Work. Love it or hate it, there’s certainly plenty of songs about it. It’s one theme that is always topical amongst bands & musicians. Pick a genre of music and I’m sure they have a song about working. Well maybe not classical but you get the idea! In honor of Labor Day weekend, we have compiled 80 songs about working, hating work, slacking off on the job, songs about bosses, trying to find a job, trying to leave a job, etc…Pretty much any song that has to deal with work. If I missed a song, be sure to comment down below!

1. Jay Ferguson – “The Office Theme song”
The official theme song to the American version of The Office. If I used the theme song to the British version of the Office, it would be “Handbags and Gladrags” and it just doesn’t fit with this playlist.

2. Dead Kennedys – “At My Job”
The perfect anti-work song! Jello sings in a trance-like voice and you feel like you’re being put on some type of robotic assembly line when listening to this.

3. Cock Sparrer – “Working”
Cock Sparrer is the Oi! band that simply has way too many songs about working. It’s hard to pick just 1 song.

4. The Dropkick Murphys – “Worker’s Song”
Dropkick Murphys have many working class songs, including this one that was on the Blackout album.

5. Billy Bragg – “St Monday”
“Looks like somebody has a case of the Mondays”

6. Woody Guthrie – “Union Maid”
Woody was one of the great folk heroes to sing about work oppression and rights for the workers, including female workers.

7. Bruce Springsteen – “Working on the Highway”
The Boss has plenty of working related songs, but I always loved this one the most.

8. Johnny Cash – “Oney”
“I dedicate this song to the workin’ man.” That opening verse just sums this song up.

9. Pete Seeger – “Which Side Are You On?”
Classic union song that was written back in the 1930s by Florence Reece. Pete Seeger was (still is) one of the many folk musicians singing about unions, labor and working.

10. Bob Dylan – “Maggie’s Farm”
Dylan made waves with this song back in the mid-60s. I have no idea if this is a work song or not, because there’s lots of layers and innuendos here that he could be talking about protesting the folk scene, or the government and other things. But superficially could act as a work song.

11. Tom Waits – “I Can’t Wait To Get Off Work”
He can’t wait to get off work to see his baby.

12. The Ramones – “It’s Not My Place in the 9 to 5 world”
Some people are just not cut out for a 9 to 5 job.

13. The Clash – “Career Opportunities”
Sometimes you have no choice to work for a shit job.

14. Subhumans – “Work Experience”
Subhumans have plenty of anti-working songs.

15. Buck O Nine – “Calling in Sick”
Who hasn’t thought about calling in sick…everyday haha?

16. The Toasters – “Don’t Let The Bastards Grind You Down”
Damn the Man!

17. Authority Zero – “Big Bad World”
Awesome reggae punk song about the struggles of living in the United States right now.

18. English Beat – “Get A Job”
The English Beat cover The Silhouettes song “Get A Job.” I like the originally a lot too.

19. Huey Lewis and The News – Workin’ For a Livin’
Huey Lewis rocks! Although hearing lyrics about $200 rent makes this really dated haha. Was this song written in the 1880s?

20. Bon Jovi – “Work for the Working Man”
The struggles of being unemployed.

21. The Police – “Dead End Job”
Well at least Sting and the rest of the band don’t need to get dead end jobs now.

22. Lee Dorsey – “Working In a Coal Mine”
This song plays a lot in my head when working, even though I don’t work in a coal mine.

23. John Lennon – “Working Class Hero”
“Working class hero is something to be…”

24. The Vogues – “Five O Clock World”
“Up every mornin’ just to keep a job…”

25. Sam Cooke – “Chain Gang”
“That’s the sound of the men working on the chain gang.”

26. The Easybeats – “Friday on my Mind”
I’m sure everyone has Friday on the mind.

27. Todd Rundgren – “Bang on the Drum All Day”
Well, the guy clearly doesn’t want to work…he just wants to bang on the drums all day.

28. Loverboy – “Working for the Weekend”
I can’t help but think of Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze dancing in that infamous SNL skit when I hear this song.

29. The Jam – “Here Comes The Weekend”
Yay I love weekends!

30. D.R.I. – “Worker Bee”
Don’t we all feel like little worker bees.

31. Millencolin – “9 to 5”
Swedish punkers cover Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5.

32. Anti-Nowhere League – “Working for The Company”
“The same old job, the same old monotony, The same old faces, day after day”

33. The Queers – “I Don’t Wanna Work”
The Queers have plenty of anti-work songs.

34. Pulley – “Working Class Whore”
A great working song about the daily grind.

35. Guttermouth – God, Steve McQueen “The Work Song”
Not positive, but I think Guttermouth is making fun of Oi! music.

36. Toots and the Maytals – “Time Tough”
This song is fitting with the times we’re living in right now.

37. Barry Biggs – “Work All Day”
Popular reggae song from the 70s but I never heard it until finding songs for this playlist.

