Here Comes the Sun: Why We Are Eternally Obsessed with Songs About the Sun

There is something universally magnetic about the sun. As humanity’s ultimate source of light, warmth, and life, it has inspired poets, painters, and, naturally, songwriters for centuries. When artists turn their gaze toward our nearest star, they rarely write about nuclear fusion or UV rays. Instead, they use the sun as a metaphor for hope, fleeting youth, heartbreak, and spiritual awakening.

Whether you are looking to shake off a gloomy Monday or capture the bittersweet nostalgia of a fading summer evening, here is a curated journey through some of the most iconic, moving, and genre-spanning songs with “sun” in the title.

1. The Ultimate Anthem of Optimism

“Here Comes the Sun” — The Beatles (1969)

Written by George Harrison during a particularly bleak winter day while visiting Eric Clapton’s garden, this track is arguably the most famous sun-themed song in pop history.

Harrison later recalled that the song was a physical relief from the “legal and business tangles” suffocating Apple Corps at the time. Built on a deceptively simple, joyful acoustic guitar riff and accented by a Moog synthesizer, the song captures the exact psychological shift of winter turning into spring. When Harrison sings, “It’s all right,” you genuinely believe him. It remains the gold standard for musical reassurance.

2. The Psychedelic and Soulful Grooves

“Sun King” — The Beatles (1969)

Showing just how versatile a single celestial body can be in the hands of the same band, “Sun King” takes a completely different path from its predecessor on the Abbey Road album.

A lush, dreamy track steeped in multi-layered vocal harmonies, it drifts along a lazy Mediterranean-style guitar groove. It feels less like a blazing midday sky and more like a warm afternoon siesta in the shade of a lemon tree, complete with a whimsical, multilingual outro that slips between English, Spanish, and Italian.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” — Bill Withers (1971)

Not all sun songs are about joy; sometimes, the sun represents the very measure of our happiness. Bill Withers captured absolute devastation in just a few sparse, bluesy minutes.

The song’s power lies in its haunting emptiness—punctuated by Withers famously repeating the word “ain’t” twenty-six times in a row because he forgot the lyrics he intended to write. When she’s gone, “it’s not warm when she’s away,” and the sun simply refuses to shine. It is a masterclass in minimalist soul.

3. Alternative and Indie Masterpieces

“Black Hole Sun” — Soundgarden (1994)

If you prefer your sunshine with a heavy dose of 1990s grunge and surrealism, Chris Cornell’s masterpiece delivers in spades.

Written in a matter of minutes, “Black Hole Sun” is a hypnotic, apocalyptic psych-rock anthem. While the title sounds like a cosmic disaster, Cornell explained that it was largely a musical painting of a surreal sky—a mood piece capturing a sense of creeping dread wrapped in catchy, Beatlesque melodies. Its surreal music video only cemented its place as a defining artifact of the alternative rock era.

“Walking on Sunshine” — Katrina and the Waves (1985)

On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum sits this high-octane blast of pure, unadulterated pop energy.