Love him or hate him, you can’t escape Drake. All your friends love him. His Instagram comments from fans are filled with thirst traps, and let’s face it, no DJ set is complete without the top Drake songs added to the playlist.
It’s been a busy year for the singer/rapper as he dominates the Billboard Hot 100, occupying a record 9 out of the 10 spots on the charts. Considering the influence the Toronto native has had on the current state of music over the past 8 years, it’s impressive to see that he’s still at the top of the “mood music” genre that he helped shape.
Most young adults consider his music to be the soundtrack to their lives. He’s a modern day trailblazer and his track record is undeniable. To honor one of the best solo artists the music industry has ever seen, we’ve rounded up ten of the best songs by Drake.
1. Drake – Marvins Room (2011)
I remember hearing this song for the first time and thinking to myself how smart the concept of the song was. Turning the embarrassing drunk dial/text into a song? Genius! The amount of covers this song received because of how popular it was? Not so much.
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/track/17347969
2. Drake – Started From The Bottom (2013)
Quite possibly one of Drake’s finest videos. The first single released from the highly anticipated third album entitled “Nothing Was the Same’” features the classic rags-to-riches story, with Drake recounting his past struggles and what he had to overcome to get to where he is right now in his career. Catchy lyrics, and the beat hits hard!
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/track/64650062
3. Drake – Know Yourself (2015)
Hands down one of the biggest Hip Hop songs of 2015. If you haven’t seen his Coachella performance with literally thousands of people screaming “running through the 6 with my woes” then you won’t understand. While it may seem that Drake is referring to his problems, the song is actually an homage to the people he grew up with.
Devontée, a rapper, producer, and friend of Drake, explained in an interview with Noisey that Drake is referring to their crew in Toronto. “Woe is my crew. It stands for ‘working on excellence.’”
Now, don’t we all wish we had a friend like Drake.
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/track/95254404
4. Drake – Hold On, We’re Going Home ft. Majid Jordan
You know you have a hit record when people make it their wedding song. It’s not too often that the rapper records a full-on pop song, but can we just say—this song had us feeling all sorts of things, and in a good way!
“I want your hot love and emotion, endlessly” might seem a little cheesy when you’re reading it, but Drake executes the line beautifully by giving it a melancholic spin. We’re not the only ones loving it, with artists like the Arctic Monkeys to Blood Orange recording covers of the tune.
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/track/70697364
5. Drake – Hotline Bling (2015)
Chunky fall sweaters and jackets while busting out some serious dad moves—no one can make “dorky” seem cool the way that Drake does. After its release in 2015, the music video became an internet sensation overnight, with content creators from Vine and Instagram releasing parodies and memes inspired by the tune.
The song climbed to the No.2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It also won an award for “Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop” song at the American Music Awards in 2016. It also garnered two wins at the 2017 Grammy Awards under “Best Rap Song” and “Best Rap/Sung Performance.”
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/124603286
6. Drake – Nice for What (2018)
Drake pulls away from his consistent lustful and jaded theme with this powerful anthem on women empowerment. The hit came at the perfect time, during the height of the #MeToo movement. “You gotta be nice for WHAT to these n***as?” is a rallying cry for women who continue to hustle despite living in a male-dominated society that fails to support them.
The star-studded music video, directed by Karena Evans, features some of the entertainment industry’s coolest women. Olivia Wilde, Misty Copeland, Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, Jourdan Dunn, Yara Shahidi, Zoe Saldana, Bria Vinaite, and Michelle Rodriguez delivered women-driven star power in the stylish, photoshoot-esque video.
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/533609342
7. Drake – Worst Behavior (2013)
Rap blogger Big Ghost once jokingly dubbed Drake “Yung Garnier Fructis,” in reference to his softness.
In his song “Worst Behavior,” Drake displayed a previously unsuspected aggressive side of himself, proving that he’s not really that soft—at least, not all the time.
“They used to never want to hear us, remember?/ Motherf*cker never loved us, REMEMBER? MOTHERF*CKER!.” Drake calls out his detractors and doubters on “Worst Behavior,” a song about his journey from young actor to rap star. Drake took his frustration and turned it into a chart-topping hit.
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/70697362
8. Drake – Lord Knows ft. Rick Ross
When Drake declared, “I changed rap forever,” homeboy knew what he was talking about. Partnering with Rick Ross, Drake took classic rap and infused it with heavenly notes from a gospel choir, and we’re all here for it!
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/17347976
9. Drake – In My Feelings (2018)
Does the line “Hey Kiki, do you love me” sound familiar? That’s because the tune inspired one of Tiktok’s famous dance challenges, which involves people walking alongside a moving vehicle and dancing. More than just a TikTok-fueled viral hit, the song dominated the No.1 spot in the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten weeks straight.
Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/533609392
And now, for the special mentions. They might not have made it to the top 9, but these titles are still too good to pass up.
- Drake – The Motto ft. Lil Wayne and Tyga
- Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/track/17052769
- Drake – 0 to 100 / The Catch Up (non-album single, 2014)
- Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/81312438
- Drake – Portland ft. Quavo and Travis Scott
- Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/144572226
- Drake – Take Care ft. Rihanna (2011)
- Listen here: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/14588099
