Family is a funny thing. Unlike your friends, whom you accumulate over an extended period, you are born with your family, and you don’t get a second shot at who you have. However, there is a special bond amongst family members that makes you see the best in them, even when most people would have a hard time doing so. When it comes to family, you know they have your back no matter what and will always be there for you through thick and thin. For this reason, many songs about family have been written over the years, and we’ve made an epic playlist with many of the most popular ones below.
We’ve included songs from all music genres, including country, pop, rock, and more.
1. The Dollar by Jamey Johnson
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2006 |
| Album | The Dollar |
Country music singer Jamey Johnson was relatively unknown until releasing his first single in 2005, which peaked at number-14 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. That song was also the title track to Johnson’s first album, “The Dollar.” What makes this song unique is that it puts a new spin on an old story, where the father doesn’t have time to spend with his son because he’s always at work. The sun asks the mother why he always has to go to work, to which she responds that they pay him to be there. He then innocently asks if he could buy some of his dad’s time.
2. Who Says You Can’t Go Home by Bon Jovi (Featuring Jennifer Nettles)
| Genre | Rock |
| Year Released | 2005 |
| Album | Have a Nice |
Sometimes, the only thing that we can think about when we are younger is becoming old enough to go out on our own. However, there is an old saying that goes something like “You can never go back home, which means that some people’s pride will not let them accept the fact that they failed and return home to face the consequences. With a little help from Lady Antebellum’s Jennifer Nettles, Jon Bon Jovi’s rollicking, country-flavored single “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” explores the concept of embracing your mistakes, realizing that you may not know it all and going back home for a fresh start.
3. Family Table by Zac Brown Band
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2017 |
| Album | Welcome Home |
When it comes to songs about family, there is no shortage of Zac Brown songs that you could choose to include on this list. I went with one of his lesser-known tracks because I feel like this song Embraces the two meanings of family more than most of his other singles. This song Embraces the whole vibe of a time when we all gathered around the dinner table as a family, and everyone was welcome to sit down with us. What makes this song so unique is that it has a laid-back feel while keeping the beat light and playful, so it’s not taken too seriously.
4. Granddaddy’s Chair by Kane Brown
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2010 |
| Album | Kane Brown |
Most of us are fortunate enough to have warm, loving memories of our grandparents that we can hold on to when we no longer have them. Sometimes, all it takes to trigger those memories is looking at something that was uniquely theirs, like Kane Brown’s grandfather’s chair, which he sings about in his tribute to the man who occupied it for years, “Granddaddy’s Chair.” In this reflective, mid-tempo track, Brown declares that his granddaddy will always be in his heart and that he hopes to be able to live up to the standards that his grandfather set for him throughout the years they were together.
5. You’re Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | American Man: Greatest Hits Volume II |
One of the things that I have always liked best about the Grammy Award-nominated superstar Trace Adkins is that he seems to be as genuine a person as you will find in the entertainment industry. That’s what I think makes his music so popular. Atkins is a man that the rest of us can relate to. In his song “You’re Gonna Miss This,” Trace advises the listener to try to be more present at the moment while things are happening because we are going to miss these things once they are gone because one day we are going to want to be back in “the good old days.”
6. It Won’t Be Like This For Long by Darius Rucker
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | Learn To Live |
Back when he was singing for Hootie and the Blowfish, it was fairly obvious that lead vocalist Darius Rucker had the chops to succeed in any genre he chose to write music in. After the demise of Hootie and the Blowfish, Darius Rucker made the transition into being a bona fide country music star, as made a parent by his Billboard number-one single “It Won’t Be Like This For Long.” What makes this track special is the way that Rucker chose to use this song as a vehicle to carry out its beautiful message to appreciate what we have when we are fortunate enough to have it.
7. There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2004 |
| Album | When the Sun Goes Down |
Although there is certainly no shortage of country songs about appreciating the time you have with your family when you can appreciate it, “There Goes My Life” stands out as one of the premiere tracks regarding this subject matter in the genre. The song is about a father who sees that he has done something well with his life as he’s reflecting on the memories he shared with his children. The song appeared as the featured track on Chesney’s quadruple-platinum album “When the Sun Goes Down,” which was also the fourth-best-selling album of Kenny Chesney’s impressive career.
