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You know the feeling when you're at a presentation, but you can't pay attention to what's being said because the music is so distracting? Choosing the right music is key to making a presentation better.

What is presentation music?

What music is good for presentation, powerpoint music, how to download music for powerpoint, how to add music to a powerpoint presentation, how to make playing music across slides in powerpoint, where can i download free presentation music, can i use copyrighted music in my presentation.

Making the right impression is a powerful marketing tool; presenters sometimes use music to connect with the audience immediately. Presentation music comes in many different genres, but any type will be more effective if it is related to the topic of the presentation.

The music you choose for your presentation can do many things for your audience - it can lighten the mood, drive excitement, or even set a pace. The key is to choose the appropriate music for your presentation and have it play at an acceptable volume.

• Confidence: Fresh Startup , Calm Tech
• Focusing: Successful Company , Good Energy
• Uplifting: Your Time Has Come , Positive And Uplifting
• Relaxed: Keep Going Forward , Soothing Medicine

PowerPoint is one of the most widely used presentation tools. The music playing in the background helps make a presentation more fun than it would be without the music, but there's often confusion over how to set up the audio track properly.

There are two basic file types you'll need to know - MP3s and WAVs. An MP3 is a compressed copy of an audio track that can be downloaded quickly. A WAV, or Waveform Audio File, is a digital format that supports higher quality, uncompressed audio, meaning it takes longer to download.

Both formats work in PowerPoint, but your choice depends on the type of presentation and how much music you want to include. To download music you need to add liked tracks to the Shopping cart, proceed to checkout and complete your payment. Download music instantly from the My Music > Tracks page.

• Select the slide you want to add music.
• On the Insert tab, click the Audio button.
• Select the option 'Audio on My PC..'
• Find and select your music files and click the Insert button.
• Now you can set up a volume level for music.
• Click on a sound icon to enable the Audio Tools panel.
• Set on the checkbox 'Play Across Slides' so the music will play continuously throughout your presentation.

You can download free presentation music from the Free music page. Use free music in your presentations, slideshows, and videos without copyright concerns.

You can't just take a popular hit and put it into your presentation. You need to right to use music in your production. Purchase and download royalty-free presentation music by Melody Loops to use in your PowerPoint or Keynote presentation.

How to choose the right background music for your business presentation

You’ve worked hard on your pitch deck. You’ve carefully chosen the right images, colors, and text that will hopefully get your investors interested. Whether you are sending your pitch deck or presenting in front of an audience, choosing the right background track will really make your presentation shine!

We have outlined three tips below to help you choose the track that will drive your pitch home and strike an emotional chord with investors.

1. Keep a Steady Pace

Choose a track that glides along without a lot of fanfare. A steady pace will draw your audience in and help them focus on the content of each slide. Choose music that is gentle, positive and bright, with some moments that pause, then continue the dynamic.

2. Tone is Important

Setting the right tone that relates to your idea will convey clarity and credibility to your audience. Whether the tone of your pitch is powerful and engaging or gentle and reassuring, the background music should match.

3. Make an Emotional Connection

When pitching your product to investors, let your passion shine through. Your pitch deck should have all of the elements of a great story. If your presentation has a kick-in-the-pants spirit, the right background music will accentuate that.

Choosing the Best Music for Corporate Event Presentations

Making a presentation in front of a corporate event audience can be daunting. How can you get your audience’s attention over the conversation and buzz? How do you really make an impact? One way is to add a background track to your slide presentation. If you are presenting a slide show at a business dinner, conference, or trade show, read on to find out how to choose the best background music.

1. Taking the Subtle Approach

Set the tone for the occasion by adding minimalist, even-toned music— more of a backdrop that your audience can focus their ears on. Subtle music exudes a calm atmosphere. The right track can be barely noticeable but will still affect the audience in subtle ways.

2. High Energy Approach

If your slide show has a high-energy, celebratory feel, choose tracks that engage your audience to feel that. Steady driving drums, danceable synth lines, and that dreamy backdrop give an air of brightness and positivity to your corporate presentation.

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Create custom music for your PowerPoint presentations with VEED’s AI

• 2 Enter a prompt (optional)

By generating a track, you agree to our Terms of Service .

