Our 10 Favorite Songs About Sundays

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Our 10 Favorite Songs About Sundays article is just that: a list of our favorites. Many songs about Sunday are much more popular than the ones on this list. To include only the obvious choices would be boring because most people already know them. Yes, we included a few, but it feels more genuine to feature the songs we think are really good, somewhat unique, and, of course, a joy to hear. There was a time, especially in North America, when Sunday was the one day of the week when nearly all businesses were closed. Shopping malls and stores would also shut down for the day, except for some gas stations and restaurants. Today, Chick-fil-A remains one of the best-known restaurant chains that closes every Sunday. The times have changed, but Sundays are still just a little special for so many reasons.

Top 10 Songs About Sundays

# 10 – “Blue Sunday” – The Doors

We open our 10 Favorite Songs About Sundays list with the music of one of our favorite bands, the Doors. If you want to hear a song that is both haunting and beautiful, play this stupendous piece by Jim Morrison and the Doors. “Blue Sunday” was released on the band’s 1970 album, Morrison Hotel.

# 9 – “My Sunday Feeling” – Jethro Tull

This has always been one of our favorite Jethro Tull songs, so we had to include it. “My Sunday Feeling” appeared on the band’s 1968 debut album, This Was. And for the love of rock and roll, can somebody at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame do something about its continued failure to induct the band? How in the world is Jethro Tull not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

# 8 – “Drinkin’ in My Sunday Dress” – Maria McKee

I was a huge Lone Justice fan. However, I became an even bigger Maria McKee fan. Lone Justice released only two albums with essentially two different bands, with Maria McKee being the only constant. It was always about Maria McKee. She is, and has always been, one of the most unique, underrated, yet respected artists in rock. Listen to this song from her 1989 self-titled debut album, and you will hear what I am talking about.

# 7 – “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” – Kris Kristofferson

I am not sure if Kris Kristofferson ever received the credit he truly deserved as a songwriter. It is probably because other artists turned so many of his best songs into huge hits. This one is a perfect example. Johnny Cash recorded the song and turned it into a number-one country hit. While Johnny Cash’s version is great, there is something a little more genuine in the way Kristofferson sings it.

# 6 – “Sunday Papers” – Joe Jackson

I was a senior in high school in 1979 when this album came out. During my senior year, I used to go to rock clubs almost every night. I noticed that every bar band at the time was playing Joe Jackson songs from his debut album, Look Sharp! This was one of the most popular songs. There were no gimmicks about this music. It was straight-ahead rock and roll, with well-written parts for each instrument. The arrangements were clear and concise, and the songs were a joy to play and hear.

# 5 – “Pleasant Valley Sunday” – The Monkees

When I was around seven or eight years old in the 1960s, my friend and I used to argue about who was better, the Beatles or the Monkees. Hey, what did we know? We were just young, stupid kids who were more into Lost in Space than we were into music. This song was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. “Pleasant Valley Sunday” became one of the Monkees’ biggest hits, peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was released on the band’s fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

# 4 – “I Met Him on a Sunday” – Laura Nyro

Growing up in the Bronx, not far from where Laura Nyro once lived, I became a huge fan of her work. There is just something special about Bronx pride. This one is really special. If you have never heard it, I highly recommend that you take a listen. The song’s first verse is sung entirely a cappella, with only handclaps, fueled by the incredible harmonies of Laura Nyro and Labelle. Their version appeared on the 1971 album Gonna Take a Miracle. The song was originally written and recorded by the Shirelles.

# 3 – “I Hate Sunday” – Cilla Black

Come on, we had to have at least one song about hating Sunday. We all hated Sundays at some point in our lives. Sunday evenings were never fun for me, knowing I had to go back to school in the morning and get another beating from those old nuns at St. Brendan’s in the Bronx. Those were not fun days. Thanks, Cilla Black, for letting me vent a little. Her song “I Hate Sunday” was released on her 1973 album Day by Day with Cilla.

# 2 – “Sunday Bloody Sunday” – U2

U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” stands as one of the band’s most poignant songs. Released on the 1983 album War, it marked a more politically direct turn in the band’s music. U2 came from Dublin and rose during the Troubles, and the song confronted the human cost of violence rather than celebrating it. This one is simply haunting.

# 1 – “Six Ways to Sunday” – Blackberry Smoke

Now this is what a Sunday song should be all about. One of our favorite bands, Blackberry Smoke, delivers a roaring live version of this high-energy, fun song in the video below. The lyrics to this tune are so outstandingly clever. The song was originally released on The Whippoorwill in 2012.