Cooking Is Only Made Better With Music

Who says cooking dinner has to feel like a chore? With the right music, it's more like a party. Some songs just make you want to boogie while you're chopping veggies or simmering a sauce. Here are 20 songs that are bound to turn up the heat in the kitchen.

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1. “Stir It Up” - Bob Marley

Bob Marey wrote this reggae classic for his wife Rita as a request to help him “stir up” the passion between them. However, it could just as easily be a song about a lovingly made simmering stew that you’ve been slowly stirring for hours. 

Kim Gottlieb; Distributed by Island Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

2. “American Pie” - Don McLean

“American Pie” was written as a tribute to Buddy Holly. It captured 1960s America, plagued by the dark reality of the Vietnam War, but it’s also a great song to make a pie to. 

JeremyWestby on Wikimedia Commons

3. “Cooking Up Something Good” - Mac DeMarco

MacDeMarco’s Indie rock classic starts with the line “Mama’s in the kitchen, cookin’ up something good.” It just begs your hips to move and your culinary creative juices to flow.  

Ralph Arvesen on Wikimedia Commons

4. “Burning Down The House” - Talking Heads

No one can hear this song and not belt it out. Take care that this track doesn’t hijack all your attention away from the stove that you actually do end up burning the house down. 

Robert Mapplethorpe on Wikimedia Commons

5. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” - Def Leppard

Most songs about food aren’t actually about food, especially if they were written in the 80s when 90 percent of songs were about sex. Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me” is no exception, but it doesn’t matter–it still makes for a perfect baking song. 

Nick Ares on Wikimedia Commons

6. “Taste It” - Jake Bugg

“Taste It” is a song about turning a page and venturing off to new horizons. If you have food on your mind, however, it’s easy to be distracted by the chorus’s line “I can taste it, in my mouth it's just so bittersweet” which brings to mind dark chocolate.  

Drew de F Fawkes on Wikimedia Commons

7. “Golden Brown” - The Stranglers

This song is actually about a very addictive drug, but it’s easy to imagine it’s about witnessing the maillard reaction. We like to sing it while browning butter.

Drew de F Fawkes on Wikimedia Commons

8. “Brown Sugar” - Rolling Stones

“Brown Sugar” actually has a heavy historical connotation relating to the slave trade and Keith Richards has also implied it’s about a certain drug. So it seems this song is actually about everything but brown sugar but that doesn’t make it any less of the perfect song for making caramel. 

Roger Woolman on Wikimedia Commons

9. “Strawberry Fields Forever” - The Beatles

This whimsical tune is probably about something much trippier than cooking. However, there’s no better song to jam to for when you’re cutting up fruit. 

EMI on Wikimedia Commons

10. “I’m Shakin’” - Jack White

One of the most fun songs to boogie to, Jack White’s version of “I’m Shakin’” became an instant classic when it debuted on his first solo album. It’s a great song for when you need to shack up a salad or take a dance break. 

David James Swanson on Wikimedia Commons

11. “Scarborough Fair” - Simon & Garfunkel 

“Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme” is the iconic food-focused line in this track, sung in these two guys' quintessential angelic voices. Bellow along while you perfectly season a savory dish. 

GAC on Wikimedia Commons

12. “Dissolve Me” - Alt-J

One of the most iconic songs from Alt-J’s debut album is perfect for grooving to in the kitchen. It’s about a certain substance that dissolves on your tongue but it could just as easily be about dissolving flour into your Béchamel sauce.

Eddy BERTHIER on Wikimedia Commons

13. “Watermelon Sugar” - Harry Styles

Harry Styles took the world by storm when he dropped this instant summer classic. Yes, it’s most certainly a euphemism for something, but it’s also a great song to shake your booty to while assembling a dessert. 

Lily Redman on Wikimedia Commons

14. “Cream” - Prince

Any song that has the words “sha-boogie bop” as part of its lyrics is bound to be a perfect song to bop to. “Cream” is the background song for making creamy dishes or topping a dessert with whipped cream.

penner on Wikimedia Commons

15. “Bon Appétit” - Katy Perry

Katy Perry’s 2017 hit is the perfect song to get you in the mood… for cooking! It’s a disco-influenced dance-pop ballad that’s equally fitting for the club and the kitchen.  

Ali Shaker/VOA on Wikimedia Commons

16. “I Say A Little Prayer” - Aretha Franklin 

There’s something about soul music and cooking that just works. This song has nothing to do with food but it’s just so fun to dance and sing along to, using your spatula as a microphone. 

17. “Superfast Jellyfish” - Gorillaz

This song is about an imaginary futuristic commercial food called superfast jellyfish. It’s a parody of commercial fast food and is one of the most underrated songs by this group. We just love making “Momma's homemade from scratch, but not quite” meals while jamming to it. 

Drew de F Fawkes on Wikimedia Commons

18. “Green Onions” - Booker T. and the M.G.'s

This groovy number is called “Green Onions” but that’s the only thing about it that pertains to food. Its addictive bass line, funky keyboard riff, and reverb-laden guitar make it a super fun song to bop to while you’re peeling potatoes.

Bryan Ledgard on Wikimedia Commons

19. “Tutti Frutti” - Little Richard

This classic oldie is the perfect song for when you need that last little kick of energy required to get your five-course holiday meal on the table in time. Do a little jig while you bang pots and pans, beat that chicken, and stir that bubbling broth. 

Ian Dryden on Wikimedia Commons

20. “That's Amore” - Dean Martin

Last but not least, the best song for when you’re slinging “pizza pies” for Friday date night is “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin. Sip that Chianti and sing along while your kitchen fills with the beautiful scent of bubbling cheese and sauce in a hot oven.

NBC Photo on Wikimedia Commons