Nuclear Energy Songs

Here are some pro- and anti-nuclear energy songs. There are far more nuclear war songs than nuclear energy ones, but we tried to limit these to just the ones about nuclear energy. Though a few war ones slipped in anyway…


Contents

Anti-nuclear energy songs §

It was really hip to be anti-nuclear between 1975 and 1995, and so most nuclear energy songs are anti-nuclear ones and come from this era.

Gil Scott Heron - We almost Lost Detroit (1977) §

A super-chill tune all about the Fermi 1 accident where a liner of a core catcher broke off and blocked the coolant inlets of a few assemblies, causing them to overheat and melt. Fermi 1 was an early sodium-metal cooled fast neutron reactor.

Peter, Paul, and Mary - Power (1983) §

A nice folky song by one of my childhood favorite groups. This one prefers the comforting glow of the woodfire, never mind that biofuel combustion kills about 4 million people per year with air pollution, according to the WHO.

Kraftwerk - Radioactivity (1975) §

A truly excellent sounding electronic song from the pioneers of techno. Sadly, they're German...so, yeah.

Alice Cooper - Nuclear Infected (1980) §

Tongue-in-cheek song about being radioactive.

Christy Moore - House Down In Carne (1980) §

The Ballad Of Nuke Power. I cripple and maim and cause death and decay" Musically excellent for sure. Carne is Carnesore Point - where Ireland were considering building a reactor.

Tuff Darts - (Your Love Is Like) Nuclear Waste (1978) §

Kind of a power ballad. Your body is a danger to the human race! They should slap "contaminated" right across your face!

Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades (1986) §

A song about a nuclear scientist thinking about how bright the future will be because of nuclear catastrophe.

WAND - No Dosimeter (?) §

Some anti-nuclear activists singing at an anti-nuclear event


Pro-nuclear energy songs §

There are pro-nuclear songs too

Eric Meyer - Aria de Thorium (Thorium Opera) (2015) §

Utterly unique and beautiful Thorium Opera.

Baba Brinkman - Molten Salt (2021) §

Nuclear reactor rap.

Him and the Layers - HalleNuclear (2020) §

A beautiful song by some beautiful nearly-naked men from New Zealand's most iconic topical pop group.

Generation Atomic - Clean Power Forever (2018) §

EBR-I Music Video feat. Eric Meyer.


General nuclear songs §

These talk about nuclear energy.

Penney File - Working in a Nuclear Power Plant (2000?) §

A highly technical Christmas song with a bunch of truly funny reactor operator stuff. Definitely written by a nuclear professional.

Sir Lancelot - Atomic Energy (1947) §

A calypso song pondering the tradeoffs involved when humans harness great physical powers.

Buchanan Brothers - Atomic Power (1946) §

A country song about how atomic power was given by the mighty hand of God and should be used for good rather than destruction.

Elton Britt - Uranium Fever (1955) §

A catchy country song about mining uranium for the AEC. This is the era where everyone started finding lots of uranium and we stopped focusing on breeder reactors.

Warren Smith - Uranium Rock (1958) §

An early rock song about making money by uranium mining.


Nuclear war songs §

Gotta have at least a few nuclear war songs

Sun Ra - Nuclear War (1983) §

Honestly I think that even though this one is obviously about nuclear war, it's gotta be my favorite. If they push that button, your ass has got to go! Whatchu gonna do without your ass?

Louvin Brothers - Great Atomic Power (1952) §

A song encouraging people to accept Jesus before they get bombed to oblivion.


Nuclear-adjacent songs §

Some songs briefly mention something about nuclear energy.

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Redemption Song (1980) §

Have no fear for atomic energy, 'cause none of them can stop the time. Hi Brett.


This page is open source. You can update this page or point us to new quotes by making an issue or a PR on this file on our GitHub, or just by contacting us. (We may skip some to keep the signal to noise high).