20 Classic Rock tracks that don't mention the song title in the lyrics
11 October 2025, 20:00
Tomorrow Never Knows? That “Galileo” song? Which other classics don't even have their titles in the chorus... or anywhere else for that matter.
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The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
Mick Jagger mentions having sympathy for old Beelzebub during this classic Stones tune, but not in so many words.
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil (Official Video) [4K]
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The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
Based (in the same manner as A Hard Day's Night) on a "Ringo-ism", this mysterious title still doesn't quite encapsulate the sonic journey that John Lennon took Beatles fans on at the end of 1966's Revolver album.
Tomorrow Never Knows (Remastered 2009)
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Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
If this legendary song was called “Galileo! Galileo!”, would it have been as successful? Instead, the words “Bohemian Rhapsody” are more abstract, evoking the ponderous mood of the song.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video)
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Black Sabbath - Paranoid
This heavy metal classic was at one point called "The Paranoid", but the title concerns the narrator of the story, with lyrics by bassist Geezer Butler.
BLACK SABBATH - "Paranoid" (Official Video)
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Rush - Spirit Of Radio
The Canadian prog band sing the praises of the wireless in the lyric, but the title is not mentioned.
Rush - The Spirit Of Radio
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Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
Stephen Stills' classic 1966 protest song had its title added after the anti-war lyrics were penned - therefore the phrase "for what it's worth" doesn't get a look in.
NEW 📀 For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield -4K- {Stereo} 1966
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The Who - Baba O'Riley
Pete Townshend's lyrics about "teenage wasteland" reflect the sci-fi themes of The Who's aborted "Lifehouse" project, but the title pays tribute to new age musician Terry Riley and Townshend's spiritual guru Meher Baba.
The Who - Baba O'riley
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Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
An ironic title from the legendary songwriter, for this scorching 1965 stream-of-consciousness.
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues (Official Video)
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Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine
The first track on the Floyd's debut album The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn sets off for the depths of space with an unrelated-yet-punsome title.
Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine (Tienerklanken 1968)
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Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
Page and Plant were referring to Viking invaders on this Led Zep III track - in fact, the band made a habit of giving unrelated titles to their songs.
Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (Live 1972) (Official Video)
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Rod Stewart - Maggie May
Rod The Mod mentions the semi-fictional Maggie a number of times during his evergreen hit, but never by her "full" name.
Rod Stewart - Maggie May (1971)
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Supertramp - Breakfast In America
Kippers for breakfast get a mention in this 1979 hit, as do several locales in America, but not at the same time.
Supertramp - Breakfast In America (Official 4K Video)
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Neil Young - After The Gold Rush
Young claimed he never knew what the title track of his 1970 album was about, but it's thought it has environmental concerns, looking back at how the Californian countryside has changed over the past century.
After the Gold Rush
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David Bowie - Space Oddity
Bowie’s 1969 hit was an obvious pun on the recently-released movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, but the tale of Major Tom doesn’t mention the title at all.
David Bowie – Space Oddity (Official Video)
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Iron Maiden - The Trooper
Steve Harris wrote this song about the disastrous Charge Of The Light Brigade in 1854, and the title refers to the protagonist.
Iron Maiden - The Trooper (Official Video)
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The Doors - Roadhouse Blues
Jim Morrison talks of the delights of the roadhouse, but the title is more of a summary of the style of no-nonsense boogie that The Doors employed.
The Doors - Roadhouse Blues (Official Video)
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George Harrison - Run Of The Mill
It's thought that Harrison was invoking the comic Northern melodrama cliche "trouble at t'mill" - most obviously used in Monty Python's "Spanish Inquisition" sketch - in this song, which hints at the troubles behind the scenes at The Beatles' Apple Corps business.
Run of the Mill (2014 Remaster)
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The Clash - Train In Vain
The London punks retitled this song so that people didn't think they'd covered Ben E. King, but in the USA and Canada, the track was called Train In Vain (Stand By Me) to alert anyone looking for the tune in record stores.
Train in Vain (Stand by Me)
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Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture
Jeff Lynne's first composition for ELO was about an escaped convict, with his prison number getting a mention in the song - minus the word "Overture", which tied into the orchestral rock concept.
Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture (Official Video)
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John Lennon - #9 Dream
Mystical musings from the solo Beatle, who held the Number 9 in high regard as it was the date of his birth (9th October 1940).
#9 DREAM. (Ultimate Mix 2020) John Lennon w The Plastic Ono Nuclear Band (official music video 4K)
