Feature Photo: Tony Barnard, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
John is one of the oldest and most familiar names in the English-speaking world, and rock and pop songwriters have used it, and variations such as Johnny, to tell stories about love, loss, ambition, friendship, and real people. This list counts down ten ranked choices, with a tie at number ten.
# 10 – Tie – Dear John / Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny) – Elton John
Elton John’s 1982 album Jump Up! gives us a tie at number ten with two very different songs. “Dear John,” with music by Elton John and lyrics by Gary Osborne, is a breakup song, while “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny),” written by Elton and Bernie Taupin, is a tribute to John Lennon. Chris Thomas produced the album, and “Empty Garden” reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Read More: Complete List Of Elton John Band Members
# 9 – John the Revelator – Gov’t Mule
Gov’t Mule recorded the traditional gospel-blues song “John the Revelator” for their 1998 album Dose. Blind Willie Johnson’s 1930 recording became one of its best-known early versions, while Gov’t Mule turned the song into a heavier blues-rock performance. Michael Barbiero produced their recording, and Warren Haynes, Allen Woody, and Matt Abts arranged it.
Read More: Top 10 Gov’t Mule Songs
# 8 – The Ballad of John Henry – Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa released “The Ballad of John Henry” as the opening track and title song of his 2009 album. Written by Bonamassa and produced by Kevin Shirley, the song draws on the American folk legend of the railroad worker who raced a steam drill and turns John Henry into a symbol of working-class endurance. The album reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues Albums chart.
Read More: Top 10 Joe Bonamassa Songs
# 7 – The Ballad of John and Yoko – The Beatles
![The Beatles 1967-1970 (2023 Edition)[2 CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51iciCCL1BL._SL500_.jpg)
John Lennon wrote “The Ballad of John and Yoko” about his wedding to Yoko Ono and the events that followed, with the song credited to Lennon-McCartney. Lennon and Paul McCartney recorded it at EMI Studios on April 14, 1969, with George Martin producing, without George Harrison or Ringo Starr. The single reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Read More: Complete Beatles Songs List And Albums Discography
# 6 – Johnny Strikes Up the Band – Warren Zevon
“Johnny Strikes Up the Band” opens Warren Zevon’s 1978 album Excitable Boy. Written by Zevon and produced by Jackson Browne and Waddy Wachtel, the track features Zevon on piano and vocals with Wachtel on guitar, Leland Sklar on bass, and Russ Kunkel on drums. It is a compact rock-and-roll opener built around the excitement that arrives when Johnny and the band get going.
Read More: Top 10 Warren Zevon Songs
# 5 – Johnny and Mary – Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer released “Johnny and Mary” in 1980 on his album Clues. Written and produced by Palmer, the song uses a spare electronic arrangement to describe two people stuck in a relationship that keeps repeating the same problems. Its restrained new-wave sound was a sharp turn from much of Palmer’s earlier rock, soul, and funk work.
Read More: Complete List Of Robert Palmer Albums And Songs
# 4 – Johnny Moon – Heart
“Johnny Moon” appears on Heart’s 1983 album Passionworks. Written by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Sue Ennis and produced by Keith Olsen, the song came from the lineup that introduced bassist Mark Andes and drummer Denny Carmassi. Its mysterious central character and atmospheric sound make it one of the album’s more unusual tracks.
Read More: 10 Most Underrated Heart Songs
# 3 – Sloop John B – The Beach Boys
“Sloop John B” is a traditional Bahamian folk song that Brian Wilson arranged and produced for The Beach Boys’ 1966 album Pet Sounds. Al Jardine brought the song to Wilson after knowing earlier folk versions, and the finished Beach Boys recording reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains one of the most famous modern versions of the old “John B” song.
Read More: Complete List Of The Beach Boys Albums And Songs
# 2 – John, I’m Only Dancing – David Bowie
David Bowie released “John, I’m Only Dancing” as a non-album single in 1972, between The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Aladdin Sane. Bowie wrote the song and co-produced it with Ken Scott, and a second saxophone-heavy version followed in 1973. The original recording later appeared on the 1976 compilation ChangesOneBowie.
Read More: Complete List Of David Bowie Albums And Discography
# 1 – Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry wrote and recorded “Johnny B. Goode” in 1958, telling the story of a country boy whose guitar playing might someday make him famous. The song drew partly from Berry’s own ambitions and experiences and reached No. 2 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No. 8 on the pop chart. It was later included on the 1959 album Chuck Berry Is on Top and became one of the foundational songs of rock and roll.
Read More: Top 10 Chuck Berry Songs
Updated September 10, 2026.
Top 10 Songs With The Name “John” In The Title article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
Another excellent selection would be “Johnny’s Garden”, from Stephen Stills and Manassas’s magnificent 1972 self-titled LP.
Too bad the ensemble was so short-lived, as they were all superb instrumentalists.
Johnny strikes up the band is about the Johnny Carson tonight show.
Johnny always introduced his producer Freddie de Cordova and bandleader Doc Severinson.
Most popular tv show of its day was beloved from the slums to the elites. Projects to the Strand.
Some of Waddy Wachtels finest guitar solos ever