Text-to-music: Presentation music tailored to your audience

Does your slideshow presentation need an extra punch? Customize your presentation music effortlessly with our AI generator. Just type a prompt, create a track, and download your free slideshow music. Infuse uplifting, motivational sounds that will grab your audience’s attention. Whether it's a lecture, a business pitch, or an explainer video, VEED has all the tools you need to make memorable presentations. This tool is powered by Mubert, a leading platform in AI music generation.

How to auto-generate music for your presentation:

1 choose a vibe.

Set the vibe you want for your PowerPoint presentation. You can choose chill vibes, hip-hop, electronic, rock, or dance.

2 Type a prompt

Describe the music you envision for your presentation. Specify emotions, and consider any visual or sensory elements.

3 Generate a track

Click ‘Create track,’ and our AI will produce slideshow music based on your text prompts. Then, download the MP3 file for free.

Watch this walkthrough of the AI music generator:

Follow these steps to add music to all slides in your presentation:

• Open your presentation. Go to the ‘Insert’ tab, and choose ‘Audio.’ Upload your music file.
• Click on the audio icon, then the ‘Audio Tools’ tab.
• Choose ‘Playback.’ Set the audio playback option to ‘Play across slides.’

You may need to share the music file along with the presentation when presenting to others. These steps might vary slightly depending on your version of PowerPoint, but the process is generally similar.

Royalty-free music is a type of music licensing that doesn’t require you to pay ongoing royalties or license fees for each use. This licensing type provides a cost-effective and convenient way to use a song across various projects.

Do not use the AI Music Generator to violate intellectual property, cause harm, or defame anyone. You can read the content policy here . AI-generated music is not for commercial use or monetized content. All copyrights are owned by the royalty-free music provider—Mubert Render. Read more about licensing .

VEED’s AI music generator is a great source of royalty-free presentation music. Simply choose a vibe, type your prompt, and create a track. You can also explore more options on our stock music library in the video editor.

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What they say about VEED

Veed is a great piece of browser software with the best team I've ever seen. Veed allows for subtitling, editing, effect/text encoding, and many more advanced features that other editors just can't compete with. The free version is wonderful, but the Pro version is beyond perfect. Keep in mind that this a browser editor we're talking about and the level of quality that Veed allows is stunning and a complete game changer at worst.

I love using VEED as the speech to subtitles transcription is the most accurate I've seen on the market. It has enabled me to edit my videos in just a few minutes and bring my video content to the next level

Laura Haleydt - Brand Marketing Manager, Carlsberg Importers

The Best & Most Easy to Use Simple Video Editing Software! I had tried tons of other online editors on the market and been disappointed. With VEED I haven't experienced any issues with the videos I create on there. It has everything I need in one place such as the progress bar for my 1-minute clips, auto transcriptions for all my video content, and custom fonts for consistency in my visual branding.

Diana B - Social Media Strategist, Self Employed

More than a music generator for presentations

With VEED, you can do so much more than just create background music for PowerPoints and slideshows. It’s an all-in-one editing tool for audio and video. Create text-to-speech voiceovers , auto-translate your audio , make video presentations , and more. VEED has all the tools you need to create professional and engaging content effortlessly. Try it now from your browser – no app download needed!

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Background Music For Presentation

Need royalty free background music for presentation or PowerPoint?

Adding background music to educational or business presentations can help to keep your audience focused, motivated, and, most importantly entertained!

However, choosing the best music for your presentation, video, or PowerPoint slides can be tricky and time consuming.

Hi, I’m Mik, one of TunePocket music composers. I went though our huge catalog of royalty free music and picked 10 tracks that will work great in business, educational, or technology presentation. Watch the video below or jump straight to the playlist .

I’ve tried to include a bit of everything in the playlist, including business / corporate music, relaxing music, happy and upbeat music, light background music, and more.

Hope you can find what you’re looking for! If you don’t see what you need, check out our main music catalog . We have over 12,000 music tracks and sounds to choose from!

where can I get music for my presentation?

There are plenty of royalty free music marketplaces that sell music licenses. You need to read the fine print but most licenses will cover using music in personal and commercial presentations.

Typically a single license would cost anywhere between $19 and $50 depending on the exact usage.

At TunePocket, we are happy to offer you a better deal:

Download any 5 songs from our huge catalog of 12,000+ royalty free music tracks and sounds. Buy once and use it forever in all your presentations and videos with lifetime commercial music license!

Learn about all licensing options and how you can save at least 50% compared to similar music licensing platforms.

