Our Definitive Ranking of Ariana Grande’s 10 Biggest Hits Ever
We're barely into 2019, and Ariana Grande is already having a record-breaking year!
Holding the 1, 2 and 3 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 charts this week (with "7 rings," "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored" and "thank u, next" in those slots, respectively), the pop princess, who we thought outdid herself last year, is showing no signs of slowing down. With her latest album, thank u, next, dropping just a week and a half ago, we have a feeling you'll be seeing a whole lot of Ari in the months to come.
While we totally dig her new album, we can't forget about the oldies-but-goodies she's brought us in years past. That's why we're putting her songs from both the past and present in order of how much we like them. Keep reading for our definitive ranking of Ariana's 10 biggest hits ever (based on official charts).
10. 'Bang Bang'
While we're all for a trio of strong women coming together to collaborate on an empowering anthem, we've gotta say, we've heard better than "Bang Bang." While there's nothing wrong with the song, it just isn't one that stands out to us when we think of Ariana's lengthy catalog of singles.
9. 'thank u, next'
Ah, and for the controversial opinion portion of our list… we're not going to apologize, we just think this Christmas jingle-esque track is highly overrated. We will give credit where credit is due though: Ari put this hit together swiftly, with an iconic music video to boot! Clearly her hard work paid off, because this track (and its visual accompaniment) continue to be record-breaking smashes—we just prefer the singer's more heartfelt tunes, and this one was a bit too gimmicky for our tastes.
8. 'Problem'
This track lands on the lower end of the list, but with no fault to Ari. "Problem" was a breakthrough track for the singer, proving she's capable of extending outside of bubblegum ballad pop. As the first single from her sassier My Everything album, fans saw a different side of the star. Only problem? Iggy Azalea's rapping falls flat, so we just can't tout this song as one of our faves.
7. 'no tears left to cry'
Released as Ari's first single off Sweetener, and an empowering comeback from May 2017's tragic Manchester bombings, we applaud the singer for taking a melancholy topic and pairing it with an upbeat melody—one that differed from everything else we were hearing on the radio at the time. All of the elements combined created a solid track, but still not the absolute best we've heard from the superstar.
6. 'Dangerous Woman'
At the time "Dangerous Woman" was released, it was by far the singer's boldest, most mature song to date. Combining her powerful vocals with expressive lyrics that are hardly believed to come from someone so young, Ariana blew fans out of the water with this one. But it lands smack dab in the middle of our list because we prefer a little Ari we can groove to—and this is slightly too ballady to make it to the very top. But even though we don't necessarily bump this track in our cars, it's obviously still a goodie no less.
5. 'Break Free'
Ariana's collab with Zedd on "Break Free" was the perfect power move. Zedd's dance-worthy melody combined with Ariana's angelic vocals couldn't have made for a better outcome. Plus, the lyrics are super empowering for anyone who has finally walked away from a toxic relationship for good.
4. 'Side to Side'
When we hear the word "fun," "Side to Side" instantly comes to mind. The carefree, upbeat track is a fan favorite, and understandably so. Perfect for background music at a party, cruising on the freeway in a car or cooking in the kitchen at home, there's really no wrong time to listen to this mood-boosting bop.
3. 'One Last Time'
This heartfelt tune has Ariana expressing what many of us have experienced at one point or another: the desire to spend just one more moment with the one who got away. With an ex having moved on after Ariana messed up the relationship, the pop star pleads to be with her former love "one last time." The vocals, the lyrics, the melody—there's no denying this track is a gem.
2. 'God is a woman'
While "God is a woman," indeed, got plenty of recognition when it first hit airwaves (and was accompanied by a memorable, feminist-centric music video), we feel like, overall, it's highly underrated. The song is alluring, empowering and provocative, the perfect trifecta for a surefire hit. Whether or not the rest of the world acknowledges this track as a standout, we'll forever have it on repeat.
1. 'Into You'
Very rarely do we hear a song that captivates us all the way from start to finish. We found that in "Into You," which starts out slow and mysterious, breaking down into a club-worthy banger we want to dance to immediately. While Ari's songs tend to get plenty of mainstream radio play, this is by far the tune we're least likely to change. There's no getting sick of this track, placing it in the well-deserved No. 1 spot on this list.
Need a little more pop content in your life? Click HERE for our definitive ranking of Justin Bieber's most underrated songs.