Songs About Time: Past, Present, Future, Clocks and Memories

Songs about time cover almost everything people feel: nostalgia, regret, waiting, aging, love, loss, childhood, memory, deadlines, second chances, and the occasional panic of looking at the clock and realizing the meeting started five minutes ago.

Time songs can be literal, like Clocks, Quarter to Three, and Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? They can also be emotional, like Yesterday, Time After Time, Time in a Bottle, Glory Days, and The Night We Met.

This updated list includes oldies, rock, pop, country, soul, R&B, new wave, hip-hop, movie songs, Broadway songs, TV themes, and modern time-themed tracks. Some songs are about specific years. Some are about seasons. Some are about waiting. Some are about running out of time. Some are about wishing time would hurry up, slow down, or stop being so dramatic.

Culture Club captured the feeling neatly with Time (Clock of the Heart): time can make love feel real, but it also refuses to pause for anyone. Rude, but accurate.

Best Songs About Time

The best songs about time usually work because they connect a clock or calendar idea to an emotional experience. A song about time is rarely just about time. It is usually about what time does to people.

• Time (Clock of the Heart) – Culture Club
• Time – Pink Floyd
• Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
• Time in a Bottle – Jim Croce
• Yesterday – The Beatles
• Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Green Day
• About Damn Time – Lizzo
• All Too Well (10 Minute Version) – Taylor Swift
• Clocks – Coldplay
• As Time Goes By – Dooley Wilson

Top 100 Songs About Time

1. Time (Clock of the Heart) – Culture Club
2. Time – Pink Floyd
3. Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
4. Time in a Bottle – Jim Croce
5. Yesterday – The Beatles
6. When I’m Sixty-Four – The Beatles
7. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Green Day
8. About Damn Time – Lizzo
9. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) – Taylor Swift
10. Clocks – Coldplay
11. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? – Chicago
12. Time Is on My Side – The Rolling Stones
13. The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
14. Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds
15. Time of the Season – The Zombies
16. Time Passages – Al Stewart
17. It Was a Very Good Year – Frank Sinatra
18. As Time Goes By – Dooley Wilson
19. Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen
20. Cat’s in the Cradle – Harry Chapin
21. In My Life – The Beatles
22. Golden Years – David Bowie
23. Remember the Time – Michael Jackson
24. Through the Years – Kenny Rogers
25. For the Good Times – Ray Price
26. Too Much Time on My Hands – Styx
27. No Time – The Guess Who
28. Time Won’t Let Me – The Outsiders
29. Too Young – Nat King Cole
30. Always and Forever – Heatwave
31. Always on My Mind – Willie Nelson
32. Summertime – George Gershwin, from Porgy and Bess
33. Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
34. Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey
35. Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
36. Summer – Calvin Harris
37. Summer Breeze – Seals & Crofts
38. A Long December – Counting Crows
39. September – Earth, Wind & Fire
40. Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day
41. December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) – The Four Seasons
42. In the Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett
43. Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight & the Pips
44. Midnight Rider – The Allman Brothers Band
45. Midnight City – M83
46. 3AM – Matchbox Twenty
47. 2 AM (Breathe) – Anna Nalick
48. One More Time – Daft Punk
49. One Moment in Time – Whitney Houston
50. A Moment Like This – Kelly Clarkson
51. Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
52. Waiting on the World to Change – John Mayer
53. Tired of Waiting for You – The Kinks
54. Save It for Later – The English Beat
55. What You Waiting For? – Gwen Stefani
56. One Sweet Day – Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
57. The Living Years – Mike + The Mechanics
58. Live Like You Were Dying – Tim McGraw
59. If Today Was Your Last Day – Nickelback
60. Old Man – Neil Young
61. Father and Son – Cat Stevens
62. Year of the Cat – Al Stewart
63. 1985 – Bowling for Soup
64. 1979 – The Smashing Pumpkins
65. 1999 – Prince
66. 22 – Taylor Swift
67. 7 Years – Lukas Graham
68. 100 Years – Five for Fighting
69. Quarter to Three – Gary U.S. Bonds
70. 25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago
71. FourFiveSeconds – Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney
72. 4 Minutes – Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland
73. Day ’n’ Nite – Kid Cudi
74. Doin’ Time – Sublime
75. Night Fever – Bee Gees
76. Nights in White Satin – The Moody Blues
77. Dancing Days – Led Zeppelin
78. The Time Warp – The Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast
79. What Time Is It? – High School Musical 2 Cast
80. Whenever, Wherever – Shakira
81. From This Moment On – Shania Twain
82. It Only Takes a Minute – Tavares
83. Always on Time – Ja Rule featuring Ashanti
84. Time Is Tight – Booker T. & the M.G.’s
85. Time Has Come Today – The Chambers Brothers
86. Time to Pretend – MGMT
87. Time Is Running Out – Muse
88. End of Beginning – Djo
89. The Night We Met – Lord Huron
90. Sign of the Times – Harry Styles
91. As It Was – Harry Styles
92. Right Where You Left Me – Taylor Swift
93. Back to December – Taylor Swift
94. Now and Then – The Beatles
95. The 30th – Billie Eilish
96. Time Machine – Muni Long
97. Older – Sasha Alex Sloan
98. Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads
99. The Boys of Summer – Don Henley
100. Doctor Who Theme – Ron Grainer / BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Classic Songs About Time

