They say that nothing beats the love of a brother to his siblings and this must be true because of the many songs dedicated to brothers. From genre to genre, era to era, the love of a brother runs deep and shall forever hold a special memory in our hearts.
To celebrate our brothers, here is a list of the top brother songs of all time which you could dedicate to your brothers, anytime, any day.
Top 20 Brother Songs of all Time
Our brothers are heroes without capes and here are the top 20 brother songs of all time that will immortalize how dear and beloved they are.
1. He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother (The Hollies)
This 1970s classic elemental song is a heartwarming ode to brothers helping brothers without limits, no matter the costs. It was inspired by the slogan of a Boy’s Town for homeless boys in London.
2. What’s happening brother (Marvin Gaye)
Coming on from tackling controversial world issues like the Vietnam War in What’s Going On, this song specifies a target as this was inspired by his veteran soldier brother returning from war and integrating in a very chaotic America.
3. My little brother (Art Brut)
This indie rock song offers a fresh take on brotherhood as this was song by literally, the little brother of the lead singer of Art Brut, Eddie Argos. It’s a coming of age song talking about that voice in his head that he is now letting out of control.
4. Boss of me (The Might Be Giants)
This punk rock song was actually used as one of the official anthems in the nerdy siblings TV show Malcolm in the Middle, which was aired in 2001. It playfully sings the squabbles of young brothers and the little brother fighting back because he doesn’t want to be pushed around just because he’s still young.
5. My brother’s a basehead (De La Soul)
This is that one song which might deviate from the list because it talks about the pain, anger and frustration of a big brother whose little brother became a drug addict moving from weed to crack and how drugs has engulfed his body and soul. But the vibe becomes warm as he goes through the ways he will help his brother to overcome this addiction.
6. Highway patrolman (Bruce Springsteen)
This old but gold bittersweet song talks about a devoted cop with obligations to the country and to his family so when his no-good brother does a mess he can’t clean up, he does not think twice and shoots him.
7. Brother (Kodaline)
This 2017 alternative-indie song will hit a homerun as it talks about the unconditional love and unbreakable bond between brothers from childhood to adulthood. It talks about careless days and mature reckonings and how they will forever see each other as safety blankets no matter the age.
8. Brother louie (Modern Talking)
Well we are not sure if this 1998 song really talks about a rival sibling for the love of a woman but this song tells the story of a guy, convincing Brother Louie that he should set free the woman who his brother loves because it is him she loves back and not her.
9. Hey brother (Avicii)
This 2013 electric pop song under the album True. It talks about a brother talking to his siblings that even if he’s far from home, he hears them and that there’s nothing he would do for them.
10. Brother (NeedToBreathe)
It could be a friend, it could be a sibling, it could be a stranger who needs help, this song is a song of hope and selflessness of a brother giving shelter for refuge, a fortress for your pain, a call away for all your distress. It was released in 2014 under the album Rivers in the Wasteland.
11. Brothers in arms (Dire Straits)
This 1985 Grammy winning war song under the album of the same title is a bittersweet celebration of all the brothers in arms who like him fought a war they didn’t choose but regardless, did not desert him at the brink of death.
12. Blood brothers (Luke Bryan)
From his 2013 hit country rock album Crash My Party, this song is a celebration of brotherhood, regardless if bound by blood or friendship, singing brother is a light that does not come cheap, you fight, you cry, you lie and you bleed but you will always lean on one another cause you are blood brothers.
13. Brother mine (Suzanne Vega)
Released in 2012 under the album Close-Up Vol. 4: Songs of Family, this folk song is a heart-tugging ode of a big sister to her younger troublemaker brother, attending to him with another swollen eye, talking to him that he’s go to grow up, man up and be the best version of himself as he goes through life.
14. On the wings of a nightingale (The Everly Brothers)
This 1984 song under the album EB84 talks about two brothers finding success together in separate ways, coming home through high above land and see, and going to that place of love where everything began.
15. The greatest discovery (Elton John)
From the master of emotions and ballads himself, this 1970 song is literally about being a little boy excited to meet his newborn baby brother who will have a life filled with love and whose green eyes shall always be filled with stories and adventures.
16. The bewlay brothers (David Bowie)
This song, like all David Bowie’s songs, is a fusion of symbolic meanings, dark art and pop rock themes. It talks about two misunderstood brothers, mistaken by society as evil men, killed one of them and how the living one shall hunt the town and the children for the rest of his days. It was released in 1971, the last song under Hunky Dory.
17. Song for my brother (Carlos Santana)
It starts with writing on a piece of paper, a song for a brother who stood with him through the hurricane and because of this, fills a gap in his heart no one else will ever replace. It was released in 1980 under the album The Swing of Delight.
18. My brother (Justin Hayward)
It was released in 1975 under the album Blue Jays and it talks about a little brother thanking his big bro of taking him to verdant greens and deep seas asking him at a very hard time if he could guide him through life’s tough decisions again.
19. Perfect love (Marc Cohn)
This 1991 easy listening acoustic rock can be dedicated to anyone whose love for you feels perfect and that could be your brother. It talks about dreaming together, making it all come true and realizing that along the way, you were given the perfect love.
20. Our love (Bee Gees)
Popularized by the soft pop rock multi-awarded 70s group Bee Gees, this song is also fondly called as Song for Andy because it was dedicated to him by the songwriter Barry Gibb who was his brother. It was first performed in 1979, the year when Andy committed suicide.
