Just got to thinking about this today. Came up with some good ones....

Criteria is NAME ONLY: no adjectives, no descriptions, nothing but a name or names (but not blank and blank if it's a man's name). titles do count as part of the name (Mrs. or Lady for example).

Layla - Clapton/Derek and the Dominoes
Roxanne - The Police
Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles
Michelle - The Beatles
Lady Madonna (title counts as part of name) - The Beatles
Angie - The Rolling Stones
Rosanna - Toto
Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac
Lola - The Kinks
Jolene - Dolly Parton
Aimee - Pure Prairie League
Melissa - The Allman Brothers
Jessica - The Allman Brothers (gotta be the greatest instrumental named for a woman)
Gloria - Them
Billy Jean - Michael Jackson
Josie - Steely Dan
Peg - Steely Dan
Lucille - Little Richard
Maggie Mae - Rod Stewart
Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel
Cecilia - Simon and Garfunkel
Amanda - Boston
Beth - Kiss
Allison - Elvis Costello
Peggy Sue - Buddy Holly
Lady Marmalade - Labelle

Edited to add some others mentioned (my faves, not all of them)

Jane - Jefferson Starship
Valerie - Steve Winwood
Gloria - both Doors and U2 versions, hell Laura Brannigan too
**** - Meredith Brooks (cuz thats just funny)
Rosalita - Springsteen
Rio - Duran Duran (forgot it was a name)
Sara - Starship
Sara - Fleetwood Mac


These do not count for examples (my criteria):
Jessie's Girl
Oh Sherry
Darling Nikki
The Ballad of John and Yoko
Sexy Sadie
Sweet Caroline
A Boy Named Sue
Dear Prudence
Jack and Diane

Bertha - Grateful Dead

I'm partial to Sarah by Bob Dylan. Or Sarah by Thin Lizzy.

Rosalie by Thin Lizzy also.

"Lady" is an indicator of formal title and not a name and this this song should be disqualified. Marmalade would have been acceptable.

Darling Nikki is a personal favorite, but Mary Jane's Last Dance wins this thread easily.

Thread over.

HOW DARE YOU MISGENDER HER SIR!!!

My daughter's name is Jane, so one day i played a long list of rock songs about Jane for her. I don't recall the exact count, but there were more than i initially expected.

This website lists 73 songs that include variations of the name Jane in the title:
https://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-songs-about-janes/reference

Definitely Not A Cop said:

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Mega Lops said:

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Darling Nikki - Prince

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Read the OP again

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I choose substance and quality over some arbitrary guardrails. Lighten up Francis.

Yeah I forgot that one I had thought of it in fact that was what triggered the entire list. I saw a TikTok with that solo.

jkag89 said:

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Quote:

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Lola - The Kinks

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But Lola isn't a woman.

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It's 2025 she can be whatever she chooses.

Ana - Pixies

Charlie by RHCP could be about a girl, more likely cocaine.

Love KISS, but get Beth off that list.

Aretha's version of Eleanor Rigby is vastly superior to The Beatles'.

First & last songs on Boston's Third Stage album: Amanda and Hollyann.

Rosie-ac/dc

I will add a different Jolene - Ray Lamontagne

Also Springsteen can get some heat on here but I have a soft spot for Rosallita from growing up.

Delia's Gone is another classic macabre American ballad about a woman. Johnny Cash did that song right!

I feel like The Doors' cover of Gloria should be a separate entry with how different it is

Rosie - Jackson Browne

Wait, cancel that. He's not talking about a woman.