A lot of great music has come out of Iran over the years. But if you’re new to Persian music, there may be a lot of great songs you’ve missed out on.
If you’re new to music from Iran, or you just want a good playlist of songs you may already know, here are some famous Persian songs.
“Behet Ghol Midam” by Mohsen Yeganeh
Song Year: 2013
Mohsen Yeganeh is an Iranian singer who released his first album in 2004. Since then, he’s recorded four more albums and performed live at many major music festivals. “Behet Ghol Midam” is one of his most famous singles.
People love this song because the bright melody makes the emotional lyrics stand out even more. The song is about a couple ending their relationship, but the singer guarantees he won’t find anyone new to love. Even though his former partner left him, he still worries about them and loves the path they walked together.
“Molaghat” by Moein
Song Year: 2007
Moein is one of the most famous Persian singers, with a decades-long career. He got his start singing on the radio before recording 20 major albums. He tours the world, performing live for sold-out audiences. “Molaghat” is one of his singles, showcasing his talent and appeal.
The song is a powerful ballad about how deeply the singer fell in love with his partner. He’s devoted and would do anything for her, feeling worthless when he isn’t around her. Part of the singer worries about getting hurt, but he just wants love.
“Ey Sareban” by Mohsen Namjoo
Song Year: 2005
Mohsen Namjoo is a composer, singer, and songwriter from northeastern Iran. He started studying classical music when he was 12 and then added Western rock music to his interests, influencing his unique musical style.
The song’s lyrics implore his love to explain why she’s leaving when she can see how sad he is and how much it hurts him that she’s going. He compares the pain to storm damage and an endless night.
“Bego Chand” by Naser Zeynali
Song Year: 2020
Naser Zeynali is a musician who started releasing music in 2019. Fans love his passionate songs, like “Bego Chand.” The lyrics explain the singer’s willingness to show the woman he loves her. He feels completely linked to her.
“Istanbul Junction” by Alireza Ghorbani
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQgDEXQdIbA
Song Year: 2018
Alireza Ghorbani is a Persian singer who embodies the traditional Iranian sound in his songs, with “Istanbul Junction” being one of his most popular singles. With his background in poetry and public speaking, it’s understandable that Ghorbani inserts spoken sections in his songs to let his rich voice tell a story.
This song is about how much the vocalist desires his love, even though others have hurt him before. He yearns for his partner even though he knows their relationship will make him feel happy and sad at different times—he’s in it for better and worse.
“Soltane Ghalbha” by Aref Arefkia
Song Year: 1993
This song is from the movie of the same name. The movie is about a couple separated during an accident, and each thinks the other has died. They live their own lives before meeting again by chance.
The song’s lyrics address the pull of love between the two main characters, with lines about how they remember each other. They can’t believe they lived apart for so long but now vow to stay together.
“Aseman Ham Zamin Mikhorad” by Chaartaar
Song Year: 2015
Chaartaar is a band known for combining electronic music with classic Persian vocal styles. They released their first album in 2014 and started touring Canada and Europe. The band has three albums and countless singles, with “Aseman Ham Zamin Mikhorad” being one of the most popular.
This haunting song is about how complete the singer feels when he’s with his love, taking the time to respect and appreciate every detail of her being. Despite this focus, he acknowledges that it will all end eventually.
“Mard-e Tanha” by Farhad Mehrad
Song Year: 1993
Farhad Mehrad is an Iranian singer known for pop, rock, and folk songs. He’s famous for releasing the first English rock album in Iran, though he incorporates many traditional sounds into his music.
“Mard-e Tanha” isn’t a rock song. Instead, the slow song allows Farhad’s voice to take center stage. He sings about an exhausted man ready to die alone, striving to reach a fountain but never making it despite being close enough to hear the drops of water.
“Bazgashteh” by Delkash
Song Year: 1965
Delkash was an Iranian singer who started singing in the 1940s before becoming an actress. Her fans called her the Great Diva of Iran. She performed duets with many famous musicians, including Viguen Derderian.
