Top 10 best Rihanna songs of all time

Robin Rihanna Fenty (February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, actress, and songwriter. She is considered one of the greatest singers of the twenty-first century. After signing with Def Jam in 2005, Rihanna quickly gained recognition by releasing her first two studio albums, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006). Both were influenced by Caribbean music and both reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200.

"Her third album," writes Singers Room, "Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), incorporated elements of dance-pop and cemented her status as a music industry icon. The chart-topping single "Umbrella" brought Rihanna her first Grammy Award and made her famous all over the world."

To date, the singer has sold over 250 million records worldwide. She ranks second among the most commercially successful music artists of all time and is the highest ranked artist on the RIAA's Top Artists (digital singles) list.

Rihanna has had 14 number one singles, 32 top ten singles in the US and 31 top ten singles in the UK.

Her awards include 9 Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards (including the Icon Award), 12 Billboard Music Awards, 5 World Music Awards, 6 Guinness World Records, the NAACP Presidential Award and an Academy Award nomination.

Her famous performance at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2023 became the most popular in history. In 2012 and 2018, Time magazine included Rihanna in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Forbes included her in the top ten highest-paid celebrities in 2012 and 2014.

As of 2023, the singer is the richest female musician, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.

Here are Rihanna's top 10 hits according to Singers Room

Umbrella

"Umbrella" was released to the world on March 29, 2007 via Def Jam Recordings as the lead single and track from Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007).

"Umbrella" was a global success, topping the charts in 17 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the UK, where the song's charting coincided with prolonged rain and flooding, it became one of the most played songs on the radio in the first decade of the 2000s.

The song managed to stay at the top of the UK Singles Chart for 10 consecutive weeks, the longest period of time for any single of that decade. Being one of the highest digital debuts in the US at the time, "Umbrella" remained at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks.

Rihanna performed the song at the MTV Movie Awards in 2007 and the BRIT Awards in 2008, and included it as the closing number on her Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2008), Last Girl on Earth (2010) and Loud Tour (2011), Diamonds World Tour (2013) and Anti World Tour (2016).

Diamonds

"Diamonds" was recorded by Rihanna for her seventh studio album Unapologetic (2012). The song premiered on September 26, 2012 during the Elvis Duran Morning Show and was released digitally the next day as the lead single from Unapologetic. "Diamonds" is a mid-tempo pop, electronic, and R&B ballad that uses heavy synthesizers, orchestral sounds, and electronic rhythms.

The lyrics depart from the theme of unhealthy relationships that has long been present in Rihanna's singles. In "Diamonds", lovers are compared to "diamonds in the sky".

We Found Love

"We Found Love" is a song by Rihanna from her sixth studio album Talk That Talk (2011), written and produced by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, whose 2012 album 18 Months also includes this track.

"We Found Love" was premiered on September 22, 2011 on Capital FM in the UK, and on the same day it became available for download as the lead single from Talk That Talk.

"We Found Love" is an upbeat electro-house tune with elements of dance-pop, techno and Euro-pop. The lyrics tell about a couple who "found love in a hopeless place".

Stay

"Stay" was recorded by Rihanna for her seventh studio album Unapologetic (2012) and released as the second single from the album on December 13, 2012.

The lyrics refer to temptation and the inability to resist true love. Music critics generally praised the ballad, and most of them called it the album's standout track.

Shut Up and Drive

"Shut Up and Drive" is a song by Rihanna for her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). The song features an interpolation of the 1983 song "Blue Monday" by the British band New Order.

Released as the album's second single, "Shut Up and Drive" went on sale to radio stations in the United States on June 12, 2007, and was released in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2007.

"Shut Up and Drive" is a new wave song that is inspired by the musical trends of the 1970s and 1980s. Lyrically, it contains many references to cars, in particular, it often mentions a '57 Cadillac.

Only Girl (In the World)

"Only Girl (In the World)" is a song by Rihanna from her fifth album, Loud (2010). It was released on September 10, 2010 as its lead single.

Crystal Johnson wrote the song in collaboration with producers Stargate and Sandy Vee. Rihanna contacted Stargate before working on Loud and asked them to create lively, energetic music.

"Only Girl (In the World)" was the first song written for the album, and the singer decided to include it even before she recorded her vocals. Backed by a powerful bassline and synthesizer, "Only Girl (In the World)" has an electronic feel to it, in the style of dance-pop and Eurodance. Its lyrics describe Rihanna's demands for more attention from her boyfriend.

Work

"Work" is a song by Rihanna from her eighth studio album Anti (2016), featuring Canadian rapper Drake. It was released as the lead single on January 27, 2016 via Westbury Road and Roc Nation.

The song is a dancehall, reggae-pop and R&B composition, featuring an interpolation of the song "If You Were Here Tonight" (1985) by Alexander O'Neill. Lyrically, "Work" includes the theme of working for money, as well as reflections on fragile relationships.

Disturbia

"Disturbia" was recorded by Rihanna for the album Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008), a reissue of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007).

The track was released as the third single from the re-released edition of the album and the seventh overall. "Disturbia" was sent to the US hit radio on June 17, 2008 and released as a CD single in the UK on July 22, 2008.

It is an up-tempo dance-pop and electropