the 101 Most Popular
countdown of
Rihanna songs
of the Moment
Published February 20, 2024
Harpsichord’s official song chart that attempts to guestimate which songs released by Rihanna are her most popular globally. Factors in: Reported charting data and/or progression from Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes live chart updates; online social media discussion — far as Twitter, Tik Tok; relevancy in the news; chatter amongst fans, as far as social media and in person exchanges; reported digital sales; radio airplay; usage in visual media, as far as TV and movies; and artist’s own attention to the song.
Long story short: These are the concluding ten songs that you can go to just about anyone in the world, and they will know. Except– maybe there’s just oneeee fan favorite that made the cut…
With this interactive countdown, you can click on the picture frames to watch the music videos, because we miss MTV and BET as much as you do… But if it’s an album cover? Sorry… no video was released at the time of this countdown’s publishing…
harpsichord’s greatest
Hot 101 Rihanna Songs
Published February 2024
10
Pon De Replay
By Rihanna (2005)
The debut single that started a revolution! Immigrating from Barbados to the United States, Rihanna recorded her demo of this dancehall hit in December 2004, before being signed to Def Jam in February the next year. Here she’s begging “Mister DJ” to play her favorite song again while turning up the volume. “It goes one by one, even two by two,” she lets the audience know. Running on Jamaica’s signature Diwali Riddim, the song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 while becoming a major global smash.
9
Kiss It Better
By Rihanna (2016)
The Rihanna Navy instantly gravitated towards “Kiss It Better” because it highlights her penchant for combining rock star attitude with ballads about loving hard and deep. “Man phuck yo pride” captured her signature social media lingo, while “what are you willing to do?” asked the real questions. Psychedelic and soulful in its nature, the song recalls the hallucinogenic work of Prince. If anything, “Kiss It Better” is the genre of Rihanna. Although the song did not hit immediate chart topping success, a mashup of it with Luther Vandross’s “Never Too Much” gave it popularity amongst the mainstream consciousness.
8
Needed Me
By Rihanna (2016)
When Rihanna pops off against her exes, she’s bound to stumble upon a hit. Produced by DJ Mustard, the song stacked trap against hip hop soul. “Didn’t they tell you I was a savage?” questions Rihanna to an unwitting suspect to her femme fatale ways. Becoming a defining break up anthem, “Needed Me” represented the rodeo energy present on ‘Anti,’ simultaneously becoming a streaming giant and a precedent maker for both women in pop, as well as R&B music’s ability to compete against hip hop.
7
Only Girl (In The World)
By Rihanna (2010)
Rihanna is a one and only of her generation. And when it comes to dance music, she made the case well known on this jubilant number that finds her belting her passion. Working as a theme song during her ‘LOUD’ era, the song became thee undeniable hit across the globe. There is giggling and sassiness that only she could deliver in such a nonchalant fashion. When talking about pure pop, “Only Girl (In The World)” takes the cake.
6
Love On The Brain
By Rihanna (2016)
Working as the sleeper hit of ‘Anti,’ this retro styled ballad that resembled the doo wop era, showed that authentic R&B still had a place in the world of pop. “It beats me black and blue, but it phucks me so good,” resonated with audiences who felt the passion of the lyricism as well as the honest vocals.
5
Rude Boy
By Rihanna (2009)
When ‘Rated R’ started being cast as “a flop” for Rihanna’s standards, she had the one hit she always believed in– even when the record label didn’t get it. “Rude Boy” is a patois term used to describe delinquents, and Rihanna had just the thing for them. On the classic dancehall gem, she questions “come here rude boy, boy, is you big enough?” With a commanding sexual presence, “Rude Boy” not only became a global smash, but happens to be one of the most defining bops that changed the trajectory of her career for the better.
4
Work
By Rihanna ft Drake (2016)
Speaking of career changing dancehall hits, the addictive hook of “Work” is exactly what made Rihanna the first pop star to pop off in an action packed year of music in 2016. Delivered in Jamaican patois, “Work” shed light on how conversations went in the West Indies. Not only did it capture exhaustion from having to literally “Work” all day, it also laid out how tiring it can be to maintain a relationship that can often make someone feel lonely. On paper the song may seem simple, but in actuality it represented complexity. And as stated with most songs on this countdown, it became another international smash.
3
Umbrella
By Rihanna ft Jay-z (2007)
Regarded as the lead single that changed the trajectory of her entire career, “Umbrella” introduced the world to a once-ingenue suddenly going bad. Supported by thrashing rock drums, an electric guitar and the electro-craze resurging back in hip hop, the signs of this music shift for Rihanna had always been there (see: the instrumental of “Kisses Don’t Lie” and the lyrical context of “Unfaithful”) -- but it still managed to take audiences by surprise. Enraptured by the “ella ella ay ay ay” hook, listeners immediately brought the song about unrelenting commitment to No. 1 on global charts. Almost two decades into her career, “Umbrella” is one of three songs that audiences debate as her signature.
Two days after releasing “umbrella” as a single, Rihanna premieres the bob
2
We Found Love
By Rihanna ft Calvin Harris (2011)
Blaring synths and 808s are what punctuates this club anthem. Fit for festival raves or stadium concerts, “We Found Love” seems jubilant but in fact describes trauma. “We found love in a hopeless place” sheds light on how something so wrong can feel so right. Upon its release, “We Found Love” resonated with a global audience, becoming one of those pop moments that explored the inner workings of human emotions. Thanks to its brilliant music video that documents a toxic relationship, the song became a major player in defining the EDM pop craze that had the 2010s in a chokehold. It went No. 1 in multiple countries, and continues to prevail on streaming charts and radio today.
“We Found Love” became Rihanna’s second MTV Video of the Year.
Diamonds
By Rihanna (2012)
While “We Found Love” could be seen as Rihanna’s biggest hit, it does not earn the top spot on this countdown. Sometimes these countdowns have to pay attention to the smaller details. Although “Diamonds” is not as commercially successful as “We Found Love” (although it too is an international smash that reached No. 1 in nearly every country), it’s the one song that Rihanna pays the most attention to. After all, she named her charity ball after the song.
“We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky” she sings passionately. One has the sneaky suspicion that the midtempo ballad which has the punch of a rave song as well as the penmanship of Sia, might be Rihanna’s absolute favorite. She closed out the Super Bowl halftime show with “Diamonds,” and every time she needs to access the poignant lyrics and notes, a claw starts forming to really get into the guts of it all. “Diamonds” became an essential moment for Rihanna back during its release, but even today it still resonates. The main reason: Rihanna made it that way by her own merit.
