Music has the power to evoke memories, feelings and emotions with single notes or words. It’s no surprise, then, that songs with titles that allude to specific colors, whether they’re named after one specific color or paint a vivid, colorful landscape of imagery, can have a powerful impact. Songs with color-titled lyrics have the power to resonate with people and instantly transport them to a certain memory or moment in time.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best color-titled songs from a variety of genres and take an in-depth look at why these songs, and specifically their color-based titles, have such an impact on us.
An Overview of Color-Themed Songs
Colorful songs come in all shapes and sizes. Some draw upon the hue in their titles to create a music video that is filled with rainbows and color-coordinated wardrobes, while others have a more subtle association with the color. Whether they’re summery holiday anthems or edgy contemporary rock songs, every music lover can find a song with a splash of color and enjoy the visually stimulating and emotionally gripping ride.
Here’s a list of some common genres of music with color-themed song titles:
-Pop: Taylor Swift’s “Red” and Miley Cyrus’s “Black Mirror”
-Alternative: Vampire Weekend’s “White Sky” and Kings of Leon’s “A-Ha Shake Heartbreak”
-Rap: Cardi B’s “Yellow” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Money Trees”
-Rock: Oasis’s “Live Forever” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”
-Country: Garth Brooks’s “The Thunder Rolls” and Carrie Underwood’s “Red High Heels”
-EDM: Marshmello’s “Ritual” and Zedd’s “True Colors”
What Makes Color-Themed Songs so Special?
Music has long been associated with painting vivid images in our minds and expressing heartfelt emotions that can’t always be expressed in words. As such, color-titles songs are no different in their ability to captivate and move listeners. Colors themselves carry powerful symbolism and symbolism and can have a profound effect on our perception of a song’s message. Some common associations include:
-Red: Excitement, Passion, Aggression
-Blue: Sadness, Melancholy, Chilled Out Moods
-Green: Nature, Soothing, Refreshment
-Yellow: Happiness, Optimism, Sunshine
-Black: Dark, Menacing, Mysterious
These descriptions can help us to better understand why people gravitate towards some color-titled songs over others. For example, red-titled songs often deliver upbeat messages of passionate love, while blue-titled ones might speak of heartbreaking betrayal. Moreover, yellow-titled songs are often emblems of hopefulness and feelings of joy and euphoria.
The 10 Best Color-Titled Songs of All Time
There’s no denying the impact that color-titled songs have had on the music industry and their fans. To celebrate this fact, let’s have a look at some of the greatest color-titled songs of all time, in no particular order:
- LCD Soundsystem – “Daft Punk is Playing at My House”
- Pink Floyd – “Money”
- The Beatles – “Yellow Submarine”
- Fall Out Boy – “Sugar, We’re Going Down”
- Radiohead – “Creep”
- David Bowie – “The Jean Genie”
- Arctic Monkeys – “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor”
- Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
- The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
- System of A Down – “B.Y.O.B.”
These songs have created some of the most iconic lyrical moments in music history and have been anthems to millions of people across the globe.
The Implications of Color in Music
The lyrics, melody and instrumental accompaniment of a song may be the first things that come to mind when discussing why a certain track has proved so popular. However, it’s important to remember the implications of color on our favorite tunes as well.
Colors allow us to express something that words simply can’t. This is why music videos are often as much a part of the song as the audio itself. The light-show, wardrobe and set serve to further paint a picture in the audience’s mind, helping the overall message come through more poignant and relatable.
The title of a song can be just as influential on the color-spectrum as a full-length music video. For example, Arctic Monkeys’ “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” has been positively received by millions of people around the globe due to its electric blue title.
Popular Culture & Color-Themed Songs
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the way we perceive color and how it’s used in our favorite songs has changed over the years. Due to the ever evolving popular culture, color has been thrust into the spotlight again and again, with numerous bands creating entire albums dedicated to the subject of color. A great example of this is Foo Fighters eighth studio album “Sonic Highways”, which was released in 2014 and contains a whopping 8 color-titled tracks.
It’s clear that color-titled songs are here to stay. Whether they are uplifting holiday anthems or powerful rock ballads, people from all walks of life can find solace in the colorful music that has been created throughout the years. The variety of colorful songs available to find and enjoy is simply astonishing, and this article has only scratched the surface of the sheer wealth of rainbows and music blended together to create some truly master-pieces.
