The computer has been an integral part of modern life and an increasingly significant music topic. Because of this, many artists are inspired to make songs about computers to narrate their influence on society.
There is no question that computers have changed how we live our lives. We rely on them for our day-to-day needs, such as tasks such as booking flights and ordering meals.
The world has become more connected because of this tool, which has made dating easier by offering multiple online dating platforms.
When it comes to the future of computers some express fears, while others are positive as they wait to make use of what the machine will offer.
21 Songs About Computers
The songs in this list not only represent the views of the singers on a computer at the time they were written but also provide an insight into the complex relationship we have with technology.
1. Computer Love – Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is a classical electronic pop group that was one of the earlier genre pioneers. They released this single in 1981, which features their signature sound of pulsing synthesizers and a few robotic vocals.
Through this piece, the band made a remarkable prediction of the future of online dating. Their idea of using computers before it was a prominent piece of technology was spot on as it is one of the foremost practical communication tools in this generation.
Recommended: 21 Songs About Robots To Get You Geeked Up For The Future.
2. Computer Love – Zapp & Roger
One of Zapp’s biggest hits, this is a well-known song about computers. Similar to the first song on the list, it seems as if Zapp predicted online dating with this one.
With its cool guitar riffs, techno-voices, and the 80s electronic vibe, this is my favorite on the list.
3. Black Velveteen – Lenny Kravitz
This last single of Lenny’s fifth album, Lenny, connects the rise of computers with the demise of human relationships. In this electro-rock song, Black Velveteen is an android and the dream of any 21st-century man looking for a love machine.
In an interview, Lenny said: “… is about technology and we’re getting so pulled in by computers and technology and our kids have their face in the computers all day. We have our face in computers all day and the human relationship is being diminished by this…”
4. Alone in the Dark – Sheryl Crow
Alone in the Dark is one of the most brutally honest songs I have listened to. It is from Sheryl Crow’s tenth studio album, Be Myself.
The song’s lyrics discuss topical concerns such as sharing the details of intimate relationships with the public through social media.
5. A Machine Spiritual (In The People’s Key) – In The People’s Key
The ideas in this song about computers are not so general, as we have already started experiencing the rise of artificial intelligence.
The song’s lyrics talk about how the end of the face-to-face interface is slowly coming to an end and how intelligent machines will be slowly taking over.
The song is quite thought-provoking and will leave the listener questioning how computers and technology, in general, have changed them.
6. Start The Simulation – A-ha
Start the Simulation is one of the best reflective songs in this compilation as it can take you on a journey and make you think about your life decisions. This track is in an unusual time signature, thought to be inspired by David Bowie.
7. Cyber Waste – Fear Factory
Cyber Waste is the perfect song for anyone fed up with computer gossip and lies fueled by the multiple online social media platforms.
The heavy metal song targets bashers and technology users that misuse computers to gossip, rumormonger, and create drama. The song’s video was shot in an abandoned warehouse in Australia.
8. Computer Age – Neil Young
Computer Age was released in the early 1980s in the Trans album. The song and album feature the use of a vocoder, which lends a robotic voice to various parts of the track. The use of the technology stunned many of his fans as the instrument gives most of his songs a bold AI feel.
The song’s inspiration is from his son suffering from cerebral palsy. While in medical care, doctors and nurses use technology as an effective tool for communication with them.
Recommended: 21 Sweet Songs About Growing Old Together.
9. Home Computer – Kraftwerk
This next song about computers is from Krftewerk, showing their fascination with the intelligent machine. It is a track best suited for tech lovers who enjoy spending time using their computers.
The song lyrics are simple to master as it is just 2 sentences. The repetitive line and a fun electric beat show the enjoyment of tech enthusiasts staying at home just to use computers for entertainment.
10. Digital Love – Daft Punk
This song is about a hopeless dream, longing, and romance through the innocent portrayal of unresolved teenage love. Digital Love prominently features samples of George Duke’s “I Love You More,” a similar love song.
