Pop Stand: What If

More songs about contingency and speculation

If I Only Had a Brain — Ray Bolger. Screenshot by Noel “Oz” Holston

If I were to list every song that begins with “if” or has the word in its title, this Pop Stand edition would go on and on and on.

“If” songs are common because they express basic human needs — possibility, wishful thinking, hope, imagination.

Here’s a list of a dozen or so. No doubt you can add a few of your own if you try.

If I Were a Rich Man — Zero Mostel

If It’s Magic — Stevie Wonder

If I Fell — The Beatles

If I Ruled the World — Tony Bennett

If I Had a Million Dollars — Bare Naked Ladies

If You Want Me to Stay — Sly and the Family Stone

If You’ve Got to Make a Fool of Somebody — Bonnie Raitt

If You Knew Susie — Eddie Cantor

If I Can Dream — Elvis Presley

If I Loved You — Chad and Jeremy

If I Don’t Have You — Orleans

If Ever I Would Leave You — Robert Goulet

If I Didn’t Care — The Ink Spots