The Most Touching Tribute Songs By Music Icons
When legendary stars pass away, their fellow stars are often deeply affected by the loss. These were often not just colleagues, but beloved close friends. To eulogize their friends, some musicians pen new songs or write new lyrics to old songs. Many aren't released on the charts out of respect, but from those that are, we have the privilege of listing some of the most touching tribute songs of all time, written by icons for dearly departed icons.
Candle In The Wind
Let's begin with Elton John's "Candle In The Wind", which was written for Marilyn Monroe and released in 1973. Although Monroe died 11 years prior, John's lyrics empathize with Marilyn's troubled life, particularly paying homage to her real name with the opening line, "Goodbye Norma Jean..".
Bert Verhoeff, Wikimedia Commons
Goodbye England's Rose
Following the rhythm of the original song, "Candle In The Wind", Elton John rewrote the lyrics in 1997 after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, Commemorating her life in one of the most touching, emotional tributes in British musical history. He played it live at her funeral in London.
Empty Garden
"Empty Garden" is another Elton John tribute song, this time for John Lennon. With his expert lyricist by his side, John penned "Empty Garden" (also known as "Hey Hey Johnny") for his dearly-departed friend, as Lennon's final concert before his assassination would be at Madison Square Gardens.
The Late Great Johnny Ace
Paul Simon's tribute to John Lennon (and Johnny Ace and JFK) comes in "The Late Great Johnny Ace" from his 1983 album, Hearts And Bones. The song is a recounting of the day that Simon heard of John Lennon's murder.
Roll On John
Bob Dylan also eulogized John Lennon in "Roll On, John" a track from a 2012 studio album, House Of The Risin' Sun.
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American Pie
"American Pie" by Don McLean is a mash-up of 1960s Americana, but the last line of the lyrics—"I can't remember if I cried, when I read about his widowed bride, but something touched me deep inside, the day the music died"—refers to the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. All three were killed in a plane crash in 1959, referred to as "the day the music died". Each was a profound influence on McLean.
Desperado
Alice Cooper's lyrical genius is epitomized in songs like "School's Out", but he penned "Desperado" for the 1971 album, Killer. He interestingly mixed Western themes with a tribute to his recently deceased friend, Jim Morrison.
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Old Red Wine
"Old Red Wine" was written by Peter Townshend while on tour with The Who in 2002. That tour unfortunately began with the unexpected demise of The Who's guitarist, John Entwistle. The bass guitarist loved red wine and occasionally drank it "past its prime", inspiring the song's name.
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Johnny Bye-Bye
Bruce Springsteen penned "Johnny Bye-Bye" as a tribute to Elvis Presley, borrowing a tune from Chuck Berry to write a song about the day Springsteen heard of Presley's passing. The rest of the song imagined a funeral fit for a King—Elvis Presley's funeral certainly was.
Miss You, C
The Easy E Street Band experienced a lot of loss in the late 2000s. So much so that Nils Lofgren (the band's guitarist) rewrote an earlier song, "Miss You Ray", about Ray Charles, to include the deaths of two band members: Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici.
The Needle And The Damage Done
Rock musicians are no stranger to illicit substances—the painful impact they can leave has hit home in the industry many times. Neil Young was personally touched by Danny Whitten's addiction and overdose from heroin in 1972. Feeling responsible for the loss, as the two were close, Young penned "The Needle And The Damage Done".
Sleep With Angels
Kurt Cobain's tragic demise impacted the world of music but his legacy continues to live on. Neil Young penned "Sleep With Angels" for a studio album released in 1994. The song reflected on the influence of Cobain, as Young sang, "He's always on someone's mind".
A Boat Lies Waiting
The title is haunting enough, but that's not all behind this heart-wrenching piece written by David Gilmour's wife, in tribute to Pink Floyd's keyboardist, Rick Wright, who passed on in 2008. The song's title reflects Wright's love of sailing.
Roro787, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fallen Angel
Robbie Robertson (lead guitarist for Bob Dylan in the 60s and 70s) penned "Fallen Angel" for his friend and bandmate, Richard Manuel, who passed on in 1986. Backing vocals and keyboard of the touching track were provided by none other than Peter Gabriel.
Angel Of Harlem
U2 singer Bono is really good at penning great tribute songs—"Bloody Sunday" comes to mind. Aside from that, U2 wrote "Angel Of Harlem" to commemorate the talents of R&B singer Billie Holiday. The band has also commemorated live performances of the song to Michael Jackson.