87+ best songs about brother
- He ain’t heavy he’s my brother, Neil Diamond
- Daniel, Elton John
- Hey Brother, Avicii
- The greatest discovery, Elton John
- Brother, Needtobreathe
- Brother love’s traveling salvation show, Neil Diamond
- Song for my brother, Carlos Santana
- The night they drove old Dixie Down, The Band
- The crime of being me, Catman Cohen
- Brothers in arms, Dire Straits
- Brother can you share a dime, George Michael
- Brother, Kodaline
- Brother, Brother – The Isley Brothers
- Brothers in arms, Joan Baez
- Big Brother, David Bowie
- Brother, Pearl Jam
- Little Brother, Hoodie & the Blowfish
- He ain’t heavy, He’s my brother – Glen Campbell
- Brother, Alice in Chains
- Hello Brother, Louis Armstrong
- Blood Brothers, Luke Bryan
- Brother Bear, Bo Diddley
- My Brother – The Moody Blues, Justin Hayward, John Lodge
- Hold on Dear Brother, The Beach Boys
- My and Bobby and Bobby’s Brother – ABBA
- Brothers of the Highway, George Strait
- Brother to brother – Paul Weller, Terry Callier
- Brother John – Joe Satriani
- Brother Bill (Last Clean Shirt) – Eric Burdon & the Animals
- Sin’s a Good Man’s Brother – Grand Funk Railroad
- Brother (Buddy), Can you spare a dime? – Peer, Paul and Mary
- Peace Brother Peace, Dr. John
- Brother to the Blues – George Jones
- Baby Brother, The White Stripes
- Brother wolf, Sister moon – The Cult
- Brothers of the road – Hank Williams, Jr.
- Sister and Brother – Kate Bush, Midge Ure
- The Mother we share – Chvrches
- The Bewlay Brothers – David Bowie
- Am I the Only One? – Barenaked Ladies
- Judas My Brother – Bad Company
- Brother Where you bound – Supertramp
- Coyote, My little brother – Pete Seeger
- My Brother Jake, Free
- Brothers and Sisters, Blur
- Unknown Brother, The Black Keys
- Brother, Gerald Way
- What’s happening brother, Marvin Gaye
- Little Angel, Little Brother – Lucinda Williams
- Brother Bill – Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong
- Brother to Brother, Cliff Richard
- Soul Brother – Todd Rundgren
- He was my brother – Simon & Garfunkel
- Sins a Good Man’s Brother – George Lynch
- Beautiful Brother of Mine – Curtis Mayfield
- Godless Brother in Love – Iron & Wine
- Brothers of the Road – The Allman Brothers Band
- Blood Brothers, Manowar
- Spaceboy, The Smashing Pumpkins
- Brother trucker, James Taylor
- Oh Brother, James Taylor
- Who’s gonna help brother get further? – Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello
- Big Brother, Stevie Wonder
- Brothers on a hotel bed – Death Cab for Cutie
- Big Brother Wheels, Buzzcocks
- Sun Brother – Portugal. The Man
- Brother Don’t Play – Carl Cox
- Big Brother, Kanye West
- Brother Interior – Mother Superior, Henry Rollins, Rollins Band
- Big Brother Beat – De La Soul, Moe Def
- Brothers on my jock – EPMD
58+ Funeral songs for brother
- Only the Good Die Young, Billy Joel
- Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Oasis
- Street of Dreams – Lindsey Buckingham
- I’ll See You in My Dreams, Joe Brown
- Sunny – Bobby Hebb
- He ain’t heavy, He’s my brother – Glen Campbell
- Miss U, Notorious B.I.G.
- The Other Side of Life Now, Emmylou Harris
- Down the River, Chris Knight
- Daniel, Elton John
- Good Riddance (Time of your life) – Green Day
- Knockin’ on Heaven Door – Guns N’ Roses
- Tears in heaven – Eric Clapton
- 6 Feet Deep, Geto Boys
- All the Colours, Finn Brothers
- I will remember you – Sarah McLachlan, Macy Gray
- The great gig in the sky – Pink Floyd
- You Should Be Here, Cole Swindell
- I’ll be missing you – Sean Combs, Puff Daddy & The Family, Faith Evans
- Pour Out a Little Liquor, 2Pac
- Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd, Flashback
- Brother in the Wind, High on Fire
- Wake me up when September ends – Green Day
- They Reminisce Over You, Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth
- Dust in the Wind, Kansas
- I Still Miss You, Keith Anderson
- Lake of fire – Meat Puppets
- Will I See You in Heaven, The Jayhawks
- Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin
- Shadow of the Day, Linkin Park
- Missing You, Aaliyah featuring Jay-Z
- Who You’d Be Today, Kenny Chesney
- Brother, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
- Good Die Young, D12
- If I Could Only Bring You Back, Joe Diffie
- Over you – Blake Shelton
- Mama, I’m coming home – Ozzy Osbourne
- Don’t Say Goodbye, Buddy and Julie Miller
- Spirit in the sky, Norman Greenbaum
- What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
- Wish you were here – Pink Floyd
- Brother, Beck
- Funeral for a Friend, Elton John
- If Heaven, Andy Griggs
- The show must go on – Queen
- Brother Up in Heaven, Alan Parsons
- Free Bird, Lynyrd Skynyrd
- In my life – The Beatles
- (Don’t fear) The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
- Everything I Own, Bread
- If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away, Justin Moore
- The Dance, Garth Brooks
- The Message, Dr. Dre
- He Ain’t Heavy; He’s My Brother, The Hollies
- When I Get Where I’m Going, Brad Paisley
- Danny Boy – Harry Belafonte
- Go Rest High on the Mountain, Vince Gill
- Drink a Beer, Luke Bryan
Conclusion
Brothers may not be necessarily siblings because they can also be friends that turned to family. Regardless, if you are feeling sentimental over anyone you consider as brothers, this list will help you get through a trip down brother memory lane.
