I love Pharrell Williams and his music. One of the great things about him is that he is super versatile. He can write and perform music across several different genres. Additionally, I also like that he frequently collaborates with other artists, which undoubtedly brings out the best in him and the people he works with.
Because he has so much great music out there, selecting my Top 50 Pharrell Williams songs has not been easy. It could be that I’ve made a few major omissions, and, therefore, if I left out some of your favorites, I apologize. But I hope you enjoy the list anyway. So, let’s get to it and take a look a the best Pharrell Williams songs, starting with…
Top 50 Pharrell Williams Songs
1
Happy
It is hard to argue that this isn’t Pharrell Williams’s best song. However, if you don’t think it was his best, there is no arguing with the fact that it was easily his most successful.
So, how popular was it?
It was a crazy popular song that was released late in 2103 from the soundtrack album of the animated movie Despicable Me 2. “Happy” went to #1 in just about every country where they have electricity. It went eleven times platinum in the US and six times platinum in the UK.
Additionally, it went multi-platinum in a host of other countries worldwide. Plus, it was the biggest song of 2014, with 14 million sales to its name. I bet CeeLo Green wishes he never turned it down, eh?
So, why is it so good?
Pharrell Williams knows how to make good Dance tracks, and this was one of his best. It was nicely infused with elements of soul. The beat, melody, and chorus are phenomenal, and it is easy to see why it was such a monster hit.
The feel-good lyrics and, of course, the massive link-up with Despicable Me 2 also played their part in making this so huge. Frankly, if you don’t like “Happy,” you need to see a doctor because there is probably something wrong with you.
2
Frontin’
This was released in 2003 and is his first single as a lead solo artist. It was included on the compilation album Clones by The Neptunes duo production team. “Frontin’” went to #5 in the US and #6 in the UK. It also picked up a silver disc in the UK for its efforts.
Williams originally wrote the song for Prince but ended up recording and performing the song himself. The musical arrangement, and especially the high range in which Williams sings, has Prince all over it. It is easy to imagine him having sung it.
However, Prince’s loss was Williams’s gain. And it gave him his first opportunity to sing a song all the way through as the lead artist. He did have a bit of help with a featured performance from Jay Z, though. No doubt that helped the record somewhat.
3
I’m a Slave 4 U by Britney Spears
Pharrell Willimas was a prolific writer as well as a performer. Therefore, it only seems right to include some of the wonderful music he wrote on my top 50 Pharrell Williams songs playlist. Arguably, “I’m a Slave 4 U”, sung by Briteny Spears, was one of the most famous Pharrell Williams songs.
The song was co-written with one of his frequent collaborators, Chad Hugo. It was a significant song for Briteny. That’s because it marked a point in her career where she would ditch her wholesome image for an altogether more raunchy style.
This was helped in no small part by the song’s Urban Pop focus…
“I’m a Slave 4 U” captured her transition into being an independent and liberated young woman brilliantly. It is a shame that Britney could not have kept her life together more successfully. But that is an altogether different story.
The song was released in 2001. And, although not as big as some of her other singles, it still made it to #15 on the US Billboard charts and to #4 in the UK. Additionally, it sold more than 14 million copies worldwide.
4
Use Your Heart by SWV
This was one of the early songs written by Pharrell Willimas and again was co-written with Chad Hugo. It was penned for the all-girl R&B group SWV. It’s a great R&B track that wonderfully demonstrates Pharrell Willimas’s versatility as a writer. The song made it to #22 on the US Billboard charts.
Musically it is super smooth. The silky mix helped to brilliantly frame the lyrical content of the song, which predominantly deals with feelings and emotions. More specifically, it is about not focusing on how a person looks but more on who they are as a person. It is a fantastically well-written song that couldn’t have suited SWV any better.
5
Beautiful by Snoop Dogg (ft. Charlie Wilson and Pharrell Williams)
“Beautiful” is frequently credited as a Snoop Dog song, and that is fair enough to a degree. However, Pharrell Willimas and Chad Hugo had a major part in writing it.
Plus, Pharrell Williams had a big part in performing the vocals, which, frankly, most other male artists would have struggled with when it came to the highs. Maybe the Bee Gees could have done the song justice. But, I believe that they were all too busy making toothpaste commercials at the time.
“Beautiful” was released in 2003 and can be best described as a West Coast Hip-Hop and R&B song. It charted well and made it to #3 on the US Billboard charts. As well as #3 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop charts. It is a great song that beautifully contrasts Pharrell Willaims and Snoop Dog’s voices.
6
Get Lucky by Daft Punk
This was the sound of the summer of 2013. It achieved phenomenal success around the world and achieved #1 in just about every European country where it was released.
In the US, it made it to #2 on the Billboard charts but still sold in large numbers. It also went multi-platinum, including in the US, on several charts globally. In turn, it is one of the most popular Pharrell Williams songs.
“Get Lucky” is a Dance/Pop/Funk song with a hypnotic and wonderful uptempo beat. It feels happy and fun which is no doubt why so many people went out and bought it. The vocals shine through, which were in no small part down to Pharrell Willimas’s superb contribution.
7
Feels by Calvin Harris (ft. Pharrell Williams, Big Sean, and Katy Perry)
One thing for sure about Pharrell Willimas is that he never shied away from either writing songs for other artists or collaborating with them on his or their records. “Feels” is a great example of this and is a track on which he both co-wrote and sang.
Williams has a strong background in writing and performing Dance tracks, so “Feels” was a great fit for him. Undoubtedly, it played to his strengths as well as to the strengths of the other artists writing and performing with him.
With the huge following Calvin Harris enjoyed and still enjoys, this single was bound to succeed. It made it to #20 on the US Billboard charts and #1 on the US Dance/Electronic Songs charts. Similarly, it smashed it on most charts around the world, making it into most countries’ Top 20.
8
Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke (ft. T.I. and Pharrell Williams)
This is a song that features yet more amazing collaboration and writing. This time, Williams shared the writing credits with Thicke, Clifford Harris Junior, and none other than the legendary Marvin Gaye. That is some combination of talent, and the results were fantastic.
The buying public also seemed to agree. That’s because when “Blurred Lines” was released in 2003, made it to #1 in all the major charts around the world. It was a huge seller and made it 12x platinum in the US.
If you want to hear how a great fusion of Hip-Hop, Funk, Pop, and R&B should sound, then look no further. As usual, it was also a great vocal performance from Williams.
9
There She Goes by Baby Face
“There She Goes” is a great example of a fusion of different musical genres. Pharrell Willimas co-wrote this peach of a song along with long-time writing partners Chad Hugo together with Kenneth Edmonds.
The song was released in 2001 and made it to #31 on the US Billboard charts. It is a smooth number that deals with the attraction to someone the singer sees in a club. That is very apt because this is totally geared toward being played in a Club environment.
Unlike a lot of other Pharrell Williams songs, his vocals are much less prominent. However, he does have an input in the chorus. And the blend of voices with Keeneth Edmonds, better known as BabyFace, works brilliantly.
10
U Don’t Have to Call by Usher
I am rounding off my list with an absolute banger. “U Don’t Have to Call” was released in 2002 and was exclusively written by Pharrell Williams. Like much of his music, it was also produced by The Neptunes.
The song was a big hit, making it to #3 in the US and #4 in the UK. But, possibly more importantly for Usher, it won him his second converted Grammy for Best Male Vocal R&B Performance. Apparently, the song was intended for Michael Jackson, so his loss was very much Usher’s gain. It’s a piece of pure R&B that is well-suited to the clubs.
