The 100 Best Songs About Water, Sea & Waves

About 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is water, and since about 60 percent of our bodies are made of water, it’s only natural that humans are drawn to the sea. Life emerged from the water, it thrives there, yet we know less about the creatures in its depths than we do about the universe outside our atmosphere. It is mysterious, powerful, and majestic.

No wonder it is a constant source of inspiration for artists of all kinds.

The next time you take an atmospheric trip to the beach and need a soundtrack to accompany your aimless gazes, try one of these great songs about water and the seas. Each song has something magical about it.

This list is a playlist of the best songs about water, chosen by music fans like you. Some of the songs listed below have “water” or “river” in the lyrics or title, while others are about water as a theme. People play in the water in these songs, get wet, swim, and more.

Use of water as a symbol in music

Singers and songwriters have used water to describe an event, situation, or state of mind. Although the symbol has been used in various ways, it is often used for similes that explain relationships or the lyricist’s feelings about a person. Water and various terms associated with it are a familiar image in many different genres of music.

Waters such as seas, lakes, oceans, canals, and rivers are often used as metaphors to draw attention to the emotional state of the lyricist.

Concepts and ideas about water in songs

Of course, different listeners will Performer the symbolic meaning of water differently, but that’s what makes it such a great metaphor. Profound lyrics often convey a deep sense by allowing listeners to think about the metaphors and images from different angles.

Hidden meanings in songs about water

In some songs, the symbol of water is used to convey or reflect a hidden meaning. The word is often used to describe alternative concepts best symbolized by water’s mysterious and ever-changing properties. The term is so dynamic that it can be used diabolically to explore dark sarcasm regarding past events or troubling memories.

All songs can be listened to directly in full length here. In addition, you can find a Spotify playlist at the end of the article.

Places 1-100 of the best songs about water, sea & waves:

Place:	Song/Performer:	Listen:
1.	Waterfalls – TLC
2.	Cry Me a River – Justin Timberlake
3.	Ocean Eyes – Billie Eilish
4.	The River – Garth Brooks
5.	Rain on Me – Lady Gaga feat. Ariana Grande
6.	Water Runs Dry – Boyz II Men
7.	Water – The Who
8.	Into the Ocean – Blue October
9.	The River – Bruce Springsteen
10.	Ocean – Martin Garrix feat. Khalid
11.	I Am a River – The Foo Fighters
12.	Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
13.	Dead Sea – The Lumineers
14.	Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
15.	Fire Lake – Bob Seger
16.	Water Under the Bridge – Adele
17.	Grown Ocean – Fleet Foxes
18.	Hold Back the River – James Bay
19.	How Far I’ll Go – Auli’i Cravalho
20.	The River of Dreams – Billy Joel
21.	King Of The Beach – Wavves
22.	Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
23.	Umbrella – Rihanna feat. Jay-Z
24.	Water – Ra Ra Riot
25.	Cold Water – Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber and MO.
26.	Walk on the Ocean – Toad the Wet Sprocket
27.	Purple Rain – Prince
28.	Rivers of Babylon – Boney M
29.	Have You Ever Seen the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
30.	Children of the Sea – Black Sabbath
31.	Come in With the Rain -Taylor Swift
32.	Across the Sea – Weezer
33.	Stoked on Life – The Trash Mermaids
34.	Ocean – Lady A
35.	Down to the Waterline – Dire Straits
36.	Trash – Kate Nash
37.	Head Above Water – Avril Lavigne
38.	Water No Get Enemy – Fela Kuti
39.	Let the River Run – Carly Simon
40.	Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head – B.J. Thomas
41.	Into the Mystic – Van Morrison
42.	Surfin’ USA – The Beach Boys
43.	Swim – Madonna
44.	Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) – Enya
45.	Slippery When Wet – The Commodores
46.	Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – Ella Fitzgerald
47.	Madman Across the Water – Elton John
48.	Yellow River – Christie
49.	Surfin’ Safari – The Beach Boys
50.	(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
51.	Rock Lobster – The B-52s
52.	Where the River Goes – Stone Temple Pilots
53.	Black Water – Doobie Brothers
54.	Back to the River – The Pretty Reckless
55.	New World Water – Mos Def
56.	Under The Boardwalk – The Drifters
57.	Rain – The Beatles
58.	Mighty River – Mary J. Blige
59.	Lies of Serpents, a River of Tears – Zao
60.	Ocean Avenue – Yellowcard
61.	A Knife in the Ocean – Foals
62.	Down to the River to Pray – Alison Krauss
63.	Lake by the Ocean – Maxwell
64.	Dirty Water – The Standells
65.	Ocean of Noise – Arcade Fire
66.	Only the Ocean – Jack Johnson
67.	Ocean Breathes Salty – Modest Mouse
68.	Down By the River – Neil Young
69.	River – Eminem
70.	Oceans – Coldplay
71.	When the Levee Breaks – Led Zeppelin
72.	Tenerife Sea – Ed Sheeran
73.	Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads
74.	Beyond the Sea – Bobby Darin
75.	River of Love – George Strait
76.	Down By the Seaside – Led Zeppelin
77.	Blue Bayou – Linda Ronstadt
78.	Moon River – Audrey Hepburn
79.	Come Sail Away – Styx
80.	Oceania – Bjork
81.	Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall – Coldplay
82.	Up on Cripple Creek – The Band
83.	Seaside – The Kooks
84.	A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
85.	Big River – Johnny Cash
86.	Drink The Water – Jack Johnson
87.	Walk on Water – Thirty Seconds To Mars
88.	Splish Splash – Bobby Darin
89.	Sea Within a Sea – The Horrors
90.	Ocean – Goldfrapp
91.	The Water Song – The Incredible String Band
92.	Kern River – Emmylou Harris
93.	Yellow Submarine – The Beatles
94.	Oceans – Pearl Jam
95.	Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival
96.	Don’t Drink the Water – Dave Matthews Band
97.	Cool Water – Jack Scott
98.	Meeting Across the River – Bruce Springsteen
99.	May This Be Love – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
100.	How Deep Is The Ocean – Irving Berlin

Water Spotify playlist: