1
A Day in the Life
A 1967 Beatles song closing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," combining two unfinished pieces by Lennon and McCartney with a 40-piece orchestral crescendo.
Looking for 5-syllable songs? Here are 27 songs that fit — each linked to a full profile.
Syllables are counted across the whole name (multi-word names sum). "Apple" is 2 syllables; "Macaroni and Cheese" is 6.
Table of contents
List of 5-syllable Songs
2
Africa Unite
A 1979 Bob Marley and the Wailers track from the album "Survival," a reggae anthem calling for pan-African political unity and shared identity.
3
Always on My Mind
A country ballad first cut by Brenda Lee in 1972, made a hit by Willie Nelson in 1982, and remade as a synth-pop single by Pet Shop Boys in 1987.
4
American Pie
An eight-and-a-half-minute 1971 folk-rock song by Don McLean that obliquely recounts the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper.
5
Blowin' in the Wind
A 1963 Bob Dylan protest folk song featuring rhetorical questions about peace, war, and freedom, popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary.
6
Boogie Wonderland
A 1979 disco single by Earth, Wind and Fire featuring the Emotions on backing vocals, with brisk horn arrangements and a sustained dance groove.
7
Candle in the Wind
A 1973 piano ballad by Elton John and Bernie Taupin originally written about Marilyn Monroe, later rewritten in 1997 to memorialize Diana, Princess of Wales.
8
Comfortably Numb
A 1979 progressive rock song by Pink Floyd from "The Wall," with verses by Roger Waters and a sustained David Gilmour guitar solo over an orchestral arrangement.
9
Don't Stop Believin'
A 1981 arena rock anthem by Journey, built on a sustained piano motif by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry's high lead vocal, set to a city girl meeting a small-town boy.
10
Edge of Seventeen
A 1981 Stevie Nicks single built on a sixteenth-note guitar figure by Waddy Wachtel, written about the deaths of John Lennon and Nicks's uncle.
11
Empire State of Mind
A 2009 hip-hop single by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys, celebrating New York City with a piano hook built around Keys's chorus.
12
Every Breath You Take
A 1983 single by The Police, written by Sting, that pairs a repeated guitar riff with possessive lyrics often misread as a tender love song.
13
Eye of the Tiger
A 1982 rock single by Survivor written for the film "Rocky III" at the request of Sylvester Stallone, built on a heavy palm-muted guitar opening.
14
Folsom Prison Blues
A 1955 Johnny Cash country single later re-recorded live at Folsom State Prison in 1968, capturing a famous concert response from inmates.
15
Friday I'm in Love
A 1992 single by The Cure, an unusually bright pop song from a band better known for darker textures, marking each day of the week.
16
Gangsta's Paradise
A 1995 hip-hop single by Coolio featuring L.V., built on a sample of Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" and written for the film "Dangerous Minds."
17
I Want It That Way
A 1999 Backstreet Boys single written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, with a chord pattern built around the tension between verse and chorus.
18
Just the Way You Are
A 1977 Billy Joel ballad addressed to his first wife Elizabeth, featuring a soprano saxophone solo by Phil Woods on the original recording.
19
Like a Rolling Stone
A 1965 Bob Dylan single, a six-minute electrified track that helped define the album-era expansion of pop song length and form.
20
Material Girl
A 1984 Madonna single from "Like a Virgin," a synth-pop song about an unapologetic pursuit of wealth, with a music video referencing Marilyn Monroe.
21
Nothing Compares 2 U
A 1985 Prince song originally recorded by The Family, transformed in 1990 by Sinead O'Connor's stark vocal version into a worldwide number one.
22
Riders on the Storm
A 1971 song by The Doors, recorded shortly before Jim Morrison's death, featuring electric piano by Ray Manzarek and a sustained thunderstorm sound effect.
23
Rolling in the Deep
A 2010 Adele single, a soul-influenced rock track produced by Paul Epworth, blending acoustic guitar opening with a gospel-influenced chorus.
24
Smells Like Teen Spirit
A 1991 Nirvana single that helped break grunge into the mainstream, with a four-chord guitar riff and Kurt Cobain's mumbled vocal phrasing.
25
Stairway to Heaven
A 1971 Led Zeppelin track that opens with a fingerpicked acoustic guitar pattern, builds through electric instrumentation, and closes with a guitar solo by Jimmy Page.
26
Viva la Vida
A 2008 Coldplay single, a string-driven anthem about the fall of a king, with a baroque arrangement and a title borrowed from a Frida Kahlo painting.
27
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
A 1946 song written for the Disney film "Song of the South" by Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
About 5-syllable songs
That's our current list of songs pronounced in 5 syllables. Want to combine with a starting letter? Try 5-syllable songs that start with A.