Get ready to sing along as we count down the most memorable and iconic "la la la" songs that have captured our hearts over the decades! From rock to pop, these tracks will have you humming and dancing in no time!
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00:00La la la, la la la la la la la la la la
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 songs that have us singing that note to follow soul.
00:12Do re mi fa so la ti
00:17Number 10. Lola, The Kinks.
00:19One of the most well-known songs by The Kinks, Lola was written by the band's frontman Ray Davis in 1970.
00:25I met her in a club down in Old Soho
00:28More than just a catchy song that has endured as a classic rock staple, the song's lyrics are actually incredibly progressive for the time it was written.
00:35Lola tells the story of a young man's first encounter with gender nonconformity through Lola, who is either a transgender woman or a drag queen.
00:42She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
00:46I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said Lola
00:51It's a song that celebrates love without regard for traditional gender norms,
00:55and music historian J.D. Doyle cites the song as quote,
01:08Lola's catchy La La La's help the song pass radio censors, helping to bring this underrepresented subject matter to the world.
01:21Number 9. Dare La La La.
01:24Shakira.
01:25This 2014 dance-pop hit was two years in the making, with the singer giving birth to her
01:29first child and judging on the voice in the time between the music video being filmed
01:34and its release.
01:35Needless to say, there was plenty of build-up and anticipation surrounding the song for
01:46Shakira fans, and it did not disappoint.
01:49Its catchy Brazilian beats are upbeat and endlessly easy to dance to, and the song even
02:01became a secondary theme song for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
02:11A music video for the song's World Cup remix was released that features famous footballers
02:15alongside people of all ages from around the world, all joining Shakira in her la-la-lying.
02:208.
02:21La La La – Y2K and Baby No Money
02:29This song completely blew up on TikTok in 2019 due to its catchy and candid opening
02:36where Baby No Money blanks on the song's melody and has to be prompted by Y2K.
02:48That portion of the song has been played and replayed countless times in short-form video
02:53content, but the whole song is worth a listen as well.
03:03A remix of the song was also recorded, featuring Enrique Iglesias and Carly Rae Jepsen.
03:08It's a cool laid-back song with a catchy beat that takes us right back to 2019, and it definitely
03:14has some iconic la-la-la's.
03:157.
03:16La La La – Naughty Boy
03:27This hit single, produced by Naughty Boy with vocals by Sam Smith, features la-la-la lyrics
03:32that actually tie in with the meaning of the song.
03:41It refers to the way children often cover their ears and repeat la-la-la to block out
03:45unwanted noises, like lectures from a parent, taunting from a peer, or even a spoiler for
03:50a new movie.
03:59The song was inspired by No Doubt's Don't Speak, which also deals with the idea of wanting
04:03to avoid difficult conversations.
04:13More than just a catchy hook, this song's la-la-la's tap into a universal feeling of
04:17being confronted by the things we just don't want to hear.
04:236.
04:27Lovin' You – Minnie Riperton
04:36This dreamy and soulful song showcases the beautiful vocals of Minnie Riperton, and was
04:41written as a joint effort between the singer and her husband, Richard Rudolph.
04:51The song's affectionate lyrics clearly express the feelings held between the spouses and
04:55co-writers, but also the love they shared for their daughter, future comedy star Maya
05:00Rudolph, then just two years old.
05:02The song's delightfully sweet la-la-la's perfectly capture the times when words can't express
05:07the sheer amount of affection one feels for another.
05:16The song topped the charts, and has endured the test of time as one of the most enchanting
05:21songs ever written.
05:275.
05:31Can't Get You Outta My Head – Kylie Minogue
05:33Known as the Princess of Pop, Kylie Minogue's most popular song by far is the disco pop
05:38hit Can't Get You Outta My Head.
05:48When it comes to this dance classic, the one part we can never get out of our heads
05:52is the iconic la-la-la hook.
05:54It's hard to imagine any other voice behind this song, but it was actually pitched first
05:58to both S Club 7 and Sophie Ellis Baxter before it was successfully offered to Minogue.
06:10The singer instantly knew it would be a hit, and jumped on the opportunity to record it.
06:22She was spot on.
06:23Can't Get You Outta My Head is a seminal classic of 2000s pop music, and we expect
06:28to be hearing it for decades to come.
06:334.
06:38La-La-La-La-La – A Touch of Class
06:46Speaking of early 2000s classics, you cannot talk about la-la-la songs without also mentioning
06:52this Europop hit from A Touch of Class, better known by their initials ATC.
07:02The song is sung in English by a Germany-based group, but it's actually a cover of a Russian
07:08song, Pesenka, by pop duo Rukivir.
07:10The English translation made the song much more accessible to a wider global audience,
07:14and the cover far exceeded the popularity of the original song.
07:24It's impossible not to get moving and grooving to this high-energy, incredibly catchy song.
07:343.
07:38Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
07:40The oldest song on our list, Brown Eyed Girl was originally considered to be too racy to
07:44be played on the radio in its original form.
07:52Though it might seem innocent to us in the modern age, lyrics like Making Love in the
07:56Green Grass were cut from the song for radio play in its earliest years.
08:04Of course, the song's la-la-las were safe from censorship, and have been present in
08:09every iteration of the song.
08:14It's one of the most enduring songs of its era.
08:17Although technically the lyrics are sha-la-la and not la-la-la, we'll give this song a
08:22pass because it's just too good.
08:272.
08:30The Passenger – Iggy Pop
08:32Right off the bat, this song hooks you in with its hypnotic guitar riff and Iggy Pop's
08:36rich vocals.
08:43But The Passenger's la-la-las might take diehard rock fans by surprise with the addition
08:47of a familiar voice.
08:54The backing vocals for this proto-punk song were provided by none other than Pop's close
08:59friend and collaborator, music icon David Bowie, who also plays piano on the track.
09:11Bowie's contribution helps turn this already legendary song into a piece of rock history,
09:16and a testament to the two musicians' chemistry and immense talents.
09:401.
09:41Don't You Forget About Me – Simple Minds
09:43This song was written for one of the most memorable, decade-defining movies of the 80s,
09:48The Breakfast Club, and has become an enduring anthem in its own right.
09:55Although it was an instant hit when it was recorded, the band Simple Minds initially
09:59rejected the song when approached by its producer.
10:02They preferred to sing their own material, but after some convincing and a few rewrites,
10:07they agreed to record the song.
10:17One of those key rewrites was done by the band's lead vocalist Jim Care, who added the
10:22unforgettable hey-hey-hey and those famous la-la-las.
10:32This song is well-known across many generations, aided by the fact that it's been prominently
10:36covered several times, and for good reason.
10:45Which non-lexical vocal should we count down next?
10:48Na-na-na?
10:49Do-do-do?
10:50Tell us in the comments!