There may be no word in popular music that has worked harder than “baby.” Singers have been calling their sweethearts “baby” practically since popular music began, using the word to express everything from devotion and heartbreak to desire, desperation and, occasionally, an appreciation for a particularly impressive backside.
The result is an enormous collection of songs with “baby” right there in the title. Some became generation-defining hits, while others have remained radio staples decades after their release. Here are 10 of the most famous.
10. “Baby Hold On” — Eddie Money
Released in 1977, “Baby Hold On” helped introduce Eddie Money to rock audiences with a simple message: don't give up on us just yet.
The song became Money's first major hit and established the blue-collar rock sound that would eventually produce favorites including “Two Tickets to Paradise” and “Take Me Home Tonight.” Nearly five decades later, that opening “Baby, hold on to me” remains instantly recognizable to classic-rock fans.
9. “Baby Baby” — Amy Grant
Amy Grant was already enormously successful in contemporary Christian music when “Baby Baby” transformed her into a mainstream pop star in 1991.
Inspired by Grant's newborn daughter, the relentlessly cheerful song became her biggest pop hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains one of the quintessential feel-good songs of the early 1990s.
8. “Baby Come Back” — Player
Sometimes you don't realize what you had until it's gone—and then you write an incredibly catchy song begging for it back.
Player's “Baby Come Back” was released in 1977 and became a No. 1 hit in early 1978. Its smooth combination of rock, pop and soul helped make it one of the era's defining soft-rock records.
The title says pretty much everything you need to know. No metaphors. No mystery. Just: I messed up. Please come back.
We've all been there.
7. “Baby Boy” — Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul
Beyoncé's transition from Destiny's Child superstar to solo superstar was already well underway when “Baby Boy” arrived in 2003.
Featuring Jamaican artist Sean Paul, the dancehall-influenced track appeared on Beyoncé's debut solo album, Dangerously in Love. It followed the massive success of “Crazy in Love” and spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It also helped establish something that would become increasingly obvious over the next two decades: Beyoncé wasn't simply launching a solo career. She was building an empire.
6. “Baby, I Love Your Way” — Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton originally released “Baby, I Love Your Way” on his 1975 album Frampton, but the song became especially famous through his blockbuster live album Frampton Comes Alive! the following year.
The warm, romantic ballad became one of Frampton's signature songs and proved remarkably durable.
Nearly two decades later, reggae-pop group Big Mountain introduced it to another generation with a hugely successful 1994 cover featured on the soundtrack to Reality Bites.
Apparently, some babies are worth loving your way more than once.
5. “Baby Got Back” — Sir Mix-a-Lot
And suddenly our list takes a turn.
Sir Mix-a-Lot's “Baby Got Back” became a cultural phenomenon in 1992, spending five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Its famous opening conversation and unforgettable bass-heavy hook have been referenced, sampled, parodied and quoted endlessly.
Whether you consider it outrageous, hilarious, groundbreaking or all three, there is no denying its place in pop culture.
4. “Baby Love” — The Supremes
Before Britney, Beyoncé or Bieber ever sang the word, The Supremes were already proving just how effective “baby” could be.
Released in 1964, “Baby Love” became one of the group's signature recordings during an extraordinary run of Motown hits. Written and produced by the legendary Holland–Dozier–Holland team, the song reached No. 1 in the United States and also topped the UK singles chart.
Diana Ross's sweet lead vocal paired perfectly with Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson's backing harmonies, creating one of the defining sounds of the Motown era.
3. “Be My Baby” — The Ronettes
Those opening drums alone deserve a place in music history.
Released in 1963, “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes is widely regarded as one of the greatest pop recordings ever made. Ronnie Spector's unmistakable lead vocal soars over Phil Spector's elaborate “Wall of Sound” production, creating something that sounded enormous coming through a radio speaker.
The song became a major influence on generations of musicians—most famously Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, whose fascination with the record became legendary.
More than 60 years later, “Be My Baby” still doesn't sound like an old record. It sounds timeless.
2. “Baby” — Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
For an entire generation, there is only one answer when someone says, “You know that song called ‘Baby’?”
Released in 2010, Justin Bieber's “Baby” became one of the defining songs of his early career. Featuring Ludacris, the track arrived as Biebermania was exploding around the world.
Its music video also became one of the defining artifacts of early YouTube culture, accumulating enormous viewership while inspiring equally enormous amounts of online love, hate and debate.
Love it or groan when you hear it, that chorus is probably already playing inside your head.
Baby, baby, baby...
Sorry.
1. “…Baby One More Time” — Britney Spears
If we're ranking iconic uses of the word “baby,” Britney gets the crown.
Released in 1998, “…Baby One More Time” didn't simply introduce Britney Spears—it announced the arrival of one of the defining pop stars of her generation.
Written by Swedish hitmaker Max Martin, the song topped charts around the world and became inseparable from its equally famous music video featuring Spears dancing through a high school in her now-iconic schoolgirl outfit.
The combination of the opening piano notes, enormous chorus and unforgettable video helped usher in a new era of teen pop that would dominate the turn of the millennium.
More than a quarter-century later, you need only hear those first few notes to know exactly what's coming.
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Why Does Everyone Sing About “Baby”?
There is a reason “baby” appears in thousands of song titles and lyrics.
It's short. It's affectionate. It's intimate. Most importantly for songwriters, it sings beautifully.
The word contains two open vowel sounds and can easily be stretched across multiple notes: baaa-by. It can sound romantic, desperate, playful, sexy, comforting or heartbreaking depending entirely on how the singer delivers it.
And unlike more formal terms such as “darling,” “sweetheart” or “lover,” “baby” has managed to survive changes in musical fashion. Motown singers used it. Rock stars used it. Disco used it. R&B used it. Hip-hop used it. Teen pop used it.
Every generation apparently gets its own baby.
Honorable Mentions
Ten songs barely scratches the surface. Other famous “baby” titles include:
- “Baby I Need Your Loving” — Four Tops
- “Baby It's You” — The Shirelles
- “Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me” — Mac Davis
- “Baby Don't Forget My Number” — Milli Vanilli
- “Baby Jane” — Rod Stewart
- “Baby Can I Hold You” — Tracy Chapman
- “Baby, Baby Don't Cry” — Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
- “Baby Don't Go” — Sonny and Cher
- “Baby I'm-a Want You” — Bread
- “There Goes My Baby” — The Drifters
From The Ronettes and The Supremes to Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber, “baby” has survived practically every major transformation in popular music.
Styles change. Stars change. Technology changes. But apparently one thing is eternal:
Somebody will always be singing about their baby.