Related: How to choose best background music for presentation

Why it’s important to avoid using PRO registered music for presentations

A Performing Rights Organization (PRO) manages the rights of music creators, such as songwriters and composers, by licensing their music and collecting royalties for its public performance.

If you play PRO-registered music in a public setting like a presentation without the proper licenses, you (or your employer) could potentially face legal issues and financial penalties.

Use royalty free music not affiliated with any PRO to ensure compliance.

10 handpicked background music tracks for presentations

All music in this playlist can be legally used in personal and commercial presentations, including PowerPoint slides, business project presentation, educational or historical presentation, real estate, architecture, technology, awards, and many more types of presentations.

You can choose the music that fits the length of your presentation. We have plenty of background music tracks that run for 3, 5, or 10 minutes, as well as short music cues to use as openers or as the ending music.

Get your license now

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Background Music for Presentations, Slideshows & Videos

5 min read –   Updated: April 21st, 2023

Background Music for Presentations: Enhance Your Message with the Perfect Soundtrack

If you’ve ever sat through a presentation that was completely silent, you know how difficult it can be to stay engaged. Background music can be a great way to keep your audience focused and attentive, but there are a few things you should keep in mind before hitting play.

Firstly, consider the purpose of your presentation. If you’re giving a serious business proposal, you may want to opt for instrumental music that won’t distract from your message. On the other hand, if you’re presenting at a creative conference or pitching a new product, you may want to choose something that’s a bit more upbeat and energetic.

Another factor to consider is the volume of your music. You don’t want it to be so loud that it’s distracting, but you also don’t want it to be so quiet that it’s barely noticeable. Finding the right balance can take some trial and error, so be sure to test your music in the actual presentation space before the big day.

Why Use Background Music for Presentations?

If you want to make your presentation more engaging and memorable, consider using background music. Adding music to your presentation can help set the tone, create a mood, and enhance the overall experience for your audience.

Benefits of Using Background Music

Using background music in your presentation can have several benefits. Here are a few:

• Creates a mood: Music can help set the tone for your presentation and create a mood that aligns with the message you want to convey. For example, if you’re giving a presentation on a serious topic, you might choose music that is calming and reflective.
• Enhances the experience: Adding music can make your presentation more engaging and enjoyable for your audience. It can help keep their attention and make the presentation more memorable.
• Creates a professional image: Using background music can help make your presentation look and feel more professional. It shows that you’ve put thought and effort into your presentation, and that you’re committed to delivering a high-quality experience for your audience.

Types of Presentations That Can Benefit from Background Music

While not all presentations require background music, there are certain types of presentations that can benefit from it. Here are a few examples:

Overall, using background music in your presentation can help create a more engaging and memorable experience for your audience. Just be sure to choose music that aligns with your message and doesn’t distract from your presentation.

How to Choose the Right Background Music for Your Presentation

Consider your audience and topic.

When selecting background music for your presentation, it is important to consider your audience and topic. Think about who your audience is and what their preferences might be. If your audience is a group of young professionals, you might want to choose more upbeat and contemporary music. If your presentation is about a serious topic, you might want to choose more somber and reflective music.

Match the Music to the Mood and Tone of Your Presentation

The mood and tone of your presentation should also be considered when selecting background music. If your presentation is meant to be uplifting and inspiring, you might want to choose music that is upbeat and motivational. If your presentation is meant to be more serious and reflective, you might want to choose music that is more subdued and calming.

Select Music That Complements Your Visuals and Message

The background music you choose should also complement the visuals and message of your presentation. If your presentation includes a lot of visuals and graphics, you might want to choose music that is more subtle and doesn’t overpower the visuals. If your presentation has a clear message or theme, you might want to choose music that reinforces that message or theme. When choosing background music for your presentation, keep in mind that it should enhance your presentation, not distract from it. Use your best judgment and listen to a variety of music options before making a final decision.

1. Corporate Music

Once you’ve crafted your business presentation, it’s time to add the perfect music to reflect your vision. This is where Corporate background music comes in… it has a modern and confident tone, which was literally made for presentations.

Remember, you don’t want to take the focus away from key points, so we recommend opting for something subtle and sophisticated. This is especially essential if you have narration over a product demonstration or service announcement.

Take a listen to some of our favourite Corporate soundtracks:

•   CC BY-NC License  –  £0.00
•   Standard License  –  £25.00
•   Broadcast License  –  £49.00
•   Full-Scale License  –  £149.00

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Clear progress.

