(Image by Matthew Rettenmund)

With the number of artists and bands out there now, it seems as though every song that could be made has been made. There are now a seemingly endless array of songs based upon any topic imaginable, and even subjects that were once taboo are now expressed freely.

Whilst this may be a good thing in terms of freedom of speech and culture, this may not be the case for aspiring songwriters. It can be incredibly difficult to write a song based on a unique topic these days, and if you have tried to do so yourself, you will be well aware of what we mean.

However, there are a few relatively untouched topics out there that have yet to be discovered, and that is exactly what we are going to be telling you about in this article. Let's get straight into it.

Philosophy

Now we know what you’re thinking. You may think we are cheating a little with philosophy. Philosophy is such a broad and diverse subject, and it is not uncommon for a little philosophy to make it into even the most mainstream of rap songs.

Whilst this may be true, it is incredibly uncommon to hear an entire song based on philosophy. In fact, this may have not even been done at all excluding some minor artists whose primary goal was to spread awareness about the topic.

Philosophy is a subject that is all but forgotten in the modern-day and age, and the main image that one conjures up when thinking about philosophy is an old man in a tower writing endless scribbles and babbling about honour and virtue. However, this isn't what philosophy truly is at its core.

In times past, philosophy was widely-loved and helped many people live better lives. Moreover, when you factor in just how difficult it was to live a life from just a few decades ago, it is safe to say that philosophy was vastly needed.

Philosophy would be a perfect subject for a song, and the amount of content you can access for inspiration is almost endless. For example, you could choose to browse through a few of the most notable stoic quotes from famous philosophers to get your creative juices flowing, or you could perhaps dive into the absurd world of Nietzsche if you are looking to do something different.

Not only is philosophy abundant in age-old texts that you could scour through for inspiration, but you could also potentially help people along the way. There is no doubt that the people of today are in dire need of a little philosophy in their lives, and the number of people something akin to this could help would be astronomical.

However, even if this is of no concern for you, philosophy would still be an incredibly unique song topic that few people have ever delved into, and it is easily one of the most interesting subjects for a song in the modern-day and age.

There are a plethora of amazing examples in the music industry showing just how well philosophy can be utilised as a song topic, and songs like “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan, “Running Away” by Bob Marley and the Wailers, and “Milkcow Blues Boogie” by Elvis Presley has helped millions of people around the world navigate their own struggles just that little bit easier.

Entertainment

When it comes to topics that often go unaddressed in the mainstream music industry, there is perhaps no subject that fits the bill better than entertainment. Moreover, at first glance, this is for a good reason.

To most, a song centred around a certain faucet of entertainment would seem relatively bland, and it may even seem a little peculiar to see a song written around watching TV or cinema. However, when it comes to niche topics that have the potential to make certain people go wild, this ends up being one of the best.

For example, some of the most interesting songs about poker are widely loved by the general gambling community, and whilst they may not have made it into the mainstream, it would be remiss to assume that there is no audience for these types of songs. To be more specific, you have classics like “Waking Up In Vegas” by Katy Perry, “Diamond Jack” by Wishbone Ash, and the infamous “Huck’s Tune” by Bob Dylan.

Moreover, this could be about anything that takes up a portion of the entertainment industry; gaming, television, films, gambling - the options are truly endless. Furthermore, one of the main positives for this topic is that you can pick a subject that you are familiar with and passionate about.

In turn, this can lead to you creating a song that is filled to the brim with energy and passion, and this will do wonders for the people who also happen to be fans of a similar topic.

Sure, entertainment might be a bit of a long shot, and there is no doubt that many of you reading this article are shaking your heads at the thought. However, when it comes to garnering a small but fearsome fanbase, there is no other topic that can outmatch entertainment.

Self-Improvement

The topic of self-improvement is incredibly rare to see featured in any mainstream songs, and in reality, it seems as though most artists seem to put a focus on the exact opposite; sadness, despair and self-destruction.

There are very few artists out there that write songs where the vocal point is improving oneself, and this is an area that could hold massive potential for new and upcoming artists.

Not only is this topic niche and uncommon, but it's also anti-culture. Talking about how to improve yourself is almost unheard of in the mainstream music industry, and most new artists today seem to focus on some of the worst aspects of themselves rather than trying to become better.

This topic has huge potential to inspire people that are in need of a helping hand, and we could easily see this kind of song blow up due to all of the support it would get from media outlets and news stations alike.

To give you just a few popular examples of a few songs that have self-improvement as a vocal point, you have the widely-beloved “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, and the cult classic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell. Both of these songs are absolute classics and serve as prime examples of how self-improvement can be a great song topic, and they are loved by millions of people around the world and have stood the test of time. 

If you choose to go with any of the song topics we have given you throughout this article, you will well and truly be entering uncharted waters. Of course, that's not to say there are no other songs that focus on any of our aforementioned subjects. If you look hard enough, you will be able to find anything.

However, as a general rule of thumb, these topics are vastly untouched by mainstream music culture, and they will give you an excellent way to do something different. Good luck.