My Top 50 Songs Of All Time.
No restrictions this time!
I wrote an article titled ‘5 Songs I cannot Live Without’ last month, and had various restrictions, like one song per artist, genre, and album.
This time? None of that.
This will be a long — and highly subjective — one. I will provide some information about every song. That means at least 50 paragraphs. Be ready.
Let us Begin!
50. ‘The Wilhelm Scream’ by James Blake
A beautiful, enthralling, and chilling journey. What a build-up, what a crescendo, what a song. Am I the only one who thinks James Blake should return to this sound?
49. ‘Pay Your Way In Pain’ by St. Vincent
St. Vincent’s most recent album, Daddy’s Home was received very positively from critics. I was unfazed by most songs. This one, though, is great. I loved it.
48. ‘Get hi’ by Danny Brown and B-Real
This is probably the most addicting song I have ever heard. I am very impressed by B-Real’s line at every hook. Whenever he says ‘get hiiii’, I really am about to be influenced. I am not, thankfully.
47. ‘Leave The Door Open’ by Silk Sonic(Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
Too recent to have it any higher, but good enough to be here. I love this and will probably be a part of my favourite album of the year(If Kendrick doesn’t drop). Anderson’s parts are easily the better ones, but Bruno does not make it worse, it just refines the song.
46. ‘Downward Spiral’ by Danny Brown
The start of an incredible journey, this is an ugly, weird and obnoxious song, again, in the best way possible. I really can’t think of any better way to describe it than that.
45. ‘Wesley’s Theory’ by Kendrick Lamar
Very abstract, conceptual, and artsy, but it can also be enjoyed otherwise. It is the perfect start for TPAB. Kendrick’s voice is distinctly…disturbed? I guess it is.
44. ‘Really Doe’ by Danny Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Ab-Soul
Dreamy, dark, and addictive. All the features perform better than expected. Instruments are otherworldly, in the best way possible. I don’t know who thought the instrumental would work with the type of rapping or lyrics, but whoever said, I need that person for my album production, if I ever do one.
43. ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ by The Weeknd
A blatant Michael Jackson rip-off for the hook, and I am in love with this song. I am not saying it is the best song in The Weeknd’s discography, above every song on House of Balloons, but this is my favourite.
42. ‘White Lines’ by Danny Brown
This is here for the cohesion between instruments and vocals. It is hard to master, and even harder for the type of vocal melody and instruments he is using. Truly a great song.
41. ‘Stan’ by Eminem
Marshall Mathers introduced the word stan. Marshall Mathers is Slim Shady’s stan. One of the most lyrically profound songs in Eminem’s discography. This song’s aesthetics are unlike most others. This almost could have been a movie’s soundtrack. The song is almost like a story and ends very dry. I love it.
40. ‘Pneumonia’ by Danny Brown
This is my favourite song by Danny Brown. Very eccentric in a way that I didn’t expect to like. The pacing is probably the most standout characteristic, and while it isn’t anything novel, it certainly works.
39. ‘i’ by Kendrick Lamar (Album Version)
This is a brilliant song. Without heavy production, it is much better. It is a clear upgrade. It is also a cry for all people of colour to live better. The speech at the end is a masterpiece.
38. ‘The Real Slim Shady’ by Eminem
Eminem’s lyrics, flow, and instrumental on this is one of the best hip-hop has ever seen. I love this song. Very few artists have had a peak as high as Eminem and this is him at his absolute peak.
37. Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9- №2 by Frederic Chopin
I don’t understand anything about classical music. But, this feels the best out of the ones I have heard.
36. ‘Feel It Still’ by Portugal. The Man
A strange song, but I absolutely adore this one. Every part of this song is gold. The various instruments, including the bass, drums, hi-hat, and more, are all used perfectly.
35. ‘Swimming Pools’ by Kendrick Lamar
This is one of the most popular songs of the entire decade and is also one of the most iconic. My favourite part is when Kendrick’s conscience talks to him and convinces him to drink more, and Kendrick goes on a rant, although a very serious one. I do love this song.
34. ‘Poetic Justice’ by Kendrick Lamar
A deep cut off of GKMC. Not the best-sounding song, but great nonetheless. It does not bore you for the entire five minutes. The lyrical topics are very abstract. I find it hard to explain, and I can only suggest you listen yourself.
33. ‘Freeee’ by Kids See Ghosts(Kanye West and Kid Cudi)
What can I say about this song? It is absurd but in the best possible way. A brilliant song all around. Listen.
32. ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ by Frank Sinatra
One of the most iconic songs of all time. Calming, beautiful, charming, and satisfying. Most of the work is brilliantly done by the instrumentals. The vocals are good, but nothing to blow you away as if you didn’t already know!
31. ‘Guala’ by G-Eazy and Carnage
This is one of the ugliest tracks I have heard lyrically. It is also one of the best rap songs I have heard. The piano sample, the bass, the vocals, and ad-libs make it irresistible. And this piece of knowledge, of course.
If thirsty, have a glass of water
30. ‘All I Ask’ by Adele
This is the best Adele song. I mentioned this in my “5 Songs I cannot live without,” and it is still good. It is a simple piano ballad with good lyrics, great vocals, and a nice tempo.
