Since 2012, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sam Smith has been constructing a discography of enviable scale. The Londoner introduced they had been homosexual in 2014 and used their platform to deal with the demons of a tough childhood plagued with insecurities about their sexuality and physique picture. Blessed with a unprecedented voice, nevertheless, their love songs converse to hundreds of thousands and have change into requirements. From the uneven dance basic “Promises,” delicate torch ballad “Stay With Me’ and blistering “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” there are many excessive factors to select from in our run-down of the most effective Sam Smith songs.
Take heed to the most effective of Sam Smith on Apple Music and Spotify.
27: To Die For
Issued as a promotional monitor for 2020’s Love Goes, this beautiful ballad arguably deserved higher billing, however the pairing with Jimmy Napes, who had labored with Smith on a few of his largest hits similar to “Stay With Me”, and manufacturing crew Stargate created a powerful exhibiting nonetheless. The tune even impressed the title of a pop-up wig store in London’s Soho, opened by Smith as a part of the lengthy marketing campaign to launch the file.
26: How Will I Know
This beautiful cowl of the Whitney Houston basic demonstrates the seemingly easy energy of Smith’s voice. It’s a managed, tender efficiency that strips away the mid-80s fuss of the unique to disclose the delicate, emotional melody beneath. It was added to the Drowning Shadows version of Smith’s debut album, In The Lonely Hour – a reissue that hit the outlets on the finish of 2015.
25: Collectively (with Disclosure, Nile Rodgers, and Jimmy Napes)
Issued as a promotional single in late 2013 to assist the remix album for Disclosure’s Settle challenge, this collaboration with the Stylish veteran and Smith’s longtime collaborator Jimmy Napes is a Studio 54 throwback on which Smith’s vocals add ballast to the funk-pop hybrid.
24: You Will Be Discovered (and Summer season Walker)
Expensive Evan Hansen was a Broadway sensation when it opened in 2015 and different productions quickly sprung up internationally. It was inevitable Hollywood would have a look at the musical a few fragile high-school senior who finds himself trapped by a collection of lies. This showstopper is the Act One finale and Sam’s cowl with Summer season Walker was issued as a single from the film soundtrack, which got here out in 2021.
23: One Final Tune
Picked because the second single from Sam Smith’s second album, The Thrill Of It All, “One Last Song” sounds prefer it’s a type of songs we have now lived with without end. Its lilting retro vibe might have been lifted from the basic songbook, nevertheless it’s truly a brand new composition co-written by Tyler Johnson, who has labored with Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. Its Nashville prime notes make this top-of-the-line Sam Smith songs picked for a single launch – if not certainly one of their largest hits.
22: Hearth On Hearth
Steve Mac has a pop pedigree as thoroughbred as any Crufts winner and has labored with Westlife, Céline Dion, and Calvin Harris. In 2018, they wrote this new tune with Smith to assist the Netflix remake of the Richard Adams basic Watership Down. Recorded with the BBC Live performance Orchestra at London’s legendary Abbey Street Studios, this dramatic ballad with Mac’s trademark sweeping hooks deserves wider recognition.
21: Have Your self A Merry Little Christmas
To this point Smith’s solely try to deal with a yuletide normal, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” made its debut within the Judy Garland film Meet Me In St Louis. It has been coated lots of of occasions since, together with a definitive model by Frank Sinatra. Smith’s 2014 cowl broke into the US Scorching 100, making certain that we’ll hear it each December for years to return and, in 2022, he issued his first festive authentic “Night Before Christmas.”
20: I’m Prepared (with Demi Lovato)
The 2020 pairing with Demi Lovato appears apparent – each are daring trailblazers for gender politics, fiercely unbiased spirits, and are lengthy admirers of one another’s work. “I’m Ready” is an pressing, electro-disco stomper with a terrific pop melody that Smith described as “2020 ABBA”. It seems on Love Goes and Lovato’s seventh studio set Dancing With The Satan… And The Artwork Of Beginning Over.
19: Burning
Serving to to launch The Thrill Of It All, this promotional single made an honest dent within the charts. The stay efficiency of the tune from the Hackney Spherical Chapel attracts out its gospel influences to chilling impact. Smith has a type of voices that create heat and intimacy regardless of the assured athleticism of their method.
