Are You a Sucker for Songs with a Girl's Name in them?

Here are 20 of my favorites. Some you probably know, some you don't

There are so, so many songs that have a girl’s name in the title, and I think I understand the psychology of why these songs are so popular. Male and female artists alike write and record songs about females by name. By comparison, I don’t believe there are many songs with guy names in the title. At least not ones that have the same type of emotional impact. (“Fred” by Rodney Carrington doesn’t count.)

Here are 20 of my personal favorites that come to mind.

“Beth” - KISS (1976)

The very first one I ever heard was “Beth” by KISS. I was 5. I think I had a one-time babysitter whose name was Beth and I probably thought the song was about her for a while. To this day when I hear that name I think of this song. You can hate KISS all you want but this song is a wonderful example of girl-name-songs. If you’re a songwriter, follow this formula and have yourself a Top 10 hit. (Also, don’t forget to hire Bob Ezrin to re-write, re-arrange, and produce it.)

“Elenore” - The Turtles (1968)

The Turtles have some gems and I have to admit I like this one more than “Happy Together.”

“Joanna” - Kool & The Gang (1983)

There’s just something about this song for me. It’s nothing like anything they had done or ever would do. At least not as a single. It went to #2 in the U.S.

“Ruby (Don’t Take Your Love To Town)” - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition (1969)

Written by Mel Tillis, “Ruby” was first recorded by Waylon Jennings in 1966 and then went to #9 on the country charts for Johnny Darrell in 1967. But it’s the Kenny Rogers version everyone knows. You have to admit, it certainly tells an intense story and Ruby definitely has a specific type of personality.

“Rosanna” - Toto (1982)

Written by Toto’s David Paich about several girls he had known, it just so happened that the band’s Steve Porcaro was also dating Rosanna Arquette at the time. This band is so good! David Paich also wrote one of my favorite Glen Campbell songs from the 70’s “Houston (I’m Comin’ To See You).”

“Sylvia’s Mother” - Dr. Hook (1972)

Written by Shel Silverstein, the guy who also penned “A Boy Named Sue” (made famous by Johnny Cash) and the book Where The Sidewalk Ends. Sylvia, her mother, and their story is a true one, too. Except their last name wasn’t really Avery and forty cents for three minutes seems high for 1972...don’t you think?

“Jenny” - Peter Beckett (1984)

Here’s one that was never popular unless you were inside my head. As a thirteen year-old I had a crush on Knots Landing’s Lisa Hartman and would watch Where The Boys Are ‘84 over and over again. I even bought the soundtrack album and still can’t find it streaming anywhere forty years later.

“Alyson” - Rick Springfield (1983)

Another one you probably haven’t heard because it’s an album track from Springfield’s Living In Oz album. I wouldn’t come across anyone with the name spelled this way until many, many years later. It’s also worth noting that Oz also includes the hit song “Human Touch” where Springfield passively mentions “Sally” and how she “has a hard time holding back.” I love when songs mention a female by name but the song does not use the name in the title.

“Alison” - Elvis Costello (1977)

Spelled “the correct way” according to my bride-to-be of the same name and spelling, the song didn’t chart but was included on Costello’s debut solo album My Aim is True, which is also a line in this song. He would also write and record a song about his grandmother called “Veronica" with Paul McCartney more than a decade later.

“Carrie” - Europe (1987)

I became a pretty big fan of this Swedish band during the second half of the 80’s. I owned every album on cassette including their self-titled debut that sounded nothing like what they would become. I even had two Europe VHS tapes that I watched over and over. I did not have the hots (do people still say that?) for singer Joey Tempest but I may or may not have had a crush on a girl named “Carrie.”

“Maria” - Blondie (1999)

In 1999 Blondie made a brief comeback that I happened to latch on to with this catchy song that is impossible to get out of your head. I somehow got a copy of the entire No Exit CD, too, but I never listened to it. It was all about “Maria” for me.

“Oh Sherrie” - Steve Perry (1984)

I wasn’t even thirteen when “Oh Sherrie” hit FM radio, so that’s the excuse I’m using when I tell you I couldn’t figure out what Perry was singing during the chorus. “Oh Savvy”? “Oh Perry”? Once I saw the music video I figured it all out. I wound up owning the Street Talk album that would include four Top 40 songs and a handful of solid other tracks.

“Sweet Jane” - The Velvet Underground (1973)

I cannot say I grew up with this song. Not even close. But I am so glad I discovered Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground when I did. Exploring both catalogs is a never-ending night on the town. The studio version of “Sweet Jane” is my favorite, but when Reed would perform it live as a solo artist - you never knew what you were going to get. It always sounds different.

“Sad Theresa” - Warrant (1992)

By 1992 Warrant was taking a hard left turn with their music. Their third album Dog Eat Dog was much different than the previous ones. But it was still really good. “Sad Theresa” was the final track on the album and if it had been on one of their first two records it might’ve been a radio hit. The guitar solo is one of my favorites of all-time.

“Jenny Fey” - Corey Hart (1984)

Another final album track no one has ever heard - unless you are a big Corey Hart fan. I bought the First Offense album, the one with “Sunglasses at Night” on it, and to this day I am thankful that I did or I never would’ve heard “Jenny Fey.” Even though it was never released as a single, Hart would include “Jenny Fey” in his live sets for years to come.

“Claudette” - The Everly Brothers (1957)

Yeah, they had “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Take A Message To Mary,” and “Cathy’s Clown,” but the B-Side to “All I Have To Do Is Dream” became my favorite girl name song thanks to my parents’ wearing out their cassette of Everly Brothers hits. “Claudette,” for what it’s worth, did go to #1 in the U.K.

“Billie Jean” - Michael Jackson (1983)

My list wouldn’t be complete without arguably the most popular girl name song ever. While it’s not exactly an angsty love song or even an ode to a lonely girl, “Billie Jean” is a song I never hit “next” on.

“So Long, Marianne” - Leonard Cohen (1967)

This song is another one that I didn’t know ten or so years ago. Exploring poetic artists like Cohen late in life has changed me and my writing in ways I cannot describe. Watching the documentary Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, however, did nothing to solve the mystery of their relationship. When his muse died he wrote a letter to her that ended with “Goodbye old friend. Endless love, see you down the road.” Cohen died roughly three months later.

“Sweet Caroline” - Neil Diamond (1969)

I’ve probably said it on Substack before, but there were a lot of popular songs that I learned about through Elvis. I knew Elvis’s live version of “Sweet Caroline” long before I heard Diamond’s. But I always knew whose tune it was because Elvis introduced it as a Neil Diamond song on his On Stage album.

“Jolene” - Dolly Parton (1973)

As I put this list together I determined it would not be complete without this song. Even more amazing is the fact that Dolly wrote this gem and “I Will Always Love You” in the same day. For fun, search out YouTube for “Jolene” being played at 33 RPM. I think I like that version even more. It’s...sinister.

And there you have it. The worst part about putting this together was all of the songs that didn’t make my 20 favorites and the ones that I guarantee I have forgotten entirely. Here are a few others I have not forgotten that I like:

“Amanda” - Boston
“Tomorrow, Wendy” - Concrete Blonde
“Julia” - Fast Romantics
”My Sharona” - The Knack
”Amie” - Pure Prairie League
”Nikita” - Elton John
”Suzanne” - Journey
”Good Lord Lorrie” - Turnpike Troubadours
”Layla” - Derek & the Dominos
”Proud Mary” - CCR
”Maggie May” - Rod Stewart
”Roxanne” - The Police
”Come On Eileen” - Dexy’s Midnight Runners


Which songs did I not mention here that you like?