Soft Inspiration

Corporate Software

2. electronic tech music.

Another creative option for adding background music to presentations is Electronic music. This genre is especially popular in digital marketing, car design videos and innovative, cutting-edge science and technology content.

We feel this type of music is the perfect addition to futuristic, detailed and concise presentations. 

Take a listen to some of our favourite Electronic Tech soundtracks:

Digital Age

Creative Design

3. Rock Music

Being the most aggressive out of the three, rock background music is typically more suited to advertising such as trailers, teasers, gym commercials and sports/adventure content. However, you do get rock music with upbeat and motivational corporate elements which has been a proven success as background music for presentations.

If you’re looking to evoke feelings of success, then this is the best background music to choose.

Take a listen to some of our favourite Rock soundtracks:

The Future Is Ours

Come and Get It

4. cinematic music.

Ok, so cinematic music is definitely the most motivational and inspiring background music for presentations. With instruments ranging from soft piano melodies to triumphant orchestral strings, cinematic background music definitely has the power to grab the attention of your viewers which is why it’s on our list.

The perfect accompaniment to travel/adventure related content.

Take a listen to some of our favourite Cinematic soundtracks:

Epic Cinematic

Epic Trailer

Together We Stand

5. percussive music.

Typically, consisting of stomps, claps and drums, percussive background music is very popular with modern product presentations.

This type of music will make your projects pop, and is a great addition to any short, quirky and straight to the point content. 

Take a listen to some of our favourite Percussive soundtracks:

Stomps and Claps

Upbeat Funk Pop

Action Drums

Where can i find background music for presentations.

Here at Scott Holmes Music we have an extensive catalogue of high-quality royalty free music ideal for synchronising to presentations, communications, walk-throughs, conferences, product promos and infographic animations.

Each track is royalty free, so if you  obtain a license , you can use these tracks for as many internal/external presentations as you want.

Not only do we offer soft background music for presentation free download for non-commercial purposes along with licenses for commercial use, but our popular All Access Pass membership  has become a firm favourite with corporate brands and content creators from all around the world.

Unlimited Royalty Free Music Membership

🔓 unlock instant access to our entire music library forever, with one single purchase..

Written by Scott Holmes

Music Producer and owner of Scott Holmes Music

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Free background music for video

MotionElements is the best online stock music site to download free background music. Choose from free stock music to free sound effects to free stock video.

6,000+ Free Video Stock Footage to Explore

Choose from a wide selection of royalty free video clips to meet your needs. Our free stock video library offers free video footage as well as free hd videos for download.

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Our royalty-free license is safe for use worldwide for all types of personal and commercial projects. Download once, use forever.

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Our license also extends to all platforms that will be created in the future.

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Need more assistance? Find your answer from our help center or contact us .

They can be used to create videos for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Twitch, Vimeo, broadcast, commercials, film & tv, online ads, websites, podcasts, weddings, games, marketing, presentations, applications, non-profits, NFTs & Metaverse platforms and all platforms that will be created in the future.

Royalty-free describes intellectual property that can be used without having to pay royalties. Once a one-time fee is paid for a royalty-free license, the buyer is free to use it without having to pay recurring fees to the intellectual property owner.

While a royalty-free license gives a person the right to use it, the intellectual property still belongs to the original owner. Anyone who buys a royalty-free license is entitled to use the same content. In other words, royalty-free content is not exclusive.

However, there are many perks of using royalty-free content. A buyer does not need to attribute the owner and each content can be used as many times as desired in as many projects as possible.

Stock music can be spliced, edited and looped as far as their terms of use allow, to fit seamlessly with any audiovisual project. They are often used as background music for videos to liven up the mood, evoke specific emotions and create moods as desired by the video producer. Stock music can also be used as filler music in podcasts at the beginning and between segments and to provide a complete audio experience.

Stock music is pre-arranged music that comes with a license that gives the buyer permission to use them. Typically composed by professionals, their formats are various; mp3, wav, etc. The music tracks can be creatively incorporated in all types of media projects such as corporate videos, jingles, podcasts and social media content.

