# List of signature songs

A signature song is the one song (or, in some cases, one of a few songs) that a popular and well-established recording artist or band is most closely identified with or best known for. This is generally differentiated from a one-hit wonder in that the artist usually has had success with other songs as well.
A signature song may be a song that spearheads an artist's initial mainstream breakthrough, a song that revitalizes an artist's career, or a song that simply represents a high point in an artist's career. Often, a signature song will feature significant characteristics of an artist and may encapsulate the artist's particular sound and style.
Signature songs can be the result of spontaneous public identification, or a marketing tool developed by the music industry to promote artists, sell their recordings, and develop a fan base. Artists and bands with a signature song are generally expected to perform it at every concert appearance, often as an encore on concert tours, sometimes being the last song of the setlist.

## Examples by artist

| Song | Artist | Released | Notes |
| "I Am the Best" | 2NE1 | 2011 | Written by Teddy Park |
| "Dancing Queen" | ABBA | 1976 | Written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson |
| "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" | Ailee | 2017 | |
| "Beautiful" | Christina Aguilera | 2002 | Written by Linda Perry. Featured on Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped. |
| "Lili Marlene" | Lale Andersen | 1939 | There is a Lili Marlene and Lale Andersen memorial in Langeoog, Germany. |
| "Rose Garden" | Lynn Anderson | 1970 | Written by Joe South |
| "The House of the Rising Sun" | The Animals | 1964 | Traditional folk song |
| "What a Wonderful World" | Louis Armstrong | 1967 | Written by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss |
| "The Cattle Call" | Eddy Arnold | 1934 | Written/recorded in 1934 by Tex Owens |
| "Never Gonna Give You Up" | Rick Astley | 1987 | Written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman |
| "Upside Down" | A-Teens | 2000 | The band's first original release |
| "Levels" | Avicii | 2011 | Written and produced by Tim Bergling. Contains a sample of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James. |
| "I Want It That Way" | Backstreet Boys | 1999 | Written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson |
| "Working Class Man" | Jimmy Barnes | 1985 | Written by Jonathan Cain |
| "One O'Clock Jump" | Count Basie | 1937 | A 12-bar blues instrumental written by Basie in 1937 |
| "Goldfinger" | Shirley Bassey | 1964 | The title song from the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger |
| "Bela Lugosi's Dead" | Bauhaus | 1979 | Considered the harbinger of gothic rock music |
| "Loser" | Beck | 1993 | Written by Beck and producer Carl Stephenson |
| "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" | Tony Bennett | 1962 | Written by George Cory and Douglass Cross |
| "Johnny B. Goode" | Chuck Berry | 1958 | Recorded January 6, 1958 at Chess Records |
| "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" | Beyond | 1993 | Written by Wong Ka Kui for the band's Rock and Roll album |
| "Fantastic Baby" | Big Bang | 2012 | Written by G-Dragon, T.O.P and Teddy |
| "Rebel Girl" | Bikini Kill | 1993 | Written by Kathleen Hanna, Billy Karren, Tobi Vail and Kathi Wilcox |
| "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" | Blue Öyster Cult | 1976 | Written and sung by lead guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser |
| "Livin' on a Prayer" | Bon Jovi | 1986 | Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child |
| "I Dreamed A Dream" | Susan Boyle | 2010 | Originally composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg with English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer for the musical Les Misérables. |
| "Save Me" | BTS | 2016 | Written by Kang Hyo-won; Ray Michael Djan Jr; Ashton Foster; Samantha Harper; Kim Nam-joon; Min Yoon-gi; Jung Ho-seok |
