The best songs with a day of the week in the title (2024)

YouTube

Off all the success and memorable hits The Mamas & the Papas had during its legendary career, this was the only song from the group that made it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The foursome also won a Grammy Award for the track written by John Phillips, which is among the most beloved of the 1960s. It's a perfect example of the exemplary harmonization that defined the group's legacy.

YouTube

Monday is obviously one of the least anticipated days of the week. Karen and Richard Carpenter don't really do anything to help prove us wrong with this popular soft-rock cut. Still, the song was a major hit for the brother-sister duo, reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100 and bringing attention to a then-relatively unknown composer by the name of Paul Williams, who co-wrote the track with Roger Nichols.

YouTube

The opening track from Fleetwood Mac's eponymous 1975 album, "Monday Morning" introduced most casual pop-rock fans to the Lindsey Buckingham-Stevie Nicks era of the band. This Buckingham-penned piece is one of the more underrated songs in the band's catalog.

YouTube

YouTube

Whatever version or single format and length we're talking about, "Blue Monday" made the New Order guys more internationally accessible than they ever were as part of the critically acclaimed Joy Division. The track remains a dance club favorite, and it's perhaps the defining moment in New Order's legacy.

YouTube

A top-10 hit for Duran Duran in the U.S., it seems like "New Moon on Monday" doesn't receive the attention it deserves as one of the band's best songs alongside "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio," and "The Reflex." The French resistance-themed video was also another MTV hit for a band that owes much of its success to the channel.

YouTube

The Bangles' first true hit (making it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) was famously written by Prince. In addition to the tune's catchy, almost Monkee-esque vibe, the subject matter is relatable. Anybody who has to get up and go to work on Monday wishes it was Sunday. It was the first of five singles released off the band's 1986 smash record Different Light.

YouTube

This was The Rolling Stones' fourth No. 1 Hot 100 hit in the United States. "Ruby Tuesday" is another special moment among many in the Stones' catalog. The lyrics were inspired by Keith Richards' then-girlfriend, fashion model Linda Keith. The song has been covered several times over the years, perhaps most notably by American folk-pop artist Melanie in the late 1970s. Meanwhile, Brian Jones' work on the recorder (a staple of elementary school music education in the 1970s and '80s) is a hidden gem.

YouTube

One of The Moody Blues' most acclaimed tracks was first released on the 1967 record Days of Future Passed,in its 8-minute, 23-second original album form, as part of "The Afternoon." Shorter, edited versions have been more radio-friendly to the mainstream. The track peaked at No. 24 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

YouTube

One of Skynyrd's most beloved songs can be found on the band's stellar debut (Pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)album.Late lead singer and founding member Ronnie Van Zant said the song is about the band hitting the road, touring, and moving on from the emotional safety of home. Billy Powell's piano solo remains the highlight of the track.

Simon & Garfunkel

From the debut album by the same name, "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." is not one of the legendary duo's most renowned songs. On first listen, it's a true folk songthat might lack the polish of Simon & Garfunkel's later beloved work. Still, the promise and potential are there. Over the years, the tune is worthy of inclusion on this list.

YouTube

A deep cut of the stellar Croce catalog and from his posthumous fifth studio release, I Got a Name. It was the B-side to "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues," which was a top-40 hit, so serious Croce fans are aware of the simplicity and genuine nature of a song associated with Croce's signature sound.

YouTube

The song was somewhat of an afterthought in the United States during the late 1990s. Still, this melodic number about a hard-working, seemingly blue-collar character is a solid Bowie tune without the need for over-the-top fanfare. His vocals are gritty but soothing enough. Bowie performed this track during his VH1 Storytellersperformance in August 1999.

YouTube

One of the more upbeat, pop-fused tracks The Cure has ever recorded. It also helped The Cure extend the success it built to astronomic heights from the 1980s to the 1990s, when alternative music was a significant part of the mainstream music scene.

YouTube

As legend has it, or at least according to Perry, this pop favorite from the early 2010s was inspired by a wild Friday night of partying and streaking. Just imagine how often this song has been and continues to be played on Friday nights at college houses or high-school bashes across America. The video is also well known for cameos from the likes of Debbie Gibson, Corey Feldman, and Kenny G.

YouTube

Another cameo in the aforementioned Katy Perry hit "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" was b Rebecca Black. A few months before Perry's single broke, Black became a YouTube star when "Friday"went viral in the winter of 2011. This single was essentially the pinnacle of her music career, though she remains an internet presence. As far as critical acclaim goes, the song was panned, but that means little on the web.

YouTube

This was a top-10 Hot 100 hit for the legendary Cooke. The song is a favorite among Cooke fans and has been covered over the years. Perhaps none better than Cat Stevens' electric organ-fueled version from 1974, which also achieved top-10 status in the United States.

YouTube

With New York City's Central Park as the inspiration, keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm penned one of Chicago's biggest hits. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped fuel the Chicago V album to No.1. It's a feel-good, relaxing piece that is perfect for a day at any bustling park. It's arguably Lamm's signature song as a founding member of the Hall of Fame group.

YouTube

One of the great musical moments from Elton John's classic Goodbye Yellow Brick Roadalbum. There's plenty of glam influence in a song about going out on a Saturday night, getting boozed up, and maybe causing some trouble. The song went gold in the United States, where it peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100. Among the bands that have covered this classic rock staple include hair-metallers W.A.S.P. and mainstream rockers Nickelback.

YouTube

Talk about catchy. The Bay City Rollers' signature glam-pop hit was known for its burned-on-the-mind hook and that unforgettable and rather annoying opening where the word S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y is spelled out. The tune went to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in the United States and remained one of the most memorable tracks of the 1970s.

YouTube

The opening track of the critically acclaimed debut The Velvet Underground & Nico album. This is one of the great art-rock, proto-punk albums of all time, and this opener is a dreamy, trippy journey into the collective mind of co-writers Lou Reed and John Cale. What's interesting is that it was the last song added to the album and sounds nothing like the rest of the project.

YouTube

Gerry Goffinand Carole King wrote the song, but The Monkees made it famous. A tune about the seemingly mundane, everyday experience of suburban living reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 for the famed TV foursome. The Monkees were underrated when it came to their collective musicianship. It shows here, especially Mike Nesmith's guitar work and the late Peter Tork taking a spin on the electric piano.

YouTube

Kris Kristofferson wrote it, Ray Stevens recorded it in 1969, and"The Man in Black" made it a hit one year later. Cash's version topped the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs and is among the many favorite covers that he recorded. It was also a lauded staple of Cash's memorable live shows. Among the others who covered the tune were fellow country legends Roy Clark, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson.

YouTube

Another song with a dark and tragic subject matteris one of U2's biggest singles. Bono's remembrance of the early 1970s' "Bloody Sunday" tragedy in Northern Ireland, where British troops shot several unarmed civil rights protestors, has an anthemic feel. It peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 and might be the most recognizable song with Sunday in the title.

YouTube

"Lazy Sunday" was practically an overnight sensation when it debuted as a digital short on Saturday Night Live in December 2005, then enjoyed massive internet success. It was written by The Lonely Island, co-founded by Andy Samberg, along with his SNL co-star Chris Parnell. The short story of two buddies spending a lazy Sunday afternoon munching on Magnolia Bakery cupcakes and enjoying The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the perfect tribute to the ultimate day of relaxation.