On a lighter note, I thought it would be fun to share a small compilation of pop songs that (perhaps inadvertently) have a Buddhist theme to them. Some are about gratitude/metta, while others address renunciation. You can think of them as a lighter, contemporary anussati practice for lay followers. If you have any that you would recommend adding to the list, please let me know and I’ll update the playlist. Happy listening!
https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/1c8ac862bcf7467b828c36f06fc300c9sune?ref=dm_sh_oRrZKm354wsnx9bhf3APvxlb8
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You can find my playlist here 
And you may enjoy this essay I wrote a while ago on the Dharma of a Bob Dylan song: All Along the Watchtower: A Buddhist Reading
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This song, called “Page 1”, by Lemon Jelly, invites the listener to imagine nothingness. It’s mildly suggestive perhaps of the arupa Jhana of the Base of Nothingness. 
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Not “popular”, but yes, contemporary, yet timeless, acid jazz. Does contain a swear-word, so not for kids. Play on a sound system with good bass, if you can…
This track, called “Midnight Calling” (small leadup included beforehand, as it’s a DJ-mixed album), has a deep Buddhist-compatible-theme, once you get to know the lyrics. The theme is about the difficulty of renunciation of sensuality, and not repeating unwholesome mistakes we’ve made in the past.
“We’ve done it all before; we’ve said our last goodbye”
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Fifty three pop songs with the theme of the breath in the title are listed on one site. This indicates an increasing public awareness of the element 'air. ’ Also connected with the ‘anxious generation’:
"Western society’s “me” culture encourages anxiety-inducing individualism and materialism. “Think of the primary uses of social media – not to communicate but to brag,” he says. “Think of the growing emphasis on personal entitlement rather than civic responsibility.” He argues humans are social creatures who have evolved to cooperate in close communities rather than compete. “If we focus too much on our own wants, our own entitlements and our own gratifications, with little regard for the needs and wellbeing of others, there will be an inevitable threat to our mental health,” ----Vogue
Another site lists 15 songs about anxiety.
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Reminded me of Ajahn Brahm…
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May I suggest: Weather Pattern by Frazey Ford
Everything is a weather pattern
Everything is a weather pattern
And it flows down to you
And it flows right through you
What were you thinking?
What were you thinking?
Didn’t somebody tell you?
That life was all loss
All your friends and your family, you’re gonna lose
Eventually. All your friends and your family, you’re gonna lose eventually
What were you thinking?
What were you thinking?
Didn’t somebody tell you? that life was not all loss
That life was not all loss
That life was not all loss…
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Moondog is one of my heros. This song is one of my absolute favourites, and has plenty of buddhist themes.
Also wonderful thread!
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Oldie but Goodie
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Not exactly pop, but overt dharmic themes occur in the lyrics and titles of several songs throughout this album. Only the first song is linked here. Spotify
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More Buddhist metal, this time from Taiwan.
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And here’s “Gotta Do Somethin (Cultivate)” off that album:
… make sure to watch those signs - eh
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haha yes, saṃsāra as just one giant cul-de-sac… the kids going round on their tricycles and hobby horses…
I like it for the line the “sound of music, the crying of the air” - but yes.
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Ho ho! 
My friend at CTTB points out that the album and its sequel, Benefiting Others can be downloaded directly at the CTTB website:
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