Our quest to discover amazing tracks starting with different letters continues! In this article, we tackle the letter O and search the musical archives for the most varied and interesting songs we can find that start with it.
1. Ocean Avenue – Yellowcard
Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue is an iconic song today for some people, including me; if you throw this thing on, I’m going to be singing along. It was written for their major studio debut and would go on to become their biggest hit. It ended up seeing a ton of play on the radio, rising into the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, and eventually being recognized as one of the tracks that helped cement the pop-punk and emo genres.
2. O Let’s Do It – Waka Flocka Flame Feat. Cap
O Let’s Do It is another song that came out during my school years that seemed to take over everything. It was the first single to come from Waka Flocka’s debut album, and it helped him establish an identity in the hip hop community. While its chart performance was best on the Heatseekers’ tracker—reaching number one—numerous remixes would be produced for this track that was all almost as good as the original.
3. Ocean Eyes – Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has set all kinds of records regarding her success at such a young age. From being the first artist born in the 21st century to chart on the Hot 100 to being the youngest artist to ever win all four general Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. She did all of those in one year. But, her blowup started with this song, Ocean Eyes. It was her first single release and the track that brought worldwide attention to her, one genuinely worth your time.
4. Oceans – Jay-Z Feat. Frank Ocean
Oceans might not be the most creative title for a song that featured Frank Ocean on it, but who are we to judge? Jay-Z released this one as part of his 12th studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail and saw it peak at number 83 on the Hot 100 and number 30 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.
5. Ode To Joy – Ludwig van Beethoven
In our quest to discover songs that start with different letters, there hasn’t been too much classical music in the mix. That changes now. Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Ode To Joy is a track we all know and love. In truth, it’s a poem written by Friedrich Schiller, but it’s best known for being used by Beethoven as the fourth movement of his ninth symphony. The tune for the song has been used as the official anthem of Rhodesia and the anthem of the European Union.
Recommended: Top Beethoven songs of all time
6. Oh My God – The Pretty Reckless
Oh My God by The Pretty Reckless is a song that reeks of desperation. The lyrics aren’t meant to be taken literally, it’s a track meant to express the dissatisfaction with life that Taylor Momsen was dealing with when she helped write the song. It remains to this day one of the band’s biggest tracks as well, thanks in large part to the raw vocal style that went into it and the subtle guitar tricks pulled off throughout the song.
7. OK Not To Be OK – Demi Lovato And Marshmello
Sometimes, things just go wrong in life and you have to figure out how to start over. Demi Lovato is no stranger to that, and her song OK Not To Be OK is meant to remind fans that you don’t always have to have it together. Produced in collaboration with Marshmello, this song just missed the top 25 of several US charts and carried with it one of the most important messages you might hear today.
8. Okie From Muskogee – Merle Haggard
Tracks about the Vietnam War are very common, but most of them are protest songs against the conflict. Merle Haggard wrote Okie From Muskogee after watching protests against the conflict as a way to try to support the men going overseas to protect people’s rights. While his perception has changed over the years, it became an anthem in country music and ironically a lot of covers were produced by the very groups of hippies and other people that Haggard was deriding in the song.
9. Ol’ Red – Blake Shelton
Ol’ Red by Blake Shelton is a fun song. In it, the narrator is a prisoner that gets a lot of leeway for good behavior. He winds up caring for the prison’s tracking dog Red, taking him to see a female dog often on their walks together. All of this is done so he can escape though, as he stops taking the dog to the female dog before he breaks out, leading to the dog heading for the female instead of tracking him, allowing him to get away.
10. Old Alabama – Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley picks up the tune from an Alabama song and even features the band on this track. Heavily using the sounds of Mountain Music by Alabama, he begs for a return to the older version of country music. Odes to the past are a common thing for the genre, but he took it a step further and seemed to master the trope in this very popular single.
11. Old Town Road – Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
Few songs on this list had the success of Old Town Road by Lil Nas X. It was the biggest crossover hit in years, topping the Hot 100 and country charts simultaneously—though it was quickly disowned by the genre and overtaken. It was a viral TikTok sound as well, spawning great videos and permeating the airwaves from the internet to the radio.
12. OMG – Usher Feat. will.i.am
While critics had a divided response to Usher’s OMG, listeners sure didn’t. It became Usher’s ninth number-one single in the US and was one of the most popular dance club songs in the country when it came out in 2010. Interestingly, reaching number one that year made him the first artist to claim that spot in three separate decades.
13. On The Other Hand – Randy Travis
On The Other Hand was only a minor hit at the time it was released in 1985, but it was the single that first got Randy Travis noticed in the country music scene. It would end up being reissued a year later and became his first number-one hit. In the song, he debates whether or not to spend the night with a woman, counting the reasons to do it on one hand while he stares at his wedding ring on the other hand.
14. On The Road Again – Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson’s On The Road Again is a legendary song in its own right. Describing the troubles that come along with spending so much time on the road and the turmoil it can bring to your mental state, it became a bit of an anthem for performers everywhere. It wound up being a big pop hit for him, winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Song a year after it was released.
15. On Top Of The World – Imagine Dragons
Today, Imagine Dragons is a huge band with a ton of incredible hit singles to their name. But they got their major record label debut back in 2012. On Top Of The World is often forgotten by casual listeners, as it was overshadowed by the bigger hits to come from their Night Visions and Continued Silence albums. If you enjoy the band but haven’t delved into their catalog, this song is more than worth checking out.
