Top 10 Best La La Las in Songs

The Kinks
One of the most well-known songs by The Kinks, “Lola” was written by the band’s frontman, Ray Davies, in 1970. More 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. “Lola” 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. It’s a song that celebrates love without regard for traditional gender norms, and music historian JD Doyle cites the song as “the first big hit with an LGBT theme.” “Lola”’s catchy “la la las” helped the song pass radio censors, helping to bring this underrepresented subject matter to the world.

Shakira
This 2014 dance pop hit was two years in the making, with the singer giving birth to her first child and judging on “The Voice” in the time between the music video being filmed and its release. Needless to say, there was plenty of build up and anticipation surrounding this song for Shakira fans, and it didn’t disappoint. Its catchy Brazilian beats are upbeat and endlessly easy to dance to, and the song even became a secondary theme song for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. A music video for the song’s World Cup remix was released that featured famous footballers alongside people of all ages from around the world, all joining Shakira in her la la la-ing.

Y2K and bbno$[c]
This song completely blew up on TikTok in 2019 due to its catchy and candid opening line, where bbno$ blanks on the song’s melody and has to be prompted by Y2K. That portion of the song has been played and replayed countless times in short form video content, but the whole song is worth a listen as well. A remix of the song was also recorded, featuring Enrique Iglesias and Carly Rae Jepsen. It’s a cool, laid back song with a catchy beat that takes us right back to 2019, and it definitely has some iconic la la las.

Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith
This hit single, produced by Naughty Boy with vocals by Sam Smith, features la la la lyrics that actually tie in with the meaning of the song. It refers to the way children often cover their ears and repeat “la la la” to block out unwanted noises, like lectures from a parent, taunting from a peer, or even a spoiler for a new movie. The song was inspired by No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” which also deals with the idea of wanting to avoid difficult conversations. More than just a catchy hook, this song’s la la las tap into a universal feeling of being confronted by the things we just don’t want to hear.

Minnie Riperton
This dreamy and soulful song showcases the beautiful vocals of Minnie Riperton, and was written as a joint effort between the singer and her husband, Richard Rudolph. The song’s affectionate lyrics clearly express the feelings held between the spouses and co-writers, but also the love they shared for their daughter, future comedy star Maya Rudolph, then just two years old. The song’s delightfully sweet la la las perfectly capture the times when words can’t express the sheer amount of affection one feels for another. The song topped the charts and has endured the tests of time as one of the most enchanting songs ever written.

Kylie Minogue
Known as the “princess of pop,” Kylie Minogue’s most popular song by far is the disco pop hit, “Can’t Get You Outta My Head.” When it comes to this dance classic, the one part we can never get out of our heads is the iconic “la la la” hook. It’s hard to imagine any other voice behind this song, but it was actually pitched first to both S Club 7 and Sophie Ellis-Bexter[e] before it was successfully offered to Minogue. The singer instantly knew it would be a hit, and jumped on the opportunity to record it. She was spot on, “Can’t Get You Outta My Head” is a seminal classic of 2000s pop music, and we expect to be hearing it for decades to come.

A Touch of Class
Speaking of early 2000s classics, you can’t talk about “la la la” songs without also mentioning this europop hit from A Touch of Class, better known by their initials “ATC” The song is sung in English by a German-based group, but it’s actually a cover of a Russian song, “Pesenka” by pop duo Ruki Vverh!. The English translation made the song much more accessible to a wider global audience, and the cover far exceeded the popularity of the original song. It’s impossible not to get moving and grooving to this high energy, incredibly catchy song.

Van Morrison
The oldest song on our list, “Brown Eyed Girl” was originally considered too racy to be played on the radio in its original form. Though it might seem innocent to us in the modern age, lyrics like “making love in the green grass” were cut from the song for radio play in its earliest years. Of course, the song’s “la la la”s were safe from censorship and have been present in every iteration of the song. It’s one of the most enduring songs of its era. Although technically the lyrics are “Sha la la” and not “La la la,” we’ll give this song a pass because it’s just too good.

Iggy Pop
Right off the bat, this song hooks you in with its hypnotic guitar riff and Iggy Pop’s rich vocals. But “The Passenger”’s “la la la”’s might take diehard rock fans by surprise with the addition of a familiar voice. The backing vocals for this proto-punk song were provided by none other than Pop’s close friend and collaborator, music icon David Bowie, who also plays piano on the track. Bowie’s contribution helps turn this already legendary song into a piece of rock history and a testament to the two musicians’ chemistry and immense talents.

Simple Minds
This song was written for one of the most memorable, decade-defining movies of the 80s, “The Breakfast Club”, and has become an enduring anthem in its own right. Although it was an instant hit when it was released, the band Simple Minds initially rejected the song when approached by its producer. They preferred to sing their own material, but after some convincing and a few rewrites, they agreed to record the song. One of those key rewrites was done by the band’s lead vocalist Jim Kerr[g], who added the unforgettable “hey hey hey” and those famous “la la la”s. This song is well known across many generations, aided by the fact that it’s been prominently covered several times, and for very good reason.

Which non-lexical vocal should we count down next? Na na na? Do do do? Tell us in the comments!

[b]https://youtu.be/N2Y2vQ-1m7M?si=AKUINMDa9H5PDF9x&t=43
[c]baby no money https://youtu.be/N2Y2vQ-1m7M?si=U0c6bA8pMcSOEBKJ&t=10
[d]https://youtu.be/3O1_3zBUKM8?si=eDqge1XNajZMTeZM&t=79
[e]https://youtu.be/7RtjRYLg6aE?si=RtdTS75J74pqq29k
[f]https://youtu.be/Se237UXFKlQ?si=5fb7ljQBwrK1Girq
PAYSIN-kuh https://forvo.com/word/%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0/#ru
RRRRRROOO-kee VEERrrrrh https://forvo.com/word/%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B2%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%85/#ru
[g]https://youtu.be/-GKC5rmDRzM?si=4oyX8nq-_0RlU6Le&t=4