120 Epic Song Ideas (the ultimate freaking list)

Damn, creativity can be a fickle thing. Sometimes, melodies pour out and ideas flow like the salmon of Capistrano; other times, there’s nothing — zilch! But in those moments (of nothingness), there are strategies to fall back on.

One of the easiest moves is to use a simple inspiration list of song ideas. These are like springboards for artistic momentum. A spark to ignite something.

Because sometimes, all you need is that nudge to get started.

So this is my ultimate list of songwriting prompts and ideas — it’s perfect inspiration for songwriters and musicians.

Now let’s do this freaking thing!

Love Song Ideas

Of course, as a musician, you’ve gotta write a love song or two. It’s inevitable — it’s expected!

So try out these prompts and see what happens.

10 Songwriting Prompts About Love

1. Write a love song from the perspective of an elderly couple reflecting on 50 years together

2. Compose a song about falling in love with your best friend, but being afraid to say anything

3. Create a track about finding love in an unlikely place

4. Write about being in love with someone who's on the other side of the world

5. Write a song about the idea of love or popular movies’ representation of it versus reality

6. Write about the exact moment you realize you're no longer in love with someone

7. Create a love song to yourself — about self-acceptance, self-love and gratitude

8. Write about falling for someone, without ever meeting them in person

9. Make a song about falling for someone who speaks a different language

10. Write about loving someone but knowing you need to let them go so they can follow their dreams

Nostalgia Song Ideas

Nostalgia is an epic motivator for music and art. For example, I’ve recently been writing a series of 2000s-inspired pop-punk acoustic songs — and it’s been amazing!

From style or genre to ideas and history, nostalgia works.

10 Songwriting Prompts About Nostalgia

1. Write about finding your childhood diary, notes, photos or artwork and seeing it as an adult

2. Compose a song about your first car and that time in your life

3. Create a track about a specific summer where everything changed

4. Write about returning to your hometown and everything/everyone’s different

5. Compose a song about an old technology (walkman, flip phone, VHS, DVDs, etc)

6. Write about a friendship that faded with time

7. Create a song about your favorite TV show or movie growing up

8. Write about a family tradition that doesn't happen anymore

9. Write about your grandparents' house and the specific smells and sounds

10. Write a song that sounds like your childhood era (genre, instrument use, sound)

Story Song Ideas

A story song is what it sounds like — a song that tells a story. There may be characters, a plot, a rising action and some sort of resolution.

While most songs have a theme and story to follow, these songwriting prompts add more intention to that process.

10 Story-Based Songwriting Prompts

1. Write a song about a famous event from the perspective of a bystander

2. Compose a track about two strangers whose paths cross for a deeply meaningful moment

3. Create a song about a mysterious package that arrives from a dead relative

4. Write about a person who wakes up with the ability to read minds

5. Compose a story getting the gift of time travel but only being able to go backwards — the torment of leaving loved ones for a life “redo”

6. Write about the last person on Earth reconnecting with nature

7. Create a track about a wedding ring found in a thrift store

8. Write about a conversation between the moon and the sun

9. Compose a song about a small town that never changed despite new technology and infrastructure everywhere else

10. Write about a message in a bottle that took 60 years to find its recipient

Personal Song Ideas

As a human, you have unique experiences, perspectives and feelings about stuff. So a great starting point for writing music is to leverage those nuances.

Personal songs add a lot of personality, brand and musical authenticity — so try these prompts out.

10 Personal Songwriting Prompts

1. Write about the moment you realized you were becoming like your parents

2. Compose a song about overcoming your biggest fear

3. Create a track about the job you dreamed of having as a child versus your current career

4. Write about a personal failure that led to unexpected growth

5. Compose a song about your relationship with your body

6. Write about the traits you inherited from your family

7. Create a track about the words you wish you'd said to someone

8. Write about a decision that completely changed your life's direction

9. Compose a song about your morning routine and finding meaning in small moments

10. Write a song to your past self (and your future self)

Song Ideas for Politics / Society

Blending music with politics can be an awesome, effective and super creative way to share a message or support a movement. It’s part of why art has the power to change the world.

So try out these song ideas.

10 Political / Society Songwriting Prompts

1. Write about climate change from the perspective of an endangered species

2. Write a track about social media's impact on democracy

3. Make a song about a social debate from multiple perspectives

4. Write about the cost of technological advancement

5. Write about wealth inequality through the lens of a single city block

6. Write about the impact of war on ordinary families

7. Create a song about the power of a single vote

8. Write about the struggle for human rights in different parts of the world

9. Compose a track about media manipulation, truth and/or sensationalism

10. Write about the future you hope to see in 50 years

Holiday Song Ideas

Holiday songs are popular. So why not tap into this market and make some money in the process?

For example, Mark from That Pitch talks about one of his clients who uploads hundreds of Halloween songs and rakes in a salary’s worth of income every season.

Or, you could create faceless YouTube videos and earn revenue that way (with the right strategy).

