77 of the Best Dad Songs Ever for Your Father's Day Playlist

There are few relationships that can be more heartwarming, heartbreaking, complicated and fraught with emotion than our relationships with our dads. Whether it's a song for a father-daughter dance, a silly song to make your pops laugh over dinner, a wistful reminiscence of a dad who's passed on or an angry ode to an absentee parent, we have all your bases covered when it comes to your Father's Day feels. 

From tearjerkers to adorable ditties to regretful venting, these are the 77 best dad songs for your Father's Day playlist.

Related: 45 Cute Father's Day Questions to Ask Your Dad and Your Kids

Sweet Dad Songs for Father's Day

1. Paul Simon, "Father and Daughter"

Paul Simon wrote this heartwarming song for his daughter, Lulu, and it's become a father-daughter dance staple.

2. John Lennon, "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)"

"Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" was one of John Lennon's final works, written for his and wife Yoko Ono's son, Sean. Paul McCartney has said it's one of his favorite tracks Lennon ever wrote.

4. Loretta Lynn, "They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy Anymore"

Famous for her pride in being a coal miner's daughter, Loretta Lynn penned this ode to her hardworking father—and to her disdain for men who came generations after him that couldn't compare.

5. Stevie Wonder, "Isn't She Lovely"

Stevie Wonder wrote this sweet song about his daughter, Aisha. You can hear her baby coos on the tune.

6. Guns n' Roses, "Sweet Child O'Mine"

While not explicitly a song about dads, the lyrics can easily be applied to a father-child relationship—and let's be real, that opening guitar riff is iconic.

Related: How to Celebrate Father's Day

7. Darius Rucker, "It Won't Be Like This for Long"

Darius Rucker croons about how fast kids grow right before their parents' eyes.

8. Keith Urban, "Song for Dad"

In this moving song, Keith Urban reflects on how much his father is reflected in himself.

Related: Funny Father's Day Memes

9. Queen, "Father to Son"

Brian May penned this song, which Queen retired from its live sets.

10. Jay-Z Feat. Blue Ivy, "Glory"

Blue Ivy made her first appearance on Jay-Z's sweet song celebrating her birth—and broke a Billboard chart record in the process.

Related: 55 Best Father’s Day Quotes

11. 2Pac, "Letter 2 My Unborn"

2Pac wrote a moving song for an unborn child he'd never get to meet before his murder.

12. The Marvelettes, "My Daddy Knows Best"

This Motown hit, penned by Berry Gordy, was basically the first "No Scrubs."

13. Gladys Knight and the Pips, "Daddy Could Swear, I Declare"

Gladys Knight and the Pips knew that even papas with pottymouths could still be great dads.

14. Conway Twitty, "That's My Job"

The best fathers are humble about their contributions, a sentiment Conway Twitty nails in this classic.

15. George Strait, "The Best Day"

George Strait paints a vivid and sweet picture of the simple pleasures a father and child can share in just 24 hours.

16. Tim McGraw, "My Little Girl"

"My Little Girl" is the first song Tim McGraw, who shares two daughters with wife Faith Hill, co-wrote.

17. Billy Joel, "Lullabye (Good Night My Angel)"

Billy Joel wrote this sweet song for his daughter, Alexa Ray Joel.

Related: 30 Father’s Day Crafts

18. Will Smith, "Just the Two of Us"

Will Smith penned this sweet song, which samples the Bill Withers classic of the same name, for son Trey. Jada Pinkett Smith appears in the video pregnant with their son Jaden.

19. Trace Adkins, "Just Fishin'"

Trace Adkins makes it clear that a day of "just fishin'" with his daughter was much more than that to him in this heartwarming tune.

20. Dolly Parton, "Daddy, Come and Get Me"

Dolly Parton penned this heartbreaking song about a woman whose man had her institutionalized after breaking her heart—and begging her father to come and rescue her.

21. James Brown, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"

For the dad who can dance.

22. Michael Bublé, "Daddy's Little Girl"

Michael Bublé isn't the first to record this tune, originally performed by Steve Conway, but he's probably one of the best, if only because you can almost see him making it tongue-in-cheek.

Related: What to Write in a Father’s Day Card

23. Davy Jones, "My Dad"

"He'll never make history / No, he isn't much in the eyes of the world / But he is the world to me." Cut your dad more slack: He already made history when he made you!

24. Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole, "Unforgettable"

One of the best father-daughter duets ever.

25. Heartland, "I Loved Her First"

This tearjerker is a wedding staple for father-daughter dances.

