This list contains the best songs about space, stars, the universe and planets!
Ever wonder what it’s like to go to the great beyond? The universe is vast and mysterious. The great unknown is perfect for songwriters to use their imagination and create wonderful songs about stars and space. But don’t take our word for it. See for yourself.
1. “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra
Who could forget this classic? Frank Sinatra’s silky smooth voice makes every heart flutter as he sings a song about stars and playing in space as he falls in love. How romantic is it to be flying in space when that familiar giddy feeling hits you?
The song was also associated with Apollo’s moon missions and was created in 1964 by Bart Howard, who took 20 years to write it. The song was originally titled “In Other Words” and sung by Kaye Ballard.
Next: The best songs about the moon of all time (our favorites)
2. “Rocket Man” by Elton John
This song is not so optimistic as the last one. Elton John sings of heartbreak instead of a lovestruck ballad. The song tells of a man dumped by his lover. Now his loneliness is like the vast vacuum of space. That’s a good metaphor to use to describe such empty feelings.
You can also take the song’s lyrics literally since Elton John performed and wrote the song 3 years after the first moon landing in 1969. Even so, some people still think it references substance use with one line talking about being “high as a kite”. Despite that, this album became one of Elton’s most popular.
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3. “Space Truckin'” by Deep Purple
If you’ve never been out on the road before, you might want to after listening to this long. If you replace everything good about road trips and make it about space, you get an imaginative song about space travel that relates to everyone with the heart of a roadie.
This song was inspired by the theme of the old Batman TV series starring Adam West. The song’s studio version was recorded in a hotel in Switzerland in 1971 and ran for about 4 minutes. The live version would run for about 20. Now that’s a concert!
4. “The Final Countdown” by Europe
Who hasn’t heard of this popular 80s hit? The lyrics talk about a group of people leaving a crumbling earth behind and heading out on a rocket ship. The narrator wonders what will await them on their journey to Venus. Despite it meaning to be only for an opening for their concerts, This song scored high on many top charts and is still used for a multitude of events, much like a national anthem.
The song was written in 1981 by Joey Tempest, who was inspired by another space song on the list, Space Oddity. The concept of the song is that of a space shuttle launch. The final countdown references, of course, to the final moments before liftoff.
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5. “Space Oddity” by David Bowie
Space Oddity is an entire story about an astronaut heading into space and encountering a problem that keeps him from returning to earth. The song is slow and lets you grasp the reality of what’s happening to him.
The song’s title is a play on words from the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Space Odyssey- Space Oddity, get it? Most people mistake this song being written for the 1969 moon landing instead of a movie. Two sequels to this song were made, “Major Tom (I’m Coming Home)” and “Mrs. Major Tom.” You can easily guess what those songs are about by the title.
6. “Spaceman” by The Killers
We’ve all heard crazy stories of people being abducted by aliens and experimented on. Maybe one of the band members actually did have an experience like this and turned it into a song? Who knows? The story is about a man being ripped from his bed and abducted by aliens who try to tell him that everything he sees is in his head. It’d be kind of hard to forget such a traumatic experience.
This song became a radio hit and was used as the trailer song for the animated movie Planet 51. Brandon Flowers, the frontman for the band, said he was trying to create a song that mixed “Space Oddity” and “Rocket Man.” I guess songs about space like to take inspiration from each other.
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7. “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Most people think of the moon as a beautiful guiding light in our lives, but not this band. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Bad Moon Rising is an apocalyptic warning about the end of times spoken about in the Bible. Thanks, Clearwater.
Further inspiration from this song came from a scene in The Devil and Daniel Webster. You wouldn’t think this was a disturbing song based on the tune, which is happy and upbeat. John Fogerty purposely wrote the song this way but wouldn’t say why he did it.
Next: Top peace songs ever made
8. “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” by Bonnie Tyler
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” was written exclusively for Bonnie Tyler, who approached Steinman to be her producer. The song uses an eclipse as a metaphor for lost love. The song was a huge hit for Tyler.
Steinman originally wrote the song to be a love ballad between vampires for a musical. However, the song eventually found its way back to a vampire musical in Austria’s 1997 production of Tanz der Vampire, translated as Dance of the Vampires.
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9. “Space” by Murder by Death
There’s nothing more to it than literal space. Like many other songs about space, this one focuses heavily on the fast and terrible emptiness of it all.
10. “Andromeda” by Paul Weller
The Andromeda galaxy is one of the largest in the universe as far as we know. The lyrics use the galaxy as a metaphor for leaving a dying planet, as stated by Paul. He used David Bowie and British electronica musical group to create an out-of-this-world sound.
11. “There’s A Star For Everyone” by Aretha Franklin
Stars are often used as a symbol of inspiration and guiding light. This song perfectly taps into that idea. The lyrics talk about a heartbreaking moment. The narrator asks for the guidance of a star, stating that everyone who’s lost has a star.
