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From brooding confessions to triumphant anthems, this list of the 10 best songs with the word “All” in the title explores the vast emotional terrain of rock music—where each track doesn’t just share a word, but also a sense of intensity, purpose, or defiance. Radiohead’s “All I Need” opens the list with a murky, slow-burning plea for emotional connection that spirals into obsession. Free’s “All Right Now” remains one of the most celebrated riffs in classic rock history, written in the aftermath of a lifeless gig and destined for radio immortality.
Mike + The Mechanics lightened the tone with “All I Need Is a Miracle,” a sleek pop-rock hit that brought the band chart success and a Grammy nomination. Steeleye Span’s “All Around My Hat” brought British folk into the mainstream with a traditional melody transformed into a rock radio favorite. Grand Funk Railroad’s “All the Girls in the World Beware” pulsed with confident swagger and helped define the band’s mid-70s commercial run. The Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to Do Is Dream” fused longing and harmony into a timeless pop ballad that resonated across genres.
The Beatles delivered melodic urgency with “All My Loving,” a track that became one of their early transatlantic breakthroughs, bolstered by a legendary Ed Sullivan Show performance. Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes” turned a near-breakup into glam rock mythology, with David Bowie stepping in to produce the song that would become their defining statement. And closing the list is Elton John’s “All the Young Girls Love Alice,” a fearless, layered character study set to glam-infused rock, addressing themes of sexuality and social marginalization with lyrical precision and musical intensity.
Together, these ten songs reveal how one small word—“all”—can carry the weight of celebration, sorrow, romance, rebellion, and self-discovery across decades of rock history.
# 10 – All I Need – Radiohead
Read More: Complete List Of Radiohead Songs From A to Z
# 9 – All I Want To Do – Sheryl Crow
“All I Wanna Do” was recorded by Sheryl Crow for her debut album Tuesday Night Music Club, which was released on August 3, 1993. The song was produced by Bill Bottrell and recorded at Toad Hall Studio in Pasadena, California. Its writing credits include Crow, Bottrell, David Baerwald, Kevin Gilbert, and David Ricketts, who collaborated as part of the ad hoc group also known as the Tuesday Night Music Club. The lyrics were inspired by the poem “Fun” by Wyn Cooper, whose words were adapted to fit the song’s breezy, talk-sung structure. Musicians featured on the track included Crow on vocals, Gilbert on bass and programming, Bottrell on guitar and drum programming, and Baerwald on additional guitar and vocals.
Released as a single in April 1994, “All I Wanna Do” became Crow’s breakthrough hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in Australia and Canada. It later won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1995 ceremony. The track’s laid-back groove, combined with its observational lyrics about barroom conversations in Los Angeles, offered a sharp contrast to the grunge-dominated rock scene of the early 1990s. Crow’s delivery—nonchalant yet precise—turned the song into an anthem of detached cool, with lyrics like “This ain’t no disco / And it ain’t no country club either / This is L.A.” helping define its cultural footprint. The song’s accompanying music video, directed by David Hogan, further amplified Crow’s profile through heavy rotation on MTV and VH1.
Read More: Complete List Of Sheryl Crow Songs From A to Z
# 8 – All Right Now – Free
“All Right Now” captured the moment when Free shifted from a hard-touring British rock band into mainstream visibility. The track was recorded in January 1970 at Trident and Island Studios in London, with production handled by the band themselves—Paul Rodgers on vocals, Paul Kossoff on guitar, Andy Fraser on bass and piano, and Simon Kirke on drums. The inspiration behind the song came after a particularly dismal gig at Durham University, where the band realized they needed a high-energy anthem to lift their live sets. Fraser and Rodgers responded by writing “All Right Now” in just minutes, building it around a driving guitar riff and an unforgettable chorus.
Released on May 15, 1970 as the lead single from the album Fire and Water, “All Right Now” was an immediate success. It climbed to number two on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., ultimately becoming Free’s signature song. Its classic opening riff and energetic pacing helped the band cross into international recognition. The song became one of the most played rock tracks of its era, and in 1990, it was honored by ASCAP for achieving over one million radio plays in the United States alone.
Live performances of “All Right Now” helped secure Free’s legacy as a dynamic live act. The song became a centerpiece of their 1970 Isle of Wight Festival appearance, played to an audience estimated at over 600,000. It would continue to be a staple in Paul Rodgers’ later live work, including during his tenure with Bad Company and as a solo artist. Kossoff’s guitar work, especially, gained recognition for its tight rhythm and melodic soloing—elements that have made the track a case study in rock guitar simplicity and impact.
