When you’re stuck at home on a stormy day, there’s nothing like music to put you in the right mood. Thankfully, so many artists have written songs about storms. Some of these carry that raucous energy you might associate with storms. Others can soothe the troubles that life’s storms may bring.
If you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack to accompany the noises of rain pattering and thunder crashing, you have come to the right place.
So whatever you’re looking for, we hope you find them from the list of 13 of the best songs about storms. They’ll give you something to listen to when the rain comes around. Read on!
1. “Thunderstruck” By AC/DC
Everyone knows the iconic speed-guitar opening to AC/DC’s classic song “Thunderstruck.” In this 1990 tune from their album The Razor’s Edge, AC/DC turns a bad situation into good after being struck by thunder.
In the song, the singer finds himself trapped on a railroad track, abandoned, and afraid. Yet after the thunder strikes, he’s cruising down the highway. He meets some fun dancers and begs to come back for more good times.
If you’re looking for an energizing tune to turn your stormy day around, “Thunderstruck” may be just what you need.
Related: Next, check out our list of songs about weather.
2. “Thunder Rolls” By Garth Brooks
This song about a desperate woman waiting for her love to come home pulls at the heartstrings in Garth Brooks‘ “Thunder Rolls.”
She waits by the window late into the night, watching a storm roll through as her partner is still not home. She wonders where he is and what he could be doing, though there’s a seed of doubt in her heart. She’s “prayin’ it’s the weather that’s kept him out all night.”
But then her suspicions are correct when her partner arrives home. Unfortunately, there is no happy ending for both of them. She catches the whiff of a “strange perfume” on him. Her heart breaks as she knows all too well where he’s been.
3. “Rock You Like A Hurricane” By Scorpions
When it comes to storms, nothing is more powerful than a hurricane. That’s just the kind of energy Scorpions capture in the rocking 80s song “Rock You Like a Hurricane.”
In the lyrics, the singer tells us about his day after a loud and shaky night. Now he is ready for a show where he will rock us like a hurricane. As the stormy night draws him in, he is like a hungry wolf ready to pounce on his prey.
If you’ve ever felt drawn to the powerful, chaotic energy a storm brings, this song will probably resonate with you.
4. “Umbrella” By Rihanna Ft. JAY-Z
With so many storm-themed songs telling tales of heartbreak and woe, Rihanna’s “Umbrella” is a welcome, upbeat, positive addition. In this catchy 2007 tune, she talks about a friend she will always stand by. She offers her friend a place under her umbrella to weather life’s storms together.
She welcomes the rain, clouds, and dark skies from a storm, knowing will always be all right with her friend by her side. She invites her friend closer, singing “come into me” as the rain pours around them.
This heartwarming song of friendship from one of the most popular singers lets us know that storms aren’t always bad news. Sometimes, they can bring us closer to those we love.
5. “November Rain” By Guns N’ Roses
Up next, we have Guns N’ Roses‘ “November Rain.” In this heartbreaking song, the band bemoans losing love and ending up walking on a cold rainy day in November.
Anyone who has experienced getting brokenhearted can relate to this song. You want someone so badly, yet you know the relationship isn’t taking you anywhere. You both know it’s going to end, but no one wants to be the first to say it.
In the end, the singer concludes that nothing lasts forever. Not love, not even the “cold November rain.” The singer also tells us that we need somebody, even when we think we don’t.
6. “Shelter From The Storm” By Bob Dylan
Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan delivers a potent message in this 1974 song with “storm” in the title. His songs are always rich with symbolism and metaphor, and “Shelter from the Storm” is no exception.
In the song, the man finds salvation from the tribulations of life in the arms of a lover who offers protection from the storm. In response, Dylan promises to always do his best, no matter what the storms bring.
In addition to its stormy theme, Dylan fills this song with Christian imagery, such as wearing a crown of thorns. Many critics have mused its deeper meaning. But Dylan has never been forthcoming on whether the song is about anything more than a storm-torn man seeking refuge.
7. “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” By Missy Elliott
No storm-themed playlist would be complete without Missy Elliott’s 1997 banger “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).” In this song, Elliott lets us know how much she hates the rain.
