10 Best Mother Songs

Justin Timberlake and the rest of his 'N Sync cronies teamed up with Latin dynamo Gloria Estefan for this pretty ode about all the gifts that mentors can give. While this may be a teacher, a coach, or a friend, it's also a great song that can apply to mothers and all the things these women give and everything they teach, especially helping to hear the music of the heart.

No one can measure up to mama, aka "the queen of my heart" in Boyz II Men's eyes. On this top 10 mother song, the Boyz sing "You will always be the girl in my life" in this gorgeously harmonized ballad that should make any mother weep if they are fortunate enough to have the song dedicated to them.

Not all odes to moms are soft, sweet ballads, like No. 8 on our best mother song roundup. This 'Take Care' track from Drake is a bit harder and is delivered in the rapper's signature, nasally tone. At its root, though, the song is about family, namely mom. It's Drake's take -- forgive the rhyme -- on maternal respect.

Relationships are Taylor Swift's lyrical forte, but she can sing about those other than the romantic sort. She is confessional as she sifts through memories of special times with her mother while gently strumming her guitar on this best mother song. It's simple but effective, as Taylor sings about having a wonderful day with the woman who birthed her.

Chris Brown has cultivated quite the reputation and is known for having a really bad temper. Despite this, the R&B star can go sensitive and sentimental when talking about his mama. He reminisces about Saturday morning breakfasts, watching cartoons and about how mom would braid his hair too tight. He celebrates all the little things she did to make life better for him, even if it was just sitting on the front porch, watching him play ball.

This top mother song is piano-driven and powerful, with the Backstreet Boys singing about the power of mom's love, especially when it comes to the little things that mean the most. If there is anyone out there that always has your back, it's mom. Consider yourself lucky for that.

Tupac Shakur drops mellow lyrical science against a lazy, West Coast hip-hop beat, waxing about how no woman alive could take his mama's place. He also admits that he understands how hard it is for a single woman to raise a man on this top 10 mother song. While the first thing people normally think about regarding 2Pac is his violent and tragic end, this song reminds us why we're still talking about him in 2012.

So far, much of our list has been about male pop stars celebrating their No. 1 gal. Now it's time for the female pop divas to do so. Daughters of the world can dedicate this to their mums, especially when she has also become their friend. The Spice Girls do the love-and-respect-your-mom thing right on this musical homage to the women who inspired them most.

When it's dark, you are scared, you are losing ground and the world is going crazy, mom is the one person who can turn it all around and make everything alright. Christina Aguilera's big and beautiful voice makes those points perfectly and without flaw on 'I Turn to You,' which comes in at No. 2 on our 10 Best Mother Songs list.

Put your hands together and clap, because it is time to sing and celebrate mama. This is Kanye West at his very best, piling and layered sounds. While admitting that he sometimes acts a fool, he will always love and respect mama all the way. It's autobiographical and deeply personal, and especially poignant since he lost him mother no too long ago. So listen to our No. 1 pick for the best mother song, and remember to tell your mom how much you love her.