| "Hallelujah" | Jeff Buckley | 1994 | Originally written and recorded by Leonard Cohen in 1984 |
| "Margaritaville" | Jimmy Buffett | 1977 | Recorded 1976 at Criteria Studios and Quadrafonic Sound Studios |
| "Rhinestone Cowboy" | Glen Campbell | 1975 | Originally written and recorded by Larry Weiss in 1974 |
| "Hero" | Mariah Carey | 1993 | Written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff |
| "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" | Belinda Carlisle | 1987 | Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley |
| "All by Myself" | Eric Carmen | 1975 | Written by Eric Carmen |
| "Lovefool" | The Cardigans | 1996 | Written by members Nina Persson and Peter Svensson as the lead single from their third studio album First Band on the Moon. |
| "(They Long to Be) Close to You" | The Carpenters | 1970 | Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David |
| "Say So" | Doja Cat | 2019 | Recorded in July 2019 and released as a single off her album Hot Pink in November 2019. A remix with Nicki Minaj was later released in 2020. |
| "The Mercy Seat" | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | 1988 | Written by Nick Cave and Mick Harvey |
| "What'd I Say" | Ray Charles | 1959 | Recorded on February 18, 1959 |
| "I Want You to Want Me" | Cheap Trick | 1977 | Written by Rick Nielsen and produced by Tom Werman |
| "Under the Milky Way" | The Church | 1988 | Written by bass guitarist and lead vocalist Steve Kilbey and his then-girlfriend Karin Jansson of Curious (Yellow). |
| "Layla" | Eric Clapton | 1970 | Written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon |
| "Crazy" | Patsy Cline | 1961 | Written by Willie Nelson |
| "Walking in Memphis" | Marc Cohn | 1991 | |
| "Khe Sanh" | Cold Chisel | 1978 | Their debut single, written by Don Walker |
| "In the Air Tonight" | Phil Collins | 1981 | Written by Phil Collins |
| "My Favorite Things" | John Coltrane | 1961 | Published in 1959 by Rodgers and Hammerstein |
| "School's Out" | Alice Cooper | 1972 | |
| "Karma Chameleon" | Culture Club | 1983 | Featured on the group's 1983 album Colour by Numbers |
| "Achy Breaky Heart" | Billy Ray Cyrus | 1992 | Written in 1990 by Don Von Tress |
| "Beyond the Sea" | Bobby Darin | 1959 | Written by Charles Trenet |
| "I've Gotta Be Me" | Sammy Davis Jr. | 1968 | Written by Walter Marks |
| "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" | Doris Day | 1956 | Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans |
| "Holiday in Cambodia" | Dead Kennedys | 1980 | Written by Jello Biafra and John Greenway. Recorded 1979 |
| "Smoke on the Water" | Deep Purple | 1972 | Recorded in December 1971 |
| "Pour Some Sugar on Me" | Def Leppard | 1987 | 3rd single from the 1987 album Hysteria |
| "Take Me Home, Country Roads" | John Denver | 1971 | Written by Denver, Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert |
| "Sweet Caroline" | Neil Diamond | 1969 | Written by Diamond |
| "Meet in the Middle" | Diamond Rio | 1991 | Written by Chapin Hartford, Jim Foster, Don Pfrimmer |
| "Falling In Love Again" | Marlene Dietrich | 1930 | Composed by Friedrich Hollaender |
| "My Heart Will Go On" | Celine Dion | 1997 | Written by James Horner (music) and Will Jennings (lyrics) |
| "Don't Cha" | The Pussycat Dolls | 2005 | Written by Anthony Ray and CeeLo Green and Trevor Smith |
| "Light My Fire" | The Doors | 1967 | Recorded in August 1966 |
| "Through the Fire and Flames" | DragonForce | 2006 | The opening track from their third studio album Inhuman Rampage |
| "Bodies" | Drowning Pool | 2001 | |
| "Hotel California" | Eagles | 1977 | Written by Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey |
| "Bad Guy" | Billie Eilish | 2019 | |
| "One Day Like This" | Elbow | 2008 | Written by member Guy Garvey for their fourth studio album The Seldom Seen Kid. Performed at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony |
| "Mr. Blue Sky" | Electric Light Orchestra | 1978 | Written by Jeff Lynne and recorded 1977 at Musicland Studios |
| "Take the 'A' Train" | Duke Ellington | 1941 | A jazz standard composed by Billy Strayhorn in 1939 |
