Men are all different because they are human. Some songs from female singers and bands about men talk about them cheating, while others are about the traits that make them awesome. Male singers and bands vocalizing about their gender embrace masculinity and life’s challenges.
Here are the 21 of the best songs about men that will have the gears turning about how a man can measure up in the world.
Top Songs About Men
“Whatta Man” – Salt ‘N Pepa Featuring En Vogue
90s rap and R&B goddesses Salt ‘N Pepa and En Vogue collaborated on one of the 1993 r&b songs about a good man. They express the qualities that they believe are the most respected and reliable when a man courts a woman. The girls love the fact that they do not have to deal with lying boyfriends.
A man who can make a woman laugh, be authentic, and stay loyal without cheating is what they love most. The song is a refreshing alternative to the many songs about men related to cheating.
“The Man” – The Killers
“The Man” by The Killers is an anthem for confident men worldwide. The mix of alternative/indie rock background with peppy pop makes it a motivational song for men working towards a personal goal. “The Man” is on the list of alpha male songs.
The band proclaims themselves as royalty. The song’s narrator claims nothing will get them down in their lives. Claiming they have a plan reinforces their self-confidence and self-esteem as a man with everything going for them: strength, attractiveness, and popularity.
“Waiting for Superman” – Daughtry
Daughtry delves deep into women’s dreams about finding their Superman. He is not the traditional hero. This “Superman” will swoop into her life at the right time. He would be there for her emotionally and as a shoulder to lean on.
Throughout the official music video, the superhero concept takes on multiple scenarios. The average man pushes a woman out of the way of a biker that was about to hit her, tracks down a woman’s stolen purse, and gets a girl away from bullies.
“Holding Out for a Hero” – Bonnie Taylor
Bonnie Taylor personifies a hero as strong as Hercules with street smarts, speed, and brawns. The song narrator anticipates this hero coming into her life and changing it for the better. She wonders where all the good men are.
This is one of the many alpha male songs that show what trials and tribulations this hero would conquer to get to her. Whether braving the seas, going through harsh winds, conquering mountains, or navigating storms, she feels a good man is out there for her.
“It’s Raining Men” – The Weather Girls
The Weather Girls personifies men being everywhere as “raining men.” They describe the physical and character attributes that men should have in one of these songs about guys you like.
There are many options when people figure out their type in men. Whether they prefer light-skinned or dark-skinned, or maybe strong and lean or hefty and full of love, The Weather Girls highlights that there is so much to love about men with the variety of looks and personalities in the world.
“Hot Boyz” – Missy Elliot featuring Eve
Listen to songs about hot guys with the throwback 90’s jam “Hot Boyz” by Missy Elliot. Hot boys are those with the greatest cars and sexiest looks according to Missy Elliot and Eve. As a word of caution, Eve’s lyrics can get a little raunchy, so be sure not to play it in front of the kids.
They mention vehicle brands such as Jeep, Lexus, and SK-8. This shows that some women prefer men with higher status, such as better looks and high-class possessions, as attractive components that help them to choose a mate.
“Mean Man” – W.A.S.P.
Add one of these songs about guys being jerks with “Mean Man” by W.A.S.P. The song narrator personifies his mother and father as wind and fire and says he has been a child that was left alone in the field to fend for himself. Hence, he describes himself as a man who does not live by the rules, otherwise known as a renegade.
The song narrator loves riding motorcycles, causing trouble, and being his boss without regard for what others think about him. How the band acknowledges how mean they are is astounding.
“One Man Can Change the World” – Big Sean ft John Legend & Kanye West
This trio of Hip-hop and R&B legends collaborates on how one man can be the ripple effect that starts a change in the world. It has a sub-theme of leadership as the lyrics discuss coming-of-age lessons and finding oneself while navigating career possibilities.
Big Sean talks about lessons he learned from his grandmother and growing up as an African American in his community before entering the music industry. No matter your profession, the song discusses that a man’s (or woman’s) contribution can make the world a better place.
“Family Man” – Craig Campbell
Campbell sings soulfully in this country hit from 2011 about how the song narrator, the family man, works hard full-time at a factory. He wants to spend more time with his family, but he knows that he must work his hardest to monetarily support his family.
However, he acknowledges that his family is the ultimate reason that he continues to work so hard. Despite not being able to spend as much time as he desires, he recognizes that they motivate him to keep going even in the face of adversity in his career.
“My Guy” – Mary Wells
We throw it back further into 1964 with “My Guy” by Mary Wells, one of the best songs about men where a woman describes the traits she loves about her suitor. The song narrator is so loyal to her man that nothing that anyone says to her about him will make her leave him.
She discusses how awesome he is with being top tier. She respects him so well that she does not want to lie to him or leave him for another man.
“The Man” – Taylor Swift
“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I’d get there quicker if I were a man,” sings Swift. ‘The Man’ unpacks how different the singer’s life and career might have been if only she’d been born a man. Accusations of being calculating or dating too much would be rewritten as compliments, and Swift would be hailed as the very best in the game, rather than constantly criticised.
