[2025] Classic Western songs about the moon: recommended popular tracks
The moon we see when we look up at the sky is both familiar and endlessly mysterious—a presence that never ceases to fascinate us.
Shaped by the influence of sunlight into forms like the full moon and new moon, the “moon” enchants and bewilders those who behold it.
It’s only natural that artists with keen sensitivity would choose it as a theme for their songs.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of classic Western songs themed around that captivating moon.
From tracks that sing directly about the moon to songs that use the moon or moonlight as a metaphor, enjoy a diverse lineup of pieces spanning eras and genres.
- [Moon Songs Special] Famous songs about the moon. Songs you’ll want to listen to under a full moon or in the moonlight.
- [Night Songs] Classic masterpieces themed around the night. J-POP you’ll want to listen to at nighttime.
- Masterpieces that sing of the stars. Star songs that resonate in the heart, best heard beneath the night sky.
- Classic Western songs about the sea: recommended popular tracks
- Songs of the constellations: classic and popular tracks you’ll want to listen to while gazing at the night sky
[2025] Classic Western songs about the moon: Recommended popular tracks (31–40)
MoonchildKing Crimson
The song Moonchild, included on the album In the Court of the Crimson King.
Released in 1969, this album is known as King Crimson’s debut.
It’s a track notable for its melancholic melody.
Dancing In The MoonlightKing Harvest
King Harvest is a rock band active in France.
They’ve gone on hiatus multiple times, but they’ve continued their career from 1970 to the present.
Their song Dancing in the Moonlight was released in 1972 and is known as one of King Harvest’s signature tracks.
The title means something like “dancing under the moonlight” in Japanese, and the keyboard melody beautifully evokes the night and the moon.
Be sure to check it out!
Ticket to the moonE.L.O
This song, included on the 1981 album “Time,” is a dramatic piece.
It sings melancholically about a ticket to the moon.
As it progresses, the expansive melody evokes the vastness of space.
Black MoonGhost Town
A track included on their second album, The After Party, released in 2014.
Ghost Town, known as an alternative band.
Its beautiful vocals and expansive melodies captivate listeners.
Creedence Clearwater RevivaBAD MOON RISING
Creedence Clearwater Revival, known as CCR, possessed a rich musicality rooted in American roots music and achieved major success within a relatively short span of about four years, earning strong support from subsequent musicians.
“Bad Moon Rising,” released in 1969 and sung by John Fogerty—who has continued to thrive as a solo artist well into the 2020s—charted in countries around the world from the time of its release and was included in Rolling Stone’s 2010 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Though its bouncy rhythm, country-tinged, breezy guitar, and cheerful melody give listeners a refreshingly upbeat impression, the song actually portrays the moon as a harbinger of ominous events.
According to Fogerty, who wrote the lyrics and music, he was inspired by the hurricane scene in the 1941 film “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” and the song is said to center on the theme of an eventual apocalypse.
Knowing that might dramatically change the way you hear it, wouldn’t it?
[2025] Classic Western songs about the moon: Recommended popular tracks (41–50)
Can’t Fight the MoonlightLeAnn Rimes
The musical film Coyote Ugly, released in 2000.
One of its soundtrack songs, Can’t Fight the Moonlight, was specially written by LeAnn Rimes.
It’s a love song sung from the perspective of a man who has feelings for a woman.
In the song, the man tries to express his feelings to her, but he hesitates because there’s a more attractive man around.
He even likens this romantic rival—the attractive man—to the moonlight.
Space OddityDavid Bowie
The renowned British artist David Bowie’s classic song “Space Oddity.” If you’re at least somewhat familiar with UK rock, it’s probably a tune you’ve heard before.
Although it was popular enough to top the charts, because it was released in the 1960s it hadn’t drawn much attention from younger generations as an old song.
However, when Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield covered it aboard the space station, its popularity ignited once again.