It was all yellow: 25 songs with a color in the title

Prince is known as "The Purple One" for a reason, and a colorful playlist isn't complete without his iconic song "Purple Rain." Since the song's release in 1984, Prince became well known for incorporating the color into his style, such as purple clothes and guitars. 

The Beatles' hit song "Yellow Submarine" always seemed like a nursery rhyme for children. It was even more evident when the band released an animated film of the same name. "Yellow Submarine" became a massive hit across multiple song charts worldwide. 

In 2006, Beyoncé released her critically acclaimed sophomore album, B’Day. It garnered six singles, including The Neptunes-produced track “Green Light.” In the song, the singer realizes that her lover is changing his ways in their relationship, so the “green light” is giving him the “go ahead” to end the relationship if he chooses. 

Since the color yellow is associated with the sun, it usually symbolizes feelings of hope, happiness, and optimism. No wonder rock band Coldplay applies these emotions in their hit song "Yellow." On the track, the protagonist details the love and commitment he has for a partner. 

Jorja Smith came to the music scene in 2016 with her debut single, "Blue Lights." The lights she's referring to on the track are the kind seen on police cars. She uses the lyrics to highlight police brutality and how cops view people of color.  

Throughout Amy Winehouse’s discography, she often reflected on relationships and heartbreak. Those themes were evident in her hit song “Back to Black,” in which her ex-lover goes back to a previous relationship, causing Winehouse to be in a dark headspace.  

Childish Gambino was inspired by the ‘70s soul and funk era on his third album, Awaken, My Love! In the second single, “Redbone,” he sings about dealing with infidelity in a relationship. “Redbone” won Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. 

On Elton John’s hit 1973 song “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” he reflects on dealing with fame and success while longing to go back to his roots. As he says in the first verse, “When are you gonna come down? / When are you going to land? / I should have stayed on the farm / I should have listened to my old man.” 

Some people like to show a little hometown pride. Rapper Wiz Khalifa took it to another level with his hit song “Black and Yellow.” As a Pittsburgh native, Khalifa details his upbringing while highlighting the city’s official colors. Besides “Black and Yellow” being representative of Pittsburgh sports teams, teams based in other towns remixed the song to fit their colors and fan bases. 

In 1994, girl group TLC released their critically acclaimed album CrazySexyCool. T-Boz, Chilli, and Left-Eye turned up the sexiness on the second single, “Red Light Special.” With a raspy vocal from T-Boz and a smooth tone from Chilli, their contrasting ranges perfectly matched the sultry and seductive track. 

Artists are no strangers to using metaphors in their music. Neo-soul singer D’Angelo did that on his debut single, “Brown Sugar.” While some listeners may think the lyrics describe a brown-skinned woman, he’s referring to a strain of marijuana. 

Frank Ocean is known for profoundly referencing colors throughout his discography. On his 2016 track “Pink + White,” he uses the colors to describe an ever-changing sky, with a theme about lessons he learned from a loved one. 

In 2015, Post Malone released his debut single, “White Iverson.” Referring to NBA legend Allen Iverson, Malone uses the track to define how one can ball out like a professional athlete. The single became a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Sometimes it can be pretty difficult to get over a breakup. UB40 knows this feeling all too well on "Red Red Wine." The protagonist details how he thought he could handle the heartbreak but unfortunately finds himself drinking a lot of red wine to help ease the pain. 

In 2001, singer-songwriter India.Arie came on to the scene with her debut album, Acoustic Soul. Her second single, “Brown Skin,” shows Arie’s appreciation and infatuation for her lover. 

Mac Miller’s 2020 single “Blue World” finds the rapper dealing with his emotional and mental state. With a sample of The Four Freshmen’s “It’s A Blue World," Miller details dealing with trials in his life and how the Devil can sometimes show up to bring him down. 

On Taylor Swift’s 2012 single “Red,” the singer uses colors to express her emotions as she goes through a relationship. On the hook, she sings, “Oh, losing him was blue like I’d never known / Missing him was dark gray all alone / Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you’ve never met / ‘Cause loving him was red.” 

Not only did Will Smith star alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the 1997 film Men In Black, but he also created the theme song of the same name. As the song samples Patrice Rushen’s “Forget Me Nots,” Smith raps about dressing the part as an MIB member and how they fight against extraterrestrial creatures. 

On Lana Del Rey’s “White Mustang,” the singer reflects on not taking advantage of a potential relationship. It initially sounds like she’s infatuated with him, but later in the song, she realizes that he won’t change his ways. 

In 1971, Marvin Gaye released his groundbreaking album What’s Going On. On the final single “Inner City Blues,” Gaye reflects on people dealing with capitalism and poverty. His thoughts are evident in the second verse, as he says, “Inflation, no chance / To increase finance / Bills pile up sky high / Send that boy off to die.”

In 2004, American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson returned with her sophomore album, Breakaway. It garnered three singles, including the pop-rock track "Behind These Hazel Eyes." Produced by Max Martin and Dr. Luke, the track finds Clarkson dealing with a bad break-up. 

After Cardi B’s stint on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: New York, while being on the mixtape scene, the rapper put the world on notice with her breakthrough single “Bodak Yellow.” The song topped numerous charts and end-of-year lists and made Cardi the first female rapper with a Diamond-certified solo single. 

In 2003, pop singer Kylie Minogue released her ninth album, Body Language, which included the single "Red Blooded Woman." From the production alone, the song sounds like it was inspired by the early Timbaland and Justin Timberlake era. On the track, Minogue is in a battle with her conscience, as she knows this potential lover won't treat her right, but she can't seem to get him off her mind. 

In 2008, John Legend released his third studio album, Evolver. It garnered four singles, including the Andre 3000-assisted track “Green Light.” In the song, Legend is attracted to a woman he sees dancing, but he wants to see if he can take things further with her. 

My Chemical Romance brings listeners into their emo world on their 2006 hit single "Welcome to the Black Parade." The track begins with a big marching band sound before transitioning into full punk-rock mode. "Welcome to the Black Parade" fits the theme of the album of a dying man reminiscing on memories as he soon transitions to the afterlife.