Watching Me | conspiracy theories & paranoia |
Rodgers, Jimmie | A Little Dog Cried | crosses |
Blue Yodel No. 1 | American west | |
Blue Yodel No. 8 (Muleskinner Blues) | manual labour | |
Frankie and Johnny | cheating | |
Yodeling Cowboy | wordless vocals | |
Rodgers, Mighty Mo | Death of the Middle Class | social mobility |
Rodgers, Nile | We Are Family | songs by buskers |
Rodrigo y Gabriela | Stairway to Heaven | ascension |
Rodrigues, Amália | Lágrima | melancholy songs |
Rodrigues, Virginia | Nos Horizontes do Mondo | cello |
Rodríguez, Mala | La Niña | urban environment |
Patito Feo (with Estrella Morente) | misanthropic songs | |
Rodríguez, Silvio | Historia de las Sillas | chairs |
Rodriguez, Sixto | Like Janis | narcissism |
Roe, Tommy | Dizzy | notable key changes |
Roebuck, Phillip | Can I Keep You | songs by buskers |
Monkey Fist | great solo performances | |
Roger, Aldus | Lafayette Two Step | two – part 2 |
Rogers, CeCe | Someday | freedom |
Rogers, Ginger | Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off (with Fred Astaire) | vegetables |
Rogers, Kenny | Coward of the County | violence |
Love Lifted Me | spiritual songs | |
Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town | jealousy | |
Rogers, Kenny & the First Edition | Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) | redefined by film |
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) | hangovers | |
Rogers, Stan | Barrett’s Privateers | ships & boats |
Free in the Harbour | Canada | |
The Mary Ellen Carter | persistence | |
Northwest Passage | searching & seeking | |
The Wreck of the Athens Queen | discovery | |
Rogers, Tim | Hi, We’re the Support Band (with the Twin Set) | music industry |
Paragon Café | remembrance songs | |
Rogie, S. E. | Nyalimagotee | quiet songs |
Rolling Stones | 2000 Light Years from Home | space travel |
2120 South Michigan Avenue | addresses | |
All About You | offensive, insulting songs | |
Angie | named after women | |
Back Street Girl | secrets | |
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking | great middle eights | |
Casino Boogie | rhythm, beat & boogie | |
Con le mie lacrime | foreign language versions | |
Dead Flowers | roses | |
Factory Girl | work | |
Get Off of My Cloud | clouds | |
Gimme Shelter | impressive intros | |
Happy | happiness | |
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction | start with the chorus | |
Jumpin’ Jack Flash | great riffs | |
Let’s Spend the Night Together | flirting | |
Love in Vain | old meets new | |
Midnight Rambler | anger | |
Miss You | 12″ singles to 1979 | |
Monkey Man | hammer & mallet instruments | |
Moonlight Mile | striking album endings | |
Mother’s Little Helper | boredom | |
No Expectations | departures | |
Out of Time | schadenfreude | |
Paint It Black | bereavement | |
Prodigal Son | reunions | |
Rip This Joint | US presidents | |
Rocks Off | orgasms | |
Salt of the Earth | social class | |
Shake Your Hips | joints of the body | |
She’s a Rainbow | psychedelia | |
Shine a Light | hope | |
Sister Morphine | nursing & healthcare | |
Sleep Tonight | adult lullabies | |
The Spider and the Fly | substitutions | |
Stray Cat Blues | stairs, ladders & elevators | |
Stupid Girl | cruel songs | |
Sway | different 7″ versions | |
Sweet Black Angel | teachers | |
Sympathy for the Devil | God & the Devil | |
Time Waits for No One | notable outros or codas | |
Tumbling Dice | gambling | |
Undercover of the Night | police | |
Waiting on a Friend | rendezvous | |
We Love You | scandal | |
Wild Horses | staying | |
Winter | cold | |
You Can’t Always Get What You Want | mixtape closers | |
You Can’t Always Get What You Want | fairness | |
You Can’t Always Get What You Want | words of wisdom | |
Rollins, Sonny | Brown Skin Girl | brown |
Rollins Band | Liar | propaganda |
Romans, Alain | How Is the Weather in Paris | hammer & mallet instruments |
