Top 10 Best Beyoncé Songs: A Journey Through Her Unforgettable Music

Get ready to groove with the most popular songs from the 'Queen of Pop', Beyoncé, as we take you on a journey through her unforgettable music.

Last Updated: 07/06/23 at 12:03

With buckets of talent and artistic flair, Queen Bey is one of the world's best-loved musicians.

Since rising to fame as part of the 90s R&B group Destiny's Child, Beyoncé has exuded extreme levels of star energy and has gone on to achieve even more success as a solo artist.

The 'Pretty Hurts' singer has a vast list of tracks under her belt, from woozy love songs to girl power bops. And, with so many hits to choose from, selecting the top 10 of Bey's solo career is no easy task.

But, don't worry as we have done the hard work for you, and have carefully selected the best Beyoncé songs to ever hit the shelves!

Keep reading to uncover our list.

Why is Beyoncé a music icon?

Beyoncé's musical style has evolved greatly since her debut on the pop/R&B roster with Destiny's Child, but she has always gone above and beyond with incredible vocal range and control.

As a solo artist, Bey has had a profound impact on the music industry and pop culture, paving the way for new approaches to music through visual albums, artistic live performances, and a hard-core drive to put on the best experiences for her fans.

It is rare to see an artist with such vocal talent also achieve highly-professional levels of dance and artistic flair, all whilst presenting a lovable and inspiring personality.

With such levels of talent, it is unsurprising that Bey has achieved the highest levels of stardom in her career, and that many look to her for musical inspiration.

10 of the Best Beyoncé Songs

During her solo career, Beyoncé has released seven studio albums, three compilation albums, one soundtrack album, and five live albums. Now, this has left us with a lot of hits to choose from!

To determine the top 10 Queen Bey songs of all time we have looked at factors including popularity, accompanying music video, streams, and pop culture influence.

Honestly, pretty much every Beyoncé song deserves a place on this list for one reason or another. But, we have cracked down through the discography and picked out the 10 best Beyoncé songs to ever grace our ears.

Keep reading to reveal our picks!

10 - Baby Boy

'Baby Boy' was released in 2003, on Bey's debut solo album 'Dangerously in Love', and featured Jamaican dancehall rapper Sean Paul.

The hit track showed fans and critics that Beyoncé had great talent outside of Destiny's Child and that she could produce catchy, sexy hits solo.

'Baby Boy' is certified platinum in the US and gold in the UK, receiving over 2 million sales worldwide, and maintaining popularity on the club scene decades after its release.

9 - Partition

Coming in at number 9, 'Partition' was released a decade later in 2013 but maintains the same sensuality as Bey's earlier works.

The track is split into two parts 'Yonce' and 'Partition' and transitions from a sweet pop feel to hip hop, heavy beats.

While the song did not top the mainstream charts, the exhilarating track and accompanying music video were received well by both critics and fans who loved Beyoncé's combination of singing and rapping.  

'Partition' epitomises Bey's move away from girly love songs to the full embracement of her sexuality and power, meaning it has to get a spot on our top 10 list!

8 - Sweet Dreams

In 2008, Bey entered her Sasha Fierce era and delivered stunning vocals on the electropop track, 'Sweet Dreams'.

The song contrasted the star's earlier work which had encompassed mainly R&B and urban influences, with 'Sweet Dreams' leaning toward mainstream pop.

The song made it into the top 10 UK chart and the Hot 100 Chart, while earning Beyoncé the Best Female Vocal award at the 2009 Music MP3 Awards. The accompanying music video was one of our first insights into B's artistry as she played with CGI, high fashion, and jerky dance to develop a visual extravaganza.

7 - Naughty Girl

Another from Beyoncé's debut album, Naughty Girl was praised for its assertive vocals and sensual vibe and peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The R&B song celebrated lust and conquest in true noughties style and has been celebrated by fans as a classic party track ever since.

