Top 10 Most Underrated Pop Songs

Charlie Puth

Look, when Taylor Swift says someone should be a bigger artist, chances are the general public should be paying attention. Sure enough, the reigning Princess of Pop endorsed Puth on the title track of her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department, and were inclined to agree. For years, the New Jersey native has churned out undeniably catchy and masterfully crafted pop music that, for reasons we cant quite fathom, has largely fallen on deaf ears. The rare pop artist who writes, produces, and sings all of his own material, look to How Long from his Voicenotes album for proof. Mostly overshadowed by the hit Attention, How Long contains all the elements of a smash hit without actually having become one.

Olly Murs featuring Flo Rida

The runner-up on the sixth series of British reality competition show The X Factor, Murs has been a superstar in his native U.K. since the late 2000s. Troublemaker, the first single off of his third album Right Place Right Time, became a sleeper hit worldwide, elevated by a guest verse by prolific American rapper Flo Rida. This shouldve elevated Murs to global icon status, but that never quite happened. While Troublemaker experienced huge success at the time of its release, its unfortunately been overlooked since its initial peak. What could easily have been a throwaway bubblegum pop single is a masterful homage to 70s disco and funk with a distinctly modern twist, all anchored by Murs light, nimble vocals.

MKTO

Founded by and consisting of former child stars Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller, the pop duo MKTO released a single album in 2014 before breaking up and reuniting on and off for the greater part of the 2010s and 20s. Notably, their self-titled debut album featured the smash Classic, a love song that doubled as a tribute to musical icons of the past, like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Donny Hathaway. Were not saying that Classic is a hidden gem it has a billion-and-a-half plays on Spotify. But, like Troublemaker, Classic has a little bit of everything you might want in a pop song, and wed bet that throwing it on is enough to put you in a good mood.

Carly Rae Jepsen

The British Columbia native has come a long way since placing third on Canadian Idol, garnering considerable critical acclaim from music critics and diehard fans alike in the years since. However, its all too likely that you only know her for her inescapable 2012 hit Call Me Maybe. An iconic hit though it may be, Jepsen has so much more to offer, and her 2015 album Emotion is a great place to start. Run Away with Me, the albums dynamic first track and second single, is one of the best songs in Jepsens catalogue and thats only partially to do with its explosive sax riff.

Tove Lo

Once described by Rolling Stone magazine as Swedens darkest pop export, Lo definitely doesnt disappoint on that front. Combining a caustic, irreverent songwriting style with razor-sharp mainstream sensibilities, Los brand of pop may not be for everyone, too raw and biting for North American audiences. While she experienced some commercial success in the early years of the 2010s, particularly for her viral hit Talking Body, Lo has struggled to maintain that same momentum. Cool Girl, the first single off of her 2016 album Lady Wood, references the 2014 David Fincher film Gone Girl in perfectly encapsulating Los unique, often deliberately challenging approach.

Justin Bieber featuring Chance the Rapper

Canadian megastar Bieber had one of the fastest, wildest blow-ups of the 21st century so far, rocketing to fame at the tender age of 15. In fact, his first album, 2010s My World 2.0 made him the youngest male solo act to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. So, with that in mind, you may be surprised to learn about Biebers 2013 compilation album Journals, which found the singer incorporating a more mature, R&B-inflected sound into his work. Journals just sort of came and went at the time of its release, but has been positively reevaluated in the years since. Confident didnt even hit the top 40, and thats shocking, given its catchy melody and cheeky lyrics.

Charli XCX

Like in the case of Justin Bieber and Journals, it can take years for an artists lesser-known work to catch fire with mainstream audiences. Such was the case with hyperpop provocateur Charli XCX, whose experimental take on the genre cast a long, influential shadow over its direction in the 2010s. Despite critically acclaimed albums like Charli and Crash, she was relegated to cult status at least, until the Brat Summer phenomenon of 2024. Her 2020 album How Im Feeling Now featured the deep cut Party 4 U, which was released as a single in 2025 after going viral on social media. With that, audiences finally got a taste of what theyd been missing the whole time.

Robyn

Largely considered one of the greatest songs of the 2010s, Dancing on My Own is full of contradictions. Chiefly among them is its bright, shiny, 80s-indebted sound, contrasted with its heartsick lyrics of hurt and redemption. In subverting audiences expectations, the Swedish cult icon tapped into something deeply powerful, and wholly human. While only a modest hit at the time of its release, Dancing on My Own has been reassessed as a progenitor and forerunner of the sound of pop in years to come. Sure, it wasnt the first sad pop song ever released but it was among the first in recent decades to touch on something deeply relatable in such a clear way.

Rina Sawayama

At first listen, British avant-pop sensation Sawayamas genre-defying, anticonsumerist XS might leave your head spinning. A rollercoaster ride of nu metal and early 2000s pop, XS decries capitalism, mindless consumption, and climate change, while lamenting a general apathy toward issues that affect all of us. Said Sawayama of her song, ...it seemed hilarious to me that [...] public figures were doing a gigantic house tour of their gated property in Calabasas in the same week as doing a sad about Australian wild fires Instagram post. With that said, though, dont mistake her advocacy for stodginess: XS is a genuine floor-filler, and once again proves that music can be a powerful delivery system for socially conscious messaging.

Janet Jackson

Were taking it way back with this ageless anthem. You may be wondering, Isnt Jackson one of the biggest pop stars ever? Whats she doing on an underrated list? And youd be right! However, in the wake of her 2004 Super Bowl scandal overshadowed her musical output, and regrettably drew focus away from what was actually important: the music. Someone to Call My Lover, Jacksons most recent Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit, is an impressive musical melange, borrowing its main riff from Americas Ventura Highway, and the melody from pianist Erik Saties Gymnopédie No. 1. An eternally relatable tale of seeking true love, Someone to Call My Lover will open your eyes to what Ms. Jackson has to offer.

Which underrated pop song is your favorite? Are there any we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!