People will do anything for a little bit of fame. But will their struggle be worth it? Well, that depends on who you listen to — or what song below you choose to relate to!
Below are 20 songs about being famous and rich. Each song here details different aspects of fame — including the good, the bad, and the ugly!
1. “Lucky” by Britney Spears
“Lucky” by Britney Spears, first released in 2000, follows the life of a starlet named Lucky — a young woman awfully similar to Spears herself at this point of her life. Spears sings that Lucky has it all. But if she has money and fame, and everybody wishes they were her, why does this young girl feel so alone and sad?
Spears sings the memorable lyrics, “‘She’s so lucky, she’s a star’ / But she cries, cries, cries in her lonely heart, thinking / ‘If there’s nothing missing in my life / Then why do these tears come at night?’”
2. “The Lucky One” by Taylor Swift
“The Lucky One” by Taylor Swift is similar to Spears’ “Lucky”, in that it also talks about how a young woman realizes that fame and fortune aren’t the most important things in life. Swift describes the story of a young woman who is famous and in all the celebrity magazines. However, she doesn’t have any love and can’t seem to trust anyone.
When Swift herself shows up, she learns about this woman — and learns that she fled from fame. Now, Swift says that she’s lucky and smart because she got out.
She sings the lyrics, “It was a few years later, I showed up here / And they still tell the legend of how you disappeared / How you took the money and your dignity and got the hell out.”
3. “Fame” by David Bowie
David Bowie’s 1975 song “Fame” is a fun, upbeat track that chronicles what it’s like to be famous. Bowie explains how famous people act — but also how the life of a rich, famous person isn’t exactly all it’s cracked up to be. As a result, this is one of the best songs about being a star!
Bowie sings, “Fame, it’s not your brain, it’s just the flame / That burns your change to keep you insane.”
4. “Fame and Fortune” by Elvis Presley
1960’s “Fame and Fortune” by Elvis Presley opens with the lyrics, “Fame and fortune / How empty they can be / But when I hold you in my arms / That’s heaven to me.” Presley goes on to explain just how much he loves his partner.
He explains that if he loses her, he would have nothing. He doesn’t care if he’s rich or famous — he only wants to be with the one he loves!
5. “The Fame” by Lady Gaga
In “The Fame”, Lady Gaga sings about wanting to be famous. She wants to be rich — and to be a celebrity. Throughout the song, she sings about fame and how badly she wants it. However, she also takes the time to realize that it’s sad that she feels this way. She knows that she should be satisfied with a regular life, but she’s not.
So, she ends up singing, “Fame, doin’ it for the fame / ‘Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous / Fame, doin’ it for the fame / ‘Cause we got a taste for champagne and endless fortune.”
6. “Fame (The Game)” by Donna Summer
“Fame (The Game)” by Donna Summer talks about fame being bad. Summer explains that, when she was growing up, she used to watch old movies and want to be a star just like the old glamour girls. However, now that she is a star, she realizes how cruel the life of the rich and famous can be!
She sings, “Dirty secrets frame your glory / It’ll get the cover story.”
7. “Holy Grail” by Jay-Z
“Holy Grail” by Jay-Z, which also features Justin Timberlake, follows both artists as they talk about those that they love, as well as their lives. They both have a difficult relationship with their fame. Even though they love the life they have — and do not want to go back to how difficult their lives used to be — they also recognize the hardships that they still have.
They can’t trust many people, and this troubles them. Timberlake sings, “You curse my name in spite to put me to shame / Hang my laundry in the streets, dirty or clean, give it up for fame.”
8. “Famous” by Charli XCX
Charli XCX’s song “Famous” follows the singer as she sings about wanting to have fun with her friends! She wants to go out and party and live her life, just as if she was famous. She might not be a celebrity, but that doesn’t mean she can’t act like is!
Charli XCX sings, “One night, and we’re gonna come and crash the party / Weren’t invited but we’re feeling so outrageous / Just like we’re famous.”
9. “Everybody Wants to Be Famous” by Superorganism
In “Everybody Wants to Be Famous”, Superorganism sings about how they want to become celebrities. They want to be famous for their music. They believe that the world is too small for them — so they must be destined for something great, right?
However, they also recognize that everybody must feel this way, as so many people want to be famous! As a result, the group sings, “Everybody wants and nobody’s ashamed / Everybody wants you to know their name / Everybody wants and nobody’s ashamed / Everybody wants one thing, wants to be famous.”
