50 Songs in C Major

Ray has been an online music writer for over four years. Having sung in multiple competitions as a youth, he has a passion for the art.

1. "Imagine"

Artist: John Lennon

Album: Imagine

Genre: Soft Rock, Pop Music

Year Released: 1975

Facts About "Imagine"

• "Imagine" is one of the most popular songs in C major by the music legend John Lennon, from his album with the same name.
• The song became Lennon's best-selling single in his entire solo career, and it's perfect for learning piano.
• The song talks about encouragement and world peace.
• The song was a highly-awarded track worldwide, including in Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, United States, Belgium, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Sweden.
• Broadcast Music Inc. included the song in the list of the 100 most performed songs of the 20th century.
• The song earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, a hall of fame to honor exceptional musical recordings.
• The song also tops the list of the best simple songs in C major played using a piano.
• Although the key of the anthemic song is in C major, it also includes small A# as a transition note and E7 chord in "Imagine."

2. "Bad Romance"

Artist: Lady Gaga

Album: The Fame Monster

Genre: Electropop, Dance-Pop

Year Released: 2009

Facts About "Bad Romance"

• "Bad Romance" is one of the most popular songs in C major, written and produced by Nadir Khayat, known as RedOne.
• The song describes Lady Gaga's appreciation of individuals with no romantic capabilities.
• "Bad Romance" is one of the pop songs in C major that talk about lonely and vengeful relationships.
• The Lady Gaga song won the Best Short Form Music Video and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in the Grammy Awards.
• The song topped multiple weekly and year-end charts worldwide, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Iceland, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States.
• "Bad Romance" peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the early 2000s.

3. "Hallelujah"

Artist: Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley

Album: Various Positions

Genre: Folk Rock

Year Released: 1984

Facts About "Hallelujah"

• Hallelujah is a folk-rock song and is considered one of the simple songs in C major.
• The song became even more popular when Jeff Buckley released his version of the piano song.
• "Hallelujah" is a straightforward song to play on a piano because it has no other notes outside of C major.
• The song will make a good impression on listeners once you play it with a piano because of its mellow tone pleasant to the ears.
• "Hallelujah" appeared on numerous singles charts, including the American Billboard Hot 100 following Cohen's death.
• The song got featured in the 2001 Shrek movie.

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4. "When I Was Your Man"

Artist: Bruno Mars

Album: Unorthodox Jukebox

Genre: Pop Music

Year Released: 2013

Facts About "When I Was Your Man"

• "When I Was Your Man" is a romantic piano ballad song by the legendary Filipino-American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars.
• The introduction to the song requires you to create various easy chord transitions at a slow-moderate tempo. The rest of the piano song is in C major.
• The song is an emotional pop-ballad song that describes the heartbreak and regret of Bruno Mars when he let go of his lover.
• In the song's music video, Mars sings and plays the piano as the sole instrumentation.
• The emotional ballad song in C major peaked at #1 position in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

5. "Let It Be"

Artist: The Beatles

Album: Let It Be

Genre: Rocks Music, Gospel Music

Year Released: 1970

Facts About "Let It Be"

• "Let It Be" is the title track of the Beatles' album Let It Be.
• Paul McCartney wrote and sang the song showcasing his love for his band brother Lennon.
• The song peaked at #2 in the U.K. Charts and #1 on the U.S. Hot 100 Charts.
• "Let It Be" gave the band seven years of charting at the #1 position sharing the feat with Elvis Presley.
• "Let It Be" is one of the easy songs in C major, ideal for beginners.
• Beginners can check out songs in C major sheet music like "Let It Be" from various websites online.

6. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"

Artist: Wham!

Album: Make It Big

Genre: Dance-Pop Music

Year Released: 1984

Facts About "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"

• "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" is one of the most famous pop songs in C major that you can't resist dancing and listening to its tune.
• VH1 ranked the song at #28 position on the list of 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.
• "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" topped multiple charts worldwide, including Australia, Iceland, Netherlands, Europe, United States, etc.
• The song ranked #2 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
• The track is in a 160 BPM tempo.

