The 30 Best Songs To Wake Up To In The Morning

Music is emotion captured in sound. It can move us to tears or make our hearts so full we think they may burst. It is also brimming with health benefits. Yes, music can scientifically improve your mood, relieve anxiety, and keep your heart and your head healthy. For all those who are looking for a way to kickstart their day, waking up to the sound of (carefully picked and curated) music can be an amazing way to get a quick fix feel-good boost. Here we take a look at all the benefits of waking up to morning music and provide a heap of suggestions for songs that can rattle you in all the right ways.

SEE ALSO: 5 Wellness Hacks To Get Healthy For Summer

What are the health benefits of using wake-up songs?

If you have ever groggily reached for your alarm in the morning, you will know the fuzziness that comes with waking unnaturally to a sound designed to rouse you from sleep. It’s no wonder it takes time (and caffeine) to be shaken to our senses. For those who struggle with the wake-up call, this could be a case of ‘sleep inertia’ which is the haze that comes with waking up before you are naturally ready to.

Music can help move you out of this state swifter as melodic tones have been found to help reduce the longevity of sleep inertia. There are also a ton of added benefits to using wake up songs instead of an incessant beeping or buzzing alarm and here are just a few.

• It’s mood-boosting.
• It reduces stress.
• It’s good for the heart.
• It stimulates memories.
• It makes you more alert.
• It can help with pain management.

Choosing your next get up song

Whether you want your morning to start soft and gentle or blazing and bright, you should choose a morning song that suits your own unique approach to waking up and getting the day started. It will definitely be beneficial to select a song that is full of upbeat and uplifting moods and also one that brings a divine dose of energy too.

Perhaps you heard about the viral TikTok morning song? The ‘sad song’ from Gia Guidice first appeared on The Real Housewives of New Jersey back in 2011. The song was tied up in the plot of Real Housewives and Gia performed it on her sister’s birthday. It got a resurgence last year as it became a TikTok trend with celebs like Will Smith and Cardi B filming themselves recording it. While this version of the morning song may not be your first choice of an alarm clock, we are all here for choosing and using songs that strike a chord and hit your mood spot.

Ranked by use

There are lots of songs out there that people love to listen to in the morning, and we have rounded up some of the most ranked wake-up tunes across every category. There must be a reason these songs work so well for others so it’s well worth trying them on for size and seeing if they fit your own morning routine.

Mellow

“Three Little Birds“ by Bob Marley

Energetic

“Happy“ by Pharrell Williams

Spiritual

Om Shri Anantaha

Oldie

“Lovely Day“ by Bill Withers

Classical

Peer Gynt – Morning Mood

Our top 30 good morning songs you should wake up to

From soul to rock and pop and reggae, you can find a morning song in every genre out there. Picking the right song to wake up to is a personal choice but we say lean heavily into those feel-good vibes and find your bright burst of inspiration stashed somewhere between melody and words. Take a look at some of our top good morning songs that are awesome to wake up to.

Respect by Aretha Franklin

Named the best song of all time by Rolling Stone, Respect by the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin is a catapult that will send you riding high. Recorded in 1967, this song became an anthem that moved it away from the original Otis Reading version addressing marital fidelity but then turned it into something bigger. Respect is a fierce and fiery reminder of the importance of boundaries, strength, and knowing your own self-worth – exactly the vibe you want to carry into the day.

Run the World (Girls) by Beyoncé

Queen Bey’s fourth studio album, Run the World (Girls) is one of her most inspiring and empowering female anthems out there. It’s a song served and delivered with unlimited confidence and is about the beauty of being hard-working, independent, and not letting the world walk all over you. If you need to put some sass in your step before you step out of the door in the morning, count on Beyonce to remind you of your worth.

Happy by Pharrell Williams

Starting the day with a song titled Happy is a great way to manifest that exact magic and fuel up on feel-good vibes. After releasing the song in 2014, it became the most downloaded song of all time. With its feel-good melody, simple lyrics, and light summer mood, it’s an amazing way to wake up well.

So What by P!nk

Pink’s fifth studio album featured the hell-to-leather ‘So What’. Sure, a song about a breakup may not sound like the best way to start the day, but this one takes a different turn. Instead of wallowing in sorrow, Pink plays on indulging in the pure hedonism of a life free from ties. This feel-good, leaning into punk, and the vibrant song doesn’t leave any room for feeling heavy making it a great song to start the day.