Its funk-soul beat will make you put it on repeat and think back on your first crush.
11. Metal – Gary Numan
Gary is among the first singers from the late 1970s to bring electronic songs to popular music charts. The song is written from the perspective of a newly born computer as it explores the exact moment when the intelligent machine was grown enough to realize it was just a machine.
The computer’s desire to be more like its creators, humans. It was shattered after its realization it can’t be.
12. Mr. Roboto – Styx
When listening to any Styx song, the first question you will ask yourself is, What were they thinking? The band formed in the 1970s has a peculiar, weirdly captivating music style.
Mr. Roboto was released by the band in 1983 and was one of the most popular songs about intelligent machines and robots at the time, which contributed to more of their success.
13. Computer Master – Buckethead
Out of all the songs about computers in this compilation, this piece by Buckethead is genuinely outstanding due to his legendary guitar skills.
Though the song has no lyrics, it has one of the loudest messages about computers through its progressive 80s synth sound. This is the perfect song for any guitar enthusiast looking for an innovative sound to add to their playlist.
14. Algorithm – Muse
In technology, algorithms are procedures used to solve a problem. A human can do it, but a computer does it faster. The dystopian lyrics in this song show that computers will render humans obsolete as algorithms evolve.
The song also questions our increasing need for computers in our daily lives. You can hear the anxiety in the singer’s voice as he explores the subject matter.
15. Jed the Humanoid – Grandassy
While some composers explore the topic of the rise of computers, Grandaddy tells a melancholic story of a robot. The track deals with artificial intelligence and is sung as a eulogy for a robot that killed himself.
When the intelligent machine was given free will, the creators forgot Jed. He becomes lonely and finds solace in alcohol; without understanding its effects, he drinks too much and dies.
Recommended: 21 Best Songs About Friends With Benefits.
16. Coin Operated Boy – Dresden Dolls
Coin-operated Boy uses metaphor to mask its intended meaning. While some view it as a track about a love toy, it is deeper than that.
It is about loneliness, the feeling of needing companionship and being trapped. The singer cries for attention in this song and says she just wants to be loved.
17. Love Thru The Computer – Gucci Mane
This is one of the best songs about computers from a hip-hop artist that is similar to most composers in this playlist. The artist talks about online relationships in this digital age.
He raps about how he desires his woman though they are not together. The lyrics also show he is daydreaming about what they would do when they are together.
18. Computer Blue – Prince
This synth-funk song by Prince was released in 1984 and is the fourth track in Purple Rain, one of the artist’s best albums.
The song is for people who desire to enter fleeting relationships online. It says that using computers to find lovers online in the computer age can be futile.
19. Digital Witness – St. Vincent
Digital Witness finds the artist talking about the frustration that computers, with the aid of the internet, are leaving humans incapable of enjoying themselves or living without the need to document everything.
20. The Little Mouse – Malvina Reynolds
Written in the early by Malvina Reynolds, Little Mouse is one of the earlier songs about computers where an artist complained about our overreliance on the intelligent machine.
Though computers were not as efficient as they are now, it shows a trend in society that our love of computers has existed for quite some time.
21. Analog Man – Joe Walsh
This song is a social commentary by the composer lamenting our state as a society. The lyrics discuss our need to stay connected to the past while embracing new technology. The rapid change in technology inspired the song.
Last Words
Most of the songs about computers in this compilation are electronic pop. This genre features futuristic elements and is mostly upbeat, showing a technological tool is a machine of the future.
The theme in songs from the past seems to be fear and anxiety toward these intelligent and powerful machines. It is still common in some modern songs, but could they really be taking over?
From heavy, reflective tracks to fun ones, these songs will make you appreciate any intelligent tool in your environment or question its significance in your life.
The next time you turn on your computer or operate an intelligent device, enjoy these songs to appreciate how far we have come technologically.
