The Best Drake Songs

Ahead of Certified Lover Boy, we’re counting down the best Drake songs of all time, including ‘Marvins Room’ ’Hotline Bling' & ‘God’s Plan’.

Best Drake songs
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Best Drake songs

Best Drake songs

When we look back at Drake’s first single, 2009’s “Best I Ever Had,” it’s hard not to wonder, “Why Drake?” Sure, it’s sweet and catchy, and his bars are solid, but there are a lot of songs like that, by artists who have long been forgotten. The single could have just as easily fallen by the wayside, included years later on lists titled, “10 Songs From The Aughts You Forgot About,” but it didn’t. Instead, Drake skyrocketed to mainstream success; the then-23-year-old was a hot commodity, as anyone at Young Money can tell you, and he’s remained one since—taking over for the 2010s. 

Fast forward to present-day, and it feels like a lifetime since we first heard the Champagne Papi say, “You could have my heart, or we could share it like the last slice.” (He wasn’t even the Champagne Papi then). He’s an international superstar, to say the least, and even if they don't fuck with him, Drake’s most vehement doubters can’t deny his impact. Despite bumps in the road—mixed reviews of Views and Scorpion—and near-fatal crashes—“you are hiding a child”—it seems unlikely that the Drake train will slow down anytime soon. 

Between all of Drake’s highs and lows, what has remained consistent is his ability to stay at the forefront of modern rap music, whether that’s via an infectious hook, a standout feature, a tectonic plate-shifting single, or an underrated album cut. We’ve combed through all of those categories to bring you the best Drake songs.

62. Drake, “Over”

Drake at an event

61. Drake, “Under Ground Kings”

Drake performing

60. Drake f/ Bun B and Lil Wayne, “Uptown”

Bun B and Drake

59. Drake f/ Lil Wayne, “Ransom”

Drake and Lil Wayne

58. Drake and Future, “Jumpman”

Drake and Future performing

57. Drake f/ Lil Wayne, “Ignant Shit”

Lil Wayne and Drake performing

56. Drake, "Redemption"

Drake performing

Album: Views

Producer: Noah "40" Shebib

If you were to pare Views into a digestible R&B experience, “Redemption” would be the downbeat heart, the apology and plea, the stubborn rebuttal and melancholy conclusion. 40 stitches ghostly portions of Ray J's "One Wish" into a beat that sounds like Burial on depressants. The details offered in the lyrics feel lived in—“Your brother brought me through, you saw me”—and Drake is, for once on the album, critical of himself: “Why do I want an independent woman to feel like she needs me? I lost my way.” The song also deploys that tried-and-true, Drake-featuring-Drake structure, with multiple sung verses and a sung hook before a long rapped section. (40 is the only credited producer, too—this is back to basics with a bullet.)

During that unfurling verse, he sways through different flows before going totally liquid two-thirds in: “You tip the scale when I weigh my options/West Palm girls are spoiled rotten/Tiffany on you, you know you poppin/I'll kill somebody if they give you problems/Master bedroom where we get it poppin/Just ignore all the skeletons in my closet/I'm a walkin come-up, I'm a bank deposit.” His final line is one of the most poignant of his career: “I’ll never be forgiven.” What the title promises cannot be delivered. —Ross Scarano

55. Drake f/ Lil Wayne “Miss Me”

Drake and Lil Wayne at a basketball game

54. Drake, “Headlines”

Drake performing

53. Drake f/ Quavo and Travis Scott, "Portland"

Travis Scott and Drake

52. French Montana f/ Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil Wayne, “Pop That”

French Montana and Drake

51. Drake, “Energy”

Drake performs

50. Drake f/ Soulja Boy, “We Made It”

Drake at an event

49. Drake f/ JAY-Z, “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music”

Beyonce, Jay Z, and Drake

48. Drake f/ JAY-Z, “Light Up”

Drake and Jay Z

47. Drake, "Lose You"

Drake performs

46. Drake, "Controlla" (Popcaan version)

Popcaan performs

45. Drake, “Fear”

Drake at a basketball game

44. Drake, “Cameras”

drake at an event

43. Drake f/ Rihanna, “Take Care”

Drake and Rihanna

42. Drake, “9am in Dallas”

Drake and Jas Prince

41. Drake f/ Nicki Minaj, “Up All Night”

Nicki Minaj and Drake

40. Drake, “Best I Ever Had”

Drake performing

39. Drake, “Dreams Money Can Buy”

Drake at an event

38. Drake f/ Young Thug and 2 Chainz, "Sacrifices"

2 Chainz and Drake

37. Drake f/ Black Coffee and Jorja Smith, "Get It Together"

Drake at an event

36. Drake, “Trophies”

Drake at the Billboard Music Awards

35. Drake, "Do Not Disturb"

Drake at TIFF

34. Lil Wayne f/ Drake, “Believe Me”

Drake and Lil Wayne

33. Drake, “Say What's Real”

Drake at an event

32. Drake f/ Majid Jordan, “Hold On, We're Going Home”

Drake performing

31. Drake, “Hotline Bling”

Drake at an event

30. Drake, “God's Plan”

Drake at the Grammy's

29. Drake, “Duppy Freestyle”

Drake performing

28. Drake, "Passionfruit"

Drake hosts an event

27. Drake, “Look What You've Done”

Drake performing in 2011

26. Drake f/ Lil Wayne, “The Motto”

Lil Wayne and Drake perform

25. Drake, “Nonstop”

Drake at an event

24. Drake, "Legend"

Drake performing

23. Drake, “Wu-Tang Forever”

Drake and friends

22. Drake, “Draft Day”

Drake at All Star Weekend

21. Drake f/ Rick Ross, “Lord Knows”

Drake and Rick Ross

20. Drake, “Over My Dead Body”

Drake performing

19. Drake, “In My Feelings”

Drake performing

18. Drake f/ The Weeknd, “Crew Love”

The Weeknd and Drake

17. Drake, “Know Yourself”

Drake at a Raptors game

16. Drake f/ Lil Wayne, “HYFR”

Drake and Lil Wayne at a basketball game

15. Drake f/ Trey Songz and Lil Wayne, “Successful”

Drake and Trey Songz

14. Drake, “Tuscan Leather”

Drake performing

13. Rick Ross f/ Drake and French Montana, “Stay Schemin”

Rick Ross, French Montana, and Drake

12. Drake, “Marvins Room”

Drake performing

11. Drake, “Nice For What”

Drake performing

10. Drake, “Too Much”

Drake performing

9. Drake, “Started From the Bottom”

Drake performing

8. Drake f/ The Weeknd, “The Ride”

Drake and The Weeknd performing

7. Drake, "4PM in Calabasas"

Drake at an event

6. Drake, “5AM in Toronto”

Drake in a car

5. Drake, “Back to Back”

Drake at an event

4. DJ Khaled f/ Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne, “I'm On One”

Rick Ross, Drake, Lil Wayne, and DJ Khaled performing

3. Drake, “0 to 100/The Catch Up”

Drake at an event

2. Drake, “Worst Behavior”

Drake performing

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