18: Depart Your Lover
That is certainly one of In The Lonely Hour’s most confessional moments. “‘Leave Your Lover” is about somebody I fell in love with final yr,” Smith informed journalists. “I tried to make this track sound pretty because the message of the song is pretty sad.” The heartbreak behind the dad or mum album will get lighter therapy on this midtempo ballad, whereas the memorable video, co-starring mannequin Daisy Lowe and depicting an intense love triangle, helped elevate “Leave Your Lover” to top-of-the-line Sam Smith songs, framing the platform for them to speak about their sexuality for the primary time.
17: Omen (Disclosure, that includes Sam Smith)
Working once more with Disclosure, “Omen” was picked because the duo’s second single from their second album, Caracal. Its throbbing, EDM dance vibe was a step away from Smith’s extra typical work at the moment however constructed on the success of the earlier collaboration – 2012’s “Latch”. “Omen” made the UK Prime 20 and hit No.1 on the Billboard dance charts.
16: Pray (that includes Logic)
Drafting in rapper Logic for the tune’s official challenge as a single, “Pray” had been impressed by time spent abroad with the charity Warfare Youngster. A crew of writers contributed to the monitor, which was steered by Timbaland, most well-known for his work with Missy Elliott and Justin Timberlake. Once more, the gospel influences elevate a pointy melody to better affect, and “Pray” grew to become a sizeable hit world wide on its 2018 launch.
15: Diamonds
That is Smith at their most susceptible – how a lot of this poignant midtempo electro minimize is biographical is basically hypothesis, nevertheless it’s certainly too authentically heartfelt to be constructed from fiction. This monitor was the second single from Love Goes and was produced by Shellback and Oscar Gorres, who works extensively with pop powerhouse Max Martin.
14: La La La (Naughty Boy, that includes Sam Smith)
This was the primary time many individuals actually began to take discover of Sam Smith, as their visitor vocals on this Naughty Boy smash from 2013 made a right away affect. Its frothy dance-pop riff proved an enormous radio sensation, and the monitor made all of it the best way to the highest of the UK charts, however the video didn’t characteristic the singer. “La La La” grew to become one of many largest singles of the yr within the UK and was nominated for a Brit Award.
13: How Do You Sleep?
One other vocal tour de drive from Love Goes, “How Do You Sleep?” digs deeper into Smith’s seam of confessional narrative that makes their work so compelling. “How Do You Sleep?” was issued as a single and made the UK Prime 10. It was promoted by certainly one of their greatest movies – with blistering choreography Parris Goebel and a sublime course by Grant Singer.
12: Latch (Disclosure, that includes Sam Smith)
“Latch” is a tune greatest described as “a sleeper hit.” In 2012, it offered greater than half one million within the UK however by no means made it into the Prime 10. Within the US, it will definitely entered the Prime 10 and topped the dance charts – albeit years after its first launch. As with a handful of their earliest hits, Smith didn’t seem within the music video, however this membership basic – the duo’s breakthrough – stays recent and modern at the moment.
11: I’m Not The Solely One
Picked as In The Lonely Hour’s third single, this elegant soul ballad stands out among the many greatest Sam Smith songs for having all of the makings of an ordinary in ready. Its gentle, shuffling instrumentation acts as the right backdrop to Smith’s majestic vocal efficiency. A powerful video starring Glee’s Dianna Agron and Chris Messina from The Mindy Venture, and based mostly on a troubled marriage that impressed the tune, helped energy “I’m Not The Only One” into the UK Prime 3 and the US Prime 5. Smith hadn’t been sure of the tune’s possibilities on launch. In defending their selection of the monitor for single launch, they admitted there have been “safer bets to go in terms of radio,” however that they wished to make a press release. “I also want people to know that I’m not just doing it to have big radio hits.” They had been proved mistaken: radio cherished it.
10: Cash On My Thoughts
When it comes to a wider breakthrough, “Money On My Mind” marked the purpose when Sam Smith really established themselves. Its nagging refrain grew to become immediately related to the singer they usually performed center-stage in a Vegas-set video that illustrated the excesses of the world’s pleasure capital. It was truly the second single from their debut album, however this February 2014 UK chart-topper recognized Smith as a star within the making.