| "Stay with Me" | Lorraine Ellison | 1966 | Co-written by Jerry Ragovoy and George David Weiss |
| "Lose Yourself" | Eminem | 2002 | First hip hop song to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song |
| "The Final Countdown" | Europe | 1986 | Written by Joey Tempest |
| "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" | Eurythmics | 1983 | Written by Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart |
| "Bring Me to Life" | Evanescence | 2003 | Written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody and David Hodges |
| "Waltz for Debby" | Bill Evans | 1956 | Originally recorded for the New Jazz Conceptions album |
| "Epic" | Faith No More | 1990 | Written by Mike Patton, Billy Gould, Jim Martin, Roddy Bottum, and Mike Bordin |
| "Blueberry Hill" | Fats Domino | 1956 | Inducted into the National Recording Registry as a part of the 2005 class. |
| "Everlong" | Foo Fighters | 1997 | Written by Dave Grohl |
| "Respect" | Aretha Franklin | 1967 | Originally written by Otis Redding in 1965 |
| "Solsbury Hill" | Peter Gabriel | 1977 | Written by Peter Gabriel. |
| "Over the Rainbow" | Judy Garland | 1939 | Recorded by Judy Garland for the movie The Wizard of Oz |
| "I Will Survive" | Gloria Gaynor | 1978 | Written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris |
| "Kick It in the Sticks" | Brantley Gilbert | 2010 | Written by Gilbert, Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip |
| "Gee" | Girls' Generation | 2009 | Written by Ahn Myung-won, Kim Young-deuk and Kanata Nakamura |
| "You Don't Own Me" | Lesley Gore | 1963 | Recorded September 21, 1963, Written by John Madara and Dave White |
| "If Ever I Would Leave You" | Robert Goulet | 1960 | From the Lerner & Loewe musical Camelot. |
| "God Bless the USA" | Lee Greenwood | 1984 | A popular American patriotic song |
| "Rock Around the Clock" | Bill Haley & His Comets | 1954 | Recorded April 12, 1954 at Pythian Temple studios |
| "Thanks for the Memory" | Bob Hope | 1938 | Composed by Ralph Rainger with lyrics by Leo Robin |
| "I Will Always Love You" | Whitney Houston | 1992 | Written by Dolly Parton and originally released by her in 1974 with Houston's cover of the song later being recorded as a part of the soundtrack to the film The Bodyguard (1992). Inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2019. |
| "Ah! Leah!" | Donnie Iris | 1980 | Written by Mark Avsec and Donnie Iris |
| "Love Dive" | IVE | 2022 | |
| "Super Freak" | Rick James | 1981 | Written by Rick James and Alonzo Miller |
| "El derecho de vivir en paz" | Víctor Jara | 1971 | Published in 1971 on the "El Derecho de Vivir en Paz" LP. |
| "Soy rebelde" | Jeanette | 1971 | Written by Manuel Alejandro |
| "The Middle" | Jimmy Eat World | 2001 | |
| "Piano Man" | Billy Joel | 1973 | Selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry |
| "Rocket Man" | Elton John | 1972 | |
| "He Stopped Loving Her Today" | George Jones | 1980 | Written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman |
| "Don't Stop Believin'" | Journey | 1981 | From their seventh album Escape |
| "Should've Been a Cowboy" | Toby Keith | 1993 | |
| "Fallin'" | Alicia Keys | 2001 | Released as a single on April 10, 2001, as a part of her debut album Songs In A Minor. |
| "God's Menu" | Stray Kids | 2020 | Written by group members Bang Chan, Changbin and Han. Released in June 2020 from their album Go Live. |
| "Mr. Brightside" | The Killers | 2004 | |
| "Shame" | Evelyn "Champagne" King | 1977 | Written by John H. Fitch Jr. and Reuben Cross |
| "Louie, Louie" | The Kingsmen | 1963 | Written by Richard Berry in 1955 |
| "You Really Got Me" | The Kinks | 1964 | Written by Ray Davies and recorded in July 1964 |
| "Rock and Roll All Nite" | Kiss | 1975 | Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in February 1975 |
| "Midnight Train to Georgia" | Gladys Knight & the Pips | 1973 | Written by Jim Weatherly |
| "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" | Novia Kolopaking | 1992 | Written by Dwiki Dharmawan and Ags Arya Dipayana |