Classic songs about time tend to be direct, emotional, and easy to remember. They use time as a way to talk about growing older, losing love, remembering the past, or realizing that the clock has been doing its job without asking permission.

• Time in a Bottle – Jim Croce
• Yesterday – The Beatles
• It Was a Very Good Year – Frank Sinatra
• As Time Goes By – Dooley Wilson
• Through the Years – Kenny Rogers
• For the Good Times – Ray Price
• Always and Forever – Heatwave
• Time Is on My Side – The Rolling Stones
• The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
• Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds

Modern Songs About Time, Memory, and Growing Up

Modern time songs often sound more personal and reflective. They use time to talk about therapy, nostalgia, growing up too fast, being stuck in the past, missing someone, or realizing that life changed while nobody was looking.

• About Damn Time – Lizzo
• All Too Well (10 Minute Version) – Taylor Swift
• Right Where You Left Me – Taylor Swift
• Back to December – Taylor Swift
• The Night We Met – Lord Huron
• End of Beginning – Djo
• Sign of the Times – Harry Styles
• As It Was – Harry Styles
• The 30th – Billie Eilish
• Time Machine – Muni Long

Songs About Clocks, Minutes and Hours

Some time songs are built around actual clocks, hours, minutes, and timed moments. These are useful for trivia, countdowns, clock-themed playlists, and anyone who still thinks “just five more minutes” is a real plan.

• Clocks – Coldplay
• Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? – Chicago
• Quarter to Three – Gary U.S. Bonds
• 25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago
• 4 Minutes – Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland
• One Moment in Time – Whitney Houston
• A Moment Like This – Kelly Clarkson
• It Only Takes a Minute – Tavares
• Time Is Tight – Booker T. & the M.G.’s
• Doctor Who Theme – Ron Grainer / BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Songs About Years, Ages and Growing Older

Year songs and age songs have a special kind of nostalgia. Sometimes they look backward. Sometimes they imagine the future. Sometimes they make you realize the song about being 22 is now old enough to rent a car. Time has jokes.

• When I’m Sixty-Four – The Beatles
• It Was a Very Good Year – Frank Sinatra
• Golden Years – David Bowie
• 1985 – Bowling for Soup
• 1979 – The Smashing Pumpkins
• 1999 – Prince
• 22 – Taylor Swift
• 7 Years – Lukas Graham
• 100 Years – Five for Fighting
• Old Man – Neil Young

Songs About Yesterday, Memory and the Past

Memory is one of the strongest uses of time in music. These songs look backward, sometimes fondly and sometimes with a wince. The past is a great songwriter, but it really overuses minor chords.

• Yesterday – The Beatles
• In My Life – The Beatles
• Glory Days – Bruce Springsteen
• Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
• The Boys of Summer – Don Henley
• Photographs & Memories – Jim Croce
• The Night We Met – Lord Huron
• Right Where You Left Me – Taylor Swift
• Remember the Time – Michael Jackson
• A Long December – Counting Crows

Songs About Summer, Seasons and Months

Season songs are time songs with better lighting. Summer, September, December, and long nights all give songwriters easy ways to talk about memory, romance, sadness, youth, and change.

• Summertime – George Gershwin, from Porgy and Bess
• Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
• Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey
• Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
• Summer Breeze – Seals & Crofts
• The Boys of Summer – Don Henley
• September – Earth, Wind & Fire
• Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day
• A Long December – Counting Crows
• December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) – The Four Seasons

Songs About Waiting and Running Out of Time

Waiting songs are time songs with impatience. They can be romantic, anxious, hopeful, angry, or just stuck in line at the emotional DMV.

• Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
• Tired of Waiting for You – The Kinks
• Waiting on the World to Change – John Mayer
• What You Waiting For? – Gwen Stefani
• Save It for Later – The English Beat
• Time Is Running Out – Muse
• Time Won’t Let Me – The Outsiders
• No Time – The Guess Who
• Too Much Time on My Hands – Styx
• Time Has Come Today – The Chambers Brothers

Night, Midnight and Day Songs

Time of day gives music an instant mood. Midnight feels mysterious. Morning feels hopeful or regretful. Night songs usually know something happened, and they are not telling your parents.

• In the Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett
• Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight & the Pips
• Midnight Rider – The Allman Brothers Band
• Midnight City – M83
• 3AM – Matchbox Twenty
• 2 AM (Breathe) – Anna Nalick
• Day ’n’ Nite – Kid Cudi
• Night Fever – Bee Gees
• Nights in White Satin – The Moody Blues
• Doin’ Time – Sublime

Movie, TV, and Musical Songs About Time

Movies, TV, and musicals love time songs because time creates instant stakes. The clock is running. The past is calling. The future is uncertain. Or, in the case of The Time Warp, everyone has agreed that normal movement is no longer necessary.

• As Time Goes By – Dooley Wilson, from Casablanca
• The Time Warp – The Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast
• What Time Is It? – High School Musical 2 Cast
• One Moment in Time – Whitney Houston
• Back in Time – Huey Lewis and the News
• Seasons of Love – Rent Cast
• Time Warp – Richard O’Brien / The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Doctor Who Theme – Ron Grainer / BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Bonus Time Songs and Almost-Made-It Tracks

These songs can work for expanded playlists, trivia pages, or a second batch of time-related songs. Some are literal. Some are more about memory, age, waiting, or the long strange math of nostalgia.

• Closing Time – Semisonic
• Back in Time – Huey Lewis and the News
• Seasons of Love – Rent Cast
• Once Upon a Time – Tony Bennett
• Long Time – Boston
• Old Time Rock and Roll – Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
• Time – Hootie & the Blowfish
• Future Starts Slow – The Kills
• Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
• The Last Time – Taylor Swift featuring Gary Lightbody

Songs About Time Trivia

• Time (Clock of the Heart) gave Culture Club one of their signature early-1980s hits. The song reached No. 3 on the Official UK Singles Chart.
• About Damn Time became more than a comeback slogan. Lizzo’s hit won Record of the Year at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
• All Too Well (10 Minute Version) made chart history. Taylor Swift’s extended version became the longest song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• NIST helps keep official U.S. time. The National Institute of Standards and Technology provides official time for the United States in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory.
• As Time Goes By is permanently tied to Casablanca. Dooley Wilson’s performance helped turn the song into one of film music’s most enduring memory pieces.
• Turn! Turn! Turn! is built around ancient text. The Byrds’ folk-rock classic adapted words from Ecclesiastes into a 1960s song about seasons, timing and change.
• Time songs are playlist-friendly because “time” can mean almost anything. A clock, a year, a season, a memory, a delay, an age, a goodbye, or a second chance can all fit the theme.

Why Songs About Time Keep Coming Back

Songs about time keep returning because time is the one topic every listener understands. Everybody waits. Everybody remembers. Everybody gets older. Everybody has a yesterday, a someday, a deadline, and at least one moment they would replay if life had a rewind button.

Time is also flexible. It can be romantic in Time After Time, heartbreaking in Time in a Bottle, philosophical in Time, nostalgic in Glory Days, funny in When I’m Sixty-Four, and celebratory in About Damn Time.

The best time songs do not just mention clocks or years. They show what time does: it changes people, softens memories, sharpens regrets, heals a few wounds, and occasionally makes a great chorus feel even better later.

Sources and Further Reading

• Official Charts, Culture Club, Time (Clock of the Heart): https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/culture-club-time-clock-of-the-heart/
• Grammy.com, Lizzo’s About Damn Time wins Record of the Year: https://grammy.com/news/lizzo-about-damn-time-record-of-the-year-winner-2023-grammys-awards
• Pitchfork, Taylor Swift sets longest No. 1 song record with All Too Well (10 Minute Version): https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-sets-new-record-for-longest-no-1-song-with-all-too-well-10-minute-version
• NIST, time and frequency: https://www.nist.gov/time-frequency
• Library of Congress, Casablanca in the National Film Registry: https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2022/03/national-film-registry-celebrating-casablanca-1942/

Time Songs for Yesterday, Today and Whatever Comes Next

Songs about time can be sad, funny, romantic, anxious, nostalgic, or oddly comforting. They remind us that time moves whether we are ready or not, but music lets us mark the moments along the way.

From Time (Clock of the Heart) to Clocks, from Yesterday to Now and Then, and from Time After Time to About Damn Time, these songs turn minutes, memories, seasons, years, and second chances into something worth replaying.