Mother's Day: The highest charting mum-themed songs

Mamas, mothers, and even a couple of mommies – it's a mum-themed chart rundown.

You get songs about lovers and cheaters, heroes and losers, and even your brothers and sisters – but what about the mothers of the world?

For Mother's Day this weekend, we delved into the archive of every song that ever charted in the UK to see which mum-related tunes made it into the Official Singles Chart Top 40.

It's true not all songs with "mama" or "mother" in the title might be maternal in nature – and some of them may not be that complimentary either – but we've listed the lot here and in a playlist for you decide. Think of it as a kind of suitability roulette – will the next song be a heartfelt tribute to your dearest mum, or a sexed-up dance track about an attractive young lady? Perhaps your mum would be happy either way!

Let's start with the big ones: four mum-esque songs made it all the way to the top of the Official Singles Chart. First was the grammatically challenging Mama Weer All Crazee Now by glam rockers Slade in 1972, spending three weeks at the top. Next came ABBA's exasperated cry of Mamma Mia!: the Swedish icons spent a fortnight at Number 1 in early 1976.

We had to wait over two decades for Mama to rear her head again, this time as a double-A side for the Spice Girls. This was a full-on mumfest, released just in time for Mother's Day 1997, its video featuring all five girls telling their mothers – who were also in the video, can you believe? – how much they adored them, through the power of song. Released alongside Comic Relief tune Who Do You Think You Are, Mama spent three weeks at the top.

The most recent popstar to bring Mama to work was Pixie Lott. Her debut single Mama Do was not so much a tribute to mothers as more recognition that many mums genuinely have zero clue what their children are up to, and spent a week at Number 1 in 2009.

The earliest example of a mum-themed song in the charts was a big one: festive favourite I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, which occupied three separate spots on the Official Christmas Chart in 1953. The highest peaking version was Jimmy Boyd's, which made it to Number 3. The most recent is Miley Cyrus, whose track Mother's Daughter topped out at Number 29 in July 2019.

Other notable Mama hits include two versions of Mama Told Me Not to Come; first by Three Dog Night in 1970 (3), and then Tom Jones & Stereophonics, reaching Number 4 a full 30 years later. Junior's 1982 hit Mama Used to Say was repurposed by Richard Blackwood on Mama Who Da Man ("we love you RB, check you every day on MTV" is a lyric for the ages) in 2000, with Richard outpeaking Junior by 4 places.

It's not all about mama, of course: some of us are more formal. ABBA's Does Your Mother Know, notable for featuring Bjorn and Benny on lead vocals and not Agnetha and Frida for reasons that will become glaringly obvious when you listen, peaked at 4 in 1979. The Rolling Stones land the longest mother-related title with Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow – a Number 5 hit in 1966 – and Chvrches brought their mother into the charts in 2013 with The Mother We Share.

Rarer variations of pet names for your maternal unit – yes, we are running out of synonyms here – manage to make an appearance. Ma He's Making Eyes at me has two showings, most recently from TV talent show star Lena Zavaroni in 1974. Representing the Americans – or those in and around some parts of the Midlands – is Stacy's Mom, who had it going on all the way to Number 11 for Fountains of Wayne in 2004, their biggest hit in the UK. Mammy appears three times, most notably Mammy Blue, with two versions charting at the same time in 1971. The highest peaking tune to be dedicated to the UK favourite "mum" was the very Mother's Day appropriate My Mum is One in a Million, by the Children of Tansley School, reaching Number 27 in 1981.

MORE: Every Official UK Singles Chart Number 1

Oh, and don't forget your granny on Mother's Day too – why not play her the huge-selling 1980 Christmas Number 1 There's No One Quite Like Grandma, sung by the St Winifred's School Choir. She will no doubt be thrilled. Happy Mother's Day!

Here's the full list of mum, mama, mommy, ma and all the rest-themed UK Top 40s.

