Songs About Extra-Terrestrials

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Posted 2021-06-14 by Steven G ⇒ follow

Recently, several government agencies and officials from various countries have started to make noises indicating that aliens probably exist. As a writer of science fiction (amongst other genres), this, of course, sparked my interest… and the interest of nearly every other struggling writer out there. Within a month, publishing houses and editors of anthologies and magazines were saying, "Enough with the aliens!"

Which suits me fine, to be honest – I've had a few alien-focused short stories published over the years and don't think I could come up with anything new.

So, I wondered how many songs about aliens and UFOs I had in my collection. The answer: heaps. And, with that in mind, here are my 15 favourites. As usual, I have probably missed a heap (there is one by Katy Perry that I cannot stand), so feel free to add your own in the comments section below. But, to start with, and in celebration of the subtle yet constant announcements of late, songs about ETs. One song per artist and I need to like the song as usual.
'The Purple People Eater' by Sheb Wooley (1958)

The classic novelty song about an alien who comes to Earth and just wants to be a musician in a rock and roll band is a bit of pop fun that does not even pretend to take itself seriously.
'Mr. Spaceman' by The Byrds (1967)

The titular Spaceman is someone who comes in at night with a lot of light and the singer wants to be taken away by him. This has become something of a cliché; I've written a story based on this very trope. Still, when the song is this good, you can't help but be inspired.
'It Came out Of The Sky' by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

One of CCR's more rocking tracks, this deep cut is filled with the sort of thing appearing in movies at the time, including a scientist calling the sighting "marsh gas." Fun song, showing CCR just rocking out.
'E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence)' by Blue Öyster Cult (1976)

A UFO crashes, the government covers it up. Simple, but, like you'd expect from BOC, this is a rocking track, pushing the proggy realm. Probably based on the Roswell Incident, it even mentions the creepy "men in black."
'Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft' by The Carpenters (1977)

This is a cover of a Klaatu power ballad, but I prefer Karen Carpenter's voice, so we'll sit with the cover version . And it is about what it says on the tin – they're trying to get in touch with aliens. Simple, really.
'Planet Claire' by The B-52's (1979)

A song about a female alien. That's all there is to it, really. From The B-52's debut self-titled album, it is as strange as any other track on that, and as good as the rest as well.
'Rapture' by Blondie (1980)

For people my age, this was the first exposure we had had to "rap" music. Maybe that's why people from my generation (and older) cannot take rap music seriously – this odd song about a man from Mars who eats guitars and cars and bars and the singer. But it is so damn catchy.
'Watching The Sky' by Saxon (1983)

The singer watches the sky because he knows there has to be life out there and he wants to meet them. That's it, and it's all done in that NWOBHM sound that I love so very much. Forgotten gem.
'Loving The Alien' by David Bowie (1984)

A David Bowie song that I quite like, though not one of my absolute favourites (the guy released so many awesome tracks). This is a bit of 1980s pop from the master, and a song that is forgotten too often.
'Slime Creatures From Outer Space' by 'Weird Al' Yankovic (1985)

Okay, yes, a comedy song, about aliens that have come to earth and conquered us. It sounds like the theme song for a cheap 1980s film, but it is just an album cut from Dare To be Stupid.
'Aliens Walk Among Us' by Mondo Rock (1987)

Mondo Rock is my favourite Ross Wilson music, and this is another of the many great tracks released under that band's name. Again, the title tells you all you need to know – ETs are here living amongst us.
'Surfing With The Alien' by Joe Satriani (1987)

The instrumental title track from Satriani's second album is a rocking number that showed the world a new guitar legend had arrived. It's just a great rocking number and I really like it.
'Aliens Exist' by blink-182 (1999)

From Enema Of The State, the album that broke them into a wider audience, this song is not just about UFOs but also various conspiracy theories. Done in the pop-punk style blink-182 became renowned for, this is a weird deep cut from that album.
'My Alien' by Simple Plan (2002)

I am not a fan of Simple Plan (ignore the fact I own 2 of their albums). But some of their songs are okay, and this one clearly does not take itself seriously, a song about a guy who discovers his girlfriend is an alien. Harmless pop fun.
'1969 (Here Come The Aliens)' by Kim Wilde (2018)

And we finish with Kim Wilde singing about aliens coming to Earth in this fantastic track from Here Come The Aliens. I am a Kim Wilde fan and I love this track.
So, with the recent news, this could be a weird soundtrack to the world nowadays. Aliens in music… which is what my father reckoned punk rockers of the 1970s were. Oh well. Great music. Hope you found something to enjoy here.