Patience is a virtue and these 23 songs will inspire you to find new ways to wait for good things to come.
Whether you’re waiting at the laundromat or helping a loved one through a difficult time in their life, we could all use a little more patience.
Let’s dive into the 23 best songs about patience!
1. “I’ve Been Searching So Long” By Chicago
“I’ve Been Searching So Long” by Chicago may have been released in 1974, but it’s still the gold standard of songs about patience.
The mellow tunes and haunting vocals are both uplifting, but still fighting through the sadness that comes with waiting. “I’ve Been Searching So Long” isn’t a sad song, but it does grapple with the challenge of being patient—especially when it’s one-sided.
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2. “Hold On” By Tom Waits
Tom Waits 1999 album Mule Variations reinvented modern blues. Waits has a grizzled and weather-worn voice that you can just tell has seen it all.
Life often asks for patience when it comes for love and “Hold On” is all about facing those moments we feel left behind.
Still, as the lyrics stay hopeful about better times ahead and the people who are waiting right here with us.
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3. “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)” by Aretha Franklin and George Michael
“I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)” by Aretha Franklin and George Michael took the year 1996 by storm. This R&B dance-rock hit is all about finding the inner strength it takes to fight through those times when we need to wait for better things.
This song is like a workout anthem for people who are patiently waiting for something good. Whether the love of your life is on the way home or you’re waiting to hear back about important news, this song is going to give you the strength to see it through!
4. “I’d Wait A Million Years” by Grass Roots
Let’s turn back the hands of time to an era when things were still groovy.
In 1970, “I’d Wait A Million Years” by Grass Roots released a psychedelic wave of comforting music about patience. The song is about our singer waiting for his love to come back and how excited he is to tell the world about their love when the time’s right.
If psychedelic fashion has the patience to last throughout the years, then so do we!
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5. ‘Waiting on a Friend’ by The Rolling Stones
Songs about patience aren’t always about falling in love. Sometimes the thing that we’re waiting on is a friend.
“Waiting on a Friend” by The Rolling Stones is another 70s jam about patience. The Rolling Stones sing about the importance of sticking close to your friends especially when heartache and romance try to get in the way.
Best of all, you’ll get to hear one of the sweetest saxophone jams ever recorded!
6. “Time After Time” by Cindy Lauper
The music video for “Time After Time” opens with Cindy Lauper sitting alone in her room acting along to a classic movie scene of heartbreak and separation.
The song is all about how we need to be there for the people we love. Lovers, friends, and family are all going to need patience to hold out and be there for each other. Cindy Lauper wrote the definitive song about patience and longing.
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7. “Patiently” by New Birth
We’re getting funky with our next pick. “Patiently” by New Birth is just as brooding as it is funky. This song blends the energy it takes to patiently wait with the devotion that is earned by holding through tough times.
The vocal from the female-fronted New Birth are powerful and definitely one of the best things to come out of 1974.
8. “Wait” by The Beatles
Many of the songs on our list are about being the person who waits, but sometimes it’s us that causes someone else to do the waiting.
“Wait” by The Beatles is all about this waiting. Sometimes we need to hit the road for work, family, or life’s other demands. Even when we’ve been gone from our love for a long time, we always come back to their side.
This song is uplifting and will help everyone get perspective on the waiting.
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9. “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” by Buddy Holly
It takes a lot of patience to get through heartache. Buddy Holly wrote one of the best songs about those moments when you just can’t get your former lover out of your mind.
The most important thing about this song is the hope that comes from the singing. Buddy Holly’s uplifting voice is a sign that things get better.
10. “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger
We might have to be patient and wait, but life waits for no one.
Night Rider’s 1983 song “Sister Christian” is all about how life can pass us by if we spend too much time waiting. Patience is a blessing, but sometimes we need to stand up and take action!
Put on this 80s rocking jam when it’s time to kick things into gear and step into a new phase in your life!
11. “Hanging On The Telephone” by Blondie
Stuck waiting for a phone call (or maybe a text)? “Hanging on the Telephone” by Blondie is the perfect song when you have to wait for an important message.
We’ve all been stuck waiting for someone important to reach out and this is the anthem for everyone who’s stuck waiting to hear back from someone.