“Bazgashteh” is a solo song with many traditional Persian sounds. She sings about the distance between her and her former love feeling like physical separation rivaling abandonment.
“Zade Baroon” by Masoud Sadeghloo
Song Year: 2020
Masoud Sadeghloo is an Iranian electronic musician with a big following on Spotify. “Zade Baroon” is a song that captures a moment in the rain. When the singer sees the woman with the wet hair, he falls in love and pleads with her to be gentle with his heart.
“Khaabam Ya Bidaaram” by Googoosh
Song Year: 1975
Faegheh Atashin, known as the singer Googoosh, grew up in Iran and starred in Iranian films during the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1970s, she became a pop star and style icon for women in Iran who cut their hair like her. She’s released 20 albums and countless singles, but “Khaabam Ya Bidaaram” perfectly presents her style.
The upbeat, catchy background music gives Googoosh’s voice a chance to steal the spotlight. Googoosh sings about how she and her love are closely linked. With her love, she feels like the sun, but without him, she’s cold and sad. The song implores her love to stay with her forever.
“Behtar Az Mane” by Ali Yasini
Song Year: 2021
Ali Yasini is a young Persian musician who broke onto the scene in 2016. This emotional song has the singer addressing his former love, admitting that her new partner is better than him.
Despite his new love being a great guy, the singer still thinks there’s no one else he’ll love more than her. He’s so lonely that he can’t follow his passions to achieve his dreams.
“Irani Song” by Abshari
Song Year: 2022
Abshari is a popular Iranian musician who has released some of the best Persian songs with emotional lyrics paired with a dance beat.
“Irani Song” is about a man who’s in love with a woman and wants to share his devotion in song. He searched the world for this partner and now can’t imagine living without her, so he promises that he’ll die for her.
“Koohe Boland” by Hirosan featuring Shahab Mozaffari
Song Year: 2021
Hirosan started making pop music in 2009, releasing many solo singles that helped establish his fan base. In this single, he partners with fellow Iranian musician Shahab Mozaffari to record this haunting song, “Koohe Boland.”
The emotional lyrics pair perfectly with the moody music. They address how much the singer loves his partner and doesn’t want to break up. He tells her she’s different from anyone he’s ever met and can’t lose her, or else his world will end.
“Shab Geryeh” by Ebi
Song Year: 1995
Ebrahim Hamedi took on the stage name Ebi in the 1970s before leaving Tehran to make his mark on the Los Angeles music scene. He’s released over 200 singles, and “Shab Geryeh” is one of his most popular.
The song is about how simple love can feel, like dew on the morning grass. However, a life without love is empty and dark.
“Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour
Song Year: 2022
Shervin Hajipour is an Iranian singer and songwriter who launched his music career performing covers. He released his first original single in 2019. Many Persians see “Baraye” as a protest anthem.
The lyrics explain all the reasons you need to stand up for your beliefs, including your family, the dying Earth, peace, and for the future.
“Daste Man Nist” by Shadmehr Aghili
Song Year: 2021
Shadmehr Aghili is an Iranian pop singer who established his name as an actor. After growing up and starting his career in Tehran, Aghili moved to Los Angeles to work as a musician.
“Daste Man Nist” is a stunning song about a love who doesn’t know how much she means to the singer. He tells her how much she inspires him to be a better person.
“Divoonegi” by Sirvan Khosravi
Song Year: 2021
Sirvan Khosravi is an Iranian producer who records his brother’s music but also performs his own. He released his first album in 2005 after working behind the scenes for others.
“Divoonegi” is a song about the immediate love you feel when you meet someone special. Every hardship you’ve experienced falls away, and you worry you’re crazy to feel so strong.
“Neghab” by Ali Yasini
Song Year: 2021
“Neghab” is another Ali Yasini song on the list, addressing the seriousness of living a good life. The singer feels like he works too much, missing out on life. He wears a mask so no one knows who he is, and he’s upset that he isn’t getting to live how he wants.
“Eshghe Bachegi” by Aaren
Song Year: 2021
Aaren is a young Iranian musician with a major Spotify following. He released his first single in 2018 and has continually made new music since then.
“Eshghe Bachegi” is a sweet song about childhood love that starts with putting flowers in her hair and appreciating each other for their true selves. However, the girl has a new love, so the singer knows he needs to let her go.
“Ey Joonam” by Sami Beigi
Song Year: 2013
Sami Beigi is a Persian singer who moved to California to pursue his dreams in the music industry. He used to play in the Persian band Black Cats before going solo. “Ey Joonam” is one of his most popular singles.
The song is about how happy the singer is to invite his love into his house. She brightens his soul, and he wants to show his appreciation for her.
“Hiss” by Asef Aria
Song Year: 2021
Asef Aria uses some traditional Persian instruments in his music, singing over the strings about love. “Hiss” is about how the singer is in love with a woman, but through local gossip, he realizes she’s with someone else, and he’s jealous.
“Modele-Man” by Sogand
Song Year: 2020
Sogand is an Iranian artist known for Khaliji music, popular in the Arab world. The music of “Modele-Man” uses traditional Persian stringed instruments, with Sogand’s smooth voice singing a mellow song over the sounds.
The song shares the story of a love gone wrong, with the partner asking for the singer’s love despite leaving her previously. The singer remembers the cruelty of the relationship but still loves him and feels like she’ll die without him.
“Ey Del” by Erfan
Song Year: 2022
Erfan is an Iranian rapper who paved the way for Persian rap in the music industry. To encourage other Persian rappers, Erfan started his own label, Paydar.
In this song, Erfan partners with ASADI, an electronic musician, to combine the classic Iranian musical foundation with modern rap lyrics. The song is an empowering anthem about feeling free and loving everyone so they won’t forget you. No matter what happens, the singer wants to remember how it feels to not have any darkness inside.
“Lalaei” by Ali Zand Vakili
Song Year: 2017
Ali Zand Vakili is a music teacher who writes songs for himself and other artists. He pulls heavily from the traditional Iranian sounds, playing piano, santour, and tonbak.
This somber song is a lullaby he sang to his daughter, willing her to close her eyes and sleep innocently without the weight of reality on her shoulders. As the father, however, he doesn’t have the same freedom and feels crushed because he doesn’t want to live in a terrible world.
“Gol E Goldoon” by Shahram Solati
Song Year: 2008
Shahram Solati is a well-known Iranian singer best known for his dance and pop tracks. You can stream some of his recent singles on his official website, though “Gol E Goldoon,” a beautiful love song, is one of his biggest hits.
The lyrics address how much the singer depends on his love and how she empowers him to feel strong and passionate. However, he worries that she’ll leave him, praying that it won’t happen because he thinks he’d die without her.
“Bordi Az Yadam” by Viguen Derderian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxQmJArPnic
Song Year: 1957
Viguen Derderian was one of the first Iranian singers to make an impact on the music industry. He recorded many famous Persian songs, but “Bordi Az Yadam” is one of the classics. In this track, you can hear how Viguen paved the way for the later Persian pop stars on this list.
The music sounds like traditional Iranian songs, with Viguen’s rich voice singing about his memories of love. He admits he fell in love of his own volition but soon felt trapped and realized everyone judged him for choosing his partner, who went on to break his heart.
Best Persian Songs, Final Thoughts
These famous Persian songs offer something for all music fans. You can listen to these tracks and hear the elements of Iranian culture. The lyrics convey strong emotions that anyone can relate to, truly creating universal music.
The best Persian songs are just the tip of the iceberg, so if you like the tracks you heard on this list, check out your favorite artists to hear more of their music.