16. One – Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Capaldi is known for two things: his unfiltered, hilarious TikToks and his beautiful and heartbreaking ballads. One is one of his best, exploring the fact that you can give a relationship everything you have, but it won’t guarantee that you receive the same level of effort. Thankfully, there’s a silver lining to the song, stating that heartbreak can be healed by someone who has experienced the same things you have.
17. One Hell Of An Amen – Brantley Gilbert
One Hell Of An Amen could very well be the saddest song Brantley Gilbert has ever produced. He was inspired to write the track after doing a USO tour overseas and the death of a service member his friend was close to. It reflects on the sacrifices of our military members and the pain and loss their families go through when they don’t make it back home.
18. One Love – Bob Marley and the Wailers
Bob Marley recorded One Love several times for different albums, but this song is almost solely responsible for the One Love movement becoming popular in the US. While it did heavily rely on another artist’s work and doesn’t credit them, it would go on to become one of the biggest hits Bob Marley And The Wailers ever produced.
19. One Number Away – Luke Combs
Luke Combs has taken the country world by storm in recent years, and One Number Away earned him his third number-one single on the country charts. It’s an emotional ballad of a man trying not to break down and call his ex-girlfriend. In the song, he’s nearly at his breaking point, conflicted about calling but only one digit away from entering her full phone number and pressing call.
20. One Step Closer – Linkin Park
![One Step Closer [Official HD Music Video] - Linkin Park](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4qlCC1GOwFw/0.jpg)
Linkin Park is a huge band today, but One Step Closer is the song that helped them get started. It was the band’s debut single in 2000 and went on to become a huge hit in its own right. Several versions of the track would be released, from the original to mashups with other songs from the band and with Jay-Z and his hit single 99 Problems.
21. Only Girl (In The World) – Rihanna
Rihanna’s Only Girl (In The World) came from her seductive era, a time when all of her music was about sex and love rather than toxic relationships. It wound up being a massive hit for her, taking the top spot of the Hot 100 only two weeks after What’s My Name from the same album reached that spot.
22. Only Prettier – Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is known for having a bit of an attitude in her songs, from burning down the house after being cheated on to some Southern “bless your hearts” to other women. This one was the second kind of track, but it isn’t a tongue-in-cheek thing. She obviously thinks she’s prettier than who her man ended up with despite their similarities elsewhere, and this one wound up being a pretty fun song.
23. Only The Good Die Young – Billy Joel
When Only The Good Die Young was released, it wound up being a fairly controversial song. Coming from Billy Joel’s 1977 rock album Stranger, this track sees a young man trying to get with a religious girl. Some groups tried to censor it for being anti-Catholic and were successful, but that caused album sales to explode. What everyone ignored in the song is that the boy failed to get anywhere with the girl, allowing her to keep her chastity in a rare twist.
24. Otherside – Red Hot Chili Peppers
![Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside [Official Music Video] [HD UPGRADE]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rn_YodiJO6k/0.jpg)
Otherside was one of the best songs to come from the vaunted Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album Californication. It was a huge chart success, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it was deeply personal for the band. The track was a tribute to a former band member who had died of a heroin overdose, giving the song an even more powerful meaning than many realized at the time of its release.
25. Over You – Daughtry
Over You is probably the best breakup song on the list. It served as the third single to be released from Daughtry’s debut album and was a major hit with fans and critics alike. All about dealing with the problems associated with getting over someone after a relationship ends, the track would rise to number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and win the band a BMI award in 2009.
26. Overdose – Hurt
Overdose by Hurt is a deep song, chronicling the descent into addiction by a man who begins using narcotics. In a way though, it can refer to any kind of addiction, including those that don’t involve drugs at all. It was a blunt and honest description of the pain that comes with addiction and it comes off in such a genuine and accurate way that many have called it one of the best descriptions of addiction in music.
27. Of Wolf and Man – Metallica
Of Wolf And Man is one of the most fun songs on Metallica’s Black album. It follows a shapeshifting man as he changes into a wolf during a full moon and runs off into the woods.
28. Of Mice and Men – Megadeth
Of Mice And Men discusses the lessons Dave Mustaine has learned throughout his life. Things aren’t always going to turn out the way you planned and bad things will happen. That still shouldn’t stop you from enjoying life and living it to the fullest.
29. Our Lady of Sorrows – My Chemical Romance
Mary Magdalene is often referred to as Our Lady of Sorrows thanks to the biblical accounts of her life. This includes her just wanting people to believe in her when she falls pregnant with Christ, with the first part of that being the main theme of the song—needing someone to believe in you and save you.
30. Oops!… I Did It Again – Britney Spears
Oops!… I Did It Again is one of Britney Spears’ most renowned songs and one of the singles that helped turn her into one of pop’s biggest stars of all time. Released in 2000, this one talks about the way a woman sees love as a game and uses other people’s affections to her advantage. She’s obviously not sorry about it though; it’s just the way she is.
31. Olivia – One Direction
One Direction’s Olivia was a return to old-school British music for the band and became a big hit single. It was a great track from the group’s ninth studio album and one that some people might have missed.
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Songs starting with the letter P
Songs starting with the letter M
Songs starting with the letter Q
As a contributing writer for Music Grotto, Dakotah writes and produces professional music/media content. He works closely with editorial staff to meet editorial standards and create
quality content for the Music Grotto website. Dakotah is passionate about music in a wide variety of genres, from hip-hop to country and lo-fi to metal, and he enjoys creating music pieces for Music Grotto.