She keeps repeating this in the chorus that goes, “I can’t stand the rain against my window.” Unfortunately, it ruins a great day at the beach with her friend. No worries, though. She still finds plenty of ways to have fun when the storms come through.
“The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” was Elliott’s debut single, released with an accompanying video that we absolutely love. Elliott’s vinyl-look jumpsuit, along with numerous fisheye lens shots, are iconically 90s. If you want a little pick-me-up for your stormy days, turn on some Missy Elliott and dance your blues away.
8. “Storms” By Fleetwood Mac
In this 1970 song “Storms” from their critically acclaimed album Tusk, Fleetwood Mac tells a tale of heartbreak and loneliness. Singer Stevie Nicks wrote this slow, heart-wrenching song with “storm” in the lyrics.
Here, the singer laments about a lover who fades away each night they don’t return. All the things she sings about seem to point to the end of their relationship.
Unlike other songs where the storm is a separate character, here, the singer herself is the storm. Because the relationship is “frail,” it couldn’t weather the storm she caused. Despite desperately longing and praying for the relationship, nothing can save the doomed lovers in this song.
9. “After The Storm” By Mumford & Sons
Our next song mentions “storm” and the hope one holds onto after making it through a challenging storm. The British band Mumford & Sons tells us in “After the Storm” that it brings decay, loneliness, and death.
But on the other side, there is love, grace, and a release from fear. By holding onto what he has and refusing to rot, he pledges to make it through the storm no matter what.
Despite the fear of what has happened and what is yet to come, he knows that there is something far better awaiting him when the storm abates.
10. “Weather The Storm” By DJ Khaled Ft. Meek Mill And Lil Baby
Up next on our list is this banging hip-hop tune from DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, and Lil Baby. “Weather the Storm,” tells us how far they’ve come in weathering life’s storms.
We hear about many hardships like dealing with crime, poverty, and a mother’s sorrow. Yet through it all, these people have made it to the top. They have the trappings of a life well lived to show for it.
This 2019 hit paints a dreary picture of life before fame, from being wanted by police to watching your friends killed. Yet through difficult, creative work, they found their way to the top and overcame things that brought them down before.
11. “Prayers For Rain” By The Cure
From The Cure, we expect dark, moody tunes. The storm-themed 1989 hit “Prayers for Rain” from their Disintegration album proves perfect for their vibe.
The song starts and ends darkly. From the lyrics, we can tell it’s a relationship where the love is gone. The singer feels that what used to be a gentle and affectionate touch is now a grip “so dull it kills.” What’s left after the love is gone now stifles him.
Several lines in the song go, “You strangle me, entangle me in hopelessness and prayers for rain.” The title could be a metaphor for change, but it’s not about to come. They’re stuck in a situation where it becomes toxic.
12. “Texas Flood” By Stevie Ray Vaughn
Guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn delivers on this bluesy, storm-fueled tune called “Texas Flood.” Though you cannot find the title anywhere in the song, the phrase is a metaphor for the singer’s problems.
Here, the singer recounts all of the challenges he’s going through. First, there’s flooding. His call to his lover won’t get through because “the telephone lines are down.” The fact that a storm is coming and he finds himself standing in the rain means that he is right in the middle of a mess.
In the end, he’s resolved to leave her and go back where there are “no floods or tornadoes.” He wants to be where the sun shines.
Related: Next, read our best Texas songs of all time post here.
13. “Stormy Weather” By Pixies
Our last song on our list is “Stormy Weather” from the American alternative rock band, Pixies. The song was released in 1990 from their Bossanova album.
It is a simple song that revolves around the idea that “it is time for stormy weather.” However, it seems as though the band purposely created simplistic lyrics. And it is amazing how they are able to write a song that seems to contain multiple messages.
One way to interpret it is by looking at change. Storms might seem bad when they arrive, but they are necessary. In the same way, when we are in the middle of storms or problems, we come out stronger.
Summing Up Our List Of Storms Songs
Storms are such a fruitful theme when it comes to music. They can represent fear, pain, loneliness, power, potency, and anticipation.
It’s true that weathering storms can be challenging. But many of the songs above have shown us that getting out on the other side of them is quite a hopeful experience.
Whether the storms you’re facing are literal or metaphorical, the songs here may be just what you need.
