Let your freak flag fly with more songs by Pink, Weezer, Olivia Rodrigo and Beck.
Taylor Swift in the ‘You Belong With Me’ music video.
Taylor Swift/YouTube
Everyone loves a good song about being cool, confident and comfortable in your own skin — but sometimes, what we really need is an anthem that captures what it’s like to feel the opposite.
Most people — albeit some more than others — have experienced moments of feeling like the odd one out, whether it’s envy for others who seem to be effortlessly popular, awkwardness in social settings or alienations when no one else seems to share your same interests. Even some of music’s biggest artists have felt that way, sparking a number of iconic songs by the likes of Taylor Swift, Echosmith and Olivia Rodrigo on the topic that perfectly encapsulate the experience of not fitting in, no matter how hard you might try.
But as many of those stars can also attest, it’s not always a negative thing to march to the beat of your own drum. Rather than yearning to be like everyone else, stars such as Pink, Jimmy Eat World and Lorde — not to mention the cast of Glee, a show that’s practically dedicated to this theme — have blessed the world with musical odes to celebrating one’s individuality and embracing labels such as “loser,” “dork” or “freak” rather than shying away from them. In their eyes, being “uncool” is, well, cool — and Billboard happens to agree.
That’s why we’ve assembled a list of songs handpicked by staff that are all about being the opposite of status quo. From Beck to Bob Dylan, Wheatus to Weezer and more, keep reading to see our 21 favorite songs about straying from the norm below.
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Alessia Cara, “Here”
Image Credit: Def Jam/YouTube On one of her biggest hits to date, Cara cringes away from the social chaos at a popular kids’ party after winding up there as a reluctant plus-one. For those who are adept at finding spots to hide from everyone else in a packed house, “Here” hits close to home.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “Really I would rather be at home all by myself not in this room.”
Listen above.
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Beach Bunny, “Prom Queen”
In a looks-based economy, “fitting in” can come down to something as arbitrary as appearance, leaving a lot of people feeling insecure in their own skin when they don’t live up to impossible standards of beauty. Beach Bunny’s simple, viral melody nails that exact frustration, which is somehow both isolating and nearly universal.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “I never look good in mom jeans/ Wish I was like you blue-eyed blondie, perfect body.”
Listen here.
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Beck, “Loser”
Though much of the lyrics border on nonsensical, Beck’s signature track is a stark declaration of feeling resigned to an unmotivated, unglamorous life as an outcast.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “I’m a loser, baby, so why don’t you kill me?”
Listen here.
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Ben Folds Five, “Underground”
Image Credit: Astralwerks/YouTube The hope is always that growing up will erase the self-esteem issues that emerge from being unpopular in school, but that’s not always the case. No matter how successful you get later in life, those same insecurities tend to follow you for years after the fact, something the Ben Folds Five captures in “Underground.”
“Uncoolest” lyric: “I was never cool in school/ I’m sure you don’t remember me.”
Listen above.
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Bob Dylan, “Ballad of a Thin Man”
“Ballad of a Thin Man” is one of Dylan’s many classics that has attracted a number of different interpretations, but at the heart of its lyrics is a socially awkward person — dubbed “Mr. Jones” — who never quite understands the tone of what’s happening around him. “You know something’s happening/ But ya’ don’t know what it is/ Do you?” the crooner teases.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “You go watch the geek who immediately walks up to you/ When he hears you speak and says, ‘How does it feel to be such a freak?’”
Listen here.
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Cyndi Lauper, “He’s So Unusual”
In her take on Helen Kane’s ditty from the 1920s, Lauper sings a little love letter to her nerdy boyfriend who’s way more comfortable between book pages than bedsheets and blushes at the thought of intimacy.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “What that boy knows/ He’s up in his Latin and Greek/ But in his sheikin’ he’s weak.”
Listen here.
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Devo, “Through Being Cool”
After “Whip It” gave Devo a bigger audience than ever before, the band members released “Through Being Cool” to remind everyone that they weren’t about to start catering to mainstream appetites just because they scored a No. 14 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Instead, they doubled down on their allegiance to the “young alien types” who shared their out-of-the-box mindset from day one.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “If you live in a small town/ You might meet a dozen or two/ Young alien types who step out.”
Listen here.
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Echosmith, “Cool Kids”
Image Credit: Warner Records/YouTube In Echosmith’s signature hit, the band says a simple thought that many of us have had at some point out loud: “I wish that I could be like the cool kids.” Even if you’re happy on the outskirts, it’s hard not to wish every once in a while that you were privy to the secret to fitting in that everyone else seems to be in on.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “Nothing in this world could ever bring them down/ Yeah, they’re invincible/ And she’s just in the background.”
Listen above.
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Glee Cast, “Loser Like Me”
For all the songs Glee‘s cast sang on the show, the one that most encapsulates the quirky dramedy series’ message is original composition “Loser Like Me,” performed by the New Directions at regionals in season two. After facing bullying for their nerdy show-choir ways the entirety of their high-school careers, the teenage characters learn how to shake it off and trust that the same reasons they’re considered weird now are exactly why they’ll be successful down the line — so wear that “L” hand shape on your forehead proudly!
“Uncoolest” lyric: “Push me up against the locker/ And hey, all I do is shake it off/ I’ll get you back when I’m your boss.”
Listen here.
