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Every Harry Styles Song Ranked

He’s built one of the wildest, weirdest songbooks of modern times — from Seventies raunch to epic folk beauty to glam grandeur

Harry Styles photo collage

RICH FURY/GETTY IMAGES FOR SPOTIFY; ANTHONY PHAM VIA GETTY IMAGES; FRED DUFOUR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Harry Styles dropped his debut solo single, “Sign of the Times,” in 2017. Since then, he’s built one of the wildest, weirdest songbooks of modern times. A brilliant body of work, from a genius singer, songwriter, and performer. And it’s just about to get bigger, since he’s also an evil angel of chaos who never gets tired of wreaking havoc on our lives.

What a songbook: 53 songs, all of them great, from an artist who already rates with the all-time legends. So let’s break it down: Every Harry Styles songs ever, ranked and reviewed. No duds here, just gems from bottom to top, so it’s a tribute to every single song. 

Every fan would pick a different list — that’s the whole fun of it. So your list is guaranteed to be different — hell, our list would change from hour to hour, because as with most fans, our favorite tends to be the one we’re listening to right now. So obviously, don’t sweat the order they’re in — these are all songs to celebrate. The words are the point here, not the numbers.

Let’s face it, there are lots of Harries. He’s a pop star. An actor. A scholar of music history. A fashion icon. A dangerous madman who finds his pleasure in getting under our skin and trashing our expectations and dancing on our madness. And honestly, bless him for that. He’s all of these things, but as these songs prove, the realest, truest Harry is the one who puts his heart and soul into this music. 

The list includes everything from all three of his solo albums, right up to Harry’s House. We’re also counting songs he’s made a crucial part of his tours, even if they’re not officially released. Sure, this is totally cheating, but otherwise we’d have to leave “Medicine” off the list, which would be a tragedy.

No One Direction tunes — that would be a totally different list. As the old song says, we don’t want a shadow holding us hostage, right?

So let’s make some noise for all 53 of these songs, and the man who brought them into the world. And here’s to the music he’s got in store for the future. Step into the light.

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6

‘Kiwi’

Harry’s got a taste for soul-searching, reflective tunes. This is not one of them. “Kiwi” is a glam-punk body-slam guitar blast from his debut, inspired by a chic actress who’s “hard liquor mixed with a bit of intellect.” It’s driven by sex, adrenaline, pounding guitars, and the ridiculous chorus “I’m having your baby/It’s none of your business!” When Harry busts out “Kiwi” at the end of a live show, it always brings down the walls of Jericho. Let’s just say the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has used this moment as the definition of “euphoria.”  —R.S. Best line: “New York, baby, always jacked up/Holland Tunnel for a nose, it’s always backed up.”

5

‘Coming Up Roses’

This lovely, string-accented ballad is a showcase for Styles’ tender side, with his velvet-lined voice trembling as he realizes his longing for another. His out-of-the-spotlight vulnerability shines through as he admits his nerves, with the orchestra surrounding him providing a gorgeously arranged—and meaningful — contrast to the rest of the beat-forward Kiss All The Time. Away from the dancefloor, Styles and his paramour can truly connect: “It’s only me and you,” he vows one last time before embarking on a wordless melody with the sort of guilelessness that emerges in the most intimate moments.  Best line: “Just for tonight, let’s go hangover chasing/ And I’ll talk your ear off about why it’s safe”

4

‘Cherry’

The most powerful moment on Fine Line, a raw confession of grief and jealousy after a broken romance. Harry tells the story with dry wit, aiming his barbs at himself, even when the pain is real. (“I can tell that you are at your best/I’m selfish so I’m hating it” is really twisting the knife.) In the studio, engineer Sammy Witte was playing an acoustic guitar riff that Harry overheard and loved — so close to John Lennon on the White Album — resulting in this song. “Cherry” ends with a voice note of his ex-girlfriend, Camille Rowe, speaking French on the phone. A heart-wrenching song that nonetheless soars to the sun. —R.S.Best line: “I still miss your accent and your friends/Did you know I still talk to them?”