Mothers have always made music for their children. The instinct to soothe a baby through comforting sound and rhythm is as old as time. And this tie between music and motherhood is alive and well today, both in the way mothers as individuals engage with music themselves and the way they incorporate it into the lives of their families. Not only do they independently listen to music, interpret it, learn about it, teach it, and create it, mothers are also often the ones introducing their children to it. Whether that be through lullabies, silly, made-up songs about their daily routines, or enrolling them in music classes, mothers play an important role in shaping the environment in which children experience and come to love music.

This Mother’s Day, let’s all try to take a moment to thank our mothers and the special women in our lives for the contributions they've made to our relationship with music. It could be something as simple as always playing their favorite artist around the house. Or perhaps they saved up to buy you an expensive instrument after you showed interest. Maybe they re-arranged their schedule to drive you to music lessons or took you to your first concert.

However that looked for you, it stands to reason that this influence also applies to women in the music industry. There are countless musicians whose parents helped support their dreams, potentially introduced them to music, or were even musicians themselves and were able to give them a firsthand look into the industry.

Some mother-child connections are more common knowledge, especially with ultra-superstars whose families are a bit more in the public eye and whose children have featured in their mom’s concerts or albums. Think Beyoncé and Blue Ivy (and little Rumi, who debuted on Cowboy Carter), Pink and her daughter Willow, Whitney Houston and Cissy Houston.

But some of these connections are a bit less well-known. My favorite fun fact on the topic is about Minnie Riperton, a soul singer and songwriter of the 60’s and 70’s who got her start singing back-up for legends like Etta James and Stevie Wonder. She released a handful of albums with some gorgeous standouts like “Les Fleurs” and “Lovin’ You”, with the latter ending in a refrain of “Maya, Maya, Maya, Maya”. And that’s because she’s Maya Rudolph’s mom!

There are countless more examples of mothers who balanced raising children with the demands of a career in the music industry. To name a few rapid-fire style, we have Tina Turner, Björk, Lauryn Hill, Madonna, Ella Fitzgerald, Kelly Clarkson, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Cardi B, Janet Jackson, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Solange, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Loretta Lynn, Nina Simone, Carly Simon, and Patti Smith.

And that’s only scratching the surface. Here’s a list of a few more standout examples, paired with a song of theirs that reflects their experience of motherhood.

Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA - “Slipping Through My Fingers” Agnetha’s daughter, Linda, is featured in the "Slipping Through My Fingers" music video!

Alanis Morissette - “Ablaze”

Brandi Carlile - “The Mother”

The Chicks - “Lullaby” All three members (Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Strayer) are mothers.

Norah Jones - “And Then There Was You”

Carole King - “Where You Lead”

Alicia Keys - “Superwoman”

If you’re enjoying clicking through and listening to some of these songs, there’s more where that came from! This playlist is about two hours long, comprised entirely of songs written or recorded by mothers. It would make great background music during a Mother’s Day get-together, or if you can’t be together in person, maybe you can share it virtually. Listening to the same music as someone while you’re apart is a great way to stay connected. It’s also a good springboard for enriching conversations about music. You can ask the women in your life whether any songs from their lives stick out to them as particularly relatable. Do they have any particular artists or albums that remind them of a specific stage of motherhood? Or perhaps remind them of their lives before children?

Conversations like this are a great Mother’s Day gift (paired with her favorite flowers or a good book of course). It sounds silly but seeing mothers as full people really is a worthwhile exercise we should all be doing more of. Every mother was once a child, a teenager, a young adult with her own memories, dreams, interests, and passions. And that person exists alongside her identity as a parent and all that she does for her children. Taking the time to ask questions, listen closely, and learn about her life in all its stages is a thoughtful way to nourish your relationship.

Happy Mother’s Day and happy listening!