Ranking Beyoncé's Grammy-Winning Songs
I originally intended to have full-on recap piece of last Sunday's Grammys, and there certainly was no shortage of things to talk about. But I usually reserve this space to vent about all the horrible things the music awards got wrong, or maybe give a few shoutouts to my favorites that might have gotten a win here or there. This year, there's really not much to talk about in the complaint department. As far as I can tell, the only result that most are worked up about is Record of the Year. The last award of the night, hyped throughout the entire ceremony, went to last-year's winner Billie Eilish for "everything i wanted," a song that registered very little radio play and whose production was quite good, but not particularly impressive.
Even this gripe, though, is hard for me to get too upset about. Of course "everything i wanted" shouldn't have won. "Blinding Lights" should have won and wasn't even nominated. Of the nominees, "Don't Start Now" had not only the best production but the best commercial performance. "Savage" and "Rockstar" both presented the Recording Academy golden opportunities to recognize some of the biggest rising black stars as well as massive songs, a fact Billie recognized in her speech which was essentially an ode to Megan Thee Stallion. "BLACK PARADE" and "Colors" presented the Academy two opportunities to recognize songs celebrating blackness and diversity in a year marked by volatile whiteness. But ultimately, none of these were an obvious winner the way "Blinding Lights" would have been, and what's more, "everything i wanted" is objectively a terrific song.
Besides, there was so much to celebrate from a surprisingly terrific Grammys ceremony. The production of the fan-less show was inch-perfect, with little to no timing errors, marvelous performances, a particularly poignant In Memoriam segment, and acceptance speeches both funny and heartfelt. But, other than Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift somehow both only walking away with 1 Grammy on the night, the biggest story of all was, unexpectedly, Beyoncé. In a year in which she only released one new song as a featured artist, she took home 4 Grammys, bringing her career haul to 28, a new record for a female artist.
So in lieu of a traditional show recap, I figured I would celebrate our queen now being the all-time Grammy GOAT by breaking down and power ranking the 15 individual tracks that helped pave the way to her record.
Let me start this off by clarifying that there are no BAD songs. There aren't any bad Beyoncé songs. I would never be accused of believing such an atrocious thing. A sister of mine once told me "7/11" was the "dumbest song ever," and I didn't speak to her for months. I once almost got a coworker fired for saying "Don't hate me, but I just....don't think Beyoncé's that good." If you doubt my Beyhive credentials, don't, is what I'm trying to say. It's just that this list ranges from good song to culturally-impacting era-defining song, is all. Let's get to it:
15. "The Closer I Get To You" (with Luther Vandross)
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (2004)
"The Closer I Get To You" was one of five Grammys she raked in in 2004, a single-year feat she's only replicated one other time in her career. It is also one of three covers that Beyoncé has won Grammys for, and it doesn't work as well as the others she's done. It's a lovely song, and of course hers and Vandross' voices are beautiful, but the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway classic doesn't really suit this combo as well.
14. "So Amazing" (with Stevie Wonder)
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (2006)
Beyoncé's second win for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" in 3 years was for yet another cover; this one, ironically, a cover of Luther Vandross. It feels cheap to rank a win for a Vandross cover over a win involving the man himself, but there's just no substitute for Stevie Wonder's voice. Plus, it's really a compliment: Luther's song is a better song.
13. "Dangerously In Love"
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (2004)
Bey's first Grammy win as a solo artist was, ironically enough, for a song that was originally a Destiny's Child. On Beyoncé's debut album of the same name, she re-recorded this song sans Michelle and Kelly (drama!!!) and with slight instrumental differences. No matter which version you prefer-- they're really pretty much the same --it's a fine song, but doesn't really stand out in her illustrious discography as anything but a simple, soulful song from a young pop star.
12. "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Song of the Year (2010)
Best R&B Song (2010)
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (2010)
HOT TAKE ALERT! Yes, this is an iconic song. And I do mean iconic: I think a good amount of people, fans and non-fans, would pick "Single Ladies" as THE song that they think of when they think of Beyoncé. It also brought her 3 Grammys on its own, including her only ever major category win in her career, Song of the Year. I get all that. I affirm all that. I just have to be honest- this song has never done it for me the way it has for most fans. Maybe it's just hearing it exhaustively played at weddings, but musically, I find it somewhat tiresome. What is truly iconic about this track, in my opinion, is the music video. That the video never won any awards is a travesty, and I think I know at least one person who agrees with me.
11. "At Last"
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (2010)
If the knives were already out for me after having "Single Ladies" as low as I did, they're probably plunged in by now for ranking a song that isn't even hers even higher. And I agree, a song written and so masterfully performed by Etta James probably shouldn't be sniffing a Top 10 Beyoncé list. But it's just such an incredible song, and man, can Bey sing the hell out of it or what?
10. "Survivor" (with Destiny's Child)
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (2002)
There was a time when Destiny's Child were one of the biggest names in music, and it's no surprise that probably their two most familiar songs are the two that won the group Grammys. "Survivor" was a radio staple in my childhood, and still holds up today. But I will admit, upon recent re-listening, I liked it slightly less than I remembered. Perhaps relatedly, it's not particularly Beyoncé-centric, compared to many other Destiny's Child songs.
9. "BLACK PARADE"
Best R&B Performance (2021)
The song that delivered Beyoncé the record for a female artist at the Grammys was this track, released on Juneteenth in the midst of a summer full of Black Lives Matter protests. This track from Beyoncé is 100% about the music and lyrics, both containing endless references to not only black American culture, but African culture as well. In my opinion, which undoubtedly matters greatly to Queen B, the musical accompaniment is not the most cohesive, but between the parade beat and the growing influence of the brass section, it does find a way to feel both classic and original. The story told in the lyrics of unabashed pride in heritage, roots, womanhood and defiance of prejudice is profound and vivid in imagery.
