27 Songs About Being 18

Whether you are eighteen years old, about to be, or love to reminisce on days you were, there are over a hundred songs that remind us how it feels, will feel, or felt. With so many different perspectives, music is a gateway to emotions we aren’t sure how to describe.

Here are the top songs about being eighteen years old.

1. “She’s Only 18” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Song Year: 2006

The Red Hot Chili Peppers give an outside perspective on what being eighteen is. This song highlights how eighteen is the year all young girls want to reach. Being eighteen is being an adult, even when the men they date are much older.

“She’s Only 18” emphasizes that 18 isn’t very old at all.

2. “18” by One Direction

Song Year: 2014

One Direction sings about a love that began when they were eighteen years old. It’s a romantic song that pays tribute to how young love can last and isn’t always as short-lived as it’s made out to be.

“18” dives into how love can feel new and exciting at first, and how it’s possible to hold onto that similar love later in the years. Most reflections on the age revolve around regrets or missing someone, but this song is a refreshing take on how love can last.

3. “I’m Eighteen” by Alice Cooper

Song Year: 1971

Alice Cooper’s idea of being eighteen means knowing nothing, which isn’t unusual. This song focuses primarily on how the stigma for eighteen-year-olds is that they should know what they want in life, but in reality, they rarely do.

Eighteen years is the line between childhood and adulthood, and eventually, Cooper admits it’s not a bad feeling being in between and having the time to choose.

4. “8TEEN” by Khalid

Song Year: 2017

Khalid takes a much simpler approach to what it means to be eighteen. He talks about living with his parents, never falling in love, and just being dumb while it’s acceptable It’s a very relaxed song that shows listeners to take the years as they come.

5. “Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) by Taylor Swift

Song Year: 2021

While Taylor Swift focuses on being older than eighteen in her song “Nothing New”, there is a beautiful reference to how despite being younger, somehow being eighteen makes you feel more knowledgeable and confident.

The older you get, the less you feel like you know what you’re doing. It also removes the ability to blame most of your mistakes on your age, but even in our twenties, we struggle with finding who we are.

6. “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5

Song Year: 2002

A very popular tune, “She Will Be Loved” is about an eighteen-year-old girl who is beautiful but is very insecure about herself. The girl is broken despite her beauty, and the singer is saying they are there for her no matter what.

Being eighteen isn’t always a good thing. It comes with a lot of struggles about who you want to be and the pressure society puts on us to figure everything out.

7. “The A-Team” by Ed Sheeran

Song Year: 2011

“The A-Team” centers around a young girl around 18 who has led a life towards a dangerous and unhealthy path of selling her body for drugs. The reason this song hurts many of the hearts that listen to it is because of the wording Ed Sheeran uses.

It emphasizes how young this girl is, and reminds us how these things are currently happening in the world.

8. “Eighteen” by beabadoobee

Song Year: 2018

While most songs view getting to be eighteen years old as something exciting, beabadoobee has a different outlook. This song views eighteen as growing up and leaving childhood behind.

Eighteen can be portrayed as adulthood, but it is also still such a young age compared to the length of lives last. So while it’s seen as a time to have fun, it's also the entryway to adulthood.

9. “Eighteen” by Vistas

Song Year: 2019

Vistas wants to be eighteen again simply to experience the type of love they once shared with their lover who they don’t love anymore.

Whether it’s because of society’s implications that eighteen should be the most exciting year of your life and everything is amplified, or it’s simply because they fell out of love, the singer misses those feelings.

10. “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift

Song Year: 2020

“Cardigan” is a beautiful song about how being young doesn’t correspond to not feeling real emotions. Taylor Swift reminds the listeners that despite being in love at a young age, you feel it and it’s just as real as if you were older.