High school is a time of self-discovery and great change. As a result, many songwriters find themselves looking back on these times in a nostalgic way. Whether they’re singing about the drama they experienced during these pivotal years or reminiscing on their youth, the topic of high school remains a beloved idea to return to in songwriting.
Below, we’ve listed 20 great songs about high school. These songs either completely revolve around high school memories, or reference the singer’s high school past!
1. “Rock N Roll High School” by The Ramones
“Rock N Roll High School” by The Ramones is perhaps one of the best songs about high school! Therefore, we had to start our list off with this classic 1980 song. However, the song isn’t technically about going to school — or enjoying it.
Rather, the band sings about how they don’t want to go to school. Instead, they want to ride around in their cars and pick up girls. They explain this by singing the lyrics, “I hate the teachers and the principal / Don’t want to be taught to be no fool.”
2. “High School Confidential” by Jerry Lee Lewis
“High School Confidential” by Jerry Lee Lewis is another great classic song about high school! In this 1958 classic, Lewis sings about picking up his girl and taking her to a dance at their school!
He sings, using classic 50s words and phrases, “Why don’t you listen to me, sugar? All the cats are at the high school rockin’ / Honey, get your boppin’ shoes / ‘Fore the jukebox blow the fuse / Everybody hoppin’ / Everybody’s boppin’ / Boppin’ at the high school hop.”
3. “Beauty School Dropout” by Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon recorded the song “Beauty School Dropout” for the 1978 film Grease. In this song, Avalon is singing to a young woman in the movie who dropped out of beauty school. So, Avalon is trying to convince her to return to high school!
He sings to her, “If you go for your diploma, you could join a steno pool / Turn in your teasin’ comb and go back to high school.”
4. “High School Sweethearts” by Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez released her song “High School Sweethearts” on her 2019 album K-12. In this song, Martinez sings from the point of view of her character who desires a serious relationship. She does not want a fling; she wants something more. However, there are hints that she might not get this type of romance.
She mentions her potential “High School Sweethearts” as she discusses what her partners need to be like. As a result, she sings, “High school sweethearts, line up / Not trying to waste my time / High school sweethearts, shut up / If you’re not my type.”
5. “Young Dumb & Broke” by Khalid
In Khalid’s 2017 song “Young Dumb & Broke”, Khalid sings to his romantic interest and attempts to convince them that they don’t need to be in a serious relationship. Instead, why don’t they just be young and free, yet also together? Therefore, Khalid explains that he doesn’t want a serious, committed relationship with this person, even if he does love them.
This entire song is about youth and the feeling of freedom many young people have during this phase in their life. Khalid explains this by saying that they are all just “Young, dumb, broke high school kids.”
6. “School” by Nirvana
Nirvana’s 1989 song “School” discusses high school by comparing it to the band’s life. According to the band’s lead singer Kurt Cobain, “School” compares the grunge scene (and all the cliques that come with it) to high school.
Cobain also explained that as the band got bigger, he felt that the people in the crowd at his shows all looked like the same people who used to bully him when he was in high school. As a result, he sings the lyrics in this song, “You’re in high school again.”
7. “High School” by Kelsea Ballerini
“High School” by Kelsea Ballerini, released on her 2017 album Unapologetically, follows Ballerini as she talks about people who had the time of their life in high school. However, they have yet to grow up and move on in the real world, especially as the real world can be cruel to those who have peaked in high school.
She sings, “But this ain’t high school / Where all you care about is / If the pretty cheerleader thinks you’re cool / See her Friday, take her out after the football game.”
8. “Adult Education” by Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates released their song “Adult Education” on their 1984 album Rock n’ Soul Part 1. According to the duo, this song is about how many people never seem to grow up. They sing about how high school can be great for some, and horrible for others.
Even though society says that these are the best years of your life, the band disagrees by explaining that there is so much more life to live! They say, “Believe it or not / There’s life after high school.”
9. “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith
Aerosmith’s 1975 song “Walk This Way” also talks about high school! Throughout this entire song, the singer explains his romances while also discussing his youth in high school. He sings, “There was three young ladies in the school gym locker / When I noticed they was looking at me / I was a high school loser, never made it with a lady / ‘Til the boys told me something I missed.”
10. “American Spirit” by Thomas Rhett
In Thomas Rhett’s 2016 song “American Spirit”, the country singer reminisces about his past, high school memories, and love. He explains what it was like to grow up in a small town through different stages of his life.
