60 Songs About Fathers and Dads, for Father's Day, His Birthday or Just Because

What is the best song about dads?

The songs about fathers people share most are "Father and Son" by Cat Stevens, "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin, "My Father's Eyes" by Eric Clapton and "Dance with My Father" by Luther Vandross. For a country dad, "My Old Man" by Zac Brown Band and "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" by Alan Jackson are the go-to tributes. The best Father's Day song, though, is the one he already plays in the truck.

Classic songs about fathers

1. "Father and Son", Cat Stevens: a conversation between a father and a son who needs to leave.
2. "Cat's in the Cradle", Harry Chapin: a reminder to make the time while you can.
3. "My Father's Eyes", Eric Clapton: about the father he never knew and the father he became.
4. "Dance with My Father", Luther Vandross: wishing for one more dance.
5. "The Living Years", Mike + The Mechanics: about saying it while there is still time.
6. "Leader of the Band", Dan Fogelberg: a son's tribute to his musician father.
7. "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own", U2: written by Bono for his dad.
8. "Teach Your Children", Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: about what parents and kids teach each other.
9. "Oh My Papa", Eddie Fisher: a 1950s tribute to a gentle father.
10. "Daddy's Little Girl", The Mills Brothers: the old-fashioned classic.

Country songs about dads

11. "My Old Man", Zac Brown Band: a son realizing how much he is like his father.
12. "Drive (For Daddy Gene)", Alan Jackson: memories of learning to drive with Dad.
13. "Watching You", Rodney Atkins: a little boy copying his father's every move.
14. "Love Without End, Amen", George Strait: a father's love that never runs out.
15. "The Best Day", George Strait: a son's best days, all spent with his dad.
16. "Daddy's Hands", Holly Dunn: strength and gentleness in the same hands.
17. "He Didn't Have to Be", Brad Paisley: for the stepdad who chose to be Dad.
18. "Coal Miner's Daughter", Loretta Lynn: a tribute to a hardworking father.
19. "Daddy Sang Bass", Johnny Cash: family, faith and singing together.
20. "Just Fishin'", Trace Adkins: the small afternoons that become big memories.
21. "Boy", Lee Brice: a dad's advice for every stage of life.
22. "Song for My Son", Walker Hayes featuring Kane Brown: a recent favorite for dads of boys.

Songs from a daughter to her dad

23. "Daddy Lessons", Beyoncé: everything her father taught her, with a Texas twang.
24. "Daddy", Beyoncé: a heartfelt thank-you.
25. "Daughters", John Mayer: about what fathers pass on to their girls.
26. "My Little Girl", Tim McGraw: a father's promise, loved by daughters too.
27. "Butterfly Kisses", Bob Carlisle: from tiny hands to the wedding day.
28. "Father and Daughter", Paul Simon: a dad's promise to always be there.
29. "Isn't She Lovely", Stevie Wonder: a father celebrating his newborn daughter.

More in our list of father-daughter songs.

Songs from a son to his dad

30. "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)", John Lennon: a father's lullaby that sons rediscover as adults.
31. "Just the Two of Us", Will Smith: a hip-hop love letter from father to son.
32. "Forever Young", Bob Dylan: written for his son.
33. "Time in a Bottle", Jim Croce: written when he learned he would be a father.
34. "Hey Jude", The Beatles: comfort for a boy from a father figure.

More in our list of songs about sons growing up.

Funny and upbeat songs for Father's Day

35. "Mr. Mom", Lonestar: a dad's first week running the house.
36. "Daddy Cool", Boney M.: disco for a dad who still has moves.
37. "Takin' Care of Business", Bachman-Turner Overdrive: for the dad who handles everything.
38. "Sharp Dressed Man", ZZ Top: for the dad who still dresses up.
39. "King of the Road", Roger Miller: for the dad who loves a road trip.
40. "Margaritaville", Jimmy Buffett: for the backyard grill-master.

Rock, R&B and hip-hop songs about fathers

41. "Simple Man", Lynyrd Skynyrd: about the values a parent passes on.
42. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", The Temptations: a soul classic about a father who was not there.
43. "Glory", Jay-Z: written for his newborn daughter (clean edit).
44. "Never Would Have Made It", Marvin Sapp: written after the loss of his father.
45. "The Greatest Man I Never Knew", Reba McEntire: about a father who loved quietly and said little.

