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Rihanna’s 30 Greatest Songs, Ranked

From “Pon de Replay” to “Umbrella”

Rihanna

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RIHANNA’S TOSSED-OFF VIBE and DGAF openness disguise both her musical gifts and remarkable work ethic, borne out in a cascade of hits. Who knew that the young Barbadian singer behind 2005’s “Pon de Replay” would eventually sell more digital singles than any other artist (100 million–plus)? Or that she trails only Elvis, the Beatles and Madonna in Top 10s? Here, in honor of the star’s 30th birthday, we wade through that robust, history-making catalog, taking stock of her best tracks to date.

From Rolling Stone US

5

“Diamonds” (2012)

Rihanna’s greatest attribute has long been her adaptability: She can swagger and belt her way through any EDM, R&B or rap song while making it entirely her own. After a series of club hits, she switched gears with this luscious, opulent Sia-penned power ballad. On the track, which would become her 12th Number One, Rih showed off her often underrated vocal abilities that had frequently been overpowered by booming, ornate EDM production. “Diamonds” still stands as one of her most stirring and uplifting hits.

4

“FourFiveSeconds” (with Paul McCartney, Kanye West) (2015)

In the Eighties, Paul McCartney introduced himself to a whole new generation of fans by duetting with Michael Jackson on “Say Say Say.” He wouldn’t pull another cross-generational stunt like that with any real success until 2015 when he found himself collaborating with Rihanna and Kanye West on “FourFiveSeconds.” Kanye spearheaded the unlikely project since he was working with Rihanna on her new album Anti and had developed a friendship with McCartney, teaming up with him on the 2014 track “Only One.” Built around Paul’s acoustic guitar lick, “FourFiveSeconds” is unlike anything in the catalogs of either Rihanna or Macca. It gave the former Beatle his first Top Five hit in 31 years. He continues to play it at all of his solo shows.

3

“Love on the Brain” (2016)

“I think a lot of people have a misperception of me,” Rihanna told Kanye West in a 2010 chat for Interview. “They only see the tough, defensive, aggressive side. But every woman is vulnerable. They have vulnerability. So of course I’m going to have that side.” Anti featuredmultiple instances of her at her most vulnerable, but none tore the house down more than this neoclassic soul track, in which she alternates between her falsetto and torch-singer range over a deliberate, slow-dance–ready arrangement. “We wanted the song to be old school ­– a mix between Prince and Al Green,” co-writer Fred Ball told Genius. “We wanted it to have that juxtaposition of an old-school soul feel with modern lyrics.” Ball and co-writer Joseph Angel didn’t write the track with Rih in mind, but it wound up fitting in perfectly with Anti’s tender side.

2

“Umbrella” (feat. Jay-Z) (2007)

Thank Britney Spears for the song that changed everything for Rihanna: The “Toxic” singer’s label turned down what would become a megahit for the Barbadian star, transforming her into a full-fledged pop heavyweight. Co-written by Tricky Stewart, Kuk Harrell and The-Dream, the song is a unique piece of music: a song that marries a heavy rock undercurrent to vibrant rhythm guitar and a perfectly catchy R&B-pop hook. The song ended up being Rihanna’s first Grammy win and a Number One hit in many countries — but at a price. Many claimed there was a “Rihanna curse” as the U.K., New Zealand and Romania were hit with heavy storms as soon as the single topped the charts in each country.

1

“We Found Love” (feat. Calvin Harris) (2010)

The original Calvin Harris demo for this rave epic floated around for months: Leona Lewis recorded a version but didn’t release it, and Nicole Scherzinger rejected it, before Rihanna turned it into a global phenomenon that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks. “I slept on it,” Scherzinger admitted to U.K. magazine Notion in 2013. But in all fairness to the former Pussycat Doll, no one could have brought the same Technicolor joie de vivre to this big room extravaganza as Rihanna, whose near-falsetto voice summons peak-time memories on the dance floor. The chorus – “We found love in a hopeless place” – got a literal interpretation in Melina Matsuoka’s controversial video, which found Rihanna lost in a tumultuous and toxic relationship.