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Back In Black
You might not think of AC/DC when it comes to tributes, but the band members wrote one of their most famous tunes, "Back In Black," for Bon Scott, their former lead singer who died in 1980. Their new lead, Brian Johnson's, vocals matched the pain the band felt whilst making an iconic rock track that Scott would be proud of.
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Lay Down, Burden
The co-founder of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, penned "Lay Down, Burden" for his Beach Boys co-founder and brother Carl Wilson, who tragically passed on in 1998 from lung cancer.
IthakaDarinPappas, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Never Without You
You may want a box of tissues ready for these next few. "Never Without You" is Ringo Starr's 2003 tribute to beloved Beatles member and treasured friend George Harrison, who perished in 2001. The song is a reminiscence of the band's early days, with Eric Clapton providing spectacular guitar.
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Oh Thank You, Great Spirit
Another touching tribute to a legend came from Terry Kath and Chicago, when they wrote "Oh Thank You, Great Spirit" for the beloved Jimi Hendrix. Not only did Kath write the song, the band seemed to perform it as though Hendrix himself were in the audience.
Above And Beyond
When Deep Purple's co-founder, Jim Lord, passed on in 2012, the band went to great lengths to memorialize him with "Above And Beyond" from their 2013 album Now What?. Describing the band's souls as "forever intertwined", "Above And Beyond" is one of Deep Purple's most touching tributes.
I'll Be Missing You
If you loved hip-hop in the 1990s, chances are that Notorious BIG's death hit you pretty hard in 1997. None more so than his widow, Faith Evans, who helped hip-hop legend Puff Daddy write "I'll Be Missing You", which they performed at the 1997 MTV VMAs in memoriam of BIG.
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Missing You
Diana Ross' powerful voice belted out this amazing tribute tune to Marvin Gaye. "Missing You" was written by Lionel Richie and captured a beautiful friendship between Gaye and Ross.
Happy Birthday
A birthday song for Martin Luther King, written by Stevie Wonder, "Happy Birthday" was released in 1981, but that doesn't stop it becoming an emotional tribute to a fallen icon. Wonder's lyrics called for a national holiday to recognize Martin Luther King—which finally occurred in 1986.
Angel
It's obvious that Sarah McLachlan's best-known song is a tribute—but did you know that it was written for The Smashing Pumpkins keyboardist, Johnny Melvoin? The keyboardist died of an overdose in 1996 and McLachlan released her iconic tune in 1997.
See You Again
While not a musical icon, Paul Walker may have been a cultural icon. After the actor from Fast And Furious (2001) lost his life in a fiery car crash in California in 2013, Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa wrote "See You Again" in 2015, which became a huge hit and one of the saddest songs of the year. The line, "It's been a long day, without you my friend. I'll tell you all about it when I see you again" still gives me the chills.
No One But You (Only The Good Die Young)
"No One But You" is a song written by Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor, for their dearly-departed friend and bandmate, Freddie Mercury. It's better known as "Only The Good Die Young" and was the last release from the band until 2014. A touching tribute to one of the greatest performers in music history.
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White Lightning
"White Lightning" is a nickname given to Def Leppard drummer, Steve Clark—owing to his issues with substances and alcohol, with which "White Lightning" is synonymous. Clark perished in 1991 and Def Leppard released the tribute song in 1992.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Both of the next songs were written for Syd Barrett, of Pink Floyd. Although Barrett didn't die until well after these songs were written, he did have serious mental health issues from using psychedelics, which resulted in his withdrawal from the band in 1973—and indeed from all public life until he passed on in 2006. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was the band's homage to their friend—a somber well-wish for his future.
Paul Carless, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wish You Were Here
Another tune for Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd was "Wish You Were Here" from the eponymous album. Still missing their reclusive bandmate, the band penned "Wish You Were Here", which has become an iconic song for anyone missing someone.
TimDuncan, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Leader Of The Band
While Dan Fogelberg's father was alive at the time that he recorded "Leader Of The Band", Lawrence Fogelberg would pass away shortly thereafter. An ode to the relationship between father and son, "The Leader Of The Band" is one of the greatest tributes to a fellow musician and dad that one could hope to hear.
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Tears In Heaven
While not attributed to a musician, "Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton is one of the most heartbreaking of tribute songs. It was written for Eric Clapton's son, Conor Clapton, who tragically passed away after falling from a hotel balcony in 1991 in New York. "Tears In Heaven" was the result of Clapton taking time off after Conor's passing. It remains one of the most touching tribute songs ever recorded.
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