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Good Charlotte, “Little Things”
“Little Things” opens with a dedication to “every kid who ever got picked last in gym class” or “never had a date to no school dance,” making its intended audience clear from the jump. Sorry, cool kids. This one is just for the people who didn’t have quite as nice a time in high school.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “Like the time in school when we got free lunch/ And the cool kids beat us up/ And the rich kids had convertibles/ And we had to ride the bus.”
Listen here.
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Huey Lewis & the News, “Hip to Be Square”
Many people’s idea of “cool” is living on the edge, partying until the sun rises and throwing responsibility to the wind. Huey Lewis & the News point out that this idea isn’t all it’s cracked up to be after a while, and that embracing stability might be what’s actually cool in the end.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “I used to be a renegade, I used to fool around/ But I couldn’t take the punishment and had to settle down/ Now I’m playin’ it real straight, and yes, I cut my hair.”
Listen here.
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Jimmy Eat World, “The Middle”
Addressed to a young girl who feels scorned by her peers, “The Middle” is a timeless pop-rock banger that reminds us everything always works out in the end, especially for people who stay true to themselves.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “Hey, you know they’re all the same/ You know you’re doin’ better on your own, so don’t buy in/ Live right now just be yourself/ It doesn’t matter if it’s good enough for someone else.”
Listen here.
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Lorde, “Royals”
Image Credit: YouTube The truth is that a lot of what we associate with being “cool” is actually just material. On her breakout debut single, Lorde pokes fun at many of the tropes that uphold the conflation of wealth and coolness, declaring that it’s way more fun to come as you are.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “But everybody’s like/ Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece/ Jet planes, islands, tiger’s on a gold leash/ We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair.”
Listen here.
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MIKA feat. Ariana Grande, “Popular Song”
Success is the best revenge when it comes to dealing with high-school bullies. That’s the energy MIKA and guest artist Ariana Grande tapped into with “Popular Song,” which sampled “Popular” from the Wicked musical a full decade before the latter starred as Glinda in the Wicked films.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “Picking on me like a dinner plate/ I hid during classes, and in between them/ Dunk me in the toilet now its you that cleans ’em.”
Listen here.
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Olivia Rodrigo, “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl”
Feeling insecure and envious of other, seemingly cooler people is a running theme in Rodrigo’s music, from “Brutal” and “Jealousy, Jealousy” on debut album Sour to “Stupid Song” on You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love (“And all the girls at this party are so cool/ That’s never been a thing that I could do”). But “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” is her one anthem that’s entirely dedicated to her ongoing social dilemmas, named after Bob Dylan’s aforementioned track about similar eccentricities.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “I stumbled over all my words/ I made it weird, I made it worse/ Each time I step outside it’s social suicide.”
Listen here.
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Pink, “Raise Your Glass”
“Raise Your Glass” is the ultimate self-love anthem for underdogs everywhere. Pink’s Hot 100 No. 1 smash makes being a weirdo seem way more fun than the alternative, affirming that the real party is one where freaks, geeks and everyone in between are welcome. Cheers!
“Uncoolest” lyric: “So if you’re too school for cool/ And you’re treated like a fool/ You can choose to let it go/ We can always, we can always party on our own.”
Listen here.
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Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”
Image Credit: Taylor Swift/YouTube Taylor Swift is another artist for whom struggling to fit in is a recurrent theme throughout her discography, from “The Outside” on her debut album to Hot 100-topper “Anti-Hero” on Midnights and “Eldest Daughter” on The Life of a Showgirl. But “You Belong With Me” takes the cake, both for its nostalgia factor and the way it speaks to the particular ache “uncool” folks often feel when a crush is interested in someone who better fits the classic standards of prettiness or popularity.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts/ She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers.”
Listen above.
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The Smiths, “Unlovable”
The Smiths’ moody 1987 lament gives a voice to possibly the loneliest, most painful element of feeling like a misfit: the misconception that just because you may not be widely liked, you must be unloveable.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “I wear black on the outside/ ‘Cause black is how I feel on the inside/ And if I seem a little strange/ Well, that’s because I am.”
Listen here.
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Vundabar, “Alien Blues”
Released in 2015 but made viral six years later by teens on TikTok who related to the sentiment, “Alien Blues” resonates for its angst and self-deprecating lyrics about feeling so out of place with everyone else, you might as well be an extraterrestrial.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “I only talk to dogs because they don’t understand me/ My teeth are yellow, hello world/ Would you like me a little better if they were white like yours?”
Listen here.
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Wheatus, “Teenage Dirtbag”
Nothing makes you feel less cool than having a crush on the popular girl who has no idea you exist — and nothing’s better than a story where the geeky guy gets her in the end. “Teenage Dirtbag” is an enduring, cathartic chant for all who’ve gone through that same archetypal experience, especially those who went on to find their own Iron Maiden-loving love interest along the way.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “Oh, how she rocks in Keds and tube socks/ But she doesn’t know who I am, and she doesn’t give a damn about me/ ‘Cause I’m just a teenage dirtbag, baby.”
Listen here.
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Weezer, “In the Garage”
Image Credit: Geffen Records/YouTube “In the Garage” is a song about a loner paying homage to the one place in the world he can be, well, alone. Nothing feels more sacred to someone who feels spurned by normie culture than their personal space, where no one is around to judge their Dungeons and Dragons paraphernalia.
“Uncoolest” lyric: “I’ve got a Dungeon Master’s Guide/ I’ve got a 12-sided die/ I’ve got Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler too.”
Listen above.