38. Aggrolites – “Work To Do”
Sort of like a dirty reggae Heigh Ho if you will.

39. Dance Hall Crashers – “Day Job”
“Sometimes the day seem so long, I wish my boss hadn’t taken my bong.” Yeah I wouldn’t recommend bringing a bong to work haha.

40. The Methadones – Welcome to the Working Week”
The Methadones cover Elvis Costello.

41. Citizen Fish – “Phone in Sick”
Man, a lot of these bands like to sing about calling out of work.

42. The Offspring – “Why Don’t You Get a Job?”
A song about a lazy, money grubbing snob who makes the guy do everything.

43. The Descendents – “This Place”
Someone doesn’t sound too happy.

44. Gang Green – “This Job Sucks”
No description needed.

45. Home Grown – “Get A Job”
“I don’t want to go to work. Pushed around by a fuckin jerk. ”

46. NOFX – “Go To Work Wasted”
Something I wouldn’t advise but that’s what makes this song funny.

47. Lonely Island – “Like A Boss”
I hated Andy Samberg and Lonely Island but their stuff is growing on me. “Like a Bowwss”

48. James Brown – “The Boss”
I guess if you’re a Boss you’ll like this song more.

49. Voodoo Glow Skulls – “Boss Man”
I don’t think bands like Bosses.

50. Mr Review – “Everyday Another Day”
The beginning of this song has someone throwing a clock against the wall. I feel that way everyday.

51. Skoidats – “Back To Work”
Skinhead ska. Skinheads sing about work. Well here’s your working song.

52. Blue Meanies – “Johnny Mortgage”
“Working, working, and working so hard…”

53. Street Dogs – “Modern Day Labor Anthem”
Street Dogs are one of the best working-class punk rock bands out there right now.

54. Rise Against – “Re-Education (Through Labor)”
A song about sweatshops and sounds like the workers rebel at the end. I think?

55. Willie Nile – “Hard Times in America”
A rock song from the early 90s that’s easily still topical today, sadly.

56. The Replacements – “God Damn Job”
Punk rock song from The Replacements. “I Need a God Damn Job” is pretty much the lyrics.

57. Gin Blossom – “Day Job”
Don’t know this song too well but think it’s about whether or not hard work is worth it in the end.

58. Great Big Sea – “Chemical’s Worker Song (Process Man)”
A song about working in places that are harmful for your health, but you have no choice but go to work there.

59. Avett Brothers – “Hard Worker”
“I’m a hard hard worker everyday…”

60. Drive-By Truckers – “This Fucking Job”
Don’t know this band too well but want to check out the rest of their music now. They remind me of Band of Horses.

61. Lou Reed – “Don’t Talk To Me About Work”
Ok, I don’t think you should talk to him about work!

62. Roy Orbison – “Working for the Man”
Great song about slaving, err..working for the man.

63. Rush – “Working Man”
If I left this song off the playlist, Coozer might castrate me.

64. They Might Be Giants – “Minimum Wage”
Very simple song…”Minimum Wage…heeyah!”

65. The Rakes – “22 Grand Job”
22 grand? Man, I make that just in a week! …oh sorry, I was daydreaming for a second.

66. Screeching Weasel – “Work”
Punks just don’t like work.

67. Dillinger Four – “Minimum Wage is a Gateway Drug”
Struggling to make ends meet.

68. Teenage Bottlerocket – “Call In Sick”
Another song about calling in sick to work.

69. Anti-Flag – “You’re Fire (Take This Job)”
Not sure what this song is about exactly, guess being fired?

70. MDC – “I Hate Work”
Self explanatory.

71. 7 Seconds – “Boss”
“How come everything you say is right, How come everything I say is wrong.”

72. Cousin Oliver – “Shot My Boss”
Obviously not a smart idea to shoot your boss haha.

73. Less Than Jake – “Last Hour of the Last Day of Work”
Never really listened to this song from LTJ before but definitely a song with a good point to make.

74. Dead Kennedys – “Take This Job and Shove It”
Dead Kennedys are on the list twice. Well, this cover is just short and brilliant.

75. Black Flag – “Clocked In”
Someone sounds angry to be working!

76. Chixdiggit – “Quit Your Job”
Well I would suggest only quitting it if you had something else lined up haha.

77. Art Brut – “Summer Job”
Seems fitting for high school and college kids just messing around on the job during the summer.

78. Placebo – “Slave to the Wage”
Guess this song was popular. I never got into this band.

79. Relient K – “The Office”
Relient K made up a song about the Office and even cover the theme song. Quick and fun song!

80. Seven Dwarfs – “Heigh Ho”
Whistle while you work, and drive your co-workers batshit crazy!