7. "Time After Time"

Artist: Cyndi Lauper

Album: She's So Unusual

Genre: Soft Rock Music, New Wave Music

Year Released: 1984

Facts About "Time After Time"

• "Time After Time" is a commendable love song in C major nominated for the 1985 Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
• "Time After Time" was Cyndi Lauper's first #1 hit in the U.S. Singles Chart.
• The song became one of the best love songs, as Rolling Stone included the track in their selected lists.
• The track is one of the most popular songs in C major in 4/4 time with a 130 BPM tempo written by Rob Hyman and Lauper herself.
• Beginners can create their acoustic version of the song while practicing on a piano.

8. "Stay"

Artist: Rihanna

Album: Unapologetic

Genre: Pop Music, R&B Music

Year Released: 2013

Facts About "Stay"

• "Stay" is one of the best pop songs in C major that talks about temptation and the incapability to resist authentic love.
• The song peaked at #1 on the U.S. Pop Songs Chart and #16 on the Hot Dance Club Songs Chart.
• "Stay" became one of the best-selling singles of all time in the world, having sold over 10 million copies.
• The track is a mix of pop and R&B ballad with guitar and piano as instrumentations.
• The single has a chord progression of C-Dm-Am-F and a BPM of 112, which falls under the moderate tempo.

9. "Hello"

Artist: Lionel Richie

Album: Can't Slow Down

Genre: Pop Music, R&B, Soft Rock Music

Year Released: 1984

Facts About "Hello"

• "Hello" by Lionel Richie is one of the most famous pop-rock songs in C major. Beginners can play the song in A minor but remember to emphasize the minor key more when using it.
• The single peaked at #1 on not just one but three Billboard Music Charts, namely Pop Chart, R&B Chart, and the Adult Contemporary Chart.
• The chorus of the song features a Neapolitan chord (Bb) and ends on a Picardy third.
• People know the song by its memorable line, "Hello, is it me you're looking for?."

10. "Use Somebody"

Artist: Kings of Leon

Album: Only by the Night

Genre: Alternative Rock Music, Pop Rock Music

Year Released: 2008

Facts About "Use Somebody"

• "Use Somebody" is one of the simple songs in C major played at a tempo of 134 bpm recorded by Kings of Leon, an American rock group.
• The single reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Pop Songs Chart.
• "Use Somebody" mainly received positive reviews from critics, resulting in singers becoming attracted to this song's covers.
• The song's rhythm is easy to grasp because the left hand imitates the rhythm of the original electric guitar in the C major key.

11. "Something Vague"

Artist: Bright Eyes

Album: Fevers and Mirrors

Genre: Alternative/Indie Music, Rock Music

Year Released: 2000

Facts About "Something Vague"

• "Something Vague" is one of the top rock songs in C major popularized by Bright Eyes using Conor Oberst's intelligence on songwriting.
• The song is in the key C major and has a tempo of 137 bpm.
• Critics interpret the song as a comparison between depression and struggling with eating.

12. "Lost Cause"

Artist: Beck

Album: Sea Change

Genre: Folk Rock

Year Released:

Facts About "Lost Cause"

• "Lost Cause" is a rock song in C major that talks about melancholy partnered with a folksy sound.
• Rolling Stone included "Lost Cause" in their list of 100 Greatest Songs of the Century.
• The single ranked #36 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay Chat in 2003.
• The song features passing tones wherein bass lines walkthrough from one chord to another.
• The folk-ballad music is in C major original key and A2-A3 vocal range.

13. "Last Kiss"

Artist: Taylor Swift

Album: Speak Now

Genre: Folk-Pop Music, Soft Rock Music, Country-Pop Music

Year Released: 2010

Facts About "Last Kiss"

• "Last Kiss" is a post-breakup song in C major from Taylor Swift's 3rd studio album Speak Now.
• Critics say that "Last Kiss" is a letter venting out hopeless feelings to someone.
• The single is a sad and romantic ballad song with a slow pace perfect for piano playing.
• The Swift track is one of the simple songs in C major perfect for beginners because of the arpeggios that build the song's texture.

14. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"

Artist: Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett

Album: Bad

Genre: Pop Music, Soul Music

Year Released: 1987

Facts About "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"

• "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a duet ballad by Siedah Garrett and Michael Jackson for Jackson's seventh album, Bad.
• The track reached #1 on multiple charts like the Billboard Hot 100, R&B Singles Chart, and Adult Contemporary Charts.
• The single is in the key of C major or C Mixolydian and played at a 100 bpm tempo.
• The C Mixolydian is the same as the C major scale, except Bb (7th note) is a half step lower.
• In terms of chords and melody, the song has a complex structure having average scores in chord-melody complexities, chord-melody tension, and chord progression novelty.

15. "As Long As You Love Me"

Artist: Backstreet Boys

Album: Backstreet's Back

Genre: Pop Music

Year Released: 1997

Facts About "As Long As You Love Me"

• "As Long As You Love Me" is the third track from Backstreet Boys' album Backstreet's Back.
• The song became a radio staple and airplay hit and spent 56 weeks on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart.
• The Backstreet Boys single is in C major and A minor keys. The notes in C major are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
• The song is at a tempo of 98 beats per minute and has a duration of 03:34.

16. "You're My Best Friend"

Artist: Queen

Album: A Night at the Opera

Genre: Rock Music, Pop Music, Twee Pop Music

Year Released: 1976

Facts About "You're My Best Friend"

• "You're My Best Friend" is a rock-ballad song.
• The song reached #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and had a brief appearance on different TV shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy.
• John Deacon, the band's bass player, wrote: "You're My Best Friend" for his wife.
• The song features Deacon playing a Wurlitzer electric piano in addition to his bass guitar work.
• Deacon composed the song in the key of C major with a 4/4 meter.

17. "Bang Bang"

Artist: Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj

Album: Sweet Talker and My Everything

Genre: Pop Music, Pop-Soul Music

Year Released: 2014

Facts About "Bang Bang"

• "Bang Bang" is one of the best pop songs in C major written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Rickard Goransson, and Nicki Minaj.
• The track is in the key C major, 150 beats per minute, and 5A Camelot.
• The track debuted at #6 and peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
• "Bang Bang" won at the 2015 Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Song of the Year.

18. "Another Brick in the Wall"

Artist: Pink Floyd

Album: The Wall

Genre: Progressive Rock, Disco Music

Year Released: 1979

Facts About "Another Brick in the Wall"

• "Another Brick in the Wall" is a protest song in rock-disco format and features a children's choir.
• The music fights for abusive schooling, especially boarding schools.
• The song is in C major key, 8B Camelot, and at a tempo of 104 bpm.

19. "Stay With Me"

Artist: Sam Smith

Album: In the Lonely Hour

Genre: Soul Music

Year Released: 2014

Facts About "Stay With Me"

• "Stay With Me" is a gospel-ballad song talking about Smith's one-night stand and requesting not to leave him.
• "Stay With Me" won the Best Song of the Year at the 2015 Grammys.
• "Stay With Me" became Smith's most successful single to date, reaching the #1 position in the U.K. Singles Chart.
• The track also peaked at #2 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
• "Stay With Me" is a soul song in the key of C major and has a tempo of 84 beats per minute.

20. "Drops of Jupiter"

Artist: Train

Album: Drops of Jupiter

Genre: Rock, Pop-Rock Music

Year Released: 2001

Facts About "Drops of Jupiter"

• Pat Monahan, the band's lead singer, revealed that he wrote "Drops of Jupiter" to commemorate the death of his mother.
• Band members admitted that the song did not have something to do with love or friendship.
• Paul Buckmaster won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for "Drops of Jupiter."
• The song composers wrote the track in C major key at 79 beats per minute and Camelot of 8B.

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This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2021 Ray