| "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" | Cyndi Lauper | 1983 | Originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard four years earlier. |
| "Stairway to Heaven" | Led Zeppelin | 1971 | Written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant |
| "Imagine" | John Lennon | 1971 | Recorded during May–July 1971 at Ascot Sound Studios |
| "Great Balls of Fire" | Jerry Lee Lewis | 1957 | Written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer |
| "In the End" | Linkin Park | 2001 | Recorded in 2000 |
| "Auld Lang Syne" | Guy Lombardo | 1939 | A Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 |
| "Cry Me a River" | Julie London | 1955 | Written by Arthur Hamilton and first published in 1953 |
| "Coal Miner's Daughter" | Loretta Lynn | 1970 | Based on the true story of Lynn's life growing up in rural Kentucky |
| "We'll Meet Again" | Vera Lynn | 1939 | Written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles |
| "Free Bird" | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 1973 | First featured on the band's 1973 debut album |
| “Shackles (Praise You)” | Mary Mary | 2000 | Debut single by the duo, featured on their 2000 debut album |
| "U Can't Touch This" | MC Hammer | 1990 | Samples "Super Freak" by Rick James |
| "American Pie" | Don McLean | 1971 | Written by Don McLean |
| "Down Under" | Men at Work | 1981 | |
| "Can't Get You Out of My Head" | Kylie Minogue | 2001 | From the artist's eighth studio album, "Fever", released in 2001 |
| "Nights in White Satin" | The Moody Blues | 1967 | Written and composed by Justin Hayward, recorded October 1967 |
| "Ace of Spades" | Motörhead | 1980 | Released as the only single from the band's fourth studio album |
| "Welcome To The Black Parade" | My Chemical Romance | 2006 | |
| "OMG" | NewJeans | 2023 | Released in January 2023 off the single album of the same name along with its B-side "Ditto" which was released on December 19, 2022. |
| "How You Remind Me" | Nickelback | 2001 | The lead single from their third studio album Silver Side Up |
| "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Nirvana | 1991 | The opening track and lead single from their 1991 album. |
| "Bye Bye Bye" | *NSYNC | 2000 | Written by Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, and Andreas Carlsson |
| "Wonderwall" | Oasis | 1995 | Written by Noel Gallagher and recorded in May 1995 |
| "Wagon Wheel" | Old Crow Medicine Show | 1994 | Co-written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor, recorded in 2003 |
| "Crazy Train" | Ozzy Osbourne | 1980 | |
| "Addicted to Love" | Robert Palmer | 1986 | Written by Robert Palmer |
| "Last Resort" | Papa Roach | 2000 | |
| "Misery Business" | Paramore | 2007 | Written by Hayley Williams and Josh Farro |
| "Temperature" | Sean Paul | 2005 | Written by Sean Paul Henriques, Adrian "IZES" Marshall and Rohan "Snowcone" Fuller |
| "You Enjoy Myself" | Phish | 1988 | Written by Trey Anastasio, the song is a regular live feature. |
| "La Vie en rose" | Edith Piaf | 1945 | Awarded a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998. |
| "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" | Poison | 1988 | 3rd single from the band's 2nd album and their only US No. 1 |
| "Every Breath You Take" | The Police | 1983 | Written by Sting and featured on the band's final album |
| "Dior" | Pop Smoke | 2020 | Appears on all four of Pop Smoke's commercially released projects |
| "A Whiter Shade of Pale" | Procol Harum | 1967 | The band's first record to be released |
| "Satin Sheets" | Jeanne Pruett | 1973 | Originally recorded by Bill Anderson and Jan Howard |
| "Gangnam Style" | Psy | 2012 | Written by Psy and Yoo Gun-hyung |
| "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Queen | 1975 | Written by Freddie Mercury |
| "No One Knows" | Queens of the Stone Age | 2002 | Written by Josh Homme and Mark Lanegan |
| "Hello" | Lionel Richie | 1983 | |
| "Red Flavor" | Red Velvet | 2017 | |
| "Pink Pony Club" | Chappell Roan | 2020 | Written by Roan and Dan Nigro from the former's debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess |
