Music has an incredibly powerful ability to connect us to the events of the day and to explore complex topics and emotions. As such, many musicians have taken on the challenge of writing songs about the news – both current events and the sometimes turbulent history of our world.
This introduction will explore some of the most impactful and creative songs about news, and how they use music to tell stories and share perspectives.
20 Top Songs About News
1. Peter Frampton: “I Read The News”
First on our list of songs about news is Peter Frampton’s song “I Read the News” which is a reflection on the current state of the world as it is presented in the media.
Frampton enumerates a number of contemporary occurrences and problems, such as war, poverty, and political corruption, within the context of the song.
After that, he inquires, “Is there anything new?” (Is there anything new?) The obvious answer to this question is “no,” as these issues have been around for quite some time.
Nevertheless, the use of suggestion throughout this song is what gives it its power. By enumerating a series of recent happenings, Frampton gives the impression that the situation is deteriorating rather than improving.
2. Rodney Howard-Browne, “All I Hear Is Good News.”
Next on our list of songs about news is the song “All I Hear Is Good News” by Rodney Howard-Browne, this is an upbeat tune with a catchy melody and a positive message.
The lyrics describe a person who is feeling down but decides to focus on the good news instead of dwelling on how they feel. This shift in perspective evokes feelings of optimism and contentment in the individual as a result.
The lyrics of the song serve as a gentle reminder that regardless of what may be taking place in the world at any given moment, there is always some good news to be found.
This song is guaranteed to put a grin on the face of anyone who is feeling down and in need of a pick-me-up.
3. Mac Miller – Good News
Mac Miller offers a distinctive perspective on the idea of news in his song “Good News.” Instead of merely reporting on the happenings of the day, he provides his own commentary and interpretation of what has transpired instead.
By doing so, he enables those who are listening to him to achieve a more profound comprehension of the happenings around them. Miller’s lyrics paint a picture of the world that is brutal but also breathtaking in its contrasts and complexities.
4. Anne Murray’s A Little Good News
One of the most well-known songs on news is “A Little Good News” by Anne Murray is a song that emphasizes the significance of receiving positive information in our everyday lives.
The devastating fire that swept through much of her hometown in Springhill, Nova Scotia, served as the inspiration for the writing of the song.
In spite of the devastation, the people of the town were able to take comfort in the fact that the fire did not claim any lives. For Murray, this was a demonstration of how positive developments can assist us in overcoming challenging circumstances.
Throughout the song, she encourages us to reflect on the good news we’ve recently received and to pass it along to others.
5. That’s the Way It Is by Celine Dion
The song is about the influence that the media can have. In the song’s lyrics, Dion discusses how information can spread rapidly and have a significant influence on the lives of individuals.
She also discusses the fact that the media can be sensationalist at times and how crucial it is to exercise caution in regards to what it is that one chooses to believe.
The song as a whole is an introspective investigation into the function of the media in our contemporary society, this is one of the songs about news that reflects on a lot of things.
6. “I’m Like a Bird” by Nelly Furtado
This is one of the songs about news I find interesting, the song “I’m Like a Bird” is a pop song with a moderate tempo that also contains trip hop and R&B influences.
Nelly Furtado, a Canadian singer and songwriter, is responsible for the song “I’m Like a Bird,” which was first made available to the public in the year 2000.
The song was penned by Furtado, and Gerald Eaton and Brian West. The song “I’m Like a Bird” served as the lead single for Nelly Furtado’s debut studio album, which was titled Whoa, Nelly! (2000).
At the 44th annual Grammy Awards, the song was recognized as having the best female performance by a pop vocalist and was awarded the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
7. Bad News – Ghost Hounds
Ghost Hounds is a band that was established in 2010 and hails from Austin, Texas. Blues, rock, and country can all be heard in the band’s sound, which has been called a hybrid.
The song “Bad News” was included on the band’s self-titled debut album, which came out in 2011. The song is about how information, such as the news, can be both positive and negative.
The lyrics remind us that even though bad news can make us feel hopeless, we must never give up on our dreams. Because of its infectious hook and pulsating rhythm, this song is consistently ranked as one of the band’s most popular songs.
“Bad News” by Ghost Hounds is an excellent selection for a song to help you get through challenging times when you’re looking for one.
8. Second Hand News by Birdy
Birdy released the song “Secondhand News” in the year 1977. Lindsey Buckingham was the one who penned the song, and it was included on the band’s album titled Rumours.
This song is about the backbiting and slander that frequently takes place within a couple’s relationship. Buckingham has stated that the song is not specifically about any one person or event, but rather that it is a general commentary on the way that gossip can damage relationships with other people.
The band enjoyed some success with the song, as evidenced by the fact that it peaked at position #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In recent years, the song has been utilized in a number of different television shows and films, some of which include Big Little Lies, Bridesmaids, and The Office.
9. Conan Gray – People Watching
Conan Gray reflects on the ways in which watching the news can be both informative and depressing in his song “Watching the News”.
The first line of the song, “I’m addicted to the sadness of strangers,” sets the stage for a discussion about the ways in which we consume news stories about people we will never meet.
Gray continues by stating that he experiences feelings of both voyeurism and powerlessness whenever he watches the news because he is observing tragedies over which he has no control.
10. Bad News – Wande
Wande, an American singer and songwriter, is responsible for the song “Bad News.” On June 18, 2019, the song was issued as the lead single from her debut extended play, which was titled The Prettiest Curse.
The song “Bad News” is a pop ballad that features elements of rap and R&B. The lyrics of the song discuss the phenomenon of fake news and the impact that it has on society. The song “Bad News” was hailed favorably by members of the music press.