10. “Famous” by Puddle of Mudd
“Famous” by Puddle of Mudd follows the band as they sing about wanting to be famous. This is one of the best songs with famous in the title, as a result! The band mainly wants to be famous because they want all the perks that come with this type of rich lifestyle. They don’t want to work, want to party all night, and want to just live the high life!
11. “When I Grow Up” by The Pussycat Dolls
2008’s hit song “When I Grow Up” by The Pussycat Dolls explores young girls’ desires to attain fame. The group explains that they all wanted attention when they were younger — which led to them all wanting to be famous!
They sing, “’Cause see, when I was younger, I would say / When I grow up, I wanna be famous / I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies.”
12. “Piece of Me” by Britney Spears
Ready for another Britney song? Me too! “Piece of Me”, which appears on Britney Spears’ 2007 album Blackout, describes the downside of a celebrity’s life — namely, Britney Spears’ life. Spears sings about how she can’t do anything without the paparazzi following her.
This song is definitely one of the best songs with famous in the lyrics, as Spears really describes how the media treats her. She sings the lyrics, “I’m Mrs. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous / You want a piece of me? / I’m Mrs. ‘Oh my God, That Britney’s Shameless’ / You want a piece of me?”
13. “Rockstar” by Nickelback
The 2006 hit song “Rockstar” by Nickelback also explores the desire to become famous. The band sings about how much they want to be rock stars. However, they do take the time to recognize that the life of a celebrity comes with its fair share of problems!
They sing, “’Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars / And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars / The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap / We’ll all stay skinny ’cause we just won’t eat.”
14. “Love Me” by The 1975
“Love Me” by The 1975 follows the band as they struggle to deal with their newfound fame. Instead of embracing the fame, and all the weird little things that come with it, the band instead tries to only continue on for their fans, rather than the attention!
However, the singer does take the time to call out fame in the song. He mentions reading about himself while on a plane, a rather normal experience that’s touched with celebrity. So, he sings, “Next thing you’ll find you’re reading ’bout yourself on a plane, fame, what a shame.”
15. “Think About That” by Jessie J
“Think About That” by Jessie J describes being betrayed by people who just want to be famous. Jessie J sings about the ways she’s struggled in the music industry as she’s tried to make it. Once she did reach some level of success, however, she had to deal with betrayal.
She sings, “All you disturb is my work and my patience / Years of grindin’, you took it, you broke it and all ’cause you fake it / You wanna be famous, say it, you wanna be famous.”
16. “Peanuts” by The Police
The Police’s 1978 song “Peanuts” begins with the lyrics, “It’s all a game / You’re not the same / Your famous name / The price of fame.” As a whole, the song is about how being famous isn’t all it’s cut out to be. The song describes a musician who has really lost himself, thanks to the celebrity culture of successful artists.
17. “It’s Just a Matter of Time” by Aretha Franklin
“It’s Just a Matter of Time” by Aretha Franklin, first released in 1964, describes the end of a romantic relationship. Franklin sings about how heartbroken she is about this breakup. However, she also knows that eventually, her ex will realize just how he treated her poorly.
She explains that he left her because he’s chasing fame. As a result, she sings, “After I gave you everything I had / You laughed, you laughed and you called me a clown / Remember in your search for fortune and fame / What goes up is coming down.”
18. “My Way” by Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick’s 1970 song “My Way” follows the singer as she explains that she’s starting over. She’s ready to begin a new life. She knows that there’s a better world for her out there — and she’s going to find it.
This new world will offer her everything that she’s ever wanted, which includes fame. So, she sings, “I just gotta go and find the future and leave the past behind me / Somewhere fame and fortune’s waiting to be found / And I’m on my way, yes, I’m on my way.”
19. “Glamorous” by Fergie
“Glamorous” by Fergie, which also features Ludacris, is all about staying true to oneself… even if you end up being incredibly rich and successful. Fergie explains that she’s living a glamorous life now. And she loves every second of it! However, she won’t change, and she’ll ensure that she always stays the same, even in her new world.
20. “The Fear” by Lily Allen
Lily Allen’s 2008 hit song “The Fear” describes all the ways that young people try to get rich and become famous. Allen explains that so many people use social media as they try to get more attention on them. However, Allen also explores why we do this — and why she’s so fearful of modern-day society.
At the beginning of the song, she sings, “And I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless / ‘Cause everyone knows that’s how you get famous.”