20 Songs About Sisters for Birthdays, Weddings and Missing Her

Searching for the right song for your sister is harder than it sounds. Plenty of songs have "sister" in the title, and a surprising number of them are really love songs. Others are lovely but would be strange at a 40th birthday.

So this list is sorted by the moment you need it for: a birthday, a wedding, a little sister, a sister who lives far away. Every song below is easy to find on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. We describe each one instead of quoting lyrics, so play it once before you put it in a toast.

Quick picks

Songs that are actually about sisters

1. "Sisters" – Rosemary Clooney & Betty Clooney

Irving Berlin wrote it for the 1954 film White Christmas, and Rosemary Clooney recorded it with her real-life sister Betty. It's short, playful and very much about two sisters who stick together (including against any man who tries to come between them). It's the easiest pick for a wedding entrance or a holiday party, and it's a fun duet if you and your sister are brave enough.

2. "We Are Family" – Sister Sledge

The 1979 disco anthem, written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards and sung by four real sisters. It's about family in general more than sisters in particular, but nothing gets a room of aunts, cousins and sisters dancing faster. Use it for the birthday party, not the speech.

3. "My Sister" – Reba McEntire

A country ballad from Reba's Room to Breathe album, released as a single in 2005. It's the most direct "thank you, sister" song on this list, about the sister who has been there through everything. If you want one song for a birthday video that will make her cry, start here.

4. "Sister Christian" – Night Ranger

The 1983 power ballad was written by drummer Kelly Keagy about his younger sister, Christy, as she was growing up. (The band misheard "Christy," and the title stuck.) It's a big, slightly over-the-top '80s song about watching a little sister turn into an adult, which makes it great for a graduation or a younger sister's 18th or 21st.

5. "My Sister" – The Juliana Hatfield Three

A 1993 alt-rock song about a complicated older sister: the fights, the envy and the love underneath all of it. It's not a greeting-card song, which is exactly why sisters who grew up yelling at each other tend to love it.

6. "Two Sisters" – The Kinks

From the 1967 album Something Else by the Kinks. Two sisters live very different lives, one settled with a family and one free, and the settled one works through her envy. Good for sisters who chose different paths and are closer for it.

For little sisters and kids

7. "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" – Frozen

Anna keeps knocking on Elsa's door as the years go by. Kids recognize it instantly, and older sisters who grew up with Frozen find it hits differently now. A good pick for a family video with a younger sibling.

8. "For the First Time in Forever" – Kristen Bell & Idina Menzel

The other Frozen sister song, sung by Anna and Elsa. It's built for two voices, so it's the one to pick if your sisters are the kind who perform at every family gathering.

Sisterhood anthems

9. "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" – Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin

A 1985 duet about women standing on their own feet. It's about sisterhood in the wider sense, which makes it a good fit for a girls' trip or a sister who just started her own business.

10. "Wannabe" – Spice Girls

The 1996 song about friendship coming first. If your sister was born in the '80s or '90s, she knows every word, and so does everyone else at her party.

11. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper

The 1983 classic. Pure fun with no message to get wrong, which is exactly what a birthday road trip playlist needs.

When she's far away or going through something

12. "Lean on Me" – Bill Withers

The 1972 song about being there when someone needs help. Simple and honest, and it never sounds cheesy. Send it with a text on a bad day.

13. "You've Got a Friend" – Carole King

From Tapestry (1971), and also a hit for James Taylor. It's about showing up whenever you're called, which is the whole point when a sister lives in another city or another country.

14. "Count on Me" – Bruno Mars

From his 2010 debut album. Light, warm and easy for kids to sing along to, which makes it a favorite for family slideshows.

15. "Stand by You" – Rachel Platten

A big, modern pop song about staying with someone through the worst of it. Good for a sister going through a divorce, an illness or a move.

16. "True Colors" – Cyndi Lauper

From 1986. A gentle song about seeing someone for who they really are. It works for a sister who is starting over, coming out, or just needs to hear that you see her.

For a wedding toast or a milestone birthday

17. "Wind Beneath My Wings" – Bette Midler

The 1988 ballad from Beaches, a film about two lifelong friends. It's a thank-you song to the person who stood behind you, which makes it a natural close for a maid-of-honor speech or a 50th birthday slideshow.

18. "Thank You for Being a Friend" – Andrew Gold

Released in 1978, and later the theme of The Golden Girls. Warm and a little funny, so it softens a sentimental slideshow without making it silly.

19. "That's What Friends Are For" – Dionne Warwick & Friends

The 1985 recording with Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder. It suits older sisters and big anniversaries, especially if your family loves a ballad.

20. "I'll Be There for You" – The Rembrandts

The 1995 Friends theme. If you and your sister have watched every episode together, it's an inside joke and a promise at the same time.

3 "sister" songs to skip

These come up in searches but aren't about siblings, and the lyrics can feel awkward once someone at the party actually listens.

• "Hey, Soul Sister" – Train (2009). A love song to a romantic partner.
• "Sister Golden Hair" – America (1975). About a girlfriend and fear of commitment.
• "Little Sister" – Elvis Presley (1961). The singer is asking out his ex-girlfriend's little sister.

How to use these songs

• Birthday video: use one song from "Songs that are actually about sisters" for the photos and one from "Sisterhood anthems" for the ending.
• Wedding: "Sisters" for the entrance, "Wind Beneath My Wings" under the slideshow, "We Are Family" to open the dance floor.
• Playlist gift: pick 10 songs and add one line per song in the description about why it reminds you of her. The notes matter more than the songs.
• Bad week: send just one song from "When she's far away" with a short text. No speech needed.

Or give her a song that's only about her

Every song above was written about someone else's sister. If you want a song that sounds like her, with her name, your childhood jokes and the time she covered for you, you can turn those memories into a custom song.