21 Best Songs About Shopping

The best songs about shopping explore the pastime from all kinds of angles and come from a range of musical genres and styles.

Whether you’re a fan of country music or prefer hardcore rock ‘n’ roll, there’s a song about shopping you can include in your new playlists.

In this guide, we’ve covered shopping songs from the latest pop music megastars to more obscure bands from the previous decades.

The 21 Best Songs About Shopping

Songs about shopping cover all aspects of the subject, from ones that take it literally to those that opt to use it as a metaphor for alienation and loneliness in the modern world.

We’ve broken down each of these popular songs to bring you all the details you need to know about their history, chart success, and the artists who wrote them.

Now that we’ve established our criteria, here’s our playlist of the 21 best songs about shopping:

21. “Shopping For Girls” – David Bowie

We’re kicking off this playlist with “Shopping for Girls” by David Bowie, who is responsible for some of the best songs of all time, such as “Heroes.”

Released later in his career, it’s an ironic rock song about shopping that uses the pastime as a metaphor for alienation and dislocation in the modern world.

Featured on David Bowie’s Live Budokan 1992 album, it’s one of his lesser-known songs but nevertheless a classic example of his inimitable style.

20. “Store Bought Bones” – The Raconteurs

“Store Bought Bones” by the Raconteurs is a song that evokes images of a thrift shop and hunting for bargains when money is tight.

The poetic lyrics also explore what it’s like when you can’t find what you’re looking for and seek out a bargain store that has what you want.

The Raconteurs released “Store Bought Bones” on their 2006 album Broken Boy Soldiers, which spawned the hit single “Steady as She Goes.”

19. “Shoplifters Of The World Unite” – The Smiths

1980s indie band The Smiths released their great song “Shoplifters of the World Unite” as part of the album The World Won’t Listen.

“Learn to love me and assemble the ways, now, today, tomorrow and always,” the lyrics sing, continuing with, “My only weakness is a listed crime.”

It’s a defiant piece of music from the iconoclastic British band that takes an ironic look at shopping as a symbol of modern-day angst.

18. “Shopping Bag Lady” – The Guess Who

Like the best songs about addiction, “Shopping Bag Lady” by The Guess Who is a song that understands the powerful allure of spending money.

Released in 1975, it discusses the loneliness of a woman caught up in life’s misery and living her existence out of shopping bags while slumming it on the streets.

The Guess Who featured “Shopping Bag Lady” on their 14th studio album, Power in the Music, which was their last album to feature Burton Cummings.

17. “Queen Of The Supermarket” – Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen has long been one of rock music’s leading icons, and “Queen of the Supermarket” is a great example of why this is the case.

The song’s lyrics explore the titular queen’s life in the supermarket and the underlying boredom and dissatisfaction that starts to consume her daily life.

Bruce Springsteen ends this fun song on a more optimistic note, expressing his growing feelings of love for the woman trapped in the shopping mall.

16. “Window Shopping” – Lisa Loeb

“Window Shopping” by Lisa Loeb reflects something anyone who enjoys a spot of retail therapy can sympathize with.

The song captures what it feels like to check out your favorite stores, wishing you had more money so you could buy things that make you happy.

Lisa Loeb released “Window Shopping” in 2004, with the song featured on her popular album The Way It Really Is and receiving critical acclaim.

15. “Handbags And Gladrags” – Chris Farlowe

Chris Farlowe released “Handbags and Gladrags” in 1967, bringing blues music back into the mainstream spotlight and winning over new fans.

It’s a popular song that several artists have performed over the years, but Farlowe’s version remains the most iconic of them all.

It was reissued in 1988 as part of The Chris Farlowe Collection, bringing blues to a new generation of music lovers around the world.

14. “Baby’s Gone Shopping” – Jimmy Buffett

“Baby’s Gone Shopping” by Jimmy Buffett, released in 1988, perfectly captures the “island escapism” music style he’s known for.

It’s another fun and engaging song about shopping that doesn’t take itself too seriously, with catchy lyrics and an upbeat tempo running beneath the melodies.

Jimmy Buffett had a hugely successful career, hitting the Billboard Hot 100 Charts several times and making it to the top 10 with “Margaritaville.”

13. “Rockin’ Shopping Center” – Jonathan Richman

American singer-songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Richman tackled the subject of shopping with his song “Rockin’ Shopping Center.”

“Well, I landed at a shoppin’ center, in an unknown state,” he sings in the song, continuing, “Unknown kind of architecture, atmospheric trait, unknown brand and labels, unknown market chains.”

It’s another great song from the 1970s, an era when shopping malls were first emerging on the American landscape and changing the way people shopped.

12. “No Shopping” – French Montana Ft. Drake

Having written and performed one of the best songs about trust, Drake turned his attention to the theme of shopping with “No Shopping.”

The song, which he produced in collaboration with French Montana, is quintessential Drake and was released with an impressive music video.

It features dense and poetic lyrics that evoke a myriad of responses in the listeners, landing on the charts to critical and commercial acclaim in 2019.