Songs for a dad who has passed

46. "You Should Be Here", Cole Swindell.
47. "Go Rest High on That Mountain", Vince Gill.
48. "I Can Only Imagine", MercyMe: written by Bart Millard about his own father.
49. "Tears in Heaven", Eric Clapton.
50. "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away", Justin Moore.

A full list in our guide to songs for dad in heaven.

More country and rock songs about fathers

51. "A Song for Dad", Keith Urban: realizing he became his father, and being proud of it.
52. "Seein' My Father in Me", Paul Overstreet: noticing your dad in your own habits.
53. "Your Dad Did", John Hiatt: a wry, loving look at becoming the dad you had.
54. "Desperados Waiting for a Train", Guy Clark: about an older man who was like a father to him.
55. "Patches", Clarence Carter: a son stepping up for the family after his father is gone.
56. "With Arms Wide Open", Creed: written as the singer learned he was going to be a father.
57. "Father to Son", Phil Collins: a father's quiet advice.
58. "Highway 20 Ride", Zac Brown Band: a divorced dad on the long drive to see his son.
59. "Anything Like Me", Brad Paisley: a dad finding out he is having a boy.
60. "Walk a Little Straighter", Billy Currington: a son asking his father to be the man he needs.

Sad songs about fathers

For the hard days, the songs that say it best are "Dance with My Father", "The Living Years", "The Greatest Man I Never Knew", "You Should Be Here" and "Patches". For a father who has passed, see also our list of funeral songs for dad.

Songs about a father's love

Some songs are written from the father's side: "Love Without End, Amen", "Watching You", "With Arms Wide Open", "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" and "My Little Girl" all show how a dad's love looks from the inside. They make a good gift from a mom to a new dad on his first Father's Day. For more, see our father son songs and father daughter songs.

Songs from the decade he grew up in

Often the song that moves a dad most is not about fathers at all but about his youth. For a dad born in the 1960s, play the late 70s and 80s: Bruce Springsteen, Journey, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie. Born in the 1970s? The late 80s and 90s: Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Pearl Jam, Boyz II Men. Born in the 1980s? Early 2000s hip-hop, pop-punk and country. Put his top three songs from age 17 at the start of the Father's Day playlist and watch him start telling stories.

Songs for a new dad's first Father's Day

A first Father's Day deserves its own soundtrack: "Isn't She Lovely" or "Daddy's Little Girl" for a baby girl, "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" or "Watching You" for a baby boy, and "Time in a Bottle" for any new parent who wants to freeze the moment. Moms often give a new dad a song written about his first year, with the baby's name in the chorus.

Songs for a stepdad or bonus dad

For the man who chose to be your dad, "He Didn't Have to Be" by Brad Paisley is the classic, and "My Boy" by Elvie Shane tells it from his side. Both are perfect for Father's Day or a wedding toast, and they say thank you without any awkwardness.

When is Father's Day?

In the United States, Father's Day is the third Sunday of June: June 20 in 2027. A Father's Day playlist works best when it follows the day: something upbeat for breakfast or the drive to the lake, the classics during the barbecue, and one emotional song saved for the moment he opens his card.

How do you choose a song for your dad?

• Start with his music. His favorite band from high school will move him more than any "dad song".
• Match your relationship. If you joke around, pick something funny; if you rarely say it, pick a ballad.
• Read the lyrics. Some famous father songs are about absent or difficult dads.
• Say why. One line about what the song reminds you of turns a song into a dedication.
• Involve the grandkids. If he is also a grandpa, a song introduced by the youngest grandchild is the moment everyone remembers.

A song about your dad

Every song above was written about someone else's father. A personalized song is about yours: his name, the job he did for decades, the truck, the terrible jokes, the fishing trips, the way he fixed everything with duct tape, the advice you only understood later. Dads who never cry at movies tend to replay it alone in the car, more than once. See our guide to a Father's Day song for your dad.

How to create a song for your dad

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: country, classic rock, soul, acoustic and more.
2. Add his name or what you call him, and up to two more, such as siblings or grandchildren.
3. Share three memories, each with one concrete detail.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF, usually within minutes, even on Father's Day morning.

Tell him what he never hears: create a song for your dad and hear four previews for free.