Beyond Free, “All Right Now” found new life in numerous covers and adaptations. Rod Stewart and Mike Oldfield each recorded versions, and the Stanford University marching band adopted it as their unofficial fight song. Its placement in films, commercials, and sporting events has only deepened its cultural reach. Despite the band’s relatively brief initial run, the song endures as one of rock’s most recognizable and widely licensed tracks.
Read More: Top 10 Free Songs
# 7 – All I Need Is A Miracle – Mike & The Mechanics
“All I Need Is a Miracle” was recorded by Mike + The Mechanics in 1985 and released as a single in March 1986 in the United States and on April 28, 1986, in the United Kingdom. It appeared on their self-titled debut album Mike + The Mechanics. Written by Mike Rutherford and producer Christopher Neil, the track featured vocals from Paul Young of Sad Café and was produced by Neil. Other musicians included Paul Carrack on backing vocals and bass in the music video, Adrian Lee on keyboards, and Peter Van Hooke on drums. The recording leaned toward a polished blend of pop rock and soft rock, clocking in at 4 minutes and 12 seconds.
The single marked a commercial breakthrough for the band, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbing into the Top 10 in Canada and Australia. The upbeat tone of the song was a deliberate shift from the band’s typically more introspective material. Rutherford remarked that it stood apart for its positivity, which was a rarity in his writing at the time. The song earned a nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1987 Grammy Awards. Its accompanying music video, which linked narratively with the band’s earlier single “Silent Running,” offered a humorous and cinematic take on the song’s title, further boosting its visibility on MTV and other music channels. The track was later re-recorded for their Hits compilation album in 1996.
Read More: Top 10 Mike + The Mechanics Songs
# 6 – All Around My Hat – Steeleye Span
Read More: Top 10 Steeleye Span Songs
# 5 – All The Girls In The World Beware – Grand Funk Railroad
Read More: Complete List Of Grand Funk Railroad Songs From A to Z
# 4 – All I Have to Do Is Dream – The Everly Brothers
Read More: Top 10 Everly Brothers Songs Decade By Decade
# 3 – All My Loving – The Beatles
The Beatles recorded “All My Loving” on July 30, 1963, during a full-day session at EMI Studios in London, with George Martin producing. It was tracked in 11 takes, with the group focused on capturing a clean vocal take from Paul McCartney, who wrote the lyrics before composing the melody—a reversal of his usual process. Paul handled the lead vocal and played bass, while John Lennon performed a propulsive triplet rhythm guitar part, George Harrison contributed backing vocals and played a country-influenced lead guitar solo, and Ringo Starr played drums. The completed track was selected for the band’s second UK album, With the Beatles, released on November 22, 1963.
“All My Loving” was never released as a single in the United Kingdom, but its popularity helped establish The Beatles’ early momentum. In Canada, it was issued as a single and became a hit, prompting its release in the United States on Meet the Beatles! in early 1964. The song also gained massive exposure when The Beatles opened their first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show with it on February 9, 1964. That performance introduced the song—and the band—to over 70 million American viewers. Lyrically, McCartney’s message of devotion to a long-distance partner struck a chord with fans, reflecting a sincere optimism that contrasted with the band’s later, more introspective work.
The arrangement itself was deceptively simple, but technically sharp. Lennon’s driving rhythm guitar evokes early American rock and roll influences, while Harrison’s solo pays tribute to Chet Atkins with its rockabilly flair. McCartney’s vocal delivery is smooth yet urgent, reinforcing the theme of fidelity and longing. Though not officially released as a UK single, the song was considered by some to be single-worthy and remains a concert staple and fan favorite.
“All My Loving” serves as an early indication of McCartney’s melodic instincts and the band’s evolving maturity as songwriters. While it doesn’t share the psychological complexity of later Beatles songs, it helped solidify their formula for success: emotionally accessible lyrics, vocal harmony, and pop production that elevated their reputation beyond the confines of Beatlemania.