29. ‘Jet Black’ by Anderson .Paak and Brandy
This song is all about .Paak’s flow. It is brilliant. In Ventura, he had a shift towards rapping over singing, and it shows.
28. ‘My Name is’ by Eminem
Slim Shady. Again, one of the most iconic rap songs of all time. Eminem really has a knack for pulling that off. The lyrics are…interesting and fun. I don’t know if I should say ridiculous, or hilarious. Both would be true. I am really lucky I can understand English so that I can listen to this song. I am kidding, of course.
27. ‘What A Wonderful World’ by Louis Armstrong
I haven’t heard many ‘classics’, because I was born in India. The few that I have, are on this list. This is one of the best of them. What a song.
26. ‘Some Nights’ by Fun.
People have likened this to Fun’s Bohemian Rhapsody. That is high praise, and I just can’t find a way not to agree. It is grand, takes itself way too seriously, and sounds wonderful. I like this. I think most people would. That autotune riff is one of the best moments in the music of this decade.
25. ‘Reborn’ by Kids See Ghosts
This is the longest track on Kids See Ghosts. This is also the most popular song off the record. The hook is pretty addictive, but as a whole, not the best on the album. It is splitting hairs at this point. The instrumentation, like the whole album, is very bare-bones. That’s a good thing.
24. ‘m.A.A.d. city’ by Kendrick Lamar
This is one of the two title songs in GKMC. This one is clearly better, at least in my opinion. The song is very intentionally broken into two parts, and the first one is very fun to listen to, while the second one not as much. But, the second one has more emphasis on lyrics. It is a balanced and great song.
23. ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ by Gotye and Kimbra
This is pretty much the defining song of the decade. The most popular song of the decade was from an artist that got no other major hit. It is a bit sad. However, this song fully deserves its success. Not that it was the best song of the decade or anything, but you get what I mean. The two parts of the song fuse beautifully and end triumphantly. Nice.
22. ‘Trippy’ by Anderson .Paak and J. Cole
A brilliant song that delivers on its title. The sample at the start is hilarious, and the song itself is far from it. It is certainly about his love interest. But I can’t decipher if it is about a break-up or not. Anyway, listen to it!
21. ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem
Lose Yourself. One of the most iconic rap songs of all time, I don’t think I need to explain this song’s presence here. I’ll just say mom spaghetti. I can’t stop myself. The instrumentals on this thing!!
20. ‘Redbone’ by Childish Gambino
I don’t know if I am the only one who thinks this way, but this song is far ahead of ‘This Is America’. He really outdid himself here. The vocals are obviously the highlight here, but I still can’t put my finger on what truly makes this as good as this is.
19. ‘For Free’ by Kendrick Lamar
This is how you do a fast flow, Eminem. Take notes. This is also a lesson in combining Jazz and Rap. This is an interlude, but it is one of the best tracks on the entire album. The woman’s spoken word is one of the best I have heard. The lyrics? One of the best commentaries I have heard. This man is too talented.
‘This D — ain’t free’
18. ‘Alright’ by Kendrick Lamar
Alright comes after ‘u’, probably the most depressing song of the decade. This is the cry for hope. ‘We gon’ be alright’. I hope so. I can’t listen to ‘u’ more than once a day. Alright? We all know the answer.
17. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen
Do I need to give an explanation? I think I do, for placing it as low as 17. I like these 16 songs more, and this is my list.
16. ‘Come Down’ by Anderson .Paak
Come Down is a jam. Nothing else. Witty lines, great beat, clean instrumentals, crazy vocals, and no premise whatsoever. Brilliant.
15. ‘King Kunta’ by Kendrick Lamar
King Kunta comes right after ‘For Free’ on the album, and it is important because the last line of ‘For free’ is ‘You ain’t no king’, towards Kendrick. He claims he is. I don’t know, but this song is definitely brilliant. The lyrics are all over the place, but all of that points in the same direction.
Kendrick is above everyone else. And the end is truly the end we all deserve before ‘Institutionalised’. This line, though.
Life ain’t sh*t but a fat vagi —
14. ‘Fire’ by Kids See Ghosts
This is structured in a type of anthem, and it works. I just want to stand up and stomp on the floor. The hook on this song is a sung part, and it is truly beautiful. The guitar at the end is like “Weird, but okay.”
13. ‘Hey Jude’ by the Beatles
Hey Jude is a classic, I think we can all agree on that. I also think it is one of the most musically interesting classics, like Bohemian Rhapsody. The start is a simple, slow, ballad. It slowly keeps adding layers and increasing tempo and the crescendo is absolutely phenomenal. I haven’t listened to many songs by the Beatles, but I loved this one, so you can give me some suggestions if you want to.
12. ‘The Art of Peer Pressure’ by Kendrick Lamar
I don’t know if I could ever do justice to this song. This might not be the best song ever, but I do think this has the most to unpack. From the spoken word in the start transitioning into drums to the, ‘I’m with the homies right now’, to ‘One day it’s gonna burn you down’, to the (lack of) transition to the next section of the song, the introspective verse in this section, it is a piece of art in its truest sense.
11. ‘How Much A Dollar Cost’ by Kendrick Lamar
This is how you pull off a horn section, slow piano, drums and important and clear lyrics in one song. The lyrics are very famously good. Even Barack Obama agreed. However, the real hero here is instrumental. I might just come out and say it. This is the most ambitious arrangement from a mainstream artist. I do believe that. There is no way this is getting to the top of the charts, and he knew that.
10. ‘Uptown Funk!’ by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
Mark Ronson does a fantastic job. Bruno Mars is perfect for this song. It is gold.
9. ‘Bubblin’ by Anderson .Paak
Many would argue this as the best Anderson .Paak song. Spoiler alert: it’s not for me. It is still brilliant though. His flow is at another level on this one, and the beat is… well it is generic, but it is great. The other instrumentals, though, are just…(chef’s kiss).
The string section is great, the breaths and ad-libs land perfectly, and the lyrics are funny AF.
8. ‘24K Magic’ by Bruno Mars
The autotuned start, the call to dance from Bruno Mars, the ad-libs(which are probably the best I have ever heard), and the savage, savage lyrics.
I don’t think he is serious but sounds like he is. His inflections are impeccable and while the instrumental sounds brilliant, it is also simple. One of the best popular songs of the last decade.
7. ‘6 Summers’ by Anderson .Paak
Trump was annihilated in this song. This is probably the most savage and yet surface-level political statement. That, however, does not matter. The song is perfect. The lyrics are somehow funny, maybe because of the delivery, and the instrumentals are…different. It is not your average hip-hop song. The variety of instruments used alone throws most songs out of the water.
6. ‘Backseat Freestyle’ by Kendrick Lamar
Judge me, but I love every second of this banger.
I pray my d — get big as the Eiffel Tower
So I can F — the world for 72 hours.
Masterpiece. Where’s the pizza though?
5. ‘Hood Politics’ by Kendrick Lamar
Anthony Fantano said in his review of TPAB that it was somehow both retro and futuristic. This song embodies that. It feels like Jay-Z and 20syl collaborated on this song’s production. I don’t know if that is true, but it certainly feels like it. The vocals are weirdly satisfying on this, too.
4. ‘Feel The Love’ by Kids See Ghosts
This is the opening song on the critically acclaimed self-titled album, and it is the best according to me. I see Reborn and Free as many people’s favourite, but I prefer this one. Right from the start, it is golden. The delivery on ‘She like them bottles with bubbles in it’ and subsequent few lines is otherworldly. The on-pitch screaming is magisterial. The instrument is a surprisingly perfect blend of minimalistic and overwhelming.
3. ‘Perm’ by Bruno Mars
Yeah, I know. It is a deep cut from Bruno Mars’ Grammy shattering album, 24K Magic. The reason for choosing this above 24K Magic and Uptown Funk! is that the instrumentals on this thing are some of the best I have ever heard. Even though the lyrics are a bit bland, it makes more than enough back on the instrumental and vocal department. The ad-libs on the song are second only to probably 24K Magic. Great song!
2. ‘Suede’ by Anderson .Paak, NxWorries and Knxwledge
Anderson .Paak is one of the best musicians of this generation. I am a fan, as you can see. This song is on NxWorries’ album ‘Yes Lawd!’. It is a brilliant song. .Paak becomes a metronome and sings like he means everything he says. The lyrics are nasty, and mostly, I would like to think a joke. The ad-libs and instrumentals are packed and brilliant.
1 — ‘The Blacker The Berry’ By Kendrick Lamar
Some of you might know that I felt, on the first few listens, that GKMC was better than TPAB. That has changed. I absolutely love TPAB, and this is the best track on it. It is also the best single I have ever heard. The lyrics are famously grand and meaningful, and the instrumental is easily the best on any song I have ever heard. Every layer(and there are many) is prominent, and yet not overpowering. The pure instrumental at the end is impeccably produced, the samples are perfect, the vocals on the whole song are instantly great, the beat is sturdy, bare-bones and impactful. What more can I say? It is an almost perfect song!
Conclusion & Patterns
Most of the songs are hip-hop, and that is probably true because most of my favourite artists are involved in hip-hop. I like to think that my listening is diverse — and it is — but I think the top 50 shows my biases very prominently.
With fourteen for Kendrick Lamar, he is the most featured artist here, with the closest contestant coming in the form of Anderson .Paak(7) and Kids See Ghosts(4). I guess it is clear that I do have biases.
The most featured album is To Pimp A Butterfly with eight features, including first and fifth. Six from good kid, m.A.A.d. city come in second. Both are by Kendrick Lamar. Why am I embarrassing myself by analysing it? I have used up enough time already.
Also, if you prefer listening to these fifty songs rather than reading about them, here is the link to Spotify playlist
Anyway, let me know your favourite songs, whether it is five, ten, twenty or fifty. I am here, and hey! I have a newsletter now! It will be a monthly email, a kind of monologue about literature, writing, philosophy, and music, linking the articles I found most useful. It will be delivered on the 19th of every month. Do Subscribe if you are interested.