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The Ultimate Mother’s Day Playlist

By Rob Sheffield

Rob Sheffield

The annals of music folklore are full of unforgettable moms. There’s tough mothers, saintly mothers, evil mothers, motorcycle mamas, mothers of invention. Some stars love to do emotional tributes to their mamas, from Tupac to Taylor, from Dolly to Drake. Others celebrate the fearsome bad-ass maternal figures — whether it’s  LL Cool J ’s mama telling him to knock you out, or Rosalita’s mama chasing  Bruce Springsteen  off the porch with a broom. So here’s a few of our favorite mom songs, from pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, and country.

Queen, ‘Tie Your Mother Down’

Don’t do that!

Mr. T, ‘Treat Your Mother Right’

Drake, ‘Look What You’ve Done’

Of all the many women in Aubrey Graham’s songs, none has a place in his heart like his mother Sandi. “Look What You Done” is a highlight from Take Care , where Drake thanks the women of his family: his aunt, his grandmother, but especially his mother. He recalls her health struggles and their arguments, but he promises her, “After all the things that we’ve been through, I got you.” 

Dolly Parton, ‘Coat of Many Colors’

One of Dolly’s most beloved songs—a down-home ballad about growing up in a poor family with a mama who taught her what love is all about, sewing her a coat from a box of rags. Dolly has given the world so many different mother figures, but they’re not all saints—as in “Travelin’ Man,” on the same Coat of Many Colors album, where her mama steals her guy. 

2Pac, ‘Dear Mama’

So many rap classics about the heroic moms who held it down, from Snoop Dogg’s “I Love My Momma” to Biggie’s “Juicy” to Nas’ “Dance.” But Tupac did the most famous of them all with “Dear Mama,” paying tribute to the Black Panther revolutionary Afeni Shakur. As Pac says, “Ain’t a woman alive that could take my mama’s place.”

Victoria Monet, ‘On My Mama’

“When they say, ‘She get it from her mama’? I’m-a say, ‘You fucking right.” Any questions? Respect due to Victoria Monet’s mama and the fierce daughter she raised.

The Beatles, ‘Let It Be’

Paul McCartney sends out a prayer to his real-life Mother Mary, a Liverpool nurse who passed away when he was just a boy of 14. But in times of trouble, he still hears Mary McCartney’s voice, speaking words of wisdom. “Let It Be” has been a light in the darkness for listeners ever since. 

The Beatles, ‘Julia’

John Lennon, like Paul, lost his mother at a young age, and like Paul, he wrote a tribute that taught the world to say her name. “Julia” is a tender White Album love song, from a free-spirited son to his equally free-spirited mother. No rock band ever mythologized their mothers like The Beatles—even Ringo gave his Mum an entire album of her favorite songs in Sentimental Journey .

Taylor Swift, ‘The Best Day’

Taylor has spent her whole life singing the praises of Andrea Swift, but never more beautifully than in “The Best Day.” It’s a tearjerker for sure, telling their whole mother/daughter story. Every time Taylor performs live, one of the fan-fave moments is right before the show when Andrea walks to her seat and gets her own ovation.

Ghostface Killah & Mary J. Blige, ‘All That I Got Is You’

The Wu-Tang Clan’s Iron Man gives it up to the iron woman who raised him, saying, “This is dedicated to all the families that went through the struggle.” He gets real about how his mother (“my earth”) and grandmother kept the family together in the bleakest poverty, even the times when “mommy wasn’t strong enough.” It’s one of the rawest, most poignant rapper’s-mama tributes, with Mary J. Blige adding her heavenly soul vocals. Ghostface updated it in “Momma” on Fishscale , except with a lot more money, promising “I’ll Dior you out.”

The Shirelles, ‘Mama Said’

So much good advice to be learned from the wise moms of Sixties girl-group pop. In Motown, Diana Ross and the Supremes took their troubles to “Mother Dear”; over in Chicago, Jan Bradley sang “Mama Didn’t Lie.” But the sentimental faves have to be The Shirelles, who get through tough times by remembering, “Mama said there’ll be days like this.”

Merle Haggard, ‘Mama Tried’

Hag’s ultimate outlaw tale, sung from behind the bars of a jail cell. He grew up the rebel child of the family, while his saintly mama cried over him. Turning 21 in prison, doing life without parole, Merle recalls how she struggled to raise him right. But as he sings, “That leaves only me to blame, ‘cause mama tried.”