TITLE	ARTIST	PEAK	YEAR
MAMA DO	PIXIE LOTT	1	2009
MAMA/WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE	SPICE GIRLS	1	1997
MAMMA MIA	ABBA	1	1976
MAMA WEER ALL CRAZEE NOW	SLADE	1	1972
MAMA/ROBOT MAN	CONNIE FRANCIS	2	1960
MAMA DO THE HUMP	RIZZLE KICKS	2	2011
MOTHER OF MINE	NEIL REID	2	1972
SYLVIA'S MOTHER	DR HOOK AND THE MEDICINE SHOW	2	1972
MA HE'S MAKING EYES AT ME	JOHNNY OTIS AND HIS ORCHESTRA WITH MARIE ADAMS	2	1957
MAMA WHO DA MAN	RICHARD BLACKWOOD	3	2000
MAMA TOLD ME (NOT TO COME)	THREE DOG NIGHT	3	1970
I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS	JIMMY BOYD	3	1953
MAMA	JONAS BLUE FT WILLIAM SINGE	4	2017
MAMA	GENESIS	4	1983
MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME	TOM JONES & STEREOPHONICS	4	2000
DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW	ABBA	4	1979
MAMA	DAVE BERRY	5	1966
MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION	PAUL SIMON	5	1972
HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR MOTHER BABY STANDING IN THE SHADOW	THE ROLLING STONES	5	1966
HEY MAMA	BLACK EYED PEAS	6	2004
I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS	BEVERLEY SISTERS	6	1953
MAMA USED TO SAY	JUNIOR	7	1982
MOTHER NATURE AND FATHER TIME	NAT KING COLE	7	1953
HEY MA	CAM'RON FT JUELZ SANTANA	8	2003
HEY MAMA	DAVID GUETTA/N MINAJ/AFROJACK	9	2015
BEAT MAMA	CAST	9	1999
LOOK MAMA	HOWARD JONES	10	1985
MA! (HE'S MAKING EYES AT ME)	LENA ZAVARONI	10	1974
I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS	BILLY COTTON AND HIS BAND	11	1953
STACY'S MOM	FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE	11	2004
MAMA	DAVID WHITFIELD	12	1955
MAMMA MIA	A TEENS	12	1999
BIG BAD MAMMA	FOXY BROWN FEATURING DRU HILL	12	1997
YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE	POISON	13	1986
NO-ONE BUT YOU/TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN	QUEEN	13	1998
NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH	SPARKS	13	1974
MAMMA GAVE BIRTH TO THE SOUL CHILDREN	QUEEN LATIFAH AND DE LA SOUL	14	1990
MOTHERS TALK	TEARS FOR FEARS	14	1984
YOUR MOTHER'S GOT A PENIS	GOLDIE LOOKIN CHAIN	14	2004
PISTOL PACKIN' MAMA	GENE VINCENT	15	1960
RAG MAMA RAG	THE BAND	16	1970
TAKE YOUR MAMA	SCISSOR SISTERS	17	2004
MOTHER	M FACTOR	18	2002
MAMA	KIM APPLEBY	19	1991
MAMA SAID	METALLICA	19	1996
MAMA NEVER TOLD ME	SISTER SLEDGE	20	1975
HEY MAMA	FRANKIE VAUGHAN	21	1963
FOR MAMA	MATT MONRO	23	1964
MAMA'S PEARL	THE JACKSON 5	25	1971
MAMA SAID	CARLEEN ANDERSON	26	1994
MOTHER UNIVERSE	SOUP DRAGONS	26	1990
DEAR MAMA	2 PAC	27	1999
MY MUM IS ONE IN A MILLION	CHILDREN OF TANSLEY SCHOOL	27	1981
MAMA	6IX9INE/NICKI MINAJ/KANYE WEST	29	2018
MOTHER'S DAUGHTER	MILEY CYRUS	29	2019
PAPA LOVES MAMA	JOAN REGAN	29	1960
MOTHER-IN-LAW	ERNIE K-DOE	29	1961
YA MAMA/SONG FOR SHELTER	FATBOY SLIM	30	2001
YOUR MAMA WON'T LIKE ME	SUZI QUATRO	31	1975
INNA CITY MAMMA	NENEH CHERRY	31	1989
TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN	QUEEN	31	1977
MAMMY BLUE	ROGER WHITTAKER	31	1971
I'LL ALWAYS LOVE MY MAMA	THE INTRUDERS	32	1974
HEY MAMA	JOE BROWN	33	1973
ON MOTHER KELLY'S DOORSTEP	DANNY LA RUE	33	1968
MAMA'S BOY	SUZI QUATRO	34	1980
A SONG FOR MAMA	BOYZ II MEN	34	1997
SHE'S A BAD MAMA JAMA (SHE'S BUILT, SHE'S STACKED)	CARL CARLTON	34	1981
MUM'S GONE TO ICELAND	BENNET	34	1997
THE YOUNG OFFENDER'S MUM	CARTER USM	34	1995
MY MAMMY	HAPPENINGS	34	1967
IT'S JUST PORN MUM	TRUCKS	35	2002
MAMMY BLUE	LOS POP TOPS	35	1971
HELP ME MAMA	LEMONESCENT	36	2003
TAKE YOUR MAMMA FOR A RIDE	LULU	37	1975
I GOT IT FROM MY MAMA	WILL I AM	38	2007
THE MOTHER WE SHARE	CHVRCHES	38	2013