8. We Didn’t Have Much by Justin Moore
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2021 |
| Album | Straight Outta the Country |
In this light-hearted trip down memory lane country singer Justin Moore remembers fondly the many things that he grew up with during his childhood. He remembers how much simpler things also were back then. Justin Moore was right. They might not have had much, but they learned to appreciate and take care of the things that they had. Perhaps, more than anything, what I like best about this track is how he remembers all of the things about his childhood. He looks at what he went through as a blessing instead of feeling like he was never happy, nor could he get anything he wanted.
9. The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2009 |
| Album | Revolution |
The family home is one of the most overlooked aspects of a family. For those who are fortunate enough to grow up living in the same house for their entire childhood, there are fond memories that are usually attached to that house. That’s exactly the kind of house Miranda Lambert is singing about in her single “The House That Built Me.” When she was asked about this song, which was written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, country superstar Miranda Lambert said, “Everybody’s had that comfortable home place – or maybe even a person – that made you who you are, but that you can’t ever really go back to.”
10. Weekends Look A Little Different These Days by Brett Young
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2021 |
| Album | Weekends Look A Little Different These Days |
Before you had the responsibility of having a family, you more than likely spent your weekends partying the night away while sleeping all day long. However, all of that changes when you decide to start a family. Weekends that were once completely occupied with partying have now been traded in for a night of laying on the couch and watching Disney Channel with the kids. That’s the sentiment that Brett Young brings with his song “Weekends Look A Little Different These Days.” However, this new lifestyle doesn’t seem to inconvenience Young in the least. Speaking matter-of-factly, he’s embracing being a husband and a dad.
11. Family Tree by Caylee Hammack
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2020 |
| Album | If It Wasn’t for You |
How many years have people used the analogy of a tree to describe how strong your family ties are within the family? As the old saying goes, “If the roots are strong, then the tree will be strong and prosper as well.” Well, that’s the message being delivered by Caylee Hammack in her upbeat country tune “Family Tree.” And this song, Caylee is saying that while her family might endure its fair share of hard times, the roots that bond the family are incredibly strong, so practically nothing can “shake the family tree” or do something to hurt their family dynamic. If you’re looking for country songs about family then this is one you should definitely listen to.
12. Blessed by Elton John
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 1995 |
| Album | Made in England |
Reginald Kenneth Dwight, known better by his stage name Elton John, knows a thing or two about finding lasting success in the music industry. Long before he became known as Sir Elton, Dwight recorded his first album and released it in 1969. Fast-forward over five decades and over 100 million albums sold later, and Elton John is still a force to be reckoned with in pop music. Appearing on his 1995 release “Made In England,” the song “Blessed” was written about his relationship with his husband, David Furnish. However, the couple initially had no plans of having children before eventually adopting two boys.
13. I’m Already There (Message From Home) by Lonestar
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2001 |
| Album | I’m Already There |
Lonestar lead vocalist Richie McDonald wrote this song, which is about being there in spirit even when you can’t be there in person, with Gary Baker and Frank Myers. When writing the song, the trio Drew inspiration from the times when McDonald’s was out on tour with the band and couldn’t be there for his family and friends. The title of the song came from something at McDonald’s said to his four-year-old son Rhett. When calling home from the road. The boy asked when his dad was coming home, to which he replied: “I’m already there.” Three songwriters agreed that this sounded like a great title.
14. Meanwhile Back At Mama’s by Tim McGraw (Featuring Faith Hill)
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2014 |
| Album | Sundown Heaven Town |
Although it’s not uncommon for a husband and wife team to record a song together, especially in country music, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are perhaps the most successful and most famous couple in the history of country music. However, this was not the first time that the husband and wife performed together on his phone. In 1997, they took home four Academy Of Country Music Awards for their single “It’s Your Live.” This classic-sounding song was partially inspired by Tim McGraw’s childhood, in which he did not find out who his biological father was until he was 13 years old.
15. Daughters by John Mayer
| Genre | Singer-Songwriter |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | Heavier Things |
This simple, mid-tempo, acoustic track, which won Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Song Of The Year, was inspired by singer-songwriter John Mayer seeing that there were so many beautiful women around him who had “daddy issues.” Mayer went on to say that he’s also noticed that when women have serious troubles trusting men, it usually stems from not being able to trust the first and most important man in their life. I think that this is what makes this song so unique and so special. John Mayer was concerned enough about the well-being of women everywhere to write a song like this.
