Sadly, musicians are frequently all too familiar with drug taking and addiction. Either in their own lives or with people around them. Songs about addiction are, therefore, relatively common.
Writing about addiction is no doubt cathartic and, thankfully, is almost always treated in such a way as to act as a warning. It’s rarely shown as glamorous, and frankly, any of the songs on this list should deter most sane people from even considering using them.
However, people are strange and complex. And, unfortunately, things are never quite that simple. Regardless, for those of you who want to delve into songs related to addiction, here are a few tracks to start the journey.
90 Best Songs About Addiction of All Time
1 Rehab by Amy Winehouse
Amy Whinehouse was an amazing talent and had one of the best Soul and Jazz voices of her generation. She was also a greatly gifted songwriter, as demonstrated throughout her tragically short career.
“Rehab” came out in 2006. It was taken from, Back to Black, which was her second and last album to be released whilst she was still alive. Sadly, she died of an alcohol overdose in 2011. This makes the message in “Rehab” all the more poignant.
The single went platinum in the US and the UK. It also made it into the Top 10 in both countries. The album was an even bigger success. It went to #2 in the US, #1 in the UK, and sold 16 million copies. When it comes to songs about addiction, this one stands out.
The message of “Rehab” was very simple…
As well as autobiographical. It was no secret that Amy Winehouse was a regular drug user as well as a heavy drinker. Sadly, after the release of her first album, Frank, in 2003, this only accelerated.
She had been to rehab on several occasions, but for whatever reason, it never worked out; after she released Back to Black, her drug taking and drinking escalated to increasingly more dangerous levels.
Before the release of “Rehab”…
She’d been asked by concerned friends and family to consider further attempts at rehab, but she refused. This was the basis of the song. Now, a tragic irony, knowing how her life ended.
Hopefully, people in the same position will join the dots and seek help as a result of her song and story.
2 Hurt by Johnny Cash
The song was written by the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor. “Hurt” is a song about depression, emotional instability, and the coping mechanisms that frequently go with it.
This is very common in drug-taking and alcohol addiction. The song spares no punches and graphically describes the process of injection drugs.
It also doesn’t shy away from the subject of death…
This is either a consequence of addiction or a result of suicide or escaping pain. The lyrics, in this instance, are a little ambiguous and could easily be taken as a farewell suicide note. In any circumstance, there’s a high level of suffering, with the individual looking for an end in some way.
The original composition of “Hurt” was released in 1995 from the album, The Downward Spiral. Frankly, the title pretty much says it all about the album’s contents. However, despite the somewhat depressing subject matter of the song and album, they still charted well in the US.
Nine Inch Nails are an intense Rock band, or more accurately, an intense Industrial Rock Band. Although the music is hard, “Hurt” is largely performed and presented in a much more forgiving style.
Now, let’s move on to the Country version of this incredible song…
Johnny Cash’s interpretation feels very different despite the words being the same. The message of physical drug addiction is the same. However, it hints at other topics that we don’t associate with the original song.
When Johnny Cash released his cover of Hurt in March of 2003, he was very close to death. The accompanying video makes his feelings about coming to the end of his life very clear. The video also makes clear his regrets concerning his addiction to fame and music.
You feel that the song is much more reflective, and much more about the subject of death. It was also much more of a reality for him, and something he knew could not be that far away. In many ways, it was a farewell to his life but not a suicide note like in the original version.
The song is an incredible piece of music…
It won Johnny Cash a Grammy and is considered one of his greatest songs and videos. An amazing achievement for someone with such a huge back catalog.
Sadly, Johnny Cash passed away on the 12th of September 2003. The man was a legend.
3 Cocaine by Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton didn’t write one of the most well-known songs about addiction, which is probably a surprise to many of you.
So, who wrote it?
It was written by J.J. Cale and was first released in 1977. The lyrics to the song are interesting because, at first glance, they seem to glorify cocaine. There are plenty of references to the highs and the fun aspects of taking it.
However, when you look more deeply, the lows are also referenced. This is undoubtedly an anti-drugs song.
When he wrote the song…
J.J. Cale knew that a song containing too many negative references would be ignored by the very people it could help. He understood that a more balanced but ultimately negative assessment would more likely make an impact on potential and current users.
Regardless, it’s frankly amazing that it got past the censors of the time.
