Adele's Top 5 Best Songs

Find out what the best Adele songs are from each album.

By Adah Burket

As a lonely, shy, and emotional middle school girl, Adele’s “Hello” couldn’t have come at a better time. Having never experienced heartbreak before, I became obsessed with the raw emotions she held in her songs. Adele was one of my mom’s favorite artists, and it was no surprise that I would come to inherit her taste. Prior to the release of 25, I had little knowledge or interest in the music world. But I soon became envelope in this new form of art. And now, the long wait for new music from the British singer is finally over.

Rumor has it, after a six-year hiatus, Adele’s long-awaited fourth studio album, 30, is set to be released next month. Written amid her divorce back in 2018, Adele said in a recent vogue interview that this album is,“definitely my most personal one yet.” Notorious for staying out of the spotlight and making unsuspecting comebacks, Adele has become one of the greatest popular artists of this generation. Creating some of the most recognizable and relatable songs, her music never fails to succeed.

5. “Hometown Glory”

Everyone must start somewhere. “Hometown Glory” was Adele’s first debut single which she wrote in ten minutes when she was just 16 years old. Written with such wisdom and youth, “Hometown Glory” is a nostalgic tune that centers around the city and the people in it. Although the song failed to chart initially, after its release onto Adele’s debut album, 19, the track managed to chart on the UK Singles Chart top 40. The song also received a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

4. “Skyfall”

Did you know that in addition to Adele’s 15 Grammy wins, she also won an Oscar in 2012 for her song in the James Bond movie under the same title? Just after riding the success of her second album, Adele had been asked to write the theme song for the 23rd film in the James Bond series, Skyfall. Unlike her more personal songs, “Skyfall” captures the riveting yet dark content that the Bond franchise encompasses. The song was released just two weeks before the film and shot to number one in 11 countries. The track became the first Bond tune to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and Adele won the first Oscar for a Bond film in 47 years.

3. “Someone Like You”

Known for her heart-wrenching ballads, Adele’s “Someone Like You” was critically acclaimed as the highlight of 21. Selling over 17 million copies worldwide, the single moved from number 11 to number one on the Digital Songs chart, after her performance at the 2011 Brit Awards. Reflecting on a broken relationship and coming to terms with it, Adele’s vocals are solely accompanied by a piano. Singing about the end of her relationship, “Someone Like You” became the first strictly voice-and-piano ballad to top the Billboard Hot 100.

2. “Hello”

Who hasn’t heard Adele’s “Hello”? Adele shocked the world with her comeback back in 2015, after departing from the spotlight to focus on starting a family. Released as a single back ahead of her third studio album, 25,“Hello” became the fastest video to gain 1 billion views on YouTube. Written by Adele and produced by Greg Kurstin, this piano ballad captures a sense of regret and reminiscence as the song reflects on her past relationship. Praised for her vocals and lyricism, the song was highly acclaimed amongst her many other hits. “Hello” became a global success as it topped the charts in a record breaking 36 countries, becoming Adele’s second chart topper after “Someone Like You”.

1. “Easy On Me”

Adele is back! As the first and only released song from her highly anticipated album, 30, “Easy On Me” shattered records and surpassed the success of “Hello” within the first 24 hours of its debut. Spotifyannounced on Instagram, “On Friday, October 15th, Adele’s Easy On Me became Spotify’s most-streamed song in a single day”. Just 12 hours after its debut on YouTube, “Easy On Me” received over 20 million views and counting. During an interview leading up to the single, Adele said that this album was written with the intent to teach her 9-year-old son about divorce and “why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness.” As a stunning ballad on its own, “Easy On Me” focuses on the singers “fraught childhood, her lost marriage and the lessons learnt and unlearnt about family, love and abandonment along the way,” by British Vogue.