Kacey Musgraves, ‘Mother’

A short interlude on Golden Hour , only 1:18 long, but straight from the heart, as Kacey sings about living too far away from her mother, missing her over the miles from Tennessee to Texas. She revealed that she wrote it after getting a text from her mom while tripping on acid. Now that’s relatable.

Lynyrd Skynyrd, ‘Simple Man’

Can you imagine how tough Ronnie Van Zant’s mama must have been? Now there’s a hard-ass Southern matriarch for you – she probably shot down a lot of free birds in her day. But Marion Van Zant gave Ronnie this advice: “Baby, be a simple kind of man/Be something you love and understand.” And he spent his life doing her proud. Of all the classic-rock mom tributes, “Simple Man” is the one that never fails to get those lighters lifted high and bring a tear to a biker’s eye.

Beyoncé, ‘Ring Off’

Beyoncé pledges her love to Tina Knowles, in one of her most personal songs, in the aftermath of her parents’ divorce. She tells her mother, “Always know you got a daughter who’s proud you took the high road,” and adds, “You a killer, you so sexy!” It ends with words from Tina herself: “If you’re going through it, just know it’s called ‘going through it’—you’re not gonna get stuck there. You’re not gonna die, you’re gonna survive.”

Lucy Dacus, ‘My Mother and I’

Dacus wrote this for Mother’s Day in 2019, but she isn’t going for hearts and flowers, as you can tell from the opening lines: “My mother hates her body / We share the same outline / She swears that she loves mine.” It’s for both her mothers—the one who raised her and the biological one she just met at 19. An astoundingly powerful song about growing up, guilt, and inheritance, with the kicker: “All she has given/All I have taken / All is forgiven / All is forsaken.”

Danzig, ‘Mother’

Glenn Danzig, the musclebound Misfits belter from hell, warns the mothers of the world not to let their children listen to evil music like this. He isn’t wrong.

Jay-Z, ‘December 4’

Has any artist ever created so many classic songs about his mother? Shawn Carter might hold the record, from “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)” to “Smile,” where he stands by Gloria Carter as she comes out. But the Black Album jam “December 4″ is where they co-narrate the whole story of their hard-knock life together. Gloria recalls that he was “the only one who didn’t give me any pain when I gave birth to him.” Jay admits he made up for that later.

Carole King, ‘Where You Lead’

Carole King wrote a classic ode to mom/daughter bonding—without even realizing she’d done it. When she sang “Where You Lead” on Tapestry , she considered it an adult love song. But years later, when it became the Gilmore Girls theme, King finally realized this is what the song was always meant to be. She asked Toni Stern to rework the lyrics, and sang it as a duet with her daughter Louise Goffin.

The Stratford 4, ‘Telephone’

A psychedelic shoegaze guitar tale about a rock & roll mom who’s partied harder than you ever will. Alone late at night, weary from too much dancing and decadence every night, he calls his mother for advice. She tells him, “When I was 22/I was a lot like you,” and orders him to go play some more  Dylan  and  Stones  albums. Coolest rock & roll mom in any song, ever.

Diana Ross and the Supremes, ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’

The Supremes scored a Number One hit with this Motown mama-said classic. When these lonely girls feel like they can’t go on, all they have to do is remember what mama taught them: “You can’t hurry love / No, you just have to wait / Just trust, give it time/No matter how long it takes.” Listen to the woman—she knows what she’s talking about. Diana Ross gives one of her finest vocals, while James Jamerson lays down the mother of all basslines.

LL Cool J, ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’

You know, LL was totally right about the whole “don’t call it a comeback” thing. He’d just had one of his biggest and best hits in 1989, “I’m That Type of Guy.” But somehow the criticism spurred him to prove to Ma Dukes that her boy was indeed the future of the funk, in this old-school rap banger. LL’s mama Ondrea Smith makes a cameo in the video, calling him by his given name “Todd.”

Alicia Keys, ‘Superwoman’

Alicia sends this anthem out to superwomen everywhere, especially the moms, singing, “This is for all the mothers fighting for better days to come.”

Joni Mitchell, ‘Let The Wind Carry Me’

A Seventies meditation on changing gender roles, as Joni Mitchell looks at her own troubled relationship with her mother, re-evaluating her rebellious teen years in light of her adult perspective. A highlight of her most underrated masterpiece, For The Roses .