Related: Father's Day Cakes

26. Tori Amos, "Winter"

Tori Amos wrote "Winter" about her relationship with her father, a minister, and it was one of her earliest songs to break the Top 25 on the charts.

27. Cat Stevens / Yusuf Islam, "Father and Son"

Yusuf Islam, then known as Cat Stevens, sang in different registers for the father and son parts of this song.

28. Bread, "Everything I Own"

Bread frontman David Gates wrote this song after his father's passing, though many listeners associate it with romantic breakups.

29. Beyoncé, "Daddy"

Queen Bey reminisces on happy moments with her father, Mathew Knowles, in "Daddy" from Dangerously In Love.

30. Brad Paisley, "Anything Like Me"

A dad-to-be daydreams about his unborn son in this heartwarming Brad Paisley tune.

31. George Strait, "Love Without End, Amen"

George Strait knows that a father's love has no duration, deadline or end.

32. Lonestar, "Mr. Mom"

This is as much an ode to working moms as it is to stay-at-home dads.

33. Holly Dunn, "Daddy's Hands"

A father's hands are a metaphor for his entire being in this sweet song.

34. The Shires, "Daddy's Little Girl"

This song is incredibly personal to The Shires singer Crissie Rhodes, even though its themes are almost universal. "This is a very personal song. My dad passed away from cancer when I was 8 years old, but I still think of myself as Daddy's Little Girl," she said. "The music video features real footage and photos of us together, and also the glasses and flat cap he wore every day. It was wonderful to go through all this in the process, as it brought back so many great memories. I have also received many messages from fathers, saying how much this song means to them, as it reminds them of their daughters."

35. Jon Barker, "Thank You for Being My Dad"

Think of it as the dad equivalent of Bon Jovi classic "Thank You For Loving Me."

36. Rodney Atkins, "Watching You"

For the dads who may have accidentally taught their kids a cuss word or two.

37. Bob Carlisle, "Butterfly Kisses"

Bob Carlisle wrote "Butterfly Kisses" for his daughter Brooke's 16th birthday. It would go on to win a Grammy and be his biggest hit ever.

38. Kenny Chesney, "There Goes My Life"

In this Kenny Chesney tune, an unprepared teen father realizes that the baby he thought was a mistake was his biggest blessing.

39. Owl City, "Not All Heroes Wear Capes"

This adorable song honors all of the unsung heroes who may not rock Spandex or tights, but who keep us safe, happy and laughing everyday.

40. Yellowcard, "Life of a Salesman"

This sweet pop punk song pays homage to a great father and a "better man."

41. Lukas Graham, "Stick Around"

Lukas Graham sings a bittersweet song about embracing the moments with his kids because he knows they won't last forever—and that the happy moments they share now may turn into tearful memories later.

42. Rodney Atkins, "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)"

For every dad who's gone out of his way to scare the daylights out of a date.

43. Paul Overstreet, "Seein' My Father In Me"

Fun fact: Paul Overstreet isn't just a Grammy winner, but also a dad to two other stars: Glee alum Chord Overstreet and Hot Chelle Rae guitarist Nash Overstreet. We bet they see their father in them, too.

44. The Game Feat. Busta Rhymes, "Like Father, Like Son"

The Game details the birth of his son, right down to dilation, in this moving song.

45. Lee Brice, "Boy"

Lee Brice honors a stubborn son, joking that he gets the trait from his mother.

46. Blink-182, "Home Is Such a Lonely Place"

Blink-182 frontman Mark Hoppus penned this song about his son going away to college.

47. The Chi-Lites, "Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was"

This adorable song honors a great man that a son aspires to emulate.

48. Billy Ray Cyrus Feat. Miley Cyrus, "Ready, Set, Don't Go"

Though Miley Cyrus had a very atypical upbringing, she and dad Billy Ray Cyrus did a lovely job with this tune about a daughter going out on her own to chase her dreams.

49. Alan Jackson, "Drive (For Daddy Gene)"

Alan Jackson penned a tune for a dad who knew his way around a garage.

50. John Mayer, "Daughters"

John Mayer had one of the biggest hits of his career with this warning song imploring men to be good dads so their daughters will love and be loved.

Related: 50 Father's Day Instagram Captions

Dad Songs to Honor a Father or Loved One Who's Passed On

51. Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven"

Eric Clapton penned this tearjerker about the death of his young son.

52. Luther Vandross, "Dance With My Father"

Luther Vandross released "Dance With My Father" about the death of his father when Vandross was just eight years old. It was one of Vandross' final recordings.