11. Aimee Mann’s “Real Bad News”
Singer and songwriter Aimee Mann rose to prominence in the 1980s as a member of the new wave band ‘Til Tuesday, which she joined at the beginning of her career.
Since then, she has issued a total of eight solo albums, the most recent of which was titled Mental Illness and was released in 2016.
The lead single from that album is titled “Real Bad News,” and it is a song about the news. More specifically, the song is about the way that bad news always seems to outpace good news, despite how hard we try to concentrate on the positive.
12. Neil Young – Bad News Beat
Neil Young is not a novice when it comes to writing songs about how the world is currently.
Young’s professional life has spanned close to half a century, and he has never been shy about expressing his opinions on the topics that are most important to him.
Young addresses the problem of fabricated news in his song “Bad News Beat.” The first few lines of the song go as follows: “I can’t watch the evening news; it only makes me feel bad.”
This lays the groundwork for the rest of the song, which is critical of the media for the emphasis it places on unfavorable news stories.
The conversation continues with Young stating that he would rather hear good news, but unfortunately “there’s just no good news left.”
“Bad News Beat” is an upbeat and memorable song that will stick with you for a long time after you’ve heard it, despite the fact that it deals with a serious topic.
13. Good News Travels Fast – Shenandoah
The narrator of Shenandoah’s song “Good News Travels Fast” muses aloud about how information was disseminated in the past primarily through personal interactions.
In the past, people would spread the word from town to town if they had good news to share. The lyrics paint a picture of a less complicated era, one in which people were more connected to one another and relied less heavily on modern technology.
14. Steely Dan: “I Got the News”
The group’s fifth studio album, titled Aja, featured the song as the album’s lead single when it was made available for digital download (1977).
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the two primary members of Steely Dan, contributed to the writing of a number of the songs that appeared on Aja.
One of those songs was titled “I Got the News.” This song is a commentary on the 24-hour news cycle and how difficult it can be to keep up with all of the events that are taking place all over the world.
The lyrics make reference to a number of news stories that were prevalent in the media in 1977, such as the nuclear accident that occurred at Three Mile Island and the assassination of supermarket executive Marvin Krakauer.
15. Electric Light Orchestra: Here Is The News
The English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) is responsible for the song “Here Is The News,” which was issued as the band’s first single from their album Time in 1981.
The lead singer of the band, Jeff Lynne, is responsible for writing the song, which is about the business of global news. There are allusions made to a variety of historical events, such as the election of Ronald Reagan to the presidency of the United States of America, the development of the Space Shuttle program, and the murder of John Lennon.
The song was not particularly popular, but it did manage to crack the top 40 in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
16. Used To Bad News – Boston
A song about, you guessed it, bad news. The band has been through a lot of upheaval over the course of their career, and it would appear that this song is about how they have dealt with everything.
The lyrics discuss how the news never seems to be good, and how it can be so difficult to take in at times due to the nature of the situation.
However, in spite of everything that’s happened, the band has been able to survive and even thrive.
his song should serve as an anthem for anyone who has ever had the experience of feeling as though they are being bombarded with bad news. It serves as a timely reminder that if we pull together during challenging times, we will prevail.
17. News From Nowhere – Graeme James
![Graeme James - News From Nowhere [Official Music Video]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eZGryCHHlWc/0.jpg)
Graeme James wrote the song “News From Nowhere,” which is a song about the news and how it always focuses on the negative aspects of events.
The remaining lyrics discuss how we are constantly being shown images of violence, death, and destruction thanks to the media, specifically the news. Nevertheless, despite everything that’s going wrong, there is still reason to have some hope.
The final line of the song suggests that if we truly search for it, there is still beauty to be found in this world. The song “News From Nowhere” is very impactful, and it causes us to reflect on the manner in which we take in the news and how this affects our perspective on life.
18. Randy Newman’s “Bad News From Home”
Randy Newman tells the story of a man in his song “Bad News from Home” who is having a difficult time coping with the never-ending stream of depressing news that he hears on the radio.
The man starts off the song by describing how he wakes up to yet another day of bad news, which only makes him feel even worse about his situation.
He makes an effort to carry on with his day as normal, but the recent news is constantly in the back of his mind, making it difficult for him.
In the end, he is unable to take it any longer and turns off the radio as a result. Despite this, he still finds that the amount of negativity in the world is too much for him to bear, even without the news.
At the end of the song, the man muses aloud about whether or not there is any good news out there at all.
19. Beach Boys’ song “Celebrate the News”
Celebrate the News is a track that was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the album Pet Sounds that was released by the Beach Boys in 1966.
The tune is fast-paced and horn-driven, and it conveys an upbeat and positive message about the ability of the media to bring people together.
The lyrics make allusions to a number of significant events that took place in 1966, such as the beginning of the Gemini space program and the passing of President John F. Kennedy.
Despite the upbeat nature of the song and the fact that it could have been a hit single, radio programmers paid the song little attention and chose not to release it as a single.
In spite of this, it continues to be a fan favorite and is one of the most well-known songs on the album Pet Sounds.
20. Please Don’t Tell Me About The News – The Yardbirds
Last on our list of songs about news is the Yardbirds’ song “Please Don’t Tell Me ‘Bout the News”, this is a song that emphasizes the significance of keeping up with current events and news.
In the song, the singer begs another person not to tell them about the news because they don’t want to be informed about all of the terrible things that are occurring around the world at the time. Instead, the singer urges the other person to share a positive experience that has recently occurred in their life with them.
The takeaway from the song is that while it is necessary to keep up with current events, it is equally necessary to keep one’s attention on the positive changes that are taking place in the world.
In spite of all the depressing news we are exposed to on a daily basis, we can keep our faith and our sanity if we take these steps.
