10 Best Wind Songs

It’s crazy windy tonight in Los Angeles. Trees are down, power is out, and cars are crashing. I’m lucky to be inside, but hearing the wind shake my windows and threaten to down my satellite dish is rather harrowing. What better way to celebrate (or distract myself from) these gales than by posting a countdown of the ten best wind related songs?

To the (hastily created) list!

10. “Blowing Kisses in the Wind” by Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul? Harpsichord? Done. I hope Angelenos remember that among the tree branches, garbage, and general crap getting tossed about in the wind, there are perhaps some kisses too.

9. “Blow” by Ke$ha

Technically, this song really isn’t about wind, but when you’re sitting in a dark apartment with gale-force winds rattling every window into submission, you can’t help but think that indeed this place about to blow-OHH-ah-ah-ah-oh-oh-ohhhh.

8. “Summer Breeze” by Seals and Croft

Hey brah, the wind can be a beautiful thing. One man’s hurricane is another’s summer breeze. This song reminds us of the kinder side of wind, and as an added bonus, the title sounds like a douche brand.

7. “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John

When I was a kid, I loved this song. Then it got co-opted as a Princess Diana tribute, and I liked it less. Still, it’s a great “Listen to this and think of a dead celebrity” tune, which is really the perfect thing to do on a windy night.

6. “Wind of Change” by The Scorpions

Sometimes you gotta celebrate Perestroyka. Enter The Scorpions and their arena rock slow jam, “Wind of Change,” which dared to usher in a new world order, one haunting whistle at a time.

5. “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins

When it comes to haunting rock-pop, Phil Collins is the man, and no song can make wind seem so ominous as this tune, which is actually about divorce. That’s just a technicality though. The title is about air! Air… wind… It all works.

4. “Blowing in the Wind” by Peter, Paul, and Mary

Of all the songs on this list, “Blowing in the Wind” is the only tune to actually reach iconic status. This legendary hit has come to represent the spirit of the ’60s as well as activism as a timeless concept. Not too shabby!

3. “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas

The quintessential anthem for mournful reminiscence, “Dust in the Wind” takes me to a very special place… it’s a sad, depressing place, but a special place nonetheless. Don’t act like you don’t get all emo when you hear that guitar strumming along with aching melancholy. Damn, just writing about the song gets me all serious, yo.

2. “She’s Like the Wind” by Patrick Swayze

The late, great Patrick Swayze left many legacies, and chief among them is this song — a true masterpiece of romantic pining and unrequited yearning (with a dash of low self-esteem). It’s enough to make you weep. One of my favorite songs. of. all. time.

1. “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler

I’ll admit: some of the songs on this hastily compiled list made it on here solely because they have “wind” in their titles. This one not only has “wind” in its title, but it also uses wind imagery actively throughout the song. No other song on this list reminds us of the sheer force and power of wind as when Bette Midler bellows out to us, “Flyyyy… FLYYYYY… FLLLLLYYYYYY AWAY.” Gosh darnit if I don’t feel like a soaring bird coasting on the winds of LOVE.

I’ll stop now.

What are your favorite windy songs?