53. Cole Swindell, "You Should Be Here"

In this sad song, Cole Swindell sings of a dad who takes a ton of cellphone pictures, "They say now you're in a better place / And I would be too if I could see your face."

54. Lonestar, "I'm Already There (Message From Home)"

This tearjerker is a must for anyone whose dad is far away, be it on deployment or just from safely social distancing.

55. Dolly Parton, "Daddy Won't Be Home Anymore"

This heartbreaking Dolly Parton tune tells the story of a mother mustering up the courage to tell her kids that their father was killed in battle.

56. Sarah McLachlan, "Song for My Father"

Sarah McLachlan's moving "Song for My Father" is from her album Shine On, much of which was inspired by his passing.

57. Chris Stapleton, "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore"

A family lays a father to rest in this heart-wrenching song from Chris Stapleton.

58. Randy Travis, "He Walked on Water"

For the late grandfathers in your life.

59. Madonna, "Oh Father"

Madonna wrote this song for her father, from whom she'd become estranged after her mother's death.

60. Zac Brown Band, "My Old Man"

This Zac Brown Band song is a wistful look back at the lessons we can learn from our fathers, even if we learn them after they're gone.

61. Sawyer Brown, "With You Daddy"

A son reflects on his father's tragic battle with lung cancer in this heartbreaking song.

Father's Day Songs for Complicated Dad Relationships

62. Bruce Springsteen, "My Father's House"

Bruce Springsteen wrote "My Father's House" about his habit of driving past his father's home in Freehold, New Jersey. The Boss recalled his therapist's thoughts on the trips. "He said, 'What you're doing is that something bad happened, and you're going back, thinking that you can make it right again. Something went wrong, and you keep going back to see if you can fix it or somehow make it right.' And I sat there and I said, 'That is what I'm doing.' And he said, 'Well, you can't.'"

63. Kelly Clarkson, "Piece By Piece"

Kelly Clarkson's "Piece By Piece" was written for two major men in her life. The first is her estranged father as she expressing her hurt at his leaving when she was a child. And the second is her now-estranged husband Brandon Blackstock, as she sings about what a great father he'd be to their daughter, River Rose.

64. Beyoncé, "Daddy Lessons"

Beyoncé's "Daddy Lessons" is a searing country-tinged tune about her family's history of infidelity (which included Mathew Knowles allegedly cheating on her beloved mom, Tina Knowles).

65. Kesha, "Father Daughter Dance"

Kesha has made it no secret that she doesn't even know who her father is, but she still wonders what her life would have been like if she did.

66. Everclear, "Father of Mine"

Everclear's Art Alexakis penned the quintessential soundtrack for every child whose father left, but still breadcrumbed them through the years.

67. Doug Supernaw, "I Don't Call Him Daddy"

Mom's boyfriend can't compare to Daddy.

Related: Best Dad Jokes

68. Wayne Newton, "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast"

Wayne Newton wasn't the first to record this song about a dad speed-walking out, but his rendition is one of the most famous.

69. The Temptations, "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"

Not every man who sires children is cut out to care for them, which The Temptations chronicled in this classic.

70. Brad Paisley, "He Didn't Have to Be"

Brad Paisley wrote the ultimate song for stepfathers who step up.

71. James Brown, "Papa Don't Take No Mess"

Intentional or not, James Brown had a hit with about a father who, by his own account, was abusive, hit his kids, had a wandering eye, gambled and drank...but didn't take any guff from anyone else.

72. Mike + The Mechanics, "The Living Years"

Unresolved conflict only grows more complicated after a loved one dies, which is heart-wrenchingly detailed in this song about a sour father-son relationship.

73. Good Charlotte, "Story of My Old Man"

Joel Madden and Benji Madden were estranged from their father for most of their lives, and that lack of a relationship colored much of their early music with Good Charlotte.

74. Reba McEntire, "Greatest Man I Never Knew"

Reba McEntire's emotive ballad tells the story of a father who wasn't affectionate, leading his daughter to never realize how much he loved her.

75. Eric Clapton, "My Father's Eyes"

Eric Clapton never knew his father, who he channels in this deceptively sunny yet heartbreaking song, which also references the death of his own son.

76. Happy Chapin, "Cat's in the Cradle"

"Cat's in the Cradle" is a bittersweet tune about a father being so busy that his son's life passes him by—and then the tables turn.

77. The Winstons, "Color Him Father"

A sweet ode to a stepfather who completely embraces the role of a father.

Looking for a song to play for your mom? Try one of these songs about mothers.