Even on the best of weeks, getting through a Monday ranks in the challenging to downright hard category. Fortunately, musical artists have come to the rescue and given us some songs about Monday that just may help us get through the first day of the week.
On this list, we featured tracks from just about every genre and every era. That seems only fair, given that people of all ages and musical tastes have at least one thing in common: They need to get through the dreaded Monday blues.
1. Manic Monday – The Bangles
We must admit that this poppy tune about Monday makes our day every time we hear it; we still think that it’s one of the best songs about this day of the week even after all this time. When The Bangles released Manic Monday, it pretty much made toes start tapping all around the world and drew more than a few comparisons between them and the sounds of The Mamas & The Papas. Eventually, this track went on to chart in the top five in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand.
2. Rainy Days and Mondays – Carpenters
If you’re looking for a fun fact about the best Monday songs, how about this? The B-side for the Carpenters’ song Rainy Days And Mondays is entitled Saturday. There’s just something about the days of the week mixed with the Carpenters’ vocals that just seems so right. This track eventually made it to the Billboard Hot 100, all the way up to number two, ensuring that it would stay on many people’s lists of the best Monday songs for many years to come.
Next: Full playlist of top songs about rain
3. Monday, Monday – The Mamas & the Papas
Maybe it should come as no surprise that one of the best Monday songs only took 20 minutes to write, but such is the case when inspiration strikes. Monday, Monday by The Mamas & The Papas appeared on the group’s album If You Can Believe Your Eyes. Eventually, it went on to gain a great deal of notoriety on the charts, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Petula Clark, Marianne Faithful, Herb Albert, and The 5th Dimension were among those who covered the track.
Next: The best Thursday songs of all time
4. Sunday Monday or Always – Bing Crosby
Not all of the best Monday songs come from this era. Sunday, Monday, Or Always by Bing Crosby captured the smooth spirit of the times when he released this track in the early 1940s. But what’s interesting about it is that, instead of being recorded with an orchestra, the background sounds come from singers. Another famous crooner of that era, Frank Sinatra, also recorded the song at about the same time and in the same manner. There’s just something about being backed by human vocals that’s hard for singers to resist.
Next: The best Tuesday songs for a playlist
5. Blue Monday – Fats Domino
Although Blue Monday was originally recorded by Smiley Lewis, it gained notoriety when blues singer Fats Domino added his vocal stylings to the mix. Eventually, it went on to get more exposure in the movie The Girl Can’t Help It, starring Jayne Mansfield. This track about Monday eventually became a book title, too. It’s a biography of Fats Domino, which came out in 2006. Eventually, Cat Stevens, Bob Seger, Gene Summers, and Buddy Holly were among the artists who covered this song.
6. Monday Morning – Christina Aguilera
Monday Morning by Christina Aguilera counts among the best Monday songs in the electronic music genre. Springing forth from the deluxe edition of her album, Bionic, this 2010 single features the kind of strong drum tracks that make it supremely danceable. It reminds dancers to never be boring, like the stereotypical Monday morning, making it an excellent choice to start your week just right.
7. Chelsea Monday – Marillion
This Monday song features the kind of long guitar sound that you associate with the moody studio albums of the 1970s and 1980s. Coming in at over seven minutes, this track tells you a story about a magical girl named Chelsea, who gives the song its namesake. If you’re looking for something moody to get your Monday started off, this is it.
8. New Moon on Monday – Duran Duran
Featuring typical Duran Duran theatricality and poppy drums, New Moon On Monday is one of our favorites on the best Monday songs list, mostly because, well, Duran Duran. It comes from the band’s album, Seven And The Ragged Tiger. More than one video has been recorded for the song, the longest of which comes in at 17 minutes. The story features Simon Le Bon on vocals with Miss France 1980, Patricia Barzyk, playing the female protagonist in the video.
9. Stormy Monday Blues – Bobby “Blue” Bland
It’s hard not to like a track that features the riffing guitar sounds that so dominated the blues scene in the early 1960s, so naturally, Bobby “Blue” Bland’s track Stormy Monday Blues was pretty much guaranteed a spot on our best Monday songs list. His sound has been described as a mix of blues, R&B, and gospel, and you can definitely feel those influences when you listen to this track. If you need a chill song to get your Monday started, put this on your playlist.
10. Friday Kind of Monday – John Farnham
Friday Kind Of Monday by John Farnham holds the distinction of being the song that starts most tracks like the intro to the Twilight Zone and whose vocals sound the most like The Monkees. It appeared on his album, Sadie, and peaked on the charts at number six. If you need a tune that’s poppy and happy to get you out of a slump, then go with this track on our best Monday songs list.
11. Monday Monday Monday – Tegan and Sara
Monday Monday Monday by Tegan And Sara may be the only track on our best Monday songs list that features copious amounts of monkeys, bananas, and what are presumably, zookeepers, in the video. This fun track features identical twins Sara Keirsten Quin and Tegan Rain Quin. The duo drew artistic inspiration from the likes of Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Depeche Mode, Green Day, and Nirvana, something that’s evident in this fun and slightly irreverent song.
Next: The top songs about Wednesday of all time
12. Monday Morning Church – Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson’s Monday Morning Church is the first track from the country charts on our best Monday songs list. It’s included on the list because sometimes when you’ve got the Monday blues, the best remedy isn’t a happy tune at all. It’s a sad one that helps you come to grips with love and loss. Despite the sad overtones, the lovely melody of this track is bound to win you over.
13. Monday’s Rain – Bee Gees
For those of you who associate the sound of the Bee Gees with the high-pitched songs of Saturday Night Fever, you’re in for both a surprise and a treat with their song Monday’s Rain. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s an exquisite track that demonstrates just how much talent this trio had right from the beginning of their career. It also adds a bit of the nostalgia factor to the best Monday songs list, something we always appreciate.
14. Mayonnaise Taco Monday – Five Iron Frenzy
There is absolutely no way on the planet that you could be blue after listening to a song called Mayonnaise Taco Monday. Recorded by Five Iron Frenzy, the track is just as silly and equally as poppy as the title. It’s like stepping out of a weird dream. This tune will definitely add a bit of humor to a ho-hum Monday.
15. The Happy Mondays – The Innocence Mission
If there were such a thing as an alternative to Monday morning, we’d take it. Since there isn’t, we’ll recommend this alternative rock song by The Innocence Mission. It’s filled with sweet vocals, folksy guitar sounds, and a hummable melody. In short, it’s everything you need to get you through another manic Monday.
Read Next:
The top songs about days of the week
The top songs about the weekend (our picks)
The top songs about Sunday (our picks)
As the Head Editor and Writer at Music Grotto, Liam helps write and edit content produced from professional music/media journalists and other contributing writers. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. Liam is also the founding member of Music Grotto and is passionate in disseminating editorial content to its readers.
Liam’s lifelong love for music makes his role at Music Grotto such a rewarding one. He loves researching, writing and editing music content for Music Grotto.