Eric Clapton picked up the song…
And he released his cover in 1977, shortly after the original. It featured on his album, Slowhand. The single, somewhat surprisingly considering its now legendary status, saw tepid sales. However, the album did much better, making it to #2 and #3 in the US.
Eric Clapton had struggled with alcohol and heroin addiction early on in his career. He eventually managed to kick heroin but ended up replacing it with cocaine instead. Fortunately, at the time he recorded “Cocaine,” he’d already stopped using it.
When it comes to drugs…
…Cocaine, in particular, no one puts it better than David Bowie. He once said, “Cocaine is your devious friend.” How true is that?
David Bowie also had his battles with drugs. So now, let’s take a look at one of his songs that highlight addiction.
4 Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie
David Bowie was no stranger to drugs. Through the 60s and 70s, he spent a good deal of his time on one form of narcotic or another. It took him until he got into the 80s to leave that part of his life behind. “Ashes to Ashes” was part of this journey.
It was released in 1980 as part of the Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) album. Although it made it to #1 in the UK, it only reached a lowly #79 in the US. The album also made it to #1 in the UK and got to #12 in the US.
All in all, sales for the single and album were somewhat underwhelming, which is how I feel about the music. Frankly, I feel that musically, “Ashes to Ashes” was far from his finest work. Plus, I hate to admit it, but I still fail to find what I consider to be one decent track from the entire album.
Let’s move on…
“Ashes to Ashes” is a thinly disguised reference to the need to put his drug-taking use to an end to move forward. At the time of its release, it’s not clear if he was drug-free, although I kind of think he was.
Why? Because much of his best music was already behind him. “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars,” “Low,” “Heroes,” “Hunky Dory,” and “Diamond Dogs” were all from the 70s.
There are more, but these were the standouts. These were amazing pieces of art, but sadly, all were recorded and released when Bowie was heavily addicted to narcotics.
The irony…
Many musicians appear to be at their most creative when on mind-altering substances. Think of artists like Elton John, Bob Marley, and Neil Young. It’s terrible that this is commonly the case as it’s not worth anyone losing their soul, health, and possibly even life.
To bring this back to Bowie and “Ashes to Ashes.” The fact that it was nowhere near on par with his previous music leads me to conclude he was clean at the time. Good.
5 Fire and Rain by James Taylor
James Taylor is one of the greatest Folk guitarists and singer-songwriters of all time. He plays in a highly distinctive fingerpicking style that’s both super expressive and emotional.
It’s a way of playing that has been much copied and admired. Even modern-day guitarists, like our friend Taylor Swift, are big fans.
So much so that she invited James Taylor as her special guest to perform a duet of “Fire and Rain” during her Speak Now: World Tour Live at Madison Square Garden on November 22nd, 2011.
Back to the song…
“Fire and Rain” was released in 1970 on the album Sweet Baby James and came out earlier in the same year. They were both commercially successful and similarly got to #3 on the US Billboard charts.
The song is an autobiographical account of the death of a friend, Suzanne Schnerr, who he knew from his school days. Sadly, she’s committed suicide, but this was kept from him for reasons we’ll come to shortly since he was living in London at the time.
His parents decided not to tell him of the passing of his friend. They didn’t want to cause additional worry whilst he was away and recording his debut album. This was probably because they knew he had mental health issues whilst recording James Taylor.
At this time…
He was depressed and also indulging in widespread drinking and drug taking. His parents were rightly concerned and didn’t want to do anything to push him over the edge.
When James Taylor eventually found out about the death of his friend, his response was to write “Fire and Rain.” The song is an attempt to deal with the emotions he felt at the time. It’s also an open admission of his personal struggles with fame, drug taking, and depression.
I find it surprising and sad that drug taking, even amongst Folk singers, in the 70s and 80s was so prevalent. More happily, in 1983, James Taylor got sober and kicked his heroin addiction.
6 The Needle And The Damage Done by Neil Young
It’s honestly another surprise that Neil Young was so involved with drugs in the early part of his career. He managed to keep a fairly clean reputation, but there’s no doubt of this personal involvement.
There’s also no doubt about the involvement of those around him, which is how he came to write “The Needle And The Damage Done.”
This is a song about drug taking by fellow musicians, though he never directly alludes to his personal use. It graphically explains the damage that drugs cause. The song also illustrates that death can be the ultimate price paid for addiction.
It was specifically written for Danny Whitten…
At one time, in the early days, he was the guitarist for Neil’s band, Crazy Horse. Danny had a heroin addiction, which, as time went on, became increasingly serious. This culminated in his sacking whilst the band was on tour.
