10 Best Songs That Feature The Word ‘Cat’ In The Title

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The word “cat” has shown up in rock and roll in a lot of different ways, from cool slang and strange characters to hard-rock swagger and songs that have almost nothing to do with an actual cat. That is what makes a list like this fun. We have rockabilly, British new wave, classic rock, Frank Zappa weirdness, David Bowie darkness, Harry Chapin heartbreak, and a couple of songs we couldn’t leave out. Some are huge hits and some are deep cuts, but every one of them earns its place here. So here we go with ten of our favorite songs that feature the word “cat” in the title.

# 10 – Stray Cat Strut – Stray Cats

“Stray Cat Strut” kicks off the list because few songs have ever captured that cool, streetwise rockabilly attitude better. The Stray Cats first released the song on their 1981 self-titled album before it reached American listeners through 1982’s Built for Speed. Dave Edmunds produced the recording, with Brian Setzer on guitar and vocals, Lee Rocker on double bass, and Slim Jim Phantom on drums. The single climbed to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining records of the rockabilly revival. I wonder how many people realize the great Dave Edmunds played such an important role in producing this band.

Read More: Top 10 Stray Cats Songs

# 9 – Cool For Cats – Squeeze

Squeeze’s “Cool for Cats” is one of those records that could only have come out of late-1970s Britain. Chris Difford takes the lead vocal, delivering his own lyrics in that unmistakable conversational style while Glenn Tilbrook and the rest of the band keep the music sharp and playful underneath him. Released in 1979 as the second single from the album Cool for Cats, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. John Wood and Squeeze produced the recording, which helped make the band’s everyday characters and dry humor sound completely natural on the radio. This is British new wave with a wink, a pub story, and one very cool cat.

Read More: 10 Essential Squeeze Songs

# 8 – Stray Cat Blues – The Rolling Stones

I was never a big fan of the Stones’ trip into psychedelic pop, so “Stray Cat Blues” always sounded like the band getting back to the raw stuff I wanted to hear. The song appeared on 1968’s Beggars Banquet, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Jimmy Miller. Keith Richards and Brian Jones bring the guitars, Bill Wyman’s bass sits underneath them, and Charlie Watts’ snare seems to own the space between every riff. That drum sound is one of the things that makes the whole track feel so dark and dangerous. This was the Stones getting dirty again, and man, it sounded good.

Read More: Our 10 Favorite Rolling Stones Songs Of The 1970s

# 7 – Phenomenal Cat – The Kinks

“Phenomenal Cat” is one of those wonderfully strange Ray Davies songs that could only exist inside The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. Released in 1968, the track tells the story of a well-traveled cat who has supposedly learned the secrets of life and decided that doing as little as possible is the answer. Ray Davies wrote and produced the song, with Dave Davies, Pete Quaife, and Mick Avory helping give the record its dreamy storybook feel. It was never designed as a major hit, and that is part of its charm. The deeper you go into The Kinks’ catalog, the more little gems like this start showing up.

Read More: 10 Most Underrated Kinks Songs

# 6 – Yo Cats – Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa’s “Yo Cats” takes the word “cats” somewhere completely different, aiming it at professional session musicians and the business surrounding them. The song appeared on 1985’s Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention, with Zappa writing the lyrics and co-writing the music with Tommy Mars, credited under his real surname Mariano. Ike Willis handles the vocal while Zappa turns the whole track into a sarcastic look at musicians chasing studio work, money, and status. The original article spent a lot of time comparing it with the lighter songs on this list, but Zappa does not need the comparison because the satire stands on its own. This is one mean, funny little piece of music-industry commentary.

Read More: A Method in Exploring the Frank Zappa Album’s Catalog

# 5 – Cat People (Putting Out Fire) – David Bowie

Cat People may not have been a great movie in everybody’s eyes, but I loved that film, and David Bowie’s theme song was a perfect fit for it. Bowie wrote the lyrics while Giorgio Moroder wrote the music and produced the original 1982 soundtrack recording for director Paul Schrader’s movie. Bowie’s low opening vocal and the slow build give the song a dark, haunted feeling that matches the film beautifully. He later re-recorded “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” for 1983’s Let’s Dance, but I have always preferred the original soundtrack version. That first recording has a menace and atmosphere the slicker remake never quite replaces.

Read More: 10 Best David Bowie Songs

# 4 – Cat’s In The Cradle – Harry Chapin

Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” is one of the most painful songs ever written about parents, children, and all the time we think we are going to have later. Sandy Chapin originally wrote the poem that became the song, and Harry eventually set it to music after becoming a father himself. Released on 1974’s Verities & Balderdash, the single went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Chapin’s only chart-topper there. The brilliance is in how simply the story turns around on itself until the father realizes his son has become just like him. If this song does not make you think about time and family, I do not know what will.

Read More: Top 10 Essential Harry Chapin Songs

# 3 – Cat Scratch Fever – Ted Nugent

There was simply no way we were going to make a list of songs with the word “cat” in the title and leave out crazy Ted’s “Cat Scratch Fever.” The title track from Nugent’s 1977 album came loaded with one of those riffs that announces itself before the vocal even has a chance to get started. The single reached number thirty on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the records most closely associated with Nugent’s solo career. His guitar tone, the stop-start rhythm, and that ridiculous hook made the song a permanent classic-rock-radio fixture. Love it or hate it, this one had to be here.

Read More: Ted Nugent: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview

# 2 – Honky Cat – Elton John

Elton John’s “Honky Cat” opened 1972’s Honky Château, one of the records that helped define the classic Elton John band sound. Elton and Bernie Taupin wrote the song, Gus Dudgeon produced it, and the sessions featured the core group of Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson, and Davey Johnstone that would become so important over the next several albums. The horns give “Honky Cat” that loose New Orleans flavor while Elton’s piano keeps the whole thing bouncing along underneath them. Honky Château became Elton’s first number-one album in the United States and marked the beginning of an incredible run. This is Elton entering his peak period with a grin on his face and a piano under his hands.

Read More: 10 Best Elton John Songs Of The 1970s

# 1 – Year Of The Cat – Al Stewart

I am pretty sure that when you first saw the title of this article, Al Stewart’s “Year of the Cat” was one of the first songs that came to mind. It was for us too, which is why it closes the list at number one. Released as the title track of Stewart’s 1976 album, the song was co-written by Stewart and Peter Wood, produced by Alan Parsons, and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. The single reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, while Phil Kenzie’s saxophone solo and Wood’s piano helped give the record that smooth, mysterious atmosphere everybody remembers. More than anything else here, “Year of the Cat” sounds like a song you can disappear inside for six minutes, and that makes it a perfect number one.

Read More: Top 10 Al Stewart Songs

Updated September 15, 2026

10 Best Songs That Feature The Word ‘Cat’ In The Title article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026