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Song lists

Songs about growing up

Forty-five songs about growing up, from childhood summers and graduation day to your twenties and the view from the parents' side, sorted so you can build a mix for any stage.

Updated · by the discodiscdoll studio

Short answer

Songs about growing up look at time passing, from childhood to leaving home to watching your own kids grow. Well-known examples are The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell, Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen, 7 Years by Lukas Graham and Cat’s in the Cradle by Harry Chapin. For graduation, Unwritten and Don’t You (Forget About Me) are favourites.

We sorted these songs about growing up by stage of life, so the same page works for a graduation slideshow, a milestone birthday and a parent’s mix for a kid moving out. Every song was checked against a real music catalogue, so the titles and artists are right. Going to make one for a friend you grew up with? Our songs about friendship pair well with these.

What are the best songs about growing up?

The best songs about growing up and looking back on childhood include The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell, Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams and Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran. Some are wistful, some are a grin at who you used to be.

  1. 01The Circle GameJoni Mitchell · 1970Years turning like a carousel as a child grows up. The definitive song about growing up.
  2. 02Puff, the Magic DragonPeter, Paul and Mary · 1963A children’s song that turns out to be about the day you stop playing pretend.
  3. 03Summer of '69Bryan Adams · 1984A first band, a first guitar and looking back at the best days.
  4. 04Glory DaysBruce Springsteen · 1984Old friends swapping stories about who they used to be. Upbeat and wry.
  5. 05Castle on the HillEd Sheeran · 2017Driving home past every teenage memory. Big and nostalgic.
  6. 06PhotographNickelback · 2005Flipping through old pictures of school and friends.
  7. 071979The Smashing Pumpkins · 1996Hazy and restless, like being sixteen with nowhere to go.
  8. 08We're Going to Be FriendsThe White Stripes · 2001First day of school, as told by a little kid. Tiny and sweet.
  9. 09Old DaysChicago · 1975A soft-rock list of childhood memories.
  10. 10Turn! Turn! Turn!The Byrds · 1965A season for everything. Ringing guitars and words from Ecclesiastes.
  11. 117 YearsLukas Graham · 2015A whole life told in steps of seven years, from childhood on.

What are good graduation songs?

Good graduation songs include Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, Here’s to the Night by Eve 6 and Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds, a mix of looking back and heading out. They work for high school and college alike, for the slideshow, the party or the drive home.

  1. 12Keep Your Head UpAndy Grammer · 2011Upbeat encouragement for whatever comes after the ceremony.
  2. 13UnwrittenNatasha Bedingfield · 2004The blank page of what comes next. A graduation anthem.
  3. 14BreakawayKelly Clarkson · 2004A small-town girl getting ready to leave. Hopeful and big.
  4. 15Hall of FameThe Script · 2012The pep talk for a class heading out. Loud and motivating.
  5. 16Here's to the NightEve 6 · 2000The prom and graduation slow dance of a generation.
  6. 17Don't You (Forget About Me)Simple Minds · 1985The end of The Breakfast Club, and of high school.
  7. 18We Are the ChampionsQueen · 1977For when the diploma is in your hand.
  8. 19It's My LifeBon Jovi · 2000About living on your own terms. Graduation-party loud.
  9. 20BraveSara Bareilles · 2013Encouragement to say what you mean. Bright piano pop.
  10. 21Big Girls Don't CryFergie · 2007Leaving for something new even though it hurts.
  11. 22Wake Me UpAvicii · 2013Figuring out who you are as you go. Folk meets dance floor.
  12. 23Good LifeOneRepublic · 2010Gratitude for the people around you. Whistled and easy.

If they’re moving away for school, our songs about home cover leaving, homesickness and the first trip back.

What songs are about becoming an adult?

Songs about becoming an adult include Vienna by Billy Joel, Ribs by Lorde and Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots, all about the strange in-between of your late teens and twenties. These suit a 21st or 30th birthday mix as much as a graduation.

