50 Best Rock Songs About Better Days Ahead
Rock Songs That Describe Better Days
There’s a certain headspace that comes with clinging to the idea of better days. It’s not clean optimism, not quite denial either, but something that hangs somewhere in the blur. You throw on headphones after a long day, or maybe you’re walking out of a shift that felt endless, and the right riff pulls you forward a little. These tracks don’t pat you on the back with sunshine, they let you sit in the ache while still tugging toward tomorrow. Some of them are straight-up hopeful, others crackle with grit that makes hope feel earned instead of handed out.
Nobody coasts into those lighter moments with an easy soundtrack. The sound of moving forward can be messy, loud, and sometimes bitter before it sweetens. The crunch of guitars over steady drums feels like trying to climb out of a bad stretch with no clear exit in sight. A few of these songs may not be literally tied to brighter days ahead, but they capture that restless energy of pushing past the static. The mix ends up being closer to an accidental pep talk, raw enough that you believe it.
Not every anthem for brighter times comes polished. Some tracks stumble, some burn with attitude, and some lean into chaos before flipping toward release. This is the same kind of thing you find across pop, rock, country, and R&B songs when artists circle the idea of change without making it clean or pretty. That’s the space these picks live in, and here are the best rock songs for better days ahead.
Top 10 Hopeful Rock Songs
1. 'Here Comes the Sun' by The Beatles
2. 'Don't Stop Believin'' by Journey
3. 'I Won't Back Down' by Tom Petty
4. 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor
5. 'Beautiful Day' by U2
6. 'Dream On' by Aerosmith
7. 'Right Now' by Van Halen
8. 'Keep on Truckin'' by Eddie Kendricks
9. 'We Are the Champions' by Queen
10. 'The Show Must Go On' by Queen
Songs About Finding Strength #11 to 20
11. 'Don't Look Back' by Boston
12. 'Movin' on Up' by Primal Scream
13. 'Carry On' by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
14. 'Solsbury Hill' by Peter Gabriel
15. 'Lovely Day' by Bill Withers
16. 'The Middle' by Jimmy Eat World
17. 'You'll Never Get to Me' by Killing Joke
18. 'Walk' by Foo Fighters
19. 'Hold On' by Good Charlotte
20. 'It's My Life' by Bon Jovi
Songs for a New Beginning #21 to 30
21. 'Brand New Day' by Sting
22. 'Better Days' by The Goo Goo Dolls
23. 'Better Day' by Ocean Colour Scene
24. 'Better Days' by Citizen King
25. 'Better Days' by Bruce Springsteen
26. 'I Can See Clearly Now' by Johnny Nash
27. 'New Beginnings' by Daydreamer
28. 'Get Free' by Major Lazer ft. Amber Coffman
29. 'Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Better Day' by Billy Bragg
30. 'Reach Out I'll Be There' by Four Tops
Songs About Moving Forward #31 to 40
31. 'Keep Your Head Up' by Andy Grammer
32. 'Walk of Life' by Dire Straits
33. 'Tubthumping' by Chumbawamba
34. 'I Just Want to Celebrate' by Rare Earth
35. 'Livin' on a Prayer' by Bon Jovi
36. 'Rising Up' by The Flatliners
37. 'Unstoppable' by Sia
38. 'Walking on Sunshine' by Katrina & The Waves
39. 'Move Along' by The All-American Rejects
40. 'I'm Still Standing' by Elton John
Songs About a Fresh Start #41 to 50
41. 'Don't Give Up' by Peter Gabriel
42. 'Brand New Day' by Sting
43. 'Start Today' by Gorilla Biscuits
44. 'You Gotta Be' by Des'ree
45. 'Unwritten' by Natasha Bedingfield
46. 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor
47. 'Breakaway' by Kelly Clarkson
48. 'The Climb' by Miley Cyrus
49. 'My Way' by Frank Sinatra
50. 'Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright' by Bob Marley
© 2025 Carson McQueen