The song was recorded in 1981 and had three composers, Allee Willis, Don Yowell, and David Lasley.
Next: Best songs about coming or leaving home
12. “Mr. Spaceman” by The Byrds
Not to be confused with “Spaceman,” “Mr. Spaceman” is actually a nice guy. In fact, the song’s narrator continuously asks if he can come along with the mysterious aliens entering his house at night. The aliens are even nice enough to leave him a nice note written in toothpaste on his window that they’ll see him again the next visit.
This song is sometimes referred to as the earliest form of country rock. Even though the song itself is a part of the progressive psychedelic rock movement, the band also took some inspiration from country music.
13. “Super Rocket Rumble” by Man or Astro-Man?
The title sounds more like a wrestling match than a song title. The song itself is short and came out in 1996 from the album Delux Men in Space. The song features a few seconds of an old radio-style broadcast before getting into the actual song. There are no lyrics. Instead, the music takes you on a wild space ride.
14. “The Space Race” by Destroyer
The space race was not just a battle between USSR and the USA for space dominance. It is also an early song by the Destroyers. Unlike the seriousness of the actual space race, the song version is campy and its seemingly nonsensical lyrics. The song was composed by Dan Bejer in 2010.
15. “Ballrooms of Mars” by T.Rex
How lovely would it be to dance on the exotic planet of mars? According to the lyrics of this 50s style rock song, the narrator describes his lover as an out-of-this-world gal and they dance in the ballrooms of mars.
Despite sounding a lot older, the song was written in 1972. Lead singer Marc Bolan often uses fantasy in his songs, and this one is no exception. He describes his lover and mars in such vivid detail that you may want to go to mars yourself to dance in the ballrooms.
Next: Top unrequited love songs of all time
16. “Have You Seen the Stars Tonight?” by Jefferson Starship
Well, have you? The song is short, but it doesn’t need to be anything complex to get the point across. The narrator asks his friend if they could keep him company looking at the stars.
17. “Rocket Love” by Stevie Wonder
“Rocket Love” is about a great relationship that didn’t end well. We hear at the beginning of the song that the narrator has longed for the woman since birth. Now, who wouldn’t want a love like that? Apparently, not the women he fell in love with.
Stevie Wonder does an excellent job painting a picture of his former lover and her warmness until she dumped him back to earth. The song was released in September 1980 and recorded at Wonderland Studios.
Next: Best songs about cheating in relationships
18. “Alien” by Britney Spears
This song is one of the more modern ones on the list. “Alien” is about being a metaphorical alien. The lyrics express situations in which we feel out of place. More specifically, loneliness even when friends and family surround us. You can’t really miss it since the phrase “Not alone” is repeated multiple times.
Spears said that this was her favorite song on the album. It was written in 2013. The warped effects used for the vocals really give an out-of-this-world type of feel and were the product of William Orbit who is best known for working with Madonna.
19. “I Turned Into a Martian” by The Misfits
Thankfully the title isn’t literal, or maybe it is. The Misfits are known not to have any deep lyrics to their songs, so instead, this one might actually be about a man spontaneously turning into a martian and now wants to rule the world. If there’s any hint of a deeper meaning, it might have to do with substances and how the abuse can mess with your mind and turn you inhuman.
The song was released in 1982 and written by leading Glenn Danzig. It’s also been covered over 25 times all the way up to the year 2017.
20. “Space is the Place” by Sun Ra
This song is an opening title of a film by the same name. The film is set in, you guessed it, space. The song starts as creepy and otherworldly. The rap Sun Ra does is poetic and expresses the desire for black people to set up their own vibe away from all the devastation happening when the movie was created.
21. “Space Jam” by Quad City DJs
Stand up if you’re a 90s kid! This song made its debut as the main theme for the hit Warner Brothers movie of the same name. It’s now a fondly remembered cult classic.
Space Jam is a story about a group of aliens wanting to capture the characters of the Looney Tunes and use them for entertainment. The Tunes don’t like that idea and challenge them to a basketball game only to find out the aliens are actually excellent at the game. The Looney Tunes ask NBA star Michale Jordan for his help to win the game and earn their freedom. Such a wacky setup gave us a pumped-up hit song.
22. “Life on the Moon” by David Cook
Most people imagine life on the moon as romantic. Most of the time, it’s in a positive context, but not this one. David Cook wrote it following his audition on American Idol. The song symbolizes how much his life has changed since then, and it’s not optimistic.
23. “Heightened Sensitivity” by Anakim
We end our list with the song that most exemplifies the vast emptiness that is space. Every bit of the sound is meant to convey something otherworldly. The song lasts for almost 8 minutes with no lyrics. It truly sets you in the vast expanse of space.
Read Next:
The best songs about flying of all time
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.
