10 Noteworthy Rock And Pop Songs About Animals

Feature Photo by Brian Kachejian

Animals have inspired countless rock and pop songs, and dogs probably lead the pack. For this list, though, we wanted some variety, so the songs range from dogs, cats, horses, and birds to a raccoon, a lion, and even a space monkey.

# 10 – October Song – Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse included “October Song” on her 2003 debut album, Frank. She wrote the song after the death of her pet canary, Ava, turning the loss of a small animal into a personal song about grief and memory. The track also reflects Winehouse’s love of jazz singers such as Sarah Vaughan.

Read More: Top 10 Amy Winehouse Songs

# 9 – Get Down – Gilbert O’Sullivan

Gilbert O’Sullivan released “Get Down” in 1973 from I’m a Writer, Not a Fighter, and the single spent two weeks at No. 1 in the UK. Despite the title and the repeated dog comparison, O’Sullivan was not actually singing to a pet; he was describing a woman behaving like a dog jumping on him. Produced by Gordon Mills, the song was one of O’Sullivan’s biggest hits.

Read More: Top 10 Gilbert O’Sullivan Songs

# 8 – King of the Dogs – Iggy Pop

This one is weird but oh, so cool. Iggy Pop released “King of the Dogs” on his 2009 album Préliminaires, a record inspired by Michel Houellebecq’s novel The Possibility of an Island. The song leans into New Orleans-style jazz rather than Iggy’s usual hard rock and takes its point of view from the novel’s canine character.

Read More: Top 10 Iggy Pop Songs

# 7 – Phenomenal Cat – The Kinks

Ray Davies wrote and produced “Phenomenal Cat” for The Kinks’ 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. The song tells the strange story of a flying cat that travels the world, discovers the secret of life, and settles down to spend its days eating. It is one of the album’s most playful examples of Davies’ storybook side.

# 6 – A Horse with No Name – America

America (Turquoise Vinyl/Limited Anniversary Edition)

Dewey Bunnell wrote “A Horse with No Name” for America’s self-titled debut album. Produced by Ian Samwell with Jeff Dexter, the song became the band’s first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Bunnell has described it as a travelogue through the desert, with the unnamed horse carrying the narrator away from the noise and pressure of everyday life.

# 5 – Space Monkey – John Prine

John Prine and Peter Case co-wrote “Space Monkey,” which appears on Prine’s 1997 album Live on Tour. The song turns the old image of animals being launched into space into a funny and slightly sad story about a forgotten monkey caught up in human ambition. It is classic Prine: strange, funny, and more pointed than it first appears.

# 4 – The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens

The Tokens took “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” to No. 1 in the United States in 1961, but the song’s history reaches back to South Africa. Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds recorded “Mbube” in 1939, and the melody later evolved into The Weavers’ “Wimoweh” before reaching The Tokens. The song’s long history also sparked major disputes over songwriting credit and royalties owed to Linda and his family.

# 3 – Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones released “Wild Horses” on Sticky Fingers in 1971. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Jimmy Miller, the country-leaning ballad uses wild horses as an image of something powerful enough to pull someone away. The song was recorded primarily at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama.

# 2 – Rocky Raccoon – The Beatles

The Beatles (The White Album) (50th Anniversary

“Rocky Raccoon” appeared on The Beatles’ 1968 double album The Beatles, better known as The White Album. Primarily written by Paul McCartney while the group was in India and credited to Lennon-McCartney, the song is a tongue-in-cheek Western about Rocky, his girlfriend Nancy, and a rival named Dan. The animal connection is in Rocky’s name rather than the character actually being a raccoon.

# 1 – Shannon – Henry Gross

Henry Gross wrote “Shannon” after Beach Boys member Carl Wilson told him that his dog named Shannon had recently been killed. Gross also had a dog named Shannon, which made the story hit especially close to home. Released in 1976 on the album Release, the song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Gross’s biggest hit.