Funkadelic, ‘Cosmic Slop’

A young man moans over grimy Hendrix-gone-uptown guitars about being haunted by his mama’s deal with the forces of evil: To feed her kids, she sold herself as a dancer to the devil. (Take that,  Ozzy !) He hears her voice calling in his drugged-out head – “Would you like to dance with me?/I’m doing the cosmic slop” – as the guitars voice her soul.

OutKast, ‘Ms. Jackson’

Of all the songs for the baby-mamas’ mamas, this OutKast classic has to be the saddest and most honest. Andre 3000 sings, “Never meant to make your daughter cry.”

Japanese Breakfast, ‘Psychopomp’

A poignant moment on Japanese Breakfast’s breakthrough album. Michelle Zauner devotes Psychopomp to mourning her mother Chongmi, a woman she portrays so beautifully in her memoir Crying in H Mart . It’s a synth-and-guitar setting for a voicemail from her mother consoling her, by saying “gwenchanta,” or “it’s all right” in Korean.

The Beach Boys, ‘Mama Says’

Brian Wilson leads his bros through a brief a cappella tribute to maternal wisdom: “Eat a lot, sleep a lot, brush ’em like crazy/Run a lot, do a lot, never be lazy.” It’s the finale to their classic Wild Honey , ending on a note of family harmony.

2Chainz featuring YG and Offset, ‘Proud’

Three rap legends remind everyone they’re in the game just to make their mamas proud. 2Chainz remembers how they used to trap together out of the same house: “Me and mama got busted at the same time/Went to court and told the judge the same damn lies.” As he said, “We starved together, struggled together, hustled together, smiled together.”

Jan Bradley, ‘Mama Didn’t Lie’

A Chicago soul classic from Jan Bradley. Her mama didn’t raise no fool, teaching her the ways of the world: men are trash, don’t believe a word they say, stay in school. “She said, ‘Girl, stay in your class / You got a whole lot of growing and a-learning to do / So girl, don’t you go so fast.” Jan Bradley’s mama didn’t lie, and neither did Jan.

Madonna, ‘Promise To Try’

Madonna at her most autobiographical. “Promise To Try” was never a hit, or even a single, but it’s the intimate piano ballad at the heart of her classic confessional Like a Prayer . Madonna Louise Ciccone remembers the mother who shared her name, telling herself, “Never forget her eyes/Keep them alive inside.” She dedicated the album “to my mother, who taught me to pray.”

The Spinners, ‘Sadie’

If your mama has a taste for old-school Philly soul—and who doesn’t?—“Sadie” is the one. The Spinners never sounded sweeter, with everyone on the team putting their hearts into it—the genius producer Thom Bell, the house band MFSB, lead singer Phillipe Wynne hailing “the premier of ladies.”

Kanye West, ‘Hey Mama’

Kanye pays tribute to Donda West, a few years before her tragic death, with an emotional powerhouse from the jam-packed back-half of Late Registration , when he was still touching the sky. And there’s a sample of “Sadie.”

Sleater-Kinney, ‘Little Babies’

A catchy, hilarious, but tough-talking guitar rager about moms and daughters, with all of their conflicts. The punk rock goddesses in Sleater-Kinney make “Little Babies” one of the highlights of their classic Dig Me Out , with Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein trading off lines in a good-cop/bad-cop maternal dialogue, until they explode into the irresistibly rowdy chorus. Best rock-mom line: “Are you hungry? Did you eat before the show?” 

B.B. King, ‘Nobody Loves Me But My Mother’

B.B. King sings the blues, with the immortal line, “Nobody loves me but my mother, and she could be jiving too.”

Kate Bush, ‘Mother Stands For Comfort’

You know how sometimes you decide to drop in on your mom for a little surprise visit? Because you’ve just committed a murder and you need a place to hide, and you know she’ll take you in no matter what? Kate Bush makes this one of her most beautifully disturbing odes to motherly devotion.

Bruce Springsteen, ‘Rosalita’

“I know your mama, she don’t like me/’Cause I play in a rock & roll band.” Rosie’s ma is a real hard-ass, but she’s a lot cooler than Sherry’s. To this day, Mama Rosalita is probably still shaking her damn head at that skinny guy from the swamps of Jersey.

Bruce Springsteen, ‘The Wish’

Another Bruce classic, but a very different story: “The Wish” is a tribute to his real-life mother Adele, and an emotional highlight of his Springsteen on Broadway show. He pulls up in a hot rod and tells mom, “We’ll find us a little rock & roll bar and baby, we’ll go out and dance.” They always loved that. “My mother and her two sisters were dancing machines,” he recalls in the Broadway introduction. “When she comes in the door, we make sure there’s music on. She wants to dance.”