Romantics | What I Like About You | retro style |
Romeo, Max | Chase the Devil | God & the Devil |
Chase the Devil | space | |
Norman | playing cards | |
One Step Forward | regressing & reversing | |
Rent Man | formal agreements | |
Stealing in the Name of Jah | smuggling & stealing | |
Romeo, Rio | Dyltgir? | awkwardness |
Ron Wray Light Show | Speed | speed |
Ronalde, Ronnie | In a Monastery Garden | gardens |
Ronettes | Be My Baby | great drumming |
I Can Hear Music | ears & hearing | |
So Young | teenagers | |
Walking in the Rain | bad weather | |
Ronson, Mark | Valerie (ft Amy Winehouse) | extraordinary vocals |
Ronstadt, Linda | 1917 (with Emmylou Harris) | army |
Ah, Leave Me Not to Pine (with Rex Harris) | extraordinary vocals | |
El Puente Roto (with Flaco Jiménez) | accordion | |
My Blue Tears (with Dolly Parton & Emmylou Harris) | songs by trios | |
Roots | The Adventures in Wonderland (ft Ursula Rucker) | secret vices |
Lazy Afternoon | afternoon | |
Lighthouse (ft Dice Raw) | lighthouses & guiding lights | |
Mellow My Man | alliteration | |
The Puppet Has Cut His Strings (with Elvis Costello) | puppets | |
Web | minimalist songs | |
You Got Me (ft Erykah Badu & Eve) | music venues | |
Silent Treatment | arguments #2 | |
Roper, Skid | Elvis Is Everywhere (with Mojo Nixon) | conspiracy theories & paranoia |
Rosalía | A Palé | more questions than answers |
Chicken Teriyaki | poultry | |
De Plata | silver & non-ferrous metals | |
Hentai | orgasms | |
Malamente | songs in Spanish | |
Que No Salga la Luna | eyes | |
Rosana | Sin Miedo | hope & resilience |
Rose, Tim | Long Time Man | regrets |
Rose of Avalanche | Mistakes | bad decisions |
Rose Royce | Car Wash | funk |
Love Don’t Live Here Anymore | electronic music to 1983 | |
Wishing on a Star | stars | |
Rose Tattoo | Nice Boys | bad boys & bad girls |
Rosie and the Originals | Angel Baby | out-of-tune songs |
Ross, Annie | Twisted | mental illness |
Ross, Diana (see also Supremes) | Ain’t No Mountain High Enough | obstacles |
And If You See Him | indirect messages | |
I’m Coming Out | change | |
I’m Still Waiting | heartbreak | |
Love Hangover | hangovers | |
Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand) | touch | |
Remember Me | upbeat break-up | |
Rosselson, Leon | Active Ageing | passage of time |
Invisible Married Breakfast Blues (with Roy Bailey) | the invisible | |
The Neighbours’ Cat | cats | |
Pills | whimsical songs | |
Where Are the Barricades? | banks & banking | |
Rossini, Gioachino | Duetto buffo di due gatti | onomatopoeia |
Largo al factotum (from The Barber of Seville) | songs that go ‘la’ | |
Rotary Connection | I Am The Black Gold of the Sun | the sun |
Roth, David Lee | Jump (with John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band) | jukeboxes |
Just Like Paradise | songs that express excess | |
Rother, Michael | Karussell | fairgrounds |
Rough Silk | Lucifer’s Hotel | hotels |
Rover Boys | Graduation Day | higher education |
Rovics, David | No Fracking Way | wastelands |
Reichstag Fire | September 11 attacks | |
Rowe, Sean | Soldier’s Song | covers by the opposite sex |
Roxette | The Look | songs that go ‘la’ |
Roxy Music | 2HB | glamour & style |
A Song for Europe | multilingual songs | |
All I Want Is You | single-mindedness | |
Amazona | South America | |
Avalon | myths & legends | |
Bitters End | genre defying | |
Do the Strand | dancing | |
Do the Strand | fads & crazes | |
If There Is Something | conditional phrases | |
In Every Dream Home a Heartache | home | |
Love Is the Drug | songs that say what love is | |
Manifesto | comeback songs | |
Nightingale | nightingales & thrushes | |
Oh Yeah | radio | |
Re-Make/Re-Model | secret admirers | |
Sultanesque | drone music | |
Sunset | the sun | |
Virginia Plain | more questions than answers | |
Roy Ayers Ubiquity (see Ayers, Roy) | ||
