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Every Britney Spears song,

ranked
From 'E-Mail My Heart' to one of the greatest pop songs of the modern era, EW sizes up
the pop queen's incredible catalog

By Kevin O'Donnell, Leah Greenblatt, Nolan Feeney, Jessica Goodman, Madison Vain, Dylan Kickham,
Ruth Kinane, Chuck Arnold and Jim Farber
Updated September 01, 2016 at 07:08 PM EDT

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CREDIT: KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE; JAMIE MCCARTHY/GETTY IMAGES;

Over the course of her 18-year career as a solo artist, Britney Spears has
shown herself to be many things: an innocent high-schooler, a not-that-
innocent intergalactic temptress, a tabloid target, a brand ambassador for
Cheetos. But like her forebears Madonna and Michael Jackson, she’s also
redefined what it means to be a modern pop star, pushing the limits of
controversy with her racy performances and magazine covers while setting
trends in everything form tween-friendly bubblegum pop to electronic dance
music.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of her legendary debut album, …Baby One
More Time, EW is looking at her massive catalog and ranking all her solo
songs, from her most iconic hits to Japanese-edition bonus tracks you didn’t
even know existed. (Disagree with our ranking? Tell us yours in the
comments.)

156. “E-Mail My Heart” (1999)

A goopy, strummy ballad for the dial-up era that’s so ridiculous, even Spears
seemed to know it. As she explained in an o"-circulated interview about the
song’s complex profundity: “It’s a song everyone can relate to. You know,
everyone’s been doing emails…and it’s e-mail my heart.” –Kevin O’Donnell

155. “Right Now (Taste the Victory)”

(2002)

154. “It Should Be Easy (feat.

will.i.am)” (2013)

153. “Soda Pop” (1999)

152. “Girls and Boys” (2003)

151-148. “(I Can’t Get No)

Satisfaction” (2000) / “I Love Rock
‘n’ Roll” (2001) / “The Beat Goes On”
(1999) / “My Prerogative” (2004)
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Karaokified-versions of pop classics the world never needed. –Madison Vain

147. “Dear Diary” (2000)

Spears wrote it, enough said. It’s literally a diary entry reflecting on a cute boy
she’s spotted and wondering if he’s noticed her. Her breathy voice gets a little
croaky at times, which effectively helps convey her lyrical emotion, but overall
it’s just a little too sickly sweet. –Ruth Kinane

146. “Tik Tik Boom (feat. T.I.)” (2013)

It’s hard to go wrong with a lyric this onomatopoeic. Especially when it’s
matched to a strident trap beat. But the song is so generic that even T.I. can’t
save this one. –Jim Farber

145. “You Got It All” (2000)

144. “Intimidated” (2000)

143. “Lonely” (2001)

With its funky bass slap and rockish guitar crunch, “Lonely” has an edge to
match Britney’s pissed-off attitude. And while it can’t compete with the best
tracks on 2001’s Britney (“I’m a Slave 4 U,” “I’m a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”), it
has more fire than most of her recent work. –Chuck Arnold

142. “Rock Me In” (2008)

141. “When Your Eyes Say It” (2000)

140. “Til It’s Gone” (2013)

139. “My Baby” (2008)

138. “Before the Goodbye” (2001)

137. “Heart” (2000)

136. “What U See (Is What U Get)”

(2000)
It’s kind of like Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Real,” but a little less conceited. Another
track on an album that delivers a lot of messages regarding the power play
between men and women, this one warns of the dangers of a possessive
boyfriend: “I know you watch me when I’m dancing, when I party with my
friends, I can feel your eyes on my back baby.” Recorded before Auto-Tuning
stole all semblance of a human voice from Brit, her real vocals don’t sound
too bad. There’s plenty of Britney’s token “yeah, yeah, yeahhhhs” in there too.
–R.K.

135. “From the Bottom of My Broken

Heart” (1999)
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134. “One Kiss From You” (2000)

133. “Chillin’ With You feat. Jamie

Lynn Spears” (2013)
There’s a great tradition in pop music where siblings have united in song:
Karen and Richard Carpenter, Kim and Kelley Deal, Ann and Nancy Wilson,
Don and Phil Everly. Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears are not part of that
tradition. –K.O.