Confident by Demi Lovato

Don’t let your morning be laced with self-doubt. Instead wake up and welcome the day with a delirious dose of confidence thanks to the title track Confident by Demi Lovato. From the same-titled album of 2015, this pop anthem is brimming with big energy.

Wake Me Up by Avicii

A blend of everything goes into Wake Me Up by Avicii – the twang of bluegrass, a touch of folk, a spark of pop, and a glut of glorious electronic dance music to step things up a notch. This song is pacy, meaningful, and despite its sense of fighting to find yourself, still manages to feel completely upbeat.

Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & the Waves

The clue is in the title of this hit by Katrina & the Waves. Walking on Sunshine is the ultimate feel-good song and even if you wake up to a grey and drizzly day, you can welcome this golden number in to brighten your world.

On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

Bright and catchy, with a simple parred down style and fun pop moments, On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons, has a great build-up which makes it a glorious song for easing you out of sleep and into the day. The first few verses roll nice and easy, giving you space to stretch and smile before the chorus kicks in. The choir-like chorus and the repetition of ‘top of the world’ make you want to jump up and float like air through the day.

Three Little Birds by Bob Marley

Good vibes don’t always have to be served with high octane energy, sometimes waking up to something pure and simple and filled with words of affirmation is going to put you on the right track. Three Little Birds from Bob Marley is one such tune. Inspired by the canaries that touched down on his windowsill, the biggest name in reggae penned this tune as a solid reminder to us all that we need to let go of worries about things we can’t control and relax into the energy that everything is going to be alright.

Lovely Day by Bill Withers

Bill Withers knows how to pump out the hits (Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone) and this hit tune that was created with R&B producer Skip Scarborough is full of beautiful low key upbeat energy. The gentle joy ripples through the smooth melody and the positive vibes are sure to put a spring in your step.

Shake It Out by Florence + The Machine

The beautiful slow build-up from Shake it Out by indie English band Florence + The Machine skips platitudes about pleasure and sunshine for something a little darker. While heavy at first, the song rises to a tantalizing tipping point that can make you feel born again before you even get out of bed. It’s a song dedicated to shaking off the past and pushing through to the next level. Word.

Roar by Katy Perry

Waking up ready to roar is exactly the energy that this Katy Perry song brings to the table. It’s a reminder that each day, you can choose to step closer to the person you want to be and you can move away from fear and holding yourself back.

Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones have a whole catalogue of first-class hits. The iconic 60s band hit the target for morning moods with this song from their 1981 album. Start Me Up does exactly what it says – the blaring guitar, high octane vibes, and pure shaking and dancing beats make you want to move in all the right ways. If you want to wake up with that tight and loose energy, singing along to Start Me Up is sure to step your day up.

Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake

Catch all of those catchy moves with this song from the prince of pop Justin Timberlake. If you ever wanted a track to move to, Can’t Stop the Feeling is sure to ripple right through and fill your cup right up. Rich in serotonin, Can’t Stop the Feeling may not mine the same depths as some of the other big hits from the Memphis boy, but it can still fill you with sunshine and good vibes.

Viva La Vida by Coldplay

Coldplay may not be known for their big bangers, but Viva La Vida from the British band comes from their fourth studio album and is centered around the story of a fallen king. Said to be inspired by the artwork of Frida Kahlo, this tune is all strings and ethereal thinking. For those who want to start their day feeling light of soul and open to the mysteries of the universe, this could be it.

Man! I Feel Like a Woman! by Shania Twain

Known as an anthem for hitting the town, this tongue-in-cheek pure fun song from Shania Twain is actually an amazing mood booster to wake up to. For those who want to step right into their sassy femininity from the second, they open their eyes, this hit from the singer’s third studio album Come on Over is considered to be one of her biggest songs and for good reason. Exuberant, upbeat, and here to encourage you to strut your stuff, man it feels good.