| "The Gambler" | Kenny Rogers | 1978 | Written by Don Schlitz in 1976 and recorded by several artists |
| "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" | The Rolling Stones | 1965 | The band's first No. 1 in the US |
| "Blue Bayou" | Linda Ronstadt | 1977 | Written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson |
| "It Must Have Been Love" | Roxette | 1987 | Written by Per Gessle and Clarence Öfwerman. Originally released in 1987, the song became a worldwide hit after its 1990 re-release. |
| "Rock You Like A Hurricane" | Scorpions | 1990 | Written by Klaus Meine, Herman Rarebell, and Rudolf Schenker |
| "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" | Neil Sedaka | 1962 | Co-written by Sedaka and Howard Greenfield |
| "Closing Time" | Semisonic | 1998 | |
| "Thinking Out Loud" | Ed Sheeran | 2014 | |
| "Ol' Red" | Blake Shelton | 2002 | Co-written by James "Bo" Bohon, Don Goodman, and Mark Sherrill |
| "Lucifer" | Shinee | 2010 | Produced by Lee Soo-man |
| "You're So Vain" | Carly Simon | 1972 | |
| "My Way" | Frank Sinatra | 1969 | Originally written by French songwriter Jacques Revaux |
| "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Percy Sledge | 1966 | Written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright |
| "All Star" | Smash Mouth | 1999 | Featured in the 2001 film Shrek |
| "I Got You Babe" | Sonny & Cher | 1965 | The first single from the duo's debut album |
| "Smalltown Boy" | Jimmy Somerville | 1984 | Initially released with Bronski Beat, in 2014 re-recorded as "Smalltown Boy (Reprise)". |
| "Black Hole Sun" | Soundgarden | 1994 | Written by Chris Cornell |
| "Wannabe" | Spice Girls | 1996 | Written by the band, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard |
| "Born to Run" | Bruce Springsteen | 1975 | Released as the first single from his third studio album |
| "Maggie May" | Rod Stewart | 1971 | Co-written by singer Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton |
| "Amarillo by Morning" | George Strait | 1983 | Written by Terry Stafford |
| "Sorry, Sorry" | Super Junior | 2009 | Written by Yoo Young-jin |
| "Chop Suey!" | System of a Down | 2001 | Written by Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian. |
| "I Don't Care" | Eva Tanguay | 1922 | Recorded in 1905 |
| "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" | Tears for Fears | 1985 | Released as the third single from their second studio album Songs from the Big Chair. |
| "On the Good Ship Lollipop" | Shirley Temple | 1934 | Composed by Richard A. Whiting with lyrics by Sidney Clare |
| "My Girl" | The Temptations | 1964 | Recorded by the Temptations in 1964 |
| "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" | Tiny Tim | 1968 | Written by Al Dubin (lyrics) and Joe Burke (music) |
| "Forever and Ever, Amen" | Randy Travis | 1987 | Written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz and recorded in 1987 |
| "Hello Darlin'" | Conway Twitty | 1970 | Written and recorded on November 18, 1969 |
| "Ice Ice Baby" | Vanilla Ice | 1990 | Samples "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie |
| "Bitter Sweet Symphony" | The Verve | 1997 | Written by Richard Ashcroft and recorded January–March 1997 |
| "Y.M.C.A." | Village People | 1978 | Written by Jacques Morali, Victor Willis and Henri Belolo |
| "Moon River" | Andy Williams | 1962 | Composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer |
| "Every Day I Have the Blues" | Joe Williams | 1955 | Written by Aaron "Pinetop" Sparks and Milton Sparks |
| "Save the Best for Last" | Vanessa Williams | 1992 | Written by Phil Galdston, Wendy Waldman and Jon Lind in 1989 |
| "Rehab" | Amy Winehouse | 2006 | Written by Winehouse from her second album Back to Black |
| "Stand by Your Man" | Tammy Wynette | 1968 | Co-written by Tammy Wynette and Billy Sherrill |
| "The Bund" | Frances Yip | 1980 | Composed by Joseph Koo with the lyrics by Wong Jim |
| "Maldita primavera" | Yuri | 1981 | Cover of Italian-language song "Maledetta primavera". |