23 Best Songs About Food

The best songs about food reflect the broad range of taste people have in their eating habits and are used as a metaphor for our desires.

Whether singing about their favorite snacks or using desserts as a symbol of passion, artists have often used food as the subject of songs.

Continue reading, and we’ll guide you through the best foodie-related songs you can listen to, whatever your taste.

The 23 Best Songs About Food

Everyone loves a great meal, and musicians are no exception, as these outstanding songs about food testify to.

We’ve included music about food from various styles and artists, from popular songs by international pop stars to more obscure classics.

Without further ado, let’s dive into our playlist of the 23 best songs about food:

23. “Strawberry Swing” – Coldplay

While Coldplay are well known for writing one of the best songs about anxiety, they’ve also tackled the topic of food.

Their track Strawberry Swing features the lyrics, “We were walking up to strawberry swing, I can’t wait ’til the morning, Wouldn’t want to change a thing.”

It’s an ode to the simpler times of childhood when everything was precious, inspired by Chris Martin’s upbringing in Africa.

22. “Candy Shop” – 50 Cent

While at first glance, 50 Cent’s song “Candy Shop” sounds like it’s about an actual shop, it’s really a euphemism for something more erotic.

In case the analogy wasn’t obvious enough, Curtis Jackson plays with the metaphor and throws in a few lines about licking lollipops.

Released in 2003 on the album Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, it’s a raunchy hip-hop number that was a massive hit with fans.

21. “Watermelon Sugar” – Harry Styles

Harry Styles’s song about food is another catchy tune from the hugely popular singer, which has a great summery vibe.

Guitars and horns blend to give “Watermelon Sugar” an upbeat thrust that’s part rock and part indie pop.

Styles is no stranger to success, with three Grammy Awards to his name, including Album of the Year for Harry’s House, released in 2022.

20. “Ice Cream Man” – Van Halen

Originally recorded by blues icon John Brim, “Ice Cream Man” got a heavier aural makeover by Van Halen in 1978.

Like 50 Cent, Halen uses food as a not-so-subtle metaphor for romance and sex, with the singer proudly stating that his flavors are “guaranteed to satisfy.”

Van Halen has produced many hit songs over the years, including one of the best songs everyone knows, the hit track “Jump.”

19. “Buttered Popcorn” – The Supremes

Most people have their personal favorite food, and The Supremes released this fun song about a woman whose partner is obsessed with “Buttered Popcorn.”

The lyrics play out as a dialogue between the two lovers, with the title of the track having a double meaning – or double entendre.

It’s a song that gets inside your head thanks to the vocal prowess of the singers and the lush instrumentation.

18. “Bon Appétit” – Katy Perry ft. Migos

Pop star Katy Perry and Migos released the track “Bon Appetit” on her 2017 album Witness, blending elements of trap for good measure.

Sex and food are again present in the lyrics “appetite for seduction fresh out the oven, melt in your mouth kind of lovin’.”

Witness was Perry’s fifth studio album at the time, with the track’s official music video being one of the best released that year.

17. “Cookie Jar” – Gym Class Heroes ft. The-Dream

No kitchen is complete without a cookie Jar, and Gym Class Heroes saw fit to dedicate an entire song to the concept.

Released on their album The Quilt, “Cookie Jar,” was released when Travis McCoy was in a relationship with Katy Perry.

The temptation to steal a cookie is used as a stand-in for cheating on a girlfriend, which few listeners could have failed to guess.

16. “Pumpkin Soup” – Kate Nash

Kate Nash’s contribution to the best songs about food, “Pumpkin Soup,” is an uplifting indie pop song released in 2007.

She uses messing up cooking the soup to represent the trials and tribulations of love, with the word “kiss” repeating throughout the song.

Featured on the album Made of Bricks, Pumpkin Soup was originally supposed to be called “I Just Want Your Kiss.”

15. “Biscuits” – Kacey Musgraves

From “Cookie Jar” to “Biscuits” by Kacey Musgraves, a cheerful, infectious song implores listeners to mind their own business.

As Musgraves expresses in the lyrics, people should “mind their own biscuits and life will be gravy.”

It’s a typically peppy and upbeat song from Musgraves that proved to be a crowd-pleaser among her fans.

14. “Lollipop” – Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne’s song “A Milli” is one of the best songs about money, but the famous rapper has also indulged in his love of food with the track “Lollipop.”

With that said, he might be referring to something else when he talks about lollipops, but that should be left to the listener’s imagination.

Wayne’s hip-hop style is fully present here, featuring his dynamic rapping style and use of hard-hitting beats.

13. “The Onion Song” – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Marvin Gaye uses the concept of the world as an onion for “The Onion Song,” peeling away the layers to reveal something wonderful.

“The world is just a great big onion,” Gaye sings, continuing, “And pain and fear are the spices that make you cry.”