He became so high that he was unable to perform, and Neil Young sent him back to Los Angeles. When he got back home, he went on a bender and overdosed on alcohol and Valium. A few months later, one of the band’s roadies overdosed on heroin, and Neil Young wrote the song.
Simple, yet straight to the point…
“The Needle And The Damage Done” was released in 1972 as a track from the album Harvest. It was never recorded as part of the album. Instead, he used a live recording from a year earlier that just featured Neil Young and his acoustic guitar.
The album went to #1 in the US and the UK. It also became Neil Young’s biggest-selling album reaching sales of over eight and a half million copies worldwide.
Interestingly, the melody and sound of Neil Young’s voice completely contrast with the words and the message of this song talking about the dangers of addiction. In many ways, this is what makes it even more powerful.
7 Master of Puppets by Metallica
This was released in 1986 from their third studio album, also titled Master of Puppets. Surprisingly, for such a strong album, it was the only single to be released. It went to #1 on the US Rock & Metal charts. The album became their sixth best-selling and chalked up a still impressive 14 million sales.
The song was written by all four band members, and happens to include a riff taken from David Bowie’s song “Andy Warhol.” The guys do pay tribute to Bowie for the riff. It’s also interesting that Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton were huge Bowie fans and site him as an important musical influence.
So, what is this song all about?
It specifically deals with the changing dynamics of drug taking. It explains that the start of taking drugs usually coincides with a level of control over what you are doing and what you put in your body. However, as time goes by, things shift around, and the drugs take hold and control you.
It’s a powerful song, done the Metallica way, that has been enduringly popular with the fans and is a frequently included song on their live setlist. The song has also seen a resurgence of interest since its clever inclusion in the hit TV series, “Stranger Things.”
It’s great to see such an iconic song regain popularity after so long with a whole new generation.
8 Wasted by Carrie Underwood
The previous songs about addiction have dealt with it predominantly through the direct experiences of the songwriters. However, “Wasted” is a song about the effects of addiction on another person and the results it has on the relationship they are involved with.
At this point, it’s worth noting that the song was not written by Carrie Underwood. It was written for her by Troy Verges, Hillary Lindsey, and Marv Green.
The song was released in 2007 from her award-winning debut album, Some Hearts. It was the sixth and last single to be released from the album. Just as well that they stopped here because there weren’t many songs left to be released.
Surprise, surprise…
“Wasted” made it to #1 on the US Country charts. Meanwhile, Some Hearts was breaking all sorts of records. It went to #1 on pretty much every Country chart globally but did well on mainstream charts too.
“Wasted,” like most of her songs on the album, was a crossover Country/Pop song. It was brilliantly produced. And although it received loads of traction due to her appearance on American Idol, it’s still a great song. It also doesn’t detract from her beautiful singing voice and delivery.
Here is a song about a man dependent on alcohol to the point of ruining his life and those around him. As the song progresses, he realizes the futility of the life he’s leading, and He no longer wants to pour his life down the drain, so he faces his problems and gets sober. All very Country, no?
9 Hotel California by The Eagles
This is one of the best-known Classic Rock songs ever. “Hotel California” was popular when it was first released in 1977. However, since this time, it’s become iconic.
Every gigging musician worth his salt will know it ad be able to play it. Walk into any bar or club where they’re paying Classic Rock, and there’s a good chance this will be played.
It was released as the main single from the album of the same name. The album went crazy and ended up selling over 32 million copies making it the sixth most successful album ever.
With such coverage and popularity…
Most people already have a good idea of what it is all about. However, for the few of you who’ve just gotten absorbed in the music, which is fair enough, or who haven’t heard it before, here’s a brief explanation.
Essentially…
“Hotel California” is about the excesses of California in the 60s. It’s about a bitter high life of parties, girls, wealth, drug taking, and fame.
About taking a look at yourself and trying to curb the excesses and being able to not be addicted to the lifestyle. And it’s about taking a middle ground and cutting out the crazy highs and the awful lows.
The enduring popularity of “Hotel California” is no doubt because this kind of lifestyle and madness is still prevalent in California and around the world. Consequently, many can relate to the idea of getting caught up in hedonism whilst they go about their life living in the eye of the storm.
10 Bad by U2
“Bad” was released as a track from The Unforgettable Fire in 1984. It was the seventh track on the album, but it was never released as a single. The album was the band’s fourth studio album.