The Shangri-Las, ‘Bull Dog’

Four tough-as-leather beehived girls from the mean streets of Queens – including a set of twins – they had the most epic battles with their moms, fighting over greaser boys in hits like “Leader of the Pack.” This time, though, it’s their boyfriend’s mother. “I’m in love with the prettiest boy in the U.S.A./But his momma bought a dog just to keep little me away!” Ma  tries to scare off those lust-crazed Shangri-Las, but it doesn’t work, because no bulldog is as fearsome as a Shangri-La in raging-pheromone mode. If you doubt punk rock women were kicking ass in the Sixties, start here.

The Backstreet Boys, ‘The Perfect Fan’

The boy-band tradition is full of maternal devotion, going back to how New Edition and the New Kids both dedicated their debut albums to their moms. Brian, Howie, Kevin, Nick, and A.J. sum it up with their thank-you to “The Perfect Fan.”

ABBA, ‘Hey Hey Helen’

Abba give some love to the Seventies divorced moms—not a demographic that got much attention on pop radio at the time. But Abba were a lot more candid chronicling the 1970s feminist revolution than supposedly edgier bands. Anni-Frid and Agnetha ask, “Is it worth the pain to see the children cry? Does it hurt when they ask for Daddy?” But they cheer on Helen as she rebuilds her life, to become “a woman of today.” Question: How did Abba’s best mom song get left out of both Mamma Mia movies? 

Junior, ‘Mama Used To Say’

A great one-shot from the Eighties, with Junior Giscombe rising out of the London R&B scene. “Mama Used To Say” was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, with its zippy electro-soul beat and Junior testifying in the voice of a young Stevie Wonder, as he quotes his mother’s advice: “Live your life!”

Patti Smith, ‘Mother Rose’

Nobody tells family stories like Patti Smith—she wrote the all-time greatest baby-sister song (“Kimberly”), while also chronicling her father, her husband, her kids. But “Mother Rose” is a mystic tribute to her South Jersey mom: “She felt our tears, heard our sighs/And turned to gold before our eyes.”

Neil Young, ‘Cinnamon Girl’

“Mom, send me money now”: How many footloose hippies have sent a letter like that back home since 1969? But only Neil Young was honest enough to admit it in a song.

Ernie K-Doe, ‘Mother-in-Law’

And then there’s this less sentimental blast of New Orleans funk, where Ernie K-Doe compares his wife’s meddling mother to Satan. Allen Toussaint provides the ice-coldest nine-note piano solo in history.

The Intruders, ‘I’ll Always Love My Mama’

Another Philly soul classic from Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the Intruders’ most famous hit is a family affair, proclaiming, “She’s my favorite girl!” From their album Save the Children , which also had their heart-tugging version of Paul Simon’s “Mother and Child Reunion.”

BTS, ‘Mama’

J-Hope sings of his gratitude to “Mama,” in a gospel-style standout from the BTS album Wings . It starts out in 2006, when he’s a child learning to dance with her help; it follows her support and encouragement over the years, as she teaches Hobi that failure is the mother of success.

The Five Stairsteps, ‘O-o-h Child’

Few vintage soul sounds can soothe a troubled mind like Aloha Burke’s voice as she sings the opening lines of this dusty Chicago groove: “Ooooh child, things are gonna get easier / Ooooh child, things’ll get brighter.”

Al Wilson, ‘Queen of the Ghetto’

The late, great R&B singer is best remembered today for his Number One hit, “Show and Tell,” one of the Seventies’ suavest love jams. But Wilson got grittier in his ode to a matriarch who did what she had to do to put food on the table – and he’s nothing but proud.

Johnny Paycheck, ‘I’m The Only Hell (My Mama Ever Raised)’

A classic of outlaw country, the twanged-up honky-tonk tale of a bad, bad man who’s done some evil deeds—but he’s always got a soft spot for Mama. (And ONLY for Mama.) Johnny Paycheck, the ornery hombre who sang “Take This Job and Shove It,” makes the whole bar sing along: “She tried to turn me on to Jesus/But I turned to the devil’s ways/And I turned out to be the only hell my mama ever raised!”

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