It’s hard enough to be a mom in good times. These songs are dedicated to the mothers who brought their families through the tough times.

1. Anything Jay-Z; Vol.3-Life & Times Of S. Carter (Roc-A-Fella/IDJMG)
2. Coat Of Many Colors Dolly Parton; Super Hits (Columbia)
3. Dear Mama 2Pac; Me Against The World (Interscope)
4. One’s On The Way (Here In Topeka) Loretta Lynn; Greatest Hits Live (MCA)
5. Rock And Roll Lullaby B.J. Thomas; Greatest Hits (Rhino)
6. Son Of Hickory Holler’s Tramp O.C. Smith; Me And You (Columbia Spec. Prod.)
7. Strong One, The Clint Black; Single-The Strong One (Equity)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Holidays: Mother’s Day, Holidays: Mother’s Day for Non-Traditional Families, and Family: Mothers.

Getting ready to celebrate Mom? Here are a few songs for your playlist:

1. Another Side Of You Joe Nichols; Real Things (Universal South)
2. I’ll Always Love My Mama Intruders; Best Of The Intruders-Cowboys To Girls (Legacy/Epic)
3. In My Arms Plumb; Blink (Curb) Mama’s Song Urban Mystic; Ghetto Revelations (Warner Bros.)
4. No One Loves You Any Better Than Your M-O-Double-M-Y John Lithgow; Singin’ In The Bathtub (Sony Wonder)
5. You Were Always There Donna Fargo; The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A. (Universal)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookOfSongs.com® categories Holidays: Mother’s Day and Holidays: Mother’s Day for Non-Traditional Families.

If you think Mother’s Day songs are only for the traditional, mom-and-apple pie kind of family, think again! According to a review of Mother’s Day songs done by GreenBookofSongs.com® for Katherine Lewis’ Working Moms Blog (WorkingMoms.About.com), there’s a selection of positive, loving songs for the mom in every kind of family.

Single moms are getting their due in songs like Fantasia’s “Baby Mama” and Clint Black’s “The Strong One”, which salute young mothers taking care of their children on their own. Songs like 2Pac’s “Dear Mama” and Jay-Z’s “Anything” express gratitude for moms who brought their sons through poverty and the challenges of the inner city, while O.C. Smith’s “Son Of Hickory Holler’s Tramp” – well, the title says it all.

These days, there’s financial stress in the suburbs too. Some dads are out of work and caring for the kids, while Mom is on the job. That’s the scenario of Lonestar’s “Mr. Mom”, who learns first-hand about the hard work stay-at-home moms do every day.

For adoptive moms (and dads too), there’s “I Am Your Mother Too”, by Keb’ Mo’ with Brenda Russell. For birth mothers who choose adoption, there’s Michelle Wright’s “He Would Be Sixteen”, in which a birth mom does what’s best for her baby, but never forgets him. And here’s one in praise of the step-mom: Sufjan Stevens’ self-explanatory “Decator, Or, Round Of Applause For Your Step Mother!”

There’s even a song for families dealing with illness. Craig Morgan’s “Tough” is an ode to a mother with cancer who continues to care for her husband and kids.

So whatever style of family you have, whatever role your mother fills, there’s a way to say thanks with a song. There’s no excuse not to follow Al Jolson’s timeless advice and “Remember Mother’s Day”!

Here’s the Top 10:

• Anything Jay-Z
• Baby Mama Fantasia
• Dear Mama 2Pac
• Decatur, Or, Round Of Applause For Your Step Mother! Sufjan Stevens
• He Would Be Sixteen Michelle Wright
• I Am Your Mother Too Keb’ Mo’ with Brenda Russell
• Mr. Mom Lonestar
• Son Of Hickory Holler’s Tramp O.C. Smith
• Strong One, The Clint Black
• Tough Craig Morgan