  1. 24ViennaBilly Joel · 1977A gentle warning to slow down. Big with people in their twenties.
  2. 25RibsLorde · 2013The fear of getting older, felt at a teenage house party.
  3. 26Stressed OutTwenty One Pilots · 2015Wishing you could go back to when things were simpler.
  4. 27ChangesDavid Bowie · 1971Turning to face whatever comes next.
  5. 28Brand NewBen Rector · 2015That feeling of a fresh start. Upbeat piano pop.
  6. 29Coming of AgeFoster the People · 2014Growing up and owning your mistakes.
  7. 30The MiddleJimmy Eat World · 2001Advice for anyone who feels left out. It gets better.
  8. 31KidsMGMT · 2007Synth-pop about childhood fading. Bittersweet and danceable.
  9. 32SeventeenSharon Van Etten · 2019Visiting your seventeen-year-old self with something to tell her.
  10. 33OlderSasha Alex Sloan · 2018Understanding your parents better as you grow up. Quiet and honest.
  11. 34Letter to MeBrad Paisley · 2007Writing to your teenage self to say it will be fine.
  12. 35Baba O'RileyThe Who · 1971The teenage-wasteland anthem, huge and restless.

What songs are about watching your kids grow up?

Songs about watching your kids grow up include You’re Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins, Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA and Cat’s in the Cradle by Harry Chapin, written from the parent’s side of the kitchen table. Have tissues ready for the first two.

  1. 36You're Gonna Miss ThisTrace Adkins · 2008Each verse is a stage someone wishes would hurry up. A gentle reminder to enjoy it.
  2. 37Don't BlinkKenny Chesney · 2007An old man’s advice: life goes fast.
  3. 38Growing Up (Sloane's Song)Macklemore & Ryan Lewis · 2015A new dad’s advice to his daughter, with Ed Sheeran singing the hook.
  4. 39Time in a BottleJim Croce · 1973Wishing you could save time and spend it with someone you love.
  5. 40The GreatestKenny Rogers · 1999A little boy, a baseball and endless optimism.
  6. 41Cat's in the CradleHarry Chapin · 1974The busy father and the son who grows up just like him. A warning in song form.
  7. 42Slipping Through My FingersABBA · 1981A mother watching her daughter leave for school and feeling time go.
  8. 43100 YearsFive for Fighting · 2003A whole life, from fifteen to a hundred, on piano.
  9. 44Watching YouRodney Atkins · 2006A dad realising his son copies everything he does.
  10. 45Father and SonCat Stevens · 1970A conversation between a father who wants him to stay and a son who has to go.

Making a mix for your own mom or dad? Our lists of songs for mom and songs for dad have more.

How do you make a growing-up mix CD?

To make a growing-up mix CD, pick 18 to 22 songs that follow a life in order, from a childhood favourite to a forward-looking graduation song, check the total is under 80 minutes, and burn it as an audio CD so it plays in any car. A few tips:

  • Use their songs first. The cartoon theme they wore out, the first concert, the song from prom. Fill in from the lists above.
  • Check it fits. See how many songs fit on a CD, or paste your list into the playlist length calculator.
  • Sequence it like a life. Our guide to making a mixtape covers ordering and naming.
  • Print a cover. A school photo on the front of the free CD case template makes it a keepsake.
  • Say clean or explicit. Nearly everything here is clean. Photograph by Nickelback also appears in versions flagged explicit, so check if the CD is for a younger graduate.

No burner? We’ll burn your graduation playlist to a custom CD, with a photo of the graduate as the cover.

Questions people ask

What is the best song about growing up?

Some of the best songs about growing up are The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell, Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin, 7 Years by Lukas Graham, Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen and You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins. Each one looks at time passing from a different age.

What are good graduation songs?

Good graduation songs include Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds, Here's to the Night by Eve 6, Hall of Fame by The Script and We Are the Champions by Queen. Mix a few looking-back songs with a few looking-forward ones for a slideshow or party.

What songs are about kids growing up too fast?

Songs about kids growing up too fast include You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins, Don't Blink by Kenny Chesney, Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA, Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin and Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce.

What are good coming of age songs?

Good coming of age songs include Coming of Age by Foster the People, Ribs by Lorde, 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins, Seventeen by Sharon Van Etten and Baba O'Riley by The Who, songs about the restless stretch between being a kid and being on your own.

What songs are about leaving home for the first time?

Songs about leaving home for the first time include Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson, Big Girls Don't Cry by Fergie and Father and Son by Cat Stevens. For a full list of leaving, homesick and coming-home songs, see our songs about home.

What is a good graduation gift with music?

A good graduation gift with music is a mix CD of the songs from their school years, with a few graduation songs at the end. One 80-minute CD holds about 18 to 22 songs and plays in the car they'll drive to college or a first job.