9: Lay Me Down
You may’t hold a very good tune down. After peaking at No.46 on its first 2013 launch, “Lay Me Down” was reissued after In The Lonely Hour broke by means of, upon which it entered the Prime 20. That wasn’t the tip of the story, although. Given a 3rd launch, as a duet with John Legend for Comedian Reduction, “Lay Me Down” soared all the best way to the highest of the UK charts.
8: I’m Not Right here To Make Pals
Songwriter Jessie Reyez contributes backing vocals to this Calvin Harris manufacturing, issued as one other single from Gloria. The grown-up disco vibe rifts alongside neatly and is an album spotlight in a really robust subject, however the video attracted a barrage of hostility – demonstrating that the battle that they’re preventing for common tolerance has, sadly, a lot floor nonetheless to be received.
7: Too Good At Goodbyes
Launching a second album after the primary has been so successful isn’t for the faint-hearted; there’s an unequalled sense of expectation to show the debut hadn’t been a fluke. “Too Good At Goodbyes” helped safe the forthcoming success of The Thrill Of It All by mixing the soulful parts of the primary assortment with a pointy, fashionable spin, effortlessly bridging the hole between the pop and adult-contemporary audiences. Once more, the gospel refrain lends gravitas to a tune that genuinely doesn’t want any assist. In 2017, “Too Good For Goodbyes” secured its place among the many greatest Sam Smith songs when it grew to become one other chart-topper for Smith of their homeland.
6: Like I Can
As one of many closing singles from In The Lonely Hour, “Like I Can” had the unenviable problem of broadening the notion of its dad or mum album away from the profitable method that had served so properly thus far. A Motown-inspired shuffler that sounded refreshed and purposeful, “Like I Can” was an upbeat gear-change away from the gospel-fused balladry that had characterised a lot of what had come earlier than. It wasn’t an enormous hit in America however made the UK Prime 10 on the finish of 2014.
5: Dancing With A Stranger (that includes Normani)
An opportunity studio encounter with former Fifth Concord vocalist Normani led to a up to date collaboration “Dancing With A Stranger,” which grew to become a sizeable worldwide chart hit at first of 2019. It marked one of many first songs Smith has labored on since their massive dance success, “Promises,” in 2018, and signaled the brand new membership course Sam Smith was more and more centered on.
4: Guarantees (Calvin Harris and Sam Smith)
This home/dance-pop hybrid grew to become the summer time anthem for a lot of in 2018, ending up as Smith’s seventh single to prime the charts within the UK. The collaboration with celebrity DJ/producer Calvin Harris additionally grew to become an enormous membership hit stateside. Its celebratory video, showcasing LGBTQ dance tradition and that includes Kevin Stea, who labored with Madonna through the “Vogue” period, is maybe Smith’s most euphoric thus far.
3: Writing’s On The Wall
Extremely, “Writing’s On The Wall” grew to become the very first Bond theme to prime the UK charts when it was launched in 2015. This Spectre composition additionally loved subsequent wins on the Golden Globes and the 88th Academy Awards, without end cementing its place among the many greatest Sam Smith songs. Longtime collaborator Jimmy Napes co-wrote the monitor, which got here collectively in a short time, and Smith now says the chance to file a Bond theme is certainly one of their profession highlights.
2: Unholy (with Kim Petras)
It’s silly to counsel Smith’s profession required any form of reboot in his second decade of dominance, however this blistering industrial-pop romp from Gloria definitely overshot even their sterling business requirements. With a hanging video from director Floria Sigismondi, it made No. 1 on the mainstream US and UK charts, topped dance listings in all places and the duet with the transgender star even received a Grammy for Finest Pop Duo/Group Efficiency.
1: Keep With Me
This gospel ballad grew to become Smith’s US breakthrough when it peaked at No.2 for a fortnight, and its fragile, piano-led melody has highly effective hooks that quickly make their mark. A uniquely exhilarating torch tune written in regards to the emotional vacuum created by a one-night stand, “Stay With Me” earns its place among the many greatest Sam Smith lead singles because of Grammy wins for Report Of The Yr and Tune Of The Yr alongside a Finest New Artist win – a becoming conclusion, maybe, to a messy romantic encounter.
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