Top 20 Greatest Adele Songs
#20: “Million Years Ago” “25” (2015)
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This plaintive song is a quiet gem on the singer’s third album. With the likes of “Hometown Glory” in Adele’s catalog, it’s obvious that she can nail a nostalgic ballad. But while that song functions as a proud testament to her neighborhood, this one sadly reflects on the divide that fame has created between her past and present. The sparse guitar accompaniment recalls arrangements on “19,” but Adele’s voice — and perspective — have clearly matured. The tune overflows with emotion, and it’s no wonder that her rendition on the “Today” show garnered a Daytime Emmy nomination.
#19: “Don’t You Remember” “21” (2011)
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Sure, Adele’s second album is chock-full of songs that pull at our heartstrings, and this isn’t one of the most well-known. But while it may not have been a chart-topper, the searingly honest ballad has plenty going for it. Inspired by country artists, the track saw Adele dip her toes into a new genre while retaining her signature vocal style and heartfelt lyrics. Lyrically, it paints a sympathetic portrayal of “21”’s central ex-lover, and represents the singer at her most accountable and self-reflective. If it weren’t poignant enough already, the song also boasts an epic key change that raises the emotional stakes.
#18: “Right as Rain” “19” (2008)
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This debut album ditty, on which Adele herself played the cowbell, is a deep cut that deserves wider recognition. With cynical lyrics shrugging off the notion of love itself, the song shows off the star’s wit and wry humor. To boot, it’s been placed multiple times in other media. For one, it plays over a scene of the main character’s iconic voiceover in “Bridget Jones’s Baby.” Even more memorably, Adele performs the song herself in a 2009 episode of “Ugly Betty.” Although its tone isn’t exactly joyful, the tune is one of “19”’s most upbeat and, dare we say, danceable.
#17: “One and Only” “21” (2011)
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Much of “21” is directed at an unidentified romantic partner in Adele’s past, one who was responsible for much heartbreak. But that isn’t the case for “One and Only,” about a friend whom Adele had never had the chance to romance. The chanteuse’s confessions are accompanied by piano, drums, and also an organ, lending the song a soulful feel. But this number wouldn’t be what it is without the bridge, which Adele has said reminds her of the climactic moment in the movie “Never Been Kissed.” The dreamy section starts off with the star repeating musical phrases, but gets progressively more dramatic as a choir joins in. It provides a break from the familiar melody, but makes the final chorus that much more satsifying.
#16: “Cold Shoulder” “19” (2008)
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Adele isn’t exactly known for producing club tunes. And yet, that’s the vision she had for this upbeat number from her debut album. In an interview with “Blues & Soul,” she detailed how she disagreed with her label over “Shoulder” having a percussive beat. And we’re thankful that she did, since the Mark Ronson-produced track considerably livens up “19.” Although she shines with just guitar or piano as an accompaniment, we love hearing a young Adele with dramatic strings, shuffling drums, and a prominent bassline. The song also got the music video treatment, with Adele singing to the camera amidst moody lighting and melting ice sculptures.
#15: “I Miss You” “25” (2015)
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After the first couple tracks of Adele’s illustrious 2015 album, you may already be sobbing like a child and questioning how much Adele IS too much Adele. But then she hits you with the meditative and declarative “I Miss You,” a song that balances the feels and allows you to temporarily calm yourself. With some heavy, full sounding drums that perfectly compliment Adele’s soulful vocals, “I Miss You” was a stand out track from the hit 2015 album.
#14: “Water Under the Bridge” “25” (2015)
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For the sixth track off her third album, Adele penned a surprisingly up-tempo love song dedicated to her now-former husband Simon Konecki. From a vocal standpoint, she leaps from note to note with her usual elegance and composure, and let’s be honest – any Adele track with a “Wo-ah, Wo-ah” surely becomes a fan favorite at live stadium performances. It’s fair to say that “Water Under the Bridge” would be a tougher song for lesser-talented pop stars, and the textured acrobatics of Adele make this track truly something to aurally savour.
#13: “Turning Tables” “21” (2011)
In 2009, Adele was thriving off the success of her debut album yet dealing with the heartbreak of a failed relationship. Upon meeting One Republic’s Ryan Tedder at the Grammy Awards, she enlisted the songwriter to work on her next album, and when he first introduced the opening piano arrangement, Adele had the perfect set of words to complement the sound, especially considering the chaos of her relationship at the time. Based on the concept of flipping the script on matters of the heart, “Turning Tables” became the final single of Adele’s sophomore effort, and one of her more stripped down takes on love.
#12: “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” “25” (2015)
This album’s third single was one of Adele’s poppiest outings ever. Given the earworm of a melody, the tune’s origins should come as no surprise. It was co-written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, the Swedish team who have created countless hits for some of music’s biggest names. But Adele was no slouch in the recording studio, even playing the song’s signature guitar riff. The singer wrote parts of the track when she was just thirteen, but given the full-grown attitude she brings to her performance, you wouldn’t know it. Managing to be both catchy and stripped-back, the cheeky send-off is an unforgettable cut on “25.”
#11: “When We Were Young” “25” (2015)
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Adele has detailed the struggles she encountered while writing her third album. As it turns out, those difficulties led to a stint in L.A. during which she penned her favorite song on “25.” With the singer, along with co-writer Tobias Jesso Jr., channeling a 1970s singer-songwriter style, the ballad imagines a bittersweet reunion with old friends. Although she was only in her mid-20s when the song was conceived, the star’s mixed emotions about growing older are evident. They’re also widely relatable, if the single’s peak at number 14 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 is any indication.