Marvin Gaye has also produced one of the best karaoke songs of all time, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

12. “Stir Fry” – Migos

American rap group Migos throws in all manner of delicious food for their track “Stir Fry,” from blue cheese to curry chicken.

The track is less about the ingredients, however, and more about that flicking motion chefs make when cooking up a stir-fry.

It’s another catchy tune that rose through the charts, no doubt thanks in part to the production skills of Pharrell Williams.

11. “Peaches N Cream” – Snoop Dogg ft. Charlie Wilson

Snoop Dogg clearly drew inspiration from funk legend George Clinton for the song “Peaches N Cream,” released in 2015.

Pharrell Williams came on board for the production, with Snoop contributing lyrics about the pleasures of fame and fortune.

Released on Snoop Dogg’s 2014 album Bush, it’s a funky, highly memorable tune that served as a stand-out on the album.

10. “Cherry Pie” – Warrant

Warrant released their song “Cherry Pie” in 1990, a hair metal anthem about lusting after the hottest girl in town.

The lyrics are predictably low-brow for a hair metal tune, discussing how sweet the girl in question tastes and comparing her to cherry pie.

The band has long been forgotten by most music fans today, although “Cherry Pie” can still get people dancing.

9. “Egg Man” – Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys tackle the topic of food by morphing it into human form in their sample-heavy track “Egg Man.”

It’s a zany, outrageous song that uses movie and classic song samples to tell the story of a bald man who inspires them to eat an egg.

Their track “Brass Monkey” is regarded as one of the best happy songs of all time, featuring their trademark biting lyrics and punchy percussion.

8. “Honey Pie” – The Beatles

Released on their ninth studio album, which is widely referred to as the White Album, “Honey Pie” is as sweet-sounding as its name.

The song references an imaginary woman who lives across the ocean, capturing the singer’s imagination.

The White Album was a huge hit, selling millions of albums worldwide and becoming certified platinum a whopping 17 times by the RIAA.

7. “Brown Sugar” – The Rolling Stones

Iconic rock band, The Rolling Stones, used the excellent track “Brown Sugar” as the opening track from their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.

With an unforgettable chorus, Brown Sugar is about Mick Jagger’s secret girlfriend, Marsha Hunt, who was also the mother of his first child.

It’s a predictably dirty-minded rock song from one of music history’s raunchiest acts and a rock classic to this day.

6. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Def Leppard

Sticking with the sticky theme of sugar once again for “Pour Me Some Sugar” by Def Leppard, one of the biggest rock bands of the 1980s.

Taken from their best-selling album Hysteria, “Pour Me Some Sugar” is about self-confidence as much as it is about a sweet treat.

Hysteria was a slow burn through the charts, taking a year after its release to reach the number one spot on the Top Pop Albums chart.

5. “Birthday Cake” – Rihanna

Rihanna’s contribution to the best songs about food, “Birthday Cake,” is a short but sweet tune from the Talk That Talk album.

The song talks about eating cake as a metaphor for the various parts of her body adored by her lover, teasing listeners to picture it themselves.

Responsible for some of the best songs of all time, Rihanna remains at the cutting edge of contemporary pop music to this day.

4. “Sugar” – Maroon 5

Maroon 5’s international hit song “Sugar” bears a striking resemblance to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”

It’s a feel-good summer classic that celebrates the beauty and sweetness of women by using sugar as a stand-in.

Maroon 5 draws on an eclectic range of influences to develop a style that includes pop, rock, funk, and neo-soul.

3. “Cake By The Ocean” – DNCE

American dance-rock group DNCE burst onto the music scene with their chart hit “Cake By The Ocean” in 2015.

Full of saucy euphemisms, this excellent summer song talks about “licking frosting” and was a major hit on the radio.

There’s plenty of cake in the official music video, with the band naturally performing the track against the backdrop of the ocean.

2. “Banana Pancakes” – Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson has explored countless topics in his music, from one of the best songs about home to “Banana Pancakes,” a great song about music.

He turns his soft rock skills to the subject of food in Banana Pancakes, singing about eating the food with his lover on a rainy day.

One of the singer’s signature songs, it was released as part of his album In Between Dreams and remains a feel-good classic to this day.

1. “Red Red Wine” – UB40

While “Red Red Wine” might be technically about a drink, since wine comes from grapes, it warrants including on this list of great songs about food.

Neil Young wrote the original song, but it’s the UB40 version that most people remember, with their reggae-inspired take on the classic.

UB40 has performed for many years and won the NME Best Newcomer Award in 1980.

Summary

So there you have it, our diverse playlists covering the most iconic food-related songs you can listen to today.

We’ve covered everything from raunchy pop classics where food is a metaphor for intimacy to sweet country songs.

It’s a popular topic, and we can expect more top songs about food in the future, so check back on this article again for the most up-to-date listings.

What great songs about food help you to work up an appetite? Leave a comment below.