Roy C. | Shotgun Wedding | weddings |
Royal Crown Revue | Walkin’ Like Brando | wanting to be someone else |
Royal Trux | Platinum Tips | silver & non-ferrous metals |
Stevie (for Steven S.) | movie & TV stars | |
Royksopp | Remind Me | forgetting |
Rubberbandits | Sonny | suicide |
Rubel | Quando Bate Aquela Saudade | pick-up lines & marriage proposals |
Rubella Ballet | Plastic Life | plastic |
Victory for the Victims | conspiracy theories & paranoia | |
Rubinos, Xenia | Mexican Chef | meals & mealtimes |
Ruby Suns | Tane Mahuta | myths & legends |
Rucker, Darius | Wagon Wheel | genre switch |
Rucker, Ursula | Letter to Sister Friend | sisters |
Ring the Alarm | influenced by dub | |
What? (ft U-Love) | dares | |
Rudd, Xavier | Lioness Eye | cats |
Rudder, David | Rally Round the West Indies | cricket |
Rudimentary Peni | Bequest | doom |
Ruffin, Jimmy | What Becomes of the Broken Hearted | heartbreak |
Ruffins, Kermit | When I Die, You Better Second Line | music for funerals |
Rufus & Chaka Khan | Fool’s Paradise | quoting Shakespeare |
I’m a Woman (I’m a Backbone) | spine & neck | |
Rumer | Aretha | acceptance |
Run-D.M.C. | It’s Like That | pragmatism |
It’s Tricky | effects of fame | |
King of Rock | royalty | |
King of Rock | showing off | |
My Adidas | fashion | |
Perfection | perfection | |
Walk This Way (with Aerosmith) | collaborations & side projects | |
Runaways | Johnny Guitar | guitars |
Queens of Noise | noise | |
Rundgren, Todd | Cliché | idioms & common expressions |
Couldn’t I Just Tell You | secret admirers | |
Dust in the Wind | music for funerals | |
Flamingo | electronic music to 1983 | |
Hello It’s Me | visitors | |
I Saw the Light | change of mind | |
Just One Victory | resilience | |
The Night the Carousel Burnt Down | fairgrounds | |
Onomatopeia | odd noises & instruments | |
Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel | denial | |
Tin Foil Hat (ft Donald Fagen) | tyranny & dictatorship | |
Wolfman Jack | nicknames & pseudonyms | |
Zen Archer | ambiguity | |
Runrig | Cnoc Na Feille / Siol Ghoraidh | Gaelic songs |
Loch Lomond (live) | Scotland | |
Rusby, Kate | Days | gratitude |
Drowned Lovers | suicide | |
Game of All Fours | games | |
Hunting the Hare (with Kathryn Roberts) | a cappella | |
My Young Man | Yorkshire | |
Rush | A Farewell to Kings | kings |
Freewill | star signs | |
The Spirit of Radio | radio | |
Subdivisions | suburbia | |
Test for Echo | echoes | |
Vapor Trail | horizons | |
The Weapon | being scared | |
Working Man | outstanding percussion | |
Xanadu | fictional places | |
YYZ | Canada | |
Rush, Bobby | Nickname | nicknames & pseudonyms |
Rush, Tom | Joshua Gone Barbados | broken promises |
Rushing, Jimmy | Berkeley Campus Blues | higher education |
I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town | adultery & infidelity | |
Mister Five by Five | being fat | |
Russell, Allison | Eve Was Black | underdogs |
Russell, Arthur | In the Light of the Miracle | miracles |
Kiss Me Again (as Dinosaur) | 12″ singles to 1979 | |
This Is How We Walk on the Moon | the moon | |
You Have Did the Right Thing When You Put That Skylight In | windows | |
Russell, Calvin | Crossroads | crosses |
Russell, Tom | Goodnight Juarez (with the Norwegian Wind Ensemble) | love songs to places |
Mississippi River Runnin’ Backwards | reversing | |
Rustavi Ensemble | Tsintskaro | a cappella |
Rutles | Cheese and Onions | vegetables |
Let’s Be Natural | nature | |
Ruts | Babylon’s Burning | fire |
In a Rut | suicide | |
Ryder, Serena | Stompa | slowing down |
Ryles, John Wesley | Kay | gripping or intriguing narrative |
ryo/supercell | Odds & Ends (ft Hatsune Miku) | audible breaths |
World Is Mine (ft Hatsune Miku) | artificial intelligence | |
RZA | Ghost Dog Theme | driving songs |
Grits (ft Allah Real & Masta Killa) | vegetables | |
Grits (ft Allah Real & Masta Killa) | austerity |