21 Best Songs About Fire

The best songs about fire explore the full range of potential themes and metaphors this powerful elemental spirit can inspire.

It’s a subject that has led to many great tracks from a wide range of artists, lighting up the rock charts in the 1960s and emerging in the modern-day charts.

Read on, and we’ll break down the artists, record sales, and other details on the greatest songs about fire ever produced.

The 21 Best Songs About Fire

With fire a long-running theme in music from all genres, it’s been featured in everything from classic rockabilly tunes to powerful hip-hop chart hits in recent years.

We’ve ensured this list of the best fire-themed songs covers all genres and eras, so there’s something here to suit all tastes.

Let’s light the fire and begin our playlist of the 21 best songs about fire:

21. “Firework”- Katy Perry

One of the biggest hits of 2010. “Firework” by Katy Perry has been widely played at athletic games and in bedrooms after a harsh break-up.

“Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing,” sing the lyrics, “Do you know that there’s still a chance for you?”

Perry has performed many songs that have spoken to our deeper feelings, including one of the best songs about guilt, “The One That Got Away.”

20. “Disco Inferno” – The Trammps

It’s impossible to think of classic songs about fire without “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps coming to mind.

It’s a dancefloor classic with the iconic “burn baby burn” lyrics that get the crowd pumping for the beat.

“Disco Inferno” is a timeless, catchy retro classic that has outlived many songs and was released on their 1976 album of the same name.

19. “Fireball” – Willow Smith ft. Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is one of the most popular singers around, with several chart-topping hits to her name on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

She teamed up with Willow Smith for “Fireball,” a punk-infused pop hit with a music video featuring exceptional choreography.

It’s a full-force hip-hop tune with powerful lyrics and a cool reference to the Street Fighter character Chun-Li for video game fans.

18. “World On Fire” – Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan takes a more laid-back approach to her song about guilt with “World on Fire,” bringing things back to a simple guitar riff.

“It’s more than I can handle,” McLachlan sings, continuing, “I’ll tap into the water, try to bring my share.”

Fire in this song is a destructive force threatening the planet’s future, but McLachlan underscores it with a note of optimism.

17. “On Fire” – Switchfoot

Christian band Switchfoot uses their passion for religion as the driving force behind their excellent song about fire, “On Fire.”

Fire is representative of the presence of God, with the lyrics, “You’re on fire when He’s near you, you’re on fire when He speaks.”

Released on their 2003 album, A Beautiful Letdown, it’s one of Switchfoot’s best-loved songs about fire as a metaphor for faith.

16. “Heart’s On Fire” – Passenger

Passenger’s song “Heart’s on Fire” is another hugely popular and widely recognized song in which fire is a welcoming force.

With dreamy guitars and sweet vocals, it’s a warm and welcoming song that feels like an open fire on a winter’s night.

“Heart’s on Fire” was featured on Whispers, the fifth studio album from British singer-songwriter Passenger, released in 2014.

15. “Fireball” – Deep Purple

Deep Purple’s “Fireball,” taken from the album of the same name, was a massive hit in the UK, with the album selling over one million copies.

The song is an oddity in their discography and features the sound of an air conditioning unit being turned on in the opening moments.

Deep Purple explored many topics in their music, including one of the best songs about space, “Space Truckin’.”

14. “Original Fire” – Audioslave

“Original Fire” by Audioslave is all about passing on the torch of inspiration, a creative rock song with an uptempo vibe.

Chris Cornell’s unique vocals sing about “The original fire has died and gone,” but continues optimistically with, “but the riot inside moves on.”

Audioslave released the “Original Fire” on their 2006 album Revelations, it’s a perfect dedication to hard-working musicians around the world.

13. “Fire And Rain” – James Taylor

James Taylor mixes up the primordial elements with his song “Fire and Rain,” a beautiful song released on his 1970 album, Sweet Baby James.

It’s one of those fire songs that discuss heartbreak following the suicide of a childhood friend and the yearning to see them once again.

The song has been covered several times and was parodied on the hit comedy television show, The Simpsons.

12. “Fire” – Jimi Hendrix

The Jimi Hendrix Experience turned their attention to songs about fire with the simply-titled “Fire,” released in 1967.

Fire here is all about passion and energy, as indicated by Hendrix’s powerful and dynamic guitaring and energetic live performance.

Hendrix actually set fire to his guitar while performing Fire” at a concert in London, a testament to his consummate showmanship and style.

11. “Girl On Fire” – Alicia Keys

Arguably one of the most famous pop songs of the last few years, “Girl on Fire,” sees Alicia Keys in top form as a vocalist with a range of styles.

Here she sings loudly, “She’s just a girl, and she’s on fire, hotter than a fantasy, lonely like a highway.”

With a diverse and popular discography of singles and albums, Alicia Keys is responsible for one of the best songs about peace, “We Are Here.”

10. “Just Like Fire” – Pink

Another powerful pop song about fire is “Just Like Fire” by Pink, which featured her daughter Willow Sage in the music video.

“Just Like Fire” is a passionate song in which fire is represented as a burning bright light within that is capable of lighting up the world.

It’s another song written for a movie soundtrack, with “Just Like Fire” featured in the movie Through the Looking Glass, released in 2016.

9. “Set Fire To The Rain” – Adele

“Set Fire to the Rain” is another hit song from multi-Grammy Award winner Adele, who has received dozens of nominations in addition to her wins.

It’s less about fire than it is about the rains that sweep over a furnace in the aftermath, used as a strong metaphor for purging after a failed relationship.

If you’re feeling depressed after a breakup and need a song to help you get back on your feet, “Set Fire to the Rain” is one to consider playing.

8. “Light My Fire” – The Doors

“Light My Fire” by the Doors is another of those songs about fire that instantly springs to mind when the topic is brought up.

An instant classic, the lyrics “come on baby light my fire” are as well-known today as they were when the song was first released in the 1960s.

With a prolific output during their time together, the Doors also wrote one of the best songs about waiting, “Waiting for the Sun.”

7. “Great Balls Of Fire” – Jerry Lee Lewis

A decade before the Doors set fire to the music world with “Light My Fire,” Jerry Lee Lewis was taking a more light-hearted approach to the subject.

“Great Balls of Fire” is a fun, bouncy pop-rock song once ranked as one of the greatest songs ever by Rolling Stone magazine.

Within ten days of its initial release, “Great Balls of Fire” sold a million copies in the United States, making it one of the biggest hits at that time.

6. “We Didn’t Start The Fire” – Billy Joel

Anyone who has watched the American remake of the comedy series The Office will be familiar with the Billy Joel song “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

It’s a defiant song that takes aim at the older generation for the state of the world they’ve left their children and a powerful protest anthem.

This classic rock song has been parodied many times since, as well as being used in commercials and other media.

5. “Fight Fire With Fire” – Metallica

Metallica takes an old popular saying as the starting point for their heavy-hitting thrash metal song “Fight Fire with Fire.”

Here, the band refers to the threat of nuclear war and the potential for annihilation, leading to everyone “bursting with fear.”

This raging anti-war classic begins deceptively simply with harpsichords before unleashing a wall of guitars that blast from the speakers.

4. “Ring Of Fire” – Johnny Cash

Probably the most famous song ever written by the legendary singer and songwriter Johnny Cash, “Ring of Fire” is the grandfather of the best songs about fire.

This country ballad takes the word fire and aims it at capitalism and corruption, undercut by Cash’s smooth and laconic vocals.

“Ring of Fire” has been remixed and covered countless times since Johnny Cash first released the song in 1963 on the album of the same name.

3. “Play With Fire” – The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are among the most successful bands of their time, with one of the best karaoke songs, “Sympathy for the Devil,” in their discography.

“Play With Fire” was originally released as a B-side to “The Last Time” and is about a high society woman who wants Mick Jagger to be her plaything.

It’s one of a handful of tracks released by The Rolling Stones, credited to writer Nanker Phelge, an alias used when the band wrote a song together.

2. “Sex On Fire” – Kings Of Leon

It’s no surprise that fire is sometimes used as an analogy for passionate love, as “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon demonstrates.

It’s a predictably steamy song that will get you and a partner in the mood for some fun, featuring an equally steamy music video.

Kings of Leon released the song “Sex on Fire” as part of their album Only by the Night, released in 2009 to critical and commercial acclaim.

1. “I’m On Fire” – Bruce Springsteen

Our final entry in this guide to the best songs about fire comes from rock legend Bruce Springsteen, one of the best-selling performers ever.

“I’m on Fire” delivers a beautiful musical journey from start to finish, with deceptively mellow sounds belying the song’s intimate power.

Bruce Springsteen has enjoyed many chart successes and is responsible for one of the best songs of all time, the 1975 hit “Born to Run.”

Summary

That’s a wrap on this comprehensive guide to the best songs about fire you can listen to today, from rock and roll classics to the latest chart-topping pop hits.

Fire is a popular topic when taken literally or used as a metaphor for a range of powerful emotions, and it will continue to inspire composers for years to come.

It’s been used by singer-songwriters to express their feelings for past loves, and without fire, the history of music would be less exciting.

What are the hottest songs about fire you’ve listened to? Leave a comment below.