8. "Drunk In Love" (with Jay-Z)
Best R&B Song (2015)
Best R&B Performance (2015)
The surprise, overnight release of the artist's self-titled album BEYONCE along with lead single "Drunk In Love," delighted fans. The song and album also shocked many people with its turn towards unapologetic, explicit sexuality. I remember a friend of mine at the small Christian college asked me how I could possibly justify listening to "that filth" (I think my response was "... it's Beyoncé"). In that vein, this was the perfect lead single to encapsulate the theme of Beyoncé's groundbreaking album and touch off a resurgence of third-wave feminism in pop music. It's a boozy, sexy banger of a song, with a vintage braggadocios verse from her real-life husband. If it were most other artists' discographies in question, this would probably be in their Top 5.
7. "Say My Name" (with Destiny's Child)
Best R&B Song (2001)
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (2001)
The other Destiny's Child song you've definitely heard of gave our queen her first Grammy ever. "Say My Name" is far from the lyrical tour de force that has become almost expected of later-career Beyoncé, but it still holds up as an absolute bop. When I think of 90s/00s R&B, this is the exact sound that comes to mind.
6. "Savage" (with Megan Thee Stallion)
Best Rap Song (2021)
Best Rap Performance (2021)
I originally was going to have this lower, even considerably lower in the list, just because it's not really Beyoncé's song at all. And it's true, even in this remix, much of the magic belongs to Megan Thee Stallion. But man, it's just such a banger. And though she (for once) doesn't steal the show, Bey does help take this Houston collaboration to the next level. Plus, we have to show love for the fact that Beyoncé now has conquered Rap in addition to Pop and R&B.
5. "Halo"
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (2010)
I've gotten teased before for my love of this song, so it won't surprise me if this ranking is met with scoffs and eyerolls. Yes, "Halo" is a pretty basic, somewhat sappy ballad. But its nostalgic value is unparalleled in my eyes; this song got me through some emotional high school times. And it's just a lovely song, a rare look at Beyoncé the person, rather than the celebrity, and bolstered by absolute powerhouse vocals from Queen B.
4. "Brown Skin Girl" (with Saint Jhn, Wizkid, and Blue Ivy Carter)
Best Music Video (2021)
The reigning Best Music Video Grammy winner is a surprise success in "Daniel Woodiwiss' Official Award-Winning Beyoncé Song Power Ranking presented by Rocket Mortgage." I'll admit, I first heard this track when listening through Beyoncé's Lion King album the first time, and while I'm sure I found it pleasant, it didn't stick with me at all. So I don't know if it's just the gorgeous music video or me being in a different stage of life than I was even in 2019, but when I listened to it again in anticipation of this year's Grammys ceremony, it made me tear up, and has been stuck in my head nonstop for the better part of a week. Beyoncé employs the Pan-African musical style so effectively, and arguably never more so than with this song that celebrates black beauty, and as a cherry on top, features her first-born daughter.
3. "Love On Top"
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (2013)
I've talked with friends and siblings alike about how cool it is that Beyoncé's discography follows a clear, chronological progression from young diva to bona fide pop star to cultural and sociopolitical icon. The album 4 is massively underrated in no small part because it fell right in the middle of Bey's transition from mainstream pop to more intentional and exploratory music and lyrics. But "Love On Top" was the perfect example of how Beyoncé, while not quite a lyrical force yet, was starting to branch out into bringing R&B back to the forefront of her music. It's a positively addicting song, and the conclusion, which sees her increasingly besting herself with key changes is one of the most memorable outros in recent music history.
2. "Formation"
Best Music Video (2016)
It was hard to imagine that Beyoncé could top the level of hysteria and excitement she caused with her overnight release of her preceding album, but in early 2016, she did just that with the announcement of upcoming album Lemonade. More specifically, she did that with the release of this song "Formation." Dropped on the eve of the Super Bowl, right in time for a mindblowingly good Halftime Show cameo, "Formation" was unlike anything Queen B had done to date. Equal parts Rap song and protest poetry, this was Beyoncé at her most furious, proud and inspirational. The stunning music video was a deserving Grammy winner, but the fact that this song won no other Grammys (it was also nominated for both Record and Song of the Year) was borderline criminal, and speaks to the Recording Academy's continued under-appreciation of even the greatest black artists.
1. "Crazy In Love" (with Jay-Z)
Best R&B Song (2004)
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (2004)
Beyoncé is timeless, and her progression from singer to significant historical figure is amazing. Thus I almost feel guilty for selecting an early-career track for her #1 instead of any of the remarkable songs she's written and performed on in the last several years. But come on...it's "Crazy In Love." We're not dangerously in love any more. We're not drunk in love. We're crazy in love. It's not exaggeration to say the horn intro is one of the most recognizable and unanimously beloved introductions to a song in the 21st century. It's also not exaggeration to say that's arguably not even the best part of the song, with young Jay-Z and younger Beyoncé both in peak form. "Crazy In Love" opened Queen B's legendary Super Bowl halftime show, her history-making Coachella set, and was ranked the #1 song of the 21st century by both Rolling Stone and MTV. I think the moment I knew this was an all-time classic was in the midst of my high school's run to the football state championship; Greenwood High was starting to close out a tough, evenly matched elimination game, and all of a sudden the pep band struck up that famous intro, and the student section absolutely lost it. And I mean LOST it. Very few contemporary songs have the ability to do that, let alone a song that had been out for nearly a decade at that time. Many of Beyoncé's songs may fade away in relevance over the years, but "Crazy In Love" is forever.
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