132. “Let Me Be” (2001)

131. “What You Need” (2016)

At the end of “What You Need,” Britney quips, “That was fun,” and that most
accurately describes the cabaret sounds of this Glory track. It’s upbeat and
lively, despite the pop princess’ sultry vocals growing a little frenzied at times.
–R.K.

130. “What It’s Like to Be Me” (2001)

Recorded with then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake — who shows off his
beatboxing skills, long before “Rock Your Body” — this is a decent pop tune
that is just crying out for a dynamic choreo routine. Still, with two such
vibrant performers coming together we hoped from a little more from the
duo — at the very least a music video to forever capture their real-life
chemistry. –R.K.

129. “I Run Away” (2001)

128. “Love Me Down” (2016)

127. “Hold on Tight” (2013)

126. “The Girl in the Mirror” (2000)

125. “I’ll Never Stop Loving You”

(1999)
Britney Spears I'll Never Stop Loving You Lyrics
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124. “I Will Still Love You (feat. Don

Philip)” (1999)

123. “When I Found You” (2001)

122. “Can’t Make You Love Me”

(2000)

121. “Where Are You Now” (2000)

120. “Thinkin’ About You” (1999)

119. “And Then We Kiss” (2006)

118. “That’s Where You Take Me”

(2001)

117-114. “Chaotic” / “Someday (I Will

Understand)” / “Mona Lisa” / “Over
to You Now” (2005)
The K-Fed era will always make Britney fans cringe, but it wasn’t all a bust:
This EP released with the DVD of her short-lived reality show acquainted us
with Spears’ alter ego, Mona Lisa, and includes a ballad Spears wrote with
“Everytime” collaborator Guy Sigsworth about becoming a mother. It’s
fascinating insight into her inner mind, but that’s not quite enough to keep
these songs from feeling a little underdeveloped. –Nolan Feeney.

113. “I’m So Curious” (1999)

112. “Don’t Keep Me Waiting” (2011)

111. “Bombastic Love” (2001)

110. “Mmm Papi” (2009)

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One of the most inexplicable songs in Spears’ catalogue is this bizarre

attempt at combining Latin pop with ’60s psychedelic soul. –Dylan Kickham

109. “The Answer” (2003)

108. “Outta This World” (2007)

107. “Body Ache” (2013)

106. “The Hook Up” (2003)

Yet another song where Britney sings about dancing, and the Jamaican vibes
keep things interesting enough. But then there’s a poor attempt at rapping,
or, at the very least, fast-speaking. Most of this track’s strength comes from
its infectious beat, and not much else. –R.K.

105. “Private Show” (2016)

104. “Don’t Hang Up” (2003)

103. “Why Should I Be Sad” (2007)

102. “Walk on By” (2000)

101. “Rock Boy” (2008)

100. “Trouble For Me” (2011)

99. “Autumn Goodbye” (1999)

98. “Don’t Go Knockin’ on My Door”

When you think of early Britney material, it’s full of booming synths, spoken-
word sections, and her notorious nasal-voice affectation. This cut from “…
Oops” has all of that. It may not have been a single, but the funky, R&B-tinged
kiss-off anthem is an overlooked number from Spears’ early years. –D.K.

97. “Pretty Girls” (2015)

Britney Spears, Iggy Azalea - Pretty Girls (O<cial Video)
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Spears’ duet with Iggy Azalea was reviled by critics, but “Pretty Girls” does
have its dumb-fun charms, and it resulted in a hilariously overblown video
that finds Our Heroine from Louisiana doing her best, like, Valley Girl
impression. –K.O.

96. “Don’t Cry” (2013)

95. “Trouble” (2008)

94. “Alien” (2013)

93. “Clumsy” (2016)

92. “Scary” (2011)

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91. “Hard to Forget Ya” (2016)

This Glory track captures Britney at her most frenetic. While much of the
dark and sensual sounds of her recent album evoke Blackout, this
electrifyingly upbeat track has more of the ebullience of Femme Fatale. –D.K.