It got to #1 in the UK charts and sold close to five million copies despite only being their eleventh best-selling album. That tells you how successful this Dublin outfit was.
The main theme of “Bad” concerns heroin use…
During the 80s, in Dublin, heroin was a huge problem, and there weren’t many people who didn’t know someone who’d been affected. People have said that the lyrics are ambiguous and that it’s about heroin use generally. However, I don’t think that’s the case.
And here’s why…
The song was frequently played live, and at one of the concerts, Bono made it very clear what it was about. He told the audience that it concerned the high level of heroin use that was tearing the very heart out of Dublin and the once great city where he grew up.
He also made it clear that it concerned a friend who’d died on his 21st birthday after an overdose. It’s a great piece of music and brilliantly arranged but with a sad message.
1110 AM Automatic by The Black Keys
12The Man Who Sold The World by Nirvana (David Bowie cover)
13Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers
14Lithium by Nirvana
15The A Team by Ed Sheeran
16Junkie by Ozzy Osbourne
17Loser by Beck
18All My Life by Foo Fighters
19Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales by Car Seat Headrest
20Pills N Potions by Nicki Minaj
21Self Control by Frank Ocean
22Out of My Mind by B.o.B ft. Nicki Minaj
23Call It What You Want by Foster the People
24Love My Way by The Psychedelic Furs
25Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush
26Cigarettes & Alcohol by Oasis
27Green Grass and High Tides by The Outlaws
28Use Somebody by Kings of Leon
29Like a Stone by Audioslave
30In My Veins by Andrew Belle
31Crackity Jones by Pixies
32Sister Morphine by The Rolling Stones
33Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy
34Stone the Crow by Down
35Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers
36The Day I Tried to Live by Soundgarden
37Fade to Black by Metallica
38I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan
39The Ballad of Me and My Brain by The 1975
40Novacane by Frank Ocean
41Heroin by The Velvet Underground
42Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men
43Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
44Grace by Jeff Buckley
45Everything’s Ruined by Faith No More
46Grey Street by Dave Matthews Band
47Chandelier by Sia
48Leave Me Alone by I Don’t Know How But They Found Me
49Fix You by Coldplay
50Oxygen by Willy Mason
More 40 Songs About Addiction
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- Underneath It All by No Doubt ft. Lady Saw
- Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes
- Glycerine by Bush
- 6th Avenue Heartache by The Wallflowers
- Black Balloon by Goo Goo Dolls
- The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band
- Rush by Big Audio Dynamite II
- Junkhead by Alice in Chains
- Zero by Smashing Pumpkins
- Say It Ain’t So by Weezer
- Coming Clean by Green Day
- Rooster by Alice in Chains
- P.L.U.C.K. by System of a Down
- Black Gives Way to Blue by Alice in Chains
- A Little Bit Off by Five Finger Death Punch
- Pills by St. Vincent
- Voices Carry by ‘Til Tuesday
- Mr. Crowley by Ozzy Osbourne
- Call Me a Dog by Temple of the Dog
- Runaway Train by Soul Asylum
- Bloodstream by Ed Sheeran
- The High Road by Broken Bells
- The Needle Lies by Queensryche
- Handle With Care by Traveling Wilburys
- Runnin’ with the Devil by Van Halen
- Blame It on Me by George Ezra
- My Name Is Mud by Primus
- Down in a Hole by Alice in Chains
- Life by Our Lady Peace
- Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
- Back in Black by AC/DC
- Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Touch, Peel and Stand by Days of the New
- Pills and Soap by Elvis Costello
- Daylight by Maroon 5
- Watch Over You by Alter Bridge
- Drive-Incubus by Incubus
- The Only Time by Nine Inch Nails
- It’s Been Awhile by Staind
- Home Again by Elton John
Interested in Songs that Deal with Darker Themes?
If so, take a look at our detailed articles on the Best Songs About Monsters, the Best Songs About Death, the Best Songs About Revenge, the Best Songs About Lying and Liars, and the Best Songs About Pain & Suffering for more incredible song selections.
Most Popular Songs About Addiction – Final Thoughts
So, there you have it. Hopefully, the songs all about addiction on my list will stir anyone listening to them to continue to steer clear or try and get some help.
If you find yourself in a position where you are either tempted or are currently addicted to booze or drugs, please talk to someone and get some help. There are genuine people out there that will listen and help you through it.
Until next time, happy listening.