As a result, he also mentions the freedom he felt every Friday when he was in school and everyone would go to the local high school football games! He sings the lyrics, “It’s Friday night freedom / Football game / It’s proud of where you from.”
11. “Art School” by Frankie Cosmos
Frankie Cosmos’ 2014 song “Art School” is all about looking back on high school memories. However, Cosmos doesn’t think back happily on these times. Instead, this song is more focused on the high school drama that led her to these unhappy times.
She opens the song with the lyrics, “Art school makes you wild / Real school makes you wanna get high / High school makes you crazy / High school made me cry.”
The song also discusses Cosmos’ relationship with her friends, including how they all were depressed and possibly teased her all the time. However, she was too shy and anxious to ever really do anything — which is why she ended up hating high school and never wanting to go.
12. “Alma Matter” by Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper released the song “Alma Matter” on his 1972 album School’s Out. This entire song follows Cooper as he sings about finally getting out of school and beginning his life. However, he’s already reminiscing on the past and the fun he and his friends had.
As a result, this song is rather bittersweet. Even though he’s ready to begin his life, it’s hard to see all of his friends go down different paths to start their own lives. He sings, “But you know / It breaks my heart / To leave you / Camelback, my high school.”
13. “No Such Thing” by John Mayer
In 1999, John Mayer released the song “No Such Thing” on his album Room For Squares. In this song, Mayer explains that he’s finally realized that there is no “right way” to live your life. Instead of following the path that others lay out for you, he tells people to live their life the way they want.
As a result, he looks back on his experiences in high school and doesn’t care for it, as people tried to say he had to do certain things to have a good life. He sings, “I want to run through the halls of my high school / I want to scream at the / Top of my lungs / I just found out there’s no such thing as the real world / Just a lie you’ve got to rise above.”
14. “Still Surfin’” by The Beach Boys
In The Beach Boys’ song “Still Surfin’”, the band tells a story about a man they’ve known for a long time. This man has always surfed — and always wanted to surf, even when he was in high school.
They sing, “His room looked like a shrine to the surfing scene / Go to Hawaii out of high school was his big-time college dream.”
Even when they were all in school, the band would see him surfing before and after class. Now, seemingly years later, he’s still out there on the water — and “Still Surfin’”.
15. “The Product” by Ice Cube
Ice Cube’s 1990 song “The Product” details how many young black men grow up with no hope, prospects, or achievable dreams to live on a different path in life. Instead, society and people keep them down.
Ice Cube raps about himself while driving this point home. He says, “I roam the hallways / I’m sent home and I don’t got all A’s / A high school dropout.”
16. “Take Me Back” by Randy Newman
Randy Newman’s 1983 song “Take Me Back” discusses life, as well as high school. Newman talks about how he did well in high school and in college. However, his life now isn’t what he thought it would be, as he’s living poorly and without the friends and love that he used to have!
As a result of all of this reminiscing and sadness, he sings how much he wants to go back to his youth, when things weren’t so difficult.
17. “She’s On the Zoom” by Don Henley
Don Henley’s song “She’s On the Zoom” appeared on the original soundtrack of the film Vision Quest. In this song, Henley sings about a young woman’s life, beginning with her life in high school.
He sings, “She went to Home Economics / Just like all the other girls / Making chicken a la king / And peanut butter swirls / But she knew in her heart / There had to be something better somewhere.”
18. “Sweet” by Brockhampton
Brockhampton’s 2017 song “Sweet”, which features XX, talks about a lot of different topics. However, high school is also talked about! Brockhampton discusses what they were told growing up while in school and how this has been reflected in their lives.
They say, “Growing up my teachers told me / You better get them grades up if you wanna finish high school / And after high school, you better get a degree / ‘Cause it’s a dog-eat-dog world, you could live in the street.”
19. “The Long Way Around” by The Chicks
The Chicks’ 2006 song “The Long Way Around” opens with the lyrics, “My friends from high school / Married their high school boyfriends / Moved into houses in the same ZIP codes / Where their parents live.”
However, the band explains that they could never do this. They needed something else — and they left to go find a better life for themselves, as a result!
20. “Steadfast Loyal and True” by Elvis Presley
“Steadfast Loyal and True” by Elvis Presley, released in 1958, is the last song on this list! In this song, Presley sings to his high school. He thinks back fondly on the times he had growing up in those halls.
He sings, “Farewell, Royal High School / We’ll remember you / Dear alma mater / We’re steadfast, loyal, and true.”