90. “Coupere Électrique” (2016)

89. “Cinderella” (2001)

Equal parts empowering and catchy, the ode to the Disney princess was co-
written by Spears and delivers a strong message to impressionable teens to
leave behind boyfriends who don’t appreciate their efforts. It’s Brit’s warbling
tones at their finest and there’s some fun spoken lyrics too – so you get the
sense she means what she’s saying. –R.K.

88. “Lace and Leather” (2008)

Here, Spears meets Bootsy Collins — at least in spirit. An elastic bass line
undulates through the entire track, suggesting the funky fingerings of the ’70s
icon. The slap-funk groove adds a bit of leer to the teasing S&M lyrics. –J.F.

87. “Early Mornin'” (2003)

86. “Change Your Mind (No Seas

Cortes)” (2016)

85. “Brave New Girl” (2003)

Aldous Huxley, eat your heart out. “Brave New Girl” is probably the most
overtly overproduced song in Spears’ catalogue—imagine T-Pain
moonlighting as a pop diva. As her fans well know, Spears’ voice takes to
production very well, and the upbeat, Auto-Tuned track pops and fizzes with
a frenetic, infectious energy. –D.K.

84. “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to

Know” (2000)
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Who is this jerk who is not being honest with Britney? WHY ARE YOU NOT
TRUTHING HER, BAD BOYFRIEND? Maybe he just needs to learn to use his
words; the lyrics say he’s pretty good with body language. But first Spears
had to beg, with a pretty mid tempo melody and a macramé bikini, to find out
how her mute man really feels. –Leah Greenblatt

83. “Mood Ring” (2016)

82. “Phonography” (2008)

Before there was sexting, there was this Britney deep cut about phone sex.
Okay, it’s pretty dated, but major props to the writers for coming up with so
many phone puns and completely sexualizing the mundane process of making
a phone call. “I like my Bluetooth, buttons coming loose, I need my hands
free…Playing with my ringtone, he got service, I got service, baby we can talk
all night.” Still, the Middle Eastern vibe and the chanting-style of singing keeps
the mind from roaming. –R.K.

81. “Liar” (2016)

80. “I’ve Just Begun (Having My

Fun)” (2004)
Paired with its fellow My Prerogative original song “Do Somethin’,” “I’ve Just
Begun” shows a snapshot of rocker-chick Britney, thanks to a hard, guitar-
and-drums-oriented groove. It’s a similar set-up to “Do Somethin’,” but pales
in comparison. –D.K.

79. “My Only Wish (This Year)”

(2012)

78. “Passenger” (2013)

Spears takes an atmospheric journey on this Britney Jean ballad, which she
cowrote with Sia and Katy Perry, among others. The lyrics (“I can’t let go of
control / I can’t let go and not know / Don’t know the way you’re heading me /
One day at a time is all I need”) offer a rare glimpse into the woman behind the
Auto-Tune. –C.A.

77. “Shattered Glass” (2008)

Who knew the word “glass” actually has three syllables? In this Dr. Luke-
produced ditty, the star pronounces the word “glaa-eee-ass” in several
places, the better to give the song an extra nagging hook. Not that it needed
one. “Shattered” also has a snappy melody and a snidely mocking synth line. –
J.F.

76. “Showdown” (2003)

In the Zone was Spears’ first attempt at a more experimental album,
swapping bubblegum pop for thumping, club-ready tracks. For the most part,
the new direction paid off, but there were a few misses. The almost spoken-
word whisper of “Showdown” focused singe-mindedly on sexualizing Spears’
vocals rather than actually making a good song. –D.K.

75. “Anticipating” (2001)

Like much of Britney, “Anticipating” took cues from Madonna and Janet
Jackson. Sure, it’s not in the same league as any of those older divas’ dance-
pop gems, the song, with an ebullient bounce and post-disco bump, has its
catchy charms. And Nile Rodgers on guitar ups the cool factor. –C.A.

74. “Ooh La La” (2013)

Britney Spears - Ooh La La (From The Smurfs 2)
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