11. “Shopping Bags” – De La Soul

“Shopping Bags” by De La Soul sticks with the hip-hop theme but tackles the subject with an altogether more laid-back approach than offered by Drake.

This song about shopping is sympathetic to the shopper who becomes laden down with one grocery bag after another while out in the mall.

Da La Soul released “Shopping Bags” in 2004, a later highlight of their illustrious career that began at the beginning of hip-hop’s popularity in the early 1980s.

10. “Too High For The Supermarket” – The Uninvited

The Uninvited released the great song “Too High for the Supermarket” in 1995, an anthem for supermarket blues that most people can understand.

“Starting off in aisle one, fruits and veggies by the ton,” the lyrics sing, continuing with, “Hey check it out, raddiccio! These red leaves, man, they almost glow!”

Shopaholics who love excellent rock music should consider adding “Too High for the Supermarket” to their playlists next time they go shopping.

9. “Nan You’re A Window Shopper” – Lily Allen

Lily Allen brings us back to the theme of what it’s like to be a window shopper with her upbeat pop song from 2006.

“Nan You’re a Window Shopper” encapsulates the feeling of looking without buying things as an elderly woman obsesses with milky tea and orange squash.

It’s a song that British listeners will identify with, including lots of references to “pensions” and “fivers,” which are common parlance in their culture.

8. “Shopping For Dresses” – Randy Travis Ft. Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is often considered to be one of the best country singers of all time, and for “Shopping for Dresses,” she teamed up with Randy Travis.

This popular country song about shopping sings about “Shopping for dresses with no one to wear them, one in each color, one in each style.”

Loretta Lynn and Randy Travis bounce off one another in this catchy duet that proved to be a big success among country music fans.

7. “Window Shopper” – 50 Cent

“Window Shopper” by 50 Cent shares much in common with his excellent song about food, “Candy Shop,” with which it pairs well.

“In the jewelry store, looking at shit you can’t buy, Joe, you’s a window shopper,” he raps, continuing, “In the dealership, trying get a test drive, Nas, you’s a window shopper.”

50 Cent released “Window Shopper” in 1995 on his seminal album The Massacre, considered to be among the best hip-hop albums of all time.

6. “Spend Spend Spend” – The Slits

The Slits’ song “Spend Spend Spend” is all about having fun spending money to alleviate boredom and discover something new in life.

It’s also a song about shopping that captures the addictive nature of hitting the mall and becoming overwhelmed with the amount of choices on offer.

“Spend Spend Spend” was released in 1975 on the album Cut, the debut album from the niche punk band that later influenced Massive Attack and Kurt Cobain.

5. “I Don’t Go Shopping” – Patti LaBelle

Patti Labelle wrote something of an anti-shopping song with the track “I Don’t Go Shopping,” released in 1980 to positive reviews.

It was praised for her soulful vocal performance and subtle string arrangements that lifted the melody to new and beautiful heights.

In 1992, “I Don’t Go Shopping” was covered by Peter Allen, who not only sang the song but also played the acoustic piano for the recording.

4. “Material Girl” – Madonna

If the 1980s is seen as the decade of the shopping mall, “Material Girl” by Madonna is the iconic soundtrack to this much-loved location.

As catchy and hummable as anything else Madonna released, “Material Girl” features awesome synth arrangements that complement her vocal style.

Responsible for some of the best karaoke songs of all time, Madonna’s reputation as the queen of pop has rarely been doubted over the course of her long career.

3. “Shopping” – Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys literally spelled out “Shopping” in this classic 1980s synth-driven pop song from the United Kingdom.

“We’re buying and selling your history; how we go about it is no mystery,” the lyrics sing, “We check it with the city, then change the law, are you looking forward? Now you want some more.”

Released on the 1987 Pet Shop Boys album Actually, “Shopping” remains one of their best-loved songs and a classic example of ’80s British synth-pop music.

2. “Lost In The Supermarket” – The Clash

“Lost in the Supermarket” by the Clash was released in 1979 on their third studio album London Calling, which proved to be their most popular release.

A combination of post-punk and pop, “Lost in the Supermarket” explores the singer’s struggle to cope with an increasingly commercialized world and rampant consumerism.

It’s a partly autobiographical song by Clash frontman Joe Strummer that uses shopping as a springboard for more weighty topics and ideas.

1. “Thrift Store” – Macklemore Ft. Ryan Lewis, Wang

Our final entry for these great songs about shopping is “Thrift Store” by Macklemore, which he made with Ryan Lewis and Wang.

A popular release from the Grammy Award-winning rapper, “Thrift Store” showcases his frenetic rapping style set to thumping beats.

Macklemore has enjoyed many successful releases over the course of his career along with Ryan Lewis, drawing influence from Mobb Deep and the Wu-Tang Clan.

Summary

That’s a wrap on this playlist exploring the greatest songs about shopping as viewed through a variety of musical genres and perspectives.

Whether you love it or hate it, shopping is an unavoidable fact of life, and these songs reflect a diverse range of opinions on the pastime.

It’s something we can expect many more singers and bands to write music about in the future, from shopping online to heading out during the holiday shopping season.

What’s the best song about shopping, in your opinion? Leave a comment below.