11
Gust of Wind feat. Daft Punk (Williams, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Thomas Bangalter)
12
Get Lucky – Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers (Williams, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Thomas Bangalter, Nile Rodgers)
13
There’s Something Special (Williams)
14
Marilyn Monroe (Williams)
15
Number One feat. Kanye West (Williams, Kanye West)
16
Boys (Williams)
17
Can I Have It Like That feat. Gwen Stefani (Williams, Gwen Stefani)
18
Neon Guts – Lil Uzi Vert feat. Pharrell Williams (Williams, Symere Woods)
19
It Girl (Williams)
20
That Girl feat. Snoop Dogg (Williams, Calvin Broadus)
21
Know Who You Are feat. Alicia Keys (Williams, Alicia Keys)
22
I Know Who You Are feat. Alicia Keys (Williams, Alicia Keys)
23
Universal Mind Control – Common feat. Pharrell Williams (Williams, Lonnie Rashid Lynn)
24
How Does It Feel? (Williams)
25
Aerosol Can – Major Lazer feat. Pharrell Williams (Williams, Thomas Wesley Pentz)
26
Feels – Calvin Harris feat. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, Big Sean (Williams, Calvin Harris, Katy Perry, Sean Anderson)
27
Yellow Light (Williams)
28
That’s Girl (Live) feat. Snoop Dogg (Williams, Calvin Broadus)
29
Frontin’ feat. Jay-Z (Williams, Shawn Carter)
30
Freedom (Williams)
31
The Voice of Freedom (Williams)
32
Hunter (Williams)
33
Last Night, Good Night (Re:Dialed) feat. Hatsune Miku (Williams)
34
Skateboard P Presents Show You How to Hustle feat. Lauren (Williams, Lauren)
35
Surfin’ – Kid Cudi feat. Pharrell Williams (Williams, Scott Mescudi)
36
Light Your Ass on Fire – Busta Rhymes feat. Pharrell Williams (Williams, Trevor Smith)
37
Number One (Radio Edit) feat. Kanye West (Williams, Kanye West)
38
Come Get It Bae feat. Miley Cyrus (Williams, Miley Cyrus)
39
Baby – Justin Bieber feat. Ludacris & Pharrell Williams (Williams, Justin Bieber, Christopher Bridges)
40
WTF (Where They From) – Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell Williams (Williams, Missy Elliott)
41
Finna Get Loose – Puff Daddy & The Family feat. Pharrell Williams (Williams, Sean Combs)
42
Ain’t No Doubt About It – Game feat. Pharrell Williams (Williams
43
Freedom (Pharrell Williams)
44
Number One ft. Kanye West (Pharrell Williams, Kanye West)
45
Mr. Me Too – Clipse ft. Pharrell Williams (Pharrell Williams, Gene Thornton, Terrence Thornton)
46
Beautiful – Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams (Calvin Broadus, Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams)
47
She Wants to Move – N.E.R.D. (Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo)
48
That Girl ft. Snoop Dogg (Calvin Broadus, Pharrell Williams)
49
Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani (Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo)
50
Lemon – N.E.R.D. ft. Rihanna (Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, Robyn Fenty)
Need More Fun and Funky Tunes?
Well then, check out our thoughts on the Best Pop Songs of the 2000s, the Best 2000s R&B Songs, the Best 2000s Dance Songs, the Best 2000s Rap Songs, the Best Funk Songs of All Time, and the Best R&B Songs of All Time for more great song selections.
Also, you’ll need to listen to them. So, take a look at our in-depth reviews of the Best Headphones for Music, the Best Headphones for Hip-Hop, the Best Bass Earbuds, the Best Sound Quality Earbuds, the Best Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, and the Best iPhone Earbuds you can buy in 2023.
Top 50 Pharrell Williams Songs – Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed putting together this list of Pharrell Williams’ Top 50 songs. It was not an easy task because there are plenty of other excellent songs that could have but didn’t make the cut.
Regardless, I hope you agree with some of my choices. If not, I would love to hear some of your alternative suggestions. So, please let me know in the comments below which songs you think should have been included. Plus, let me know if you have any other Pharell Willimas stories that you would like to share.
Until next time, happy listening.