Adele’s No. 1 Songs, Ranked
Adele doesn’t release songs that often, but when she does, the world listens. The “Rumour Has It” singer gave us some of the best songs of the 2010s and 2020s, but not all of her tracks were created equal. Here’s a look at their No. 1 singles from worst to best.
5. ‘Easy on Me’
The most apologetic of Adele’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles is also her least impressive. The emotions are complex, the singing is beautiful, and it’ll hit you right in the gut if you hear it while you are alone late at night. Despite this, “Easy on Me” doesn’t have a hook worthy of the Queen of Blue-Eyed Soul.
The lyrics, however, work very well. The singer who gave us the fire of “Rolling in the Deep” now looks at her own flaws and feels more human than ever. With a change in melody, it could have been great.
4. ‘Someone like You’
When I first heard “Someone like You,” I was entirely on the narrator’s side. I thought that it was sad to see Adele come crawling back to her lover after he’s settled down and ask for him back. As I matured, I realized that Adele was in the wrong here.
Showing up “out of the blue uninvited” to an ex-boyfriend’s house to make him feel for her again is cringeworthy at best and manipulative at worst. However, Adele had the self-awareness to realize that and didn’t paint herself as a hero. Many casual fans, however, misunderstood the track.
3. ‘Hello’
“Hello” reuses the basic set-up of “Someone like You” but it takes things to a new level. Instead of trying to meet up with an ex, she is trying to call him over and over to no avail. Instead of trying to rekindle a relationship, she tries to apologize to a man she hurt.
These changes might seem small, but they work to make “Hello” a much more emotional experience than “Someone like You” because “Hello” portrays an even more pathetic situation. The over-the-top vocals are a surprisingly good fit for the understated instrumentation.
2. ‘Rolling in the Deep’
The masterpiece, the modern classic, the song that transfigured Adele from a darling of the indie crowd into one of the biggest pop stars on earth. “Rolling in the Deep” is the deceptively complex genre hybrid that managed to win over everyone, regardless of musical preferences.
At this point, it might be hard to hear “Rolling in the Deep” anew. It became so prominent that it might be hard to fully appreciate in 2024. Close your eyes, turn on the song, and feel the power of it once again.
1. ‘Set Fire to the Rain’
The best soul music deals in melodrama. “Set Fire to the Rain” is one of the most melodramatic songs to ever hit the Top 40. It’s so emotive that the lyrics don’t really make any sense. They discuss a feeling that can’t truly be put into words.
And who said clarity was a good thing? “Set Fire to the Rain” works so well because it’s enigmatic. That, and it has the best Wall of Sound since Phil Spector stopped producing new tunes.