10 Holiday-Themed Songwriting Prompts

1. Write about spending Christmas alone in a new city

2. Compose a track about failing New Year's resolutions

3. Create a song about a Halloween night that went wrong

4. Write about Thanksgiving from the turkey's perspective

5. Compose a track about a Valentine's Day disaster that turned into something beautiful

6. Write about the first day of spring after a cold winter

7. Create a song about family drama during the holidays

8. Write about working in retail or the service industry during the holidays

9. Make a track about celebrating birthdays as you get older

10. Write about the seasons changing and the dynamics of life

Pop Culture Song Ideas

Pop culture songs are a tip of the hat to the news, great icons and whatever’s going on in the world.

These are also the perfect segue to making music for social media (the next batch of song ideas just below).

10 Pop Culture Songwriting Prompts

1. Write a song referencing famous superheroes and villains

2. Compose a new track that would fit perfectly for a trending TV series

3. Write a song about living in a world where superheroes are real

4. Write about falling in love with a character from a popular movie or show

5. Make a track about viral fame

6. Write about modern online dating, Tinder, etc.

7. Create a song about your favorite meme

8. Write about popular video games

9. Compose a track about celebrity culture and its impact

10. Write about all of the biggest events that happened in the last year

Song Ideas for Social Media

Love it or hate it, playing to the algorithm and trends for the sake of online growth is a strategy that works. We’re living through the TikTokification of music, which means certain song styles and formatting tend to perform better online (if metrics are a goal for you).

So try out these song ideas to tap into this social media growth strategy.

Explore more:
➤ I Hated Social Media

10 Songwriting Prompts for Social Media

1. Write about the anxiety of waiting for someone to respond to your message

2. Make a track about your online persona vs reality

3. Create a song about falling in love with an AI influencer

4. Write about digital FOMO and social media addiction

5. Make a track about going viral for the sake of virality and the unexpected aftermath

6. Write about the urge or catharsis of deleting all your social media accounts

7. Create a song about the difference between online and offline relationships

8. Write about missing someone's life updates after unfollowing them

9. Compose a track about social media activism versus real-world action

10. Write about finding your old MySpace profile and how much you’ve changed (or haven’t at all)

Travel-Themed Song Ideas

I love to travel. Part of my lifestyle is being a digital nomad and I spend a lot of time in Japan. So naturally, travel finds its way into my songwriting process.

Here are some adventure-based song ideas to try out yourself.

Explore more:
➤ Travel Makes You More Creative

10 Travel Songwriting Prompts

1. Write about falling in love in a country where you don't speak the language

2. Compose a track about a road trip that changed your life

3. Create a song about missing your flight and the adventure that followed

4. Write about finding to a distant place that feels like home

5. Compose a track about backpacking and living out of a suitcase

6. Write about the stories behind your passport stamps

7. Create a song about the strangers you meet or see on trains

8. Write about the feeling of being lost in a foreign city

9. Make a track about meeting strangers while traveling, establishing a quick and deep relationship, but never seeing them again — where are they now?

10. Write about the moment you decided to leave everything behind and explore the world

Esoteric Song Ideas

As artists, getting deep and metaphorical is right in our wheelhouse. Writing songs on esoteric topics is a fun way to stretch your imagination and get creative.

From the universe and life on other planets to new age quantum spiritualism, have fun with these extra deep song ideas.

10 Esoteric Songwriting Prompts

1. Write about the consciousness of plants/the universe/etc.

2. Compose a track about parallel universes where you made different choices

3. Create a song about life on other planets

4. Write about life after death

5. Compose a track about the space between sleeping and waking

6. Write about the collective consciousness of a family/street/city/nation/world

7. Create a song about energy and the interconnectedness of everything

8. Write about the sound that colors would make if we could hear them

9. Compose a track about the memories we inherit from our ancestors

10. Write about the conversation between quantum particles

Comedic Song Ideas

Let’s channel our inner Flight of the Conchords. Comedic songs add levity to artistic seriousness. They lighten the mood and make songwriting easier by taking away the pressure to make something “perfect” or cool — ideal for creative ruts!

10 Comedic Songwriting Prompts

1. Write about your houseplants plotting revenge for neglect

2. Compose a track about your cat's secret double life

3. Create a song about dating your phone's AI assistant

4. Write about the existential crisis of a parking meter

5. Compose a track about your coffee maker's morning thoughts

6. Write about the support group for forgotten leftovers in the fridge

7. Create a song about your gym membership judging you

8. Write about the secret society of sock-stealing dryers

9. Compose a track about your dishwasher’s emotional breakdown

10. Write an melodic autobiography of your most embarrassing moment

Instrumental Song Ideas

I love making instrumental music. It just hit different (both while making it and listening to it). Some of my favorite artists and bands are instrumental groups (like Explosions in the Sky or electronic groups like ODESZA).

So try out these creative instrumental songwriting prompts.

Explore more:
➤ How to Music Without Instruments

10 Instrumental Songwriting Prompts

1. Compose a piece that captures the sound of rain on different surfaces

2. Create a melody that mimics the rhythm of a city waking up

3. Write a composition that follows the flight pattern of a butterfly

4. Develop a piece that represents the stages of grief

5. Compose a track that captures the feeling of floating in space

6. Create an arrangement that mirrors the growth of a flower

7. Write a piece that represents the layers of the ocean

8. Develop a composition that follows the path of a river

9. Create a melody that captures the changing of seasons

10. Compose a track that represents the cycle of day to night

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