16. Even Though I’m Leaving by Luke Combs
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 2019 |
| Album | What You See Is What You Get |
In this touching, mandolin-infused track a father sees his son become old enough to join the military, which is exactly what he does. When the father voices his concerns about his son being sent to serve, his son reassures him that even though he’s leaving, he’s not going anywhere. I like about this tune is that it was primarily written by the one person in the group who had experience with being a father, so it gave the song a very genuine and honest feel, which is the way that the beautiful nature of this song’s subject matter should have been approached.
17. I Thank You Child by Zakk Wylde
| Genre | Hard Rock, Metal |
| Year Released | 1996 |
| Album | Book of Shadows |
Although he lets his heavier side shine through in Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde has a soft, sensitive side of his personality that his children love. Decide comes through most in his solo music, much like the loving ballad Wyde wrote for his children. What I love about this song is that Zakk isn’t afraid to let it all hang out and show the entire world how much his children mean to him. Wylde isn’t afraid to tap into his emotionally dark side on this track when he sings the line, “It was you who made living worthwhile. I thank you, my child.”
18. We Are Family by Sister Sledge
| Genre | R&B, Soul, Disco |
| Year Released | 1979 |
| Album | We Are Family |
If we were in a family feud, and the question was, “Can you name a song that pertains to family,” Sister Sledge’s disco classic “We Are Family” would easily be the number-one answer. This track embraced the concept that we can all be one big happy family together on Earth. This was a concept that most of the country got behind because the single shot up to the third spot on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the group’s highest-charting single ever. In over four decades since its release, this song still serves as a theme for the unification of all types around the world.
Popular Related Article: Country Songs About Brothers Playlist
19. Family Business by Kanye West
| Genre | Rap, Hip-Hop |
| Year Released | 2004 |
| Album | The College Dropout |
Although there are plenty of songs that are dedicated to mothers, fathers, and the rest of our respective families who have helped us to get where we are in life, there aren’t very many songs that pay tribute to those who are no longer with us. However, there may be one exception to that rule. The rap genre always seems to find a way to pay tribute to the loved ones who are no longer with them. That’s what this song from the controversial rapper Kanye West is about. It shows respect to the family members who weren’t able to make it to this point in his journey through life.
20. Sing A Family Song by Merle Haggard
| Genre | Country |
| Year Released | 1979 |
| Album | Serving 190 Proof |
I don’t know about most of you, but if I were asked to Name an artist who wrote A touching song about family, Merle Haggard would probably be the last name that came to my mind. However, here he is with one of the most memorable songs you will ever hear about his memories of his family. What I love most about this song is that Merle doesn’t stray far from his usual style, opting to keep it simple with only his voice and its acoustic guitar to carry the song in which he is asking us to share our memories of home with him.
21. Dear Mama by Tupac Shakur
| Genre | Rap, Hip-Hop |
| Year Released | 1995 |
| Album | Me Against the World |
People around the world will usually agree that the one person who has the power to hold the family unit together is Mama. She’s also the first one to roll up her sleeves and do whatever it takes to take care of her family. Even Tupac Shakur, who is one of the most respected and influential rappers in history, wrote a song to acknowledge how much he loves his mother and how much he appreciates everything that she’s done for him. I like that someone as hardened as Tupac isn’t afraid to let his guard down, and his emotions show in this track.
22. A Song for Mama by Boyz II Men
| Genre | R&B, Soul |
| Year Released | 1997 |
| Album | Evolution |
Leave it to Philadelphia’s premiere singing group Boyz II Men, to give us one of the most peer-jerking, emotional, and heartfelt tributes to the one person who we look to for practically everything, Mom. The second single from their album “Evolution” was also used in the film Soul Food, which was a film about a family staying together in the face of tragedy. If I had to guess, I would say that this is probably the world’s most-played song for Mother’s Day, and I can understand why. Any mother would be bro
Hi, my name is Kevin and I’m from Butler, Pennsylvania. I’ve been obsessed with music and audio gear for as long as I can remember. I started this website to help people find professional advice related to a wide range of audio topics. We have a number of Audio Engineers on our team who have been designing and fixing audio gear for decades.