12. “Waiting for the Sun” by The Doors
Patience is the key to so many things in life. “Waiting for the Sun” by The Doors has many interpretations. Is the singer waiting for their slice of the American dream? Are they waiting for their shot at fame and fortune? They could be waiting for that moment in life where they feel truly complete.
No matter what they are waiting for, it’s going to take a lot of patience to get there. The Doors really mastered the sometimes vague nature of waiting and all the patience it takes to see it through.
13. “Patiently Waiting” by 50 Cent
Let’s change things up! “Patiently Waiting” is one of the songs that put 50 Cent on the hip-hop map. This song outlines how hard 50 Cent worked to build his career and the friends, and enemies, he made on the way.
The song is boastful and triumphant. It’s an inspiring anthem for anyone who knows what it feels like to beat the odds and arrive at the top of their game.
Let “Patiently Waiting” make the top of your songs about patience playlist when it’s time to get active and make the moves you need to win!
14. “I’m Waiting For The Man” by The Velvet Underground
If you know anything about The Velvet Underground, you know that Lou Reed was no stranger to controversy. “I’m Waiting for the Man” is a song about Reed’s experience waiting to make an illicit purchase on a big city street.
You’re probably not up to those rock star activities, but you might be waiting on someone else for a financial transaction. This song is perfect for anyone stuck waiting on business, so they can get their money moving!
15. “The Waiting” by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Waiting can be agony! We’re sometimes forced to face the hardest emotional struggles while waiting.
This track by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is right there with you when you’re waiting on your love. As the song says “waiting is the hardest part” and it can definitely feel like that sometimes.
Just know that this song was written after the fact, and you can make it through!
16. “Waiting In Vain” by Bob Marley and the Whalers
Bob Marley released this song in 1977, and it’s been a hit ever since.
This song speaks to everyone who has waited in vain. Our patience is often misspent on people who don’t appreciate our value.
If you’ve been waiting in vain, turn up the volume on this song!
17. “Patience” by Guns N’ Roses
The title of this song really does say it all. Some of the best songs about patience get right to the point!
This song is all about waiting it out in a relationship. Even the best relationships will hit rough patches and, sometimes, all it takes to make it through is a little love and a little patience.
18. “Tired of Waiting For You” by The Kinks
We’re making a dramatic turn after that last song! “Tired of Waiting For You” by The Kinks is all about when you’ve had enough patience, and you’re done waiting for someone else to get it together.
Whether it’s a romantic relationship that just won’t take off or a working relationship that never seems to come together, sometimes we need to stop waiting despite how much our hearts long for it all to work out.
19. “I’m Waiting For The Day” by Beach Boys
“I’m Waiting for the Day” is an iconic song off of the Beach Boys masterful record: Pet Sounds. This song from 1966 is about one of the most difficult aspects of waiting. The singer falls in love with the ex of a friend who recently broke up. He’s waiting for the day when she’s ready to love again.
This isn’t always the best idea, but the heart wants what the heart wants. We can’t always rush a relationship, and sometimes we need to wait for the day when someone can “love again.”
20. “Time Is On My Side” by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones take another approach to waiting for a lover in their 1964 hit “Time Is On My Side.”
This song is all about knowing that patience can have its own rewards. The singer is confident that their recent ex will come running back to them. They’re confident that patience is all it’s going to take to come out on the right side of a rough breakup.
21. “Waitin’ For Superman” by The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips wrote this 1994 hit song about the challenges of living in a world where all we have is each other. No matter how long we wait, there’s no Superman coming to save us.
The good news is, we’ve got all we need to be patient and face these challenges together.
22. “In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was setting the groundwork for modern music when he wrote “In The Midnight Hour” in 1964.
This song is about having the patience it takes to wait for the time for love to be right.
In Piciett’s case, he only needs to wait until midnight!
23. “I Can’t Wait” by Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks wrote “I Can’t Wait” in 1985 when power ballads and big hair were all the rage.
This song is about the challenges of knowing it’s time to make a move, but also dealing with the fact that you might need to wait a little longer for things to be perfectly lined up.
That was the 23 best songs about patience. Unwind, relax, and embrace the strength you can find in these songs to get through life’s challenges that just take a little time.