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 |
| Randolph, Robert & the Family Band | Amped Up | energizing songs |
| Going in the Right Direction | 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 | |
| Shake | energizing songs | |
| (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 |
| Regals | Detective of Love | detectives |
| 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 | |
| Strange Currencies | defined or redefined by television | |
| 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 | |
| Long Long Time | defined or redefined by television | |
| 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’ | |
| William Tell Overture (Finale) | defined or redefined by television | |
| 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 | |