The accompanying music video saw Bey dance and tease fellow artist Usher, who described the video as a celebration of "ultimate entertainers" including dancers, singers, and actors.

While Bey has had more successful songs, the longevity of 'Naughty Girl's' popularity means that while it was not a chart-topper, it deserves a place on our list for its position as an ultimate fan favourite.

6 - Halo

From Beyoncé's third studio album 'I...Am',  Halo gave us an insight into the star's life with a stripped-back approach to music and lyrics.

The R&B pop ballad describes sublime and open-hearted love and received positive reviews from music critics for its compassion and rawness.

It reached the top 5 in charts across countries including the UK, US and Australia, and is one of the highest-certified songs in Australia with a twelve-fold-platinum certification in the country.

The intimate and romantic music video perfectly accompanied the song, and let's not forget Bey's incredible vocal range on the track!

'Halo' is one of Beyoncé's most famous songs and hits many of our criteria, bringing it in at position six on our top 10 list.

5 - Formation

At number 5, we have one of Beyoncé's more recent songs, from the album 'Lemonade'.

The song takes inspiration from trap and bounce and sees Bey celebrate her culture, identity, and success in true queen style.

'Formation' received critical acclaim and was named the top song of 2016 by well-known publications including Rolling Stone and Complex.

The song and accompanying video have ignited political topics whilst empowering minorities, evidencing the true impact of Beyoncé's artistry within music and on wider life and politics.

4 - Love On Top

Never have we seen the power house vocals of Bey shine so bright as in 2011's 'Love On Top'.

Taking inspiration from 80s up-tempo beats and artists such as Whitney Houston and Jackson 5, the track features a high range with an R&B twist.

For Beyhive members, this song holds a special place in their heart as Beyoncé revealed her pregnancy with Blue Ivy at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards after performing the ballad.

'Love On Top' showcases the singer's vocals and versatility at their best and is a classic of her discography, earning it the rightful place of number 4 on our list.

3 - Run the World (Girls)

'Run the World (Girls)' is one of the globe's biggest girl power hits ever. The electropop, R&B tune was released in 2011 as part of Beyoncé's fourth studio album '4'.

The song takes a direct and committed approach to the topic of female empowerment as Bey chants over a military drum beat. The accompanying music video follows suit, as Beyoncé dances alongside and embraces the style of the Mozambican group Tofo Tofo.

Despite being a fan favourite, the song did not perform as well in the charts as some of Bey's other songs, peaking at only number 37 on the US Pop Songs chart.

But by 2022, 'Run the World (Girls)' had been certified platinum four times over in the US, evidencing the longevity of its success.

2 - Crazy in Love

'Crazy in Love' is one of Bey's many hits with husband Jay-Z (although this track was recorded before their marriage). Another from her debut solo album, the song incorporates elements of soul and funk alongside Beyoncé's staple R&B and hip-hop influences.

The summer anthem of 2003 became Beyoncé's first solo number-one single and has gone on to experience continued success as one of B's most popular and famous songs of all time.

'Crazy in Love' has since been featured in hit films including 'White Chicks' and 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason', showcasing its versatility for commercial use. Even more, the track topped Rolling Stone's '100 Greatest Songs of the Century - So Far' in 2018 and achieved NME's best song of the 2000s.  

Despite its extreme success, 'Crazy in Love' has just been beaten to the top spot on our list...

1 - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)

Our number one spot has been taken by the one and only anthem that is... 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)!'

This track has well and truly made its mark on the pop culture and music scene forever, with Bey's iconic 'single ladies' dance a popular phenomenon across the world.

The hit song was released in 2008 during the Sasha Fierce era and won the Video of the Year award at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards as well as three Grammy Awards including Song of the Year in 2010.

The multi-award-winning song has been certified platinum 9 times-over in the US and 2 times-over in the UK, evidencing its huge popularity amongst listeners.

There is no other Beyoncé song that has reached such widespread and high levels of success and fame, nor that has created such pop culture waves.

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