Read More: Complete List Of The Beatles Songs From A to Z
# 2 – All The Young Dudes – Mott The Hoople
Mott the Hoople were on the verge of disbanding in 1972 when David Bowie offered them a lifeline in the form of a song that would become one of glam rock’s defining anthems. “All the Young Dudes” was recorded on May 14, 1972, at Olympic Studios in London, with Bowie producing the session. The track featured Ian Hunter on lead vocals, Mick Ralphs on lead guitar, Pete Overend Watts on bass, Dale Griffin on drums, and Verden Allen on organ. Additional contributions included handclaps from Nicky Graham and the band’s bodyguard, Stuey George.
Released as a single on July 28, 1972, “All the Young Dudes” reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and broke into the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at No. 37. Its success marked a turning point in Mott the Hoople’s career, transforming them from cult favorites into glam rock standard-bearers. The lyrics referenced a generation steeped in pop culture and disillusionment, namechecking “the television man,” “the Beatles and the Rolling Stones,” and other touchstones of youth identity. Bowie later clarified that the song was not meant to be celebratory—it was intended as a warning of societal collapse, delivered through the lens of alienated youth.
The single’s success led to the release of the full-length All the Young Dudes album, also produced by Bowie and released later that year. The album further solidified the band’s commercial appeal, while the title track remained the centerpiece. Though Mott the Hoople had released four albums prior to this point, “All the Young Dudes” gave them their first lasting hit and a new sense of purpose. The song would go on to define their legacy, even as their subsequent albums explored a variety of directions within rock.
The song’s production captured a deliberate looseness that mirrored the lyrics’ sense of generational unrest. Bowie’s involvement extended beyond production; his backing vocals and arrangement touches helped shape the final mix into something more layered than the band’s earlier material. This collaboration showcased the power of artistic reinvention, and for Mott the Hoople, it represented a rebirth.
“All the Young Dudes” has remained a permanent fixture in the band’s history and a key example of how a single song can completely rewrite a group’s trajectory. Unlike the emotionally urgent romantic narratives found in other songs on this list such as “All I Need Is a Miracle” or the blues-driven swagger of “All Right Now,” this track served a broader cultural purpose. It became a banner for a disenchanted youth culture, giving voice to those outside the mainstream and providing a sonic symbol of resistance and identity.
The lasting influence of “All the Young Dudes” is not just in its chart position or airplay longevity—it’s in its cultural permanence. The song continues to be performed live and is consistently associated with both the band and the glam rock movement that followed it. It remains one of the most important songs Mott the Hoople ever recorded, and one of the few tracks from the early ’70s rock era that captured both its sound and its social undercurrents in equal measure.
Read More: Top 10 Mott The Hoople Songs
# 1 – All The Young Girls Love Alice – Elton John
Recorded during May 1973 at Château d’Hérouville in Hérouville, France, “All the Young Girls Love Alice” appeared on Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, a sprawling double album that showcased the collaborative peak between John and lyricist Bernie Taupin. Gus Dudgeon produced the record, with John on piano and vocals, Davey Johnstone on guitar, Dee Murray on bass, Nigel Olsson on drums, and Del Newman providing orchestral arrangements. Though never released as a single, the song became one of the album’s most talked-about deep cuts due to its provocative lyrics and bold subject matter.
Musically, the track fused glam rock with gritty electric blues, anchored by Johnstone’s sharp guitar lines and John’s driving piano riff. But it’s Taupin’s narrative that gives the song its lasting impact. Telling the story of a 16-year-old girl navigating rejection, sexuality, and eventual tragedy, the lyrics deal candidly with themes of lesbian desire and urban isolation, placing it decades ahead of its time in terms of LGBTQ representation in mainstream rock. The chorus—“All the young girls love Alice”—takes on a haunting tone by the final verse, which reveals that Alice was found dead in the subway. The contrast between the vibrant instrumentation and the dark narrative turns the song into a blistering social critique wrapped in glam aesthetics.
The track’s inclusion on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road—an album that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and sold over 20 million copies worldwide—helped solidify Elton John’s reputation for pushing the envelope both musically and lyrically. While the album boasted several hits like “Bennie and the Jets” and “Candle in the Wind,” “All the Young Girls Love Alice” carved out a legacy of its own as one of John’s boldest and most thematically complex songs. Its fearless approach to taboo subjects offered a darker counterpoint to the theatrical grandeur found elsewhere on the record.
Read More: Complete List Of Elton John Songs From A to Z
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10 Best Songs That Start With The Word “All” article published on ClassicRockHistory.com© 2025
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