#10: “Hometown Glory” “19” (2008)
Adele’s very first single, released all the way back in 2007, and then included on her debut album, still holds up. The rumbling ballad opens with just piano, but swells of strings add drama over the course of the song. Over repeating chords, she narrates a walk around her neighborhood and the pride and loyalty it inspires. The nostalgic number is downright moving, and fittingly, it’s been widely used on TV. Viewers may recall hearing “Hometown Glory” during a dramatic sequence in the fourth season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy.” But the popular tune also was heard on “One Tree Hill,” and multiple other shows.
#9: “Rumour Has It” “21” (2011)
Written as a tell-off towards her own friends, this track might be a little more playful than most of Adele’s singles, but the message is clear: don’t believe what you hear. By 2011, the British singer was on the verge of reaching legit diva status, and teamed up with the aforementioned Ryan Tedder to compose the sassy “Rumour Has It.” It’s been called both a “banger” and “bootyshaker” by critics, but above all, the song functions as a giant middle finger to all the gossip-spreaders of the world, albeit in the most graceful of ways.
#8: “Easy On Me” “30” (2021)
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Adele has no shortage of songs about love and heartache. But this song marked the first time that the singer explored divorce on record. The lead single from her fourth album is seemingly addressed to her son Angelo, explaining the circumstances of his parents’ split. With a simple arrangement of piano, bass, and some subtle percussion, there’s plenty of room for the singer’s legendary voice to shine. With a heartfelt message and memorable melody, it’s no wonder why the tune broke Spotify and Amazon Music streaming records. It also got a video from star filmmaker and past Adele collaborator Xavier Dolan. Unlike the visual for “Hello,” though, the black-and-white “Easy On Me” clip boasts a surprising shift to gorgeous fall colors.
#7: “All I Ask” “25” (2015)
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This track showcases one of Adele’s most incredible performances. Co-written with Bruno Mars, the duet of voice and piano paints a dramatic and heartbreaking picture of a couple’s last night together. Her rendition of the song was memorably marred by technical difficulties at the 58th Grammy Awards. Just days later, however, she took the stage on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” for a triumphant re-do. We were thrilled to see the melancholy tune get the live performance it deserved — but the recorded version fared just as well. In fact, despite never being released as a single, the song charted at number 77 on the “Billboard” Hot 100. Although it’s not a commercial juggernaut like “Hello,” this album cut will go down as an incredible achievement.
#6: “Hello” “25” (2015)
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When a couple of years passed by without any new music from Adele, it was time for the singer to say “Hello” all over again. Released in October of 2015, the Xavier Dolan-directed music video broke VEVO’s 24-hour record for views, racking up 27.7 million clicks within a single day. Focused on the concepts of distant love and regret, “Hello” freed Adele from writer’s block, while her sprawling vocals set a new standard for a world of wannabe imitators. Nobody can sing quite as prolifically as Adele, and her valiant return was a welcomed reminder.
#5: “Chasing Pavements” “19” (2008)
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Yes, early in her career Adele found herself at odds with a philandering boyfriend but little did she know that a single punch to his face would inspire a Grammy Award-nominated ballad. While the chorus serves as the most catchy part of “Chasing Pavements,” Adele infuses the track with melodic, jazz-inspired vocals, thus highlighting her range before delivering the powerhouse hook. Thanks to the success of “Chasing Pavements,” Adele found herself competing for Grammys against the likes of Coldplay and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. As bar fights go, this ended better than most.
#4: “Skyfall” Single (2012)
The last Adele single released before a three year absence from the charts, this... wasn’t exactly a commercial failure. In fact, it was the first James Bond theme to win an Academy Award, and while moviegoers will naturally correlate “Skyfall” to Bond, this Adele hit came straight from the heart. Originally, she expressed concern about taking on a Bond song, but director Sam Mendes convinced Adele to separate herself from the film’s content and do what she does best. And, well, it worked, as the existential modern classic hits home on a variety of levels, both within the film’s universe and beyond.
#3: “Set Fire to the Rain” “21” (2011)
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Kicking off the Summer of 2011, this pop ballad marked a pivotal moment in music history, with Adele becoming the first British female to reach #1 with three consecutive singles. Utilizing the “Wall of Sound” technique made famous by producer Phil Spector, “Set Fire to the Rain” proved what Adele could do with more instrumentation, and effectively served as an audition to the public for the Bond theme epic that would come the following year. More of an experience than an emotional ballad, this track showcased what Adele could accomplish on a larger musical scale.
#2: “Rolling in the Deep” “21” (2011)
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If “Rumour Has It” was more of a tongue-in-cheek production, this chart-topping track cemented Adele’s place in history with a little bit of sass and a whole lotta soul. The song that forever changed the landscape of vocal auditions, “Rolling in the Deep” highlights the diva’s vocal range within the first few seconds, while the lyrical content boasts a timeless quality. In another era, this might have become just another soulful hit, but given the era’s growing importance of YouTube and the phenomenon that was, and is, Adele, the single became one of the most important songs of the digital age.
#1: “Someone Like You” “21” (2011)
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Touching on themes of unfulfilled romance and persisting love, this Adele ballad will pull at any listener with a beating heart. With a music video shot in poignant black and white, and a subdued musical aesthetic featuring only a piano and Adele’s heart-wrenching voice, “Someone Like You” conjures up emotional imagery of the past to make us all wonder what might have been in past relationships… even if we know the right decision was ultimately made. In essence, “Someone Like You” captures the essence of the human experience, and what it means to lose somebody you never thought would drift away.