Shake It Off by Taylor Swift

Musical boundaries get broken in the Taylor Swift song of Shake it Off. This song from her fifth album released in 2014 is all about shaking off what people think and living your fullest most fun life without fear of judgement. Easier said than done, but hopefully, this fun and ferocious song wrapped in shades of sweet and light give you that encouragement you need before your eyes even flutter open.

Brave by Sara Bareilles

From the album ‘The Blessed Unrest’, Brave is the reminder we need every single morning to step out and be our most authentic selves regardless of what the world thinks. With inspiring lyrics, empowering beats, and an uplifting chorus worthy of its crescendo like feel, Brave gives us the courage to open our own vaults.

Dance, Dance, Dance by Lykke Li

Dance is an expression of life and the morning is the perfect time to get in touch with your body rather than sifting through words. This song by Lykke Li starts soft and melodic with super sweet vibes and moves with ease and grace from start to finish. Far from overwhelming and not here to drown out your mind with its big beats, it simply strikes a thousand little fires in your heart and makes you want to twirl and spin in all the right ways.

Stronger by Kanye West

While Kanye may be a controversial character, his song Stronger makes for a great wake up tune. Released on his second studio album back in 2007, this song was seen as something as a departure from his usual style. Big electric inspired synths, a poppy chorus, and big motivational energy leaning into the vision that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, this may be just the fire you need to fly through any challenges of the day.

Wake Up by Arcade Fire

Wake Up by Arcade Fire is full of life and captures all the frenetic energy that Arcade Fire is loved for. Recorded live to capture all those high key vibes, this song has been used by everyone and in everything from Spike Lee films to the NFL. We love that it spans meaning in its reference to waking up and those powerful guitar riffs are enough to have you leaping out of bed wide awake.

Best Day Of My Life by American Authors

Manifest all the magic you need with this song by American Authors. Titled Best Day of my Life, the twangy sounds, rhythmic beats, and straight-up feel good, jump high vocals, not to mention the catchy fun chorus just go straight to your heart. For all those who want to open their arms to abundance and encourage the best day of their life to show up, this tune hits it right out of the park when it comes to feel-good morning moods.

Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

ELO are full of feel-good, sun on your face, spark in your heart, kind of magic and no tune captures that better than Mr. Blue Sky. Named the happiest song out there and one of the best feel-good anthems you could find, who doesn’t want to start their day in this way. It was inspired by seeing the sun for the first time after endless rain, which is why it captures sunshine and color so so well.

Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles

The Beatles were one of the biggest bands in the world and had plenty of harmonies and hits up their sleeve but Here Comes the Sun is one of their best morning tracks. Written by George Harrison and recorded for the 1969 album Abbey Road, this song is full of sumptuous warmth, and gentle joys, and is a promise that even after the bitterest winter, there will always be spring.

Downtown by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

An American hip hop song from the breakout album titled The Heist, Downtown is all swagger and style (and that’s a great vibe to wake up to in the morning). The hook in this song is out this world and for some reason, it really strikes a joy chord and pops in your mind whenever you need a hit of dopamine. If you want to wake up popping and open to explosive energy, Downtown is your dream.

Money On My Mind by Sam Smith

The second studio single from Sam Smith was a huge hit and for good reason. Not only will this great sounding song rouse you from the depths of slumber and wake you right up but the message is potent and powerful – don’t have money on the mind, do it for the love.

Om Shri Anantaha

Sometimes you don’t want words and a catchy beat to guide your morning, maybe you want something softer. This morning mantra can put you in a different head space with its rich and deep chanting and bells to help your mind tap into a powerful place.

OM Chanting @417 Hz

Om is one of the most spiritual sounds in the universe and can be a divine way to start the day. Om can produce powerful vibrations that invite you to get in touch with the wider universe. This single syllable chant is also known for calming the mind and opening you up so that positive energy can enter your life.

Peer Gynt – Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg

The classics are always a joy to wake up to and this masterpiece by Edvard Grieg is aptly named Morning Mood. Radiant with peace and promise, this beautiful song just seems to capture the energy of the sun rising and spilling her light across a new day.

Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major by Bach

This beautiful piece by Bach truly hits a level and waking up to it makes you feel like the protagonist in your own unique story. The earthy depths and solid connection of a bow across the cello strings just root you into the day.

What are your favorite Spotify songs that put you in a good mood and ready to embrace a beautiful day?