How she dressed and behaved towards others would come secondary to her work, and she’d be free of her constant worrying about other people’s judgement.
In the song, Swift namechecks Leonardo Di Caprio. The music video for ‘The Man’ saw her dressing up as a version of Leo’s character in The Wolf Of Wall Street, undergoing prosthetics to appear as the typical Wall Street businessman.
“the man himself” – Gang of Youths
In this huge orchestral rock track, Australian band Gang of Youths discuss the impact of most people’s main male role model – their father. Front man David Le’aupepe talks about the aftermath of his father’s death. “I don’t know what to feel, I don’t know how to feel right,” he confesses. “But I want to become my own man, I guess.” He also explains that since his father’s passing he’s hung a painting of him in the kitchen, so that when Le’aupepe has his own kids he’ll always remember his father’s impact on him.
“Little Lion Man” – Mumford & Sons
‘Little Lion Man’ is one of the darker songs from folk rock band Mumford & Sons. With an almost frantic energy, Marcus Mumford unpacks his relationship with himself, inspired by a difficult personal circumstance that Mumford has not divulged since the song’s release.
The track speaks to being frustrated with the man one is behaving as, but also knowing that you have a lot of growing left to do. The inclusion of a swear word (“I really f*cked it up this time”) was unusual for the band at the time of the song’s release.
Mumford has explained that, after prompting from his label, he did try to replace the swear word, but felt nothing worked as well in the line. Even Mumford’s mum later took to explaining to people why that word really did have to be in the song.
“New Man” – Ed Sheeran
On ‘New Man’, Sheeran rants about an ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend and wonders what on earth she sees in him. The guy is always at the gym and on a diet, he plucks his eyebrows, and gets tribal tattoos without knowing their origin. He wears sunglasses in all weathers, outdoors and indoors, and takes frequent lads holidays to Malaga.
Sheeran can’t believe that this man is attractive to the girl he used to know. The kicker is that Sheeran’s ex isn’t really that into her new man – she’s still busy trying to hook up with Sheeran.
Sheeran has clarified that the track isn’t aimed at any particular guy that one of his exes dated, but a stereotype of men he saw a few of them hook up with. Initially he wasn’t convinced he should put it on his album due to the petty nature of the lyrics, but collaborators liked the quick wordplay and Sheeran eventually agreed.
“Man In The Mirror” – Michael Jackson
Jackson sings about facing up to yourself and staring the person you’ve become directly in the face. Jackson looks at the world around him, with all the suffering that happens, and decides the best way to change the world is to first work on “the man in the mirror”, and change himself before he tries to change anything. He wants to no longer be selfish and to prioritise the needs of others.
“The Boys Are Back In Town” – Thin Lizzy
The theme tune to boys nights all over the globe, ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ by Thin Lizzy. This triumphant ode to male friendship and the nightlife of a small town was meant to celebrate Thin Lizzy’s working class roots and sometimes riotous adventures. The band had a bit of reputation for stirring up trouble and ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ played into that image.
“I’m Still A Guy” – Brad Paisley
This country tune sets out what Brad Paisley believes to be the difference between men and women in this country track. “When you see a deer, you see Bambi/And I see antlers up on the wall,” he sings. He goes on to describe some other things that he and his girlfriend see differently: lakes, French paintings and riding wild bulls. Paisley’s definition of manhood might work for him, but it’s definitely a little outdated for most.
“Things That Never Cross A Man’s Mind” – Kellie Pickler
Pickler humorously lists things that she can’t imagine any of the men in her life ever thinking. They’ll never worry about having nothing to wear, they’ll never admit that they might struggle to finish a big steak, and they’ll never get bored of watching football. Pickler rattles through her seemingly never ending list with a smile.
“That Don’t Impress Me Much” – Shania Twain
This country disco track from Shania Twain sees her explaining the types of man she just can’t get on board with. Guys with cards, rocket scientists, and even Brad Pitt all don’t impress her. All a guy really needs to do for Shania to give him the time of day is show her care and sincerity – all this surface level stuff just doesn’t do it for her.
Brad Pitt is namechecked in the song due to the nude photos of the actor that had been recently published in Playgirl magazine, but Shania was known to switch up the name she used for different live performances.
“When I Was Your Man” – Bruno Mars
Mars is really missing being someone’s man. Lying in bed thinking over his failed relationship, he’s eaten up by everything he might have done differently that could have kept his lover by his side. Now he’s left wishing that he’d bought her flowers, invested time in the relationship and took her out dancing – before she left him for another man.
Conclusion
Men look and act differently with many personalities. Here are the best songs about men that describe them as well, jerks, hot and more. We hope you loved this lineup of best songs about men.
Caitlin Devlin is a music, entertainment and lifestyle writer based in London. When she’s not creating playlists for Repeat Replay, she’s reviewing gigs and interviewing artists for Ticketmaster UK and thinking about what her Spotify Wrapped will look like this year.