Despite being at the end of the alphabet, there are lots of songs starting with z that deserve to be at the top of your playlist.
Check out these hit songs that start with the letter z for musical inspiration from all genres throughout the years.
“Zero” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Year: 2009
Zero by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was one of their hit singles off their It’s Blitz! Album. This electro-pop song of the late 2000s was named the best track of 2009 by Spin magazine and NME.
Since its release, this hit Z song has been featured in popular television shows like Gossip Girl, 90210, and Ugly Betty.
“Zombie” by The Cranberries
Year: 1994
Who can forget Zombie by The Cranberries on an alternative rock playlist? Hundreds of musicians have covered this classic song from the 1990s, few of which can replicate the rawness of Dolores O’Riordan. Zombie was featured on the No Need to Argue album and was the band’s most successful single.
In 2018, Dolores O’Riordan was set to do vocals for the Bad Wolves metal cover of the song. However, the lead singer of The Cranberries died the night before recording.
In 2020, Miley Cyrus released a cover of Zombie on her Plastic Hearts album, bringing this song back into the modern pop music scene.
“Ziggy Stardust” by David Bowie
Year: 1972
David Bowie’s album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is one of the most influential songs starting with z. The concept album recounts the story of Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie’s alter-ego, being a rock and roll messiah sent from an alien world.
This hit alternative pop song from the early 1970s impacted the fashion world and nearly every music genre, especially glam rock.
“Zeitgeist” by Black Sabbath
Year: 2013
Zeitgeist is a song off of Black Sabbath’s studio album 13. This slow melodic metal song begins softly with the distinct voice of Ozzy Osbourne warbled with studio effects.
Zeitgeist was not a single from the 13 album. However, 13 hit number one in the UK and USA and went platinum in Canada.
“Zendaya” by Cozz
Year: 2018
Zendaya is one of the songs starting with z that shouldn’t be overlooked when scrolling through Cozz’s Effected album from 2018.
This song features J. Cole, one of the most influential rappers of the time. Cozz is signed with J. Cole, who is known for his honest lyrics, head-bumping beats, and hooks that stay in your mind all day, which makes Zendaya a pleasure to listen to on repeat.
“Zack and Codeine” by Post Malone
Year: 2018
Post Malone released a cheeky adult interpretation of the Disney TV show The Suite Life of Zach and Cody in his 2018 song Zack and Codeine. The song is a dark reference to the lifestyle of a rockstar living out of a hotel with lyrics about turning the hotel lobby into a party.
This hit song wasn’t featured as a single on Malone’s Beerbongs & Bentleys album. However, the album received incredible acclaim and went 5x platinum.
“Zeus” by Eminem
Year: 2020
Zeus is a song off of Eminem’s 2020 studio album Music to be Murdered By. The song features rapper White Gold and begins with an apology to Rihanna regarding a leaked past recording of Eminem siding with her abuser.
The song continues with some references to current rappers like Migos, Chance, and Future. This influential song finishes with a political comment about police brutality against black Americans.
“Zambony” by K-OS
Year: 2009
Zambony is one of the head-bopping songs starting with z by the Canadian artist K-OS. Zambony is the first song on the 2009 album Yes!, which peaked on the top Canadian charts at number nine.
“Zaar” by Peter Gabriel
Year: 1989
Peter Gabriel is the former lead singer of Genesis. This English rock and progressive rock artist released Zaar on his solo album Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ. The album was used to score a movie of the same title by Martin Scorcese but also received a Grammy Award in 1990 as the Best New Age Album of the year.
Zaar is an instrumental song that showcases the multicultural influences in Peter Gabriel’s music. This influential song starting with z, changed the music industry by exposing more listeners to music from around the globe.
“Zanzibar” by Billy Joel
Year: 1978
Zanzibar by Billy Joel is a song from his studio album 52nd Street, released in the late 1970s. The album with this song, starting with z, won album of the year and best pop vocal performance by a male.
Since then, the 52nd street album featuring Zanzibar has held a place on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
“Zebras and Airplanes” by Alicia Keys
Year: 2014
Zebras and Airplanes is a song by Alicia Keys inspired by a painting that moved her. The soothing tone in her voice, imaginative lyrics, and soft music in this song evoke the feeling of a being in a dream.
The song is not from one of Keys’ studio albums; instead, she released the song on her website in 2014.
“Zebulon” by Rufus Wainwright
Year: 2010
Rufus Wainwright’s soft piano song Zebulon is one of the best songs starting with z if you love pop music with folk roots. This song is from his 2010 album All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu, which peaked at four on the 2010 Canadian top charts.
A live version of Zebulon was released as an iTunes Store bonus track for those who pre-ordered the album in Canada and the United States.
“Zephyrus” by Bloc Party
Year: 2008
Bloc Party is an English Indie rock band with six albums to their name. Zephyrus is a song on their third studio record titled Intimacy.
Zephyrus shows the distinct sound Bloc Party has with driving beats, creative lyrics, and impressive vocals.
“Zillionaire” by Flo Rida
Year: 2016
Zillionaire is a pop rap song from Flo Rida, an American rapper who frequents the pop Top 40 charts. Zillionaire is one of the songs starting with z that you should add to a party playlist to pump up a crowd.
Zillionaire was released as a single with subsequent remixes by Jaykode, Riot Ten, and Gianni.
“ZEZE” by Kodak Black, Offset, & Travis Scott
Year: 2018
ZEZE was the second single off of Kodak Blacks’ studio album Dying to Live. ZEZE is a hit song by Kodak Black featuring rappers Offset and Travis Scott.
ZEZE ranked second on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Canadian Top 100 chart. The song found popularity again in 2020 as the song for the ZEZE Challenge on TikTok.
“Zero” by Imagine Dragons
Year: 2018
Zero is a single off of Imagine Dragons’ fourth studio album, Origins. Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band with songs similar in style to the driving drum beat and catchy chorus of Zero.
Zero was used in the ending credits of the Disney film Ralph Breaks the Internet. Zero peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs list in 2018.
“Zim Zimma” by Joyner Lucas
Year: 2020
Joyner Lucas pays homage to Beenie Man in his 2020 song Zim Zimma. This is one of the rap songs starting with z that you won’t want to skip over. Despite not being a single from the Evolution album, the rhythmic beat and hard-hitting lyrics make it a fan favorite.
“Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” by Louis Armstrong
Year: 1946
Louis Armstrong is famous for his scatting, and right off the bat, the song Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah showcases his way around vowels that have influenced every subsequent artist.
The song was written by Ray Gilbert for the live-action animated Disney movie Song of the South, which featured vocals by James Baskett.
“Zoo Station” by U2
Year: 1991
Zoo Station is an important song in the history of U2’s musical development. Zoo was the first song on U2’s 1991 studio album Achtung Baby which introduced a new sound and style that set the tone for the entire record.
Zoo and the Achtung Baby were a success and received a lot of praise from critics like the Boston Globe, BBC Music, and The New York Times.
“Zak And Sara” by Ben Folds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z7x0V5cm-A
Year: 2001
Zak and Sara is one of the amazing songs starting with z by Ben Folds from his debut album Rockin’ the Suburbs. This fun indie rock song is the story of two young lovers and has the iconic sound of the early 2000s alternative rock music scene.
“Zero Gravity” by Borgeous
Year: 2015
Borgeous is an American DJ who partnered with vocalist Lights for the song Zero Gravity. This single didn’t get much critical acclaim or rank on music charts, but it is representative of EDM’s influence on the electronic music scene.
“Zoom-Zoom-Zoom” by Serapis Bey
Year: 1993
Zoom-Zoom-Zoom by Serapis Bey was recorded for the 1993 film Only the Strong and is found on the movie soundtrack. Depending on who you ask, they either know this song from the beach scene in Only the Strong or the Mazda car commercials.
“Zeros and Ones” by Jesus Jones
Year: 1993
Zeros and Ones was the third single from the British rock band Jesus Jones’ Perverse album.
This hit song is about the internet, computers, and binary numbers, or zeros and ones.
This song fuses techno and rave music into a pop-rock single that is catchy to listen to. The album didn’t get as much critical acclaim as their prior album, Doubt but touched on darker and more contemporary themes.
“Zorba the Greek” by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass
Year: 1965
Zorba the Greek is a hit song by the famous trumpeter Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass. The instrumental song is featured as the closing song on their 1965 album, Going Places.
Zorba the Greek reached the number two spot on the Adult Contemporary Billboard chart in 1965.
“Zorba’s Dance” by LCD
Year: 1998
LCD was a British music group of the 1990s with a computer-animated dance act. Their most successful hit starts with the letter z. Zorba’s Dance by LCD is a techno song inspired by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass’ Zorba the Greek.
Zorba’s Dance by LCD was featured on their album Spinney and peaked at number 20 on the UK Billboard charts in 1998.
“Zero” by The Smashing Pumpkins
Year: 1995
Zero by the Smashing Pumpkins was the third single off of their album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Zero is a fan favorite and by many thought of as their best song.
This hit single by the Smashing Pumpkins reached number one on charts in Canada and Spain and number three in New Zealand.
After Zero’s release in 1995, it was used for the Homerpalooza episode of Season 7 on the Simpsons TV show.
“Zookey (Lift Your Leg Up)” by Yves Larock
Year: 2005
Featuring Roland Richards
Zookey (Lift Your Leg Up) is a catchy dance hit by Swiss DJ Yves Larock. The electronic song featuring Roland Richards was the first song released by Yves Larock in 2005. However, it was not released on an album until 2013 for the Yves Larock Classics album, compiling his best work.
This dance beat has a beachy good-time vibe with rhythmic steelpan drums and catchy lyrics.
Best Songs Starting With Z, Final Thoughts
These songs starting with z, are great jams to blast from your speakers. But what makes them even better is that they have significance in music history, the fashion world, cinematic history, and even car commercials.
Though these songs with the letter z aren’t at the beginning of an alphabetical list, they are a worthy addition to your next playlist. Happy listening!