10 Best Songs About Dad

It would be nice if the 10 best songs about dad were also songs about the 10 best dads. But just ask Brian Wilson and the late Michael Jackson about how a troubled relationship with pop can really mess you up. Even so, not all songs about dads are dysfunctional. There are probably as many songs about fathers as there are kinds of fathers.

1. "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine" by Gene Autry. Although most fathers don't like to be reminded about their gray hair, this is a sweet song nonetheless. And it was sung by the ultimate singing cowboy. You just can't argue with that.
2. "Dance with My Father" by Luther Vandross. This song was dedicated to Vandross' late father. It was also Vandross' last studio album. You have to wonder if Vandross had an inkling that his own time was short.
3. "The Living Years" by Mike & The Mechanics. Mike Rutherford, who helped write it, and Paul Carrack, who sang it, each had issues with their dads. Rutherford's relationship was strained, and Carrack had just lost his dad. This is an example of real life issues in pop music.
4. "Don't Cry Daddy" by Elvis Presley. This was originally a hit for Elvis. Lisa Marie Presley later re-recorded the song with her father's voice as a duet.
5. "Daddy Frank" by Merle Haggard. This song is about how music can help us overcome handicaps. In this case, it featured a deaf mother and a blind father. But music seemed to make everything all better.
   
6. "Daddy Sang Bass" by Johnny Cash. Country music has a lot of songs about families that sing together. This is one of those songs. In this family, pop held down the bass part.
   
7. "Coal Miner's Daughter" by Loretta Lynn. It's a true story that Lynn was born a coal miner's daughter. Aren't you glad she wrote about that life, instead of becoming a miner herself? She would have been the prettiest coal miner ever, but that would be no consolation for you and me.
8. "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed. It's easy to rip on Creed; everybody does. But if you can separate the kind of guy Scott Stapp is from the great song he wrote about his son, you can probably even like this song a little.
   
9. "Daddy" by Beyonce. This song puts a lot of pressure on Jay-Z, as Beyonce wants her husband to be just like her dad. Good luck, Mr. Rap Star.
10. "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon. Simon wrote this for "The Wild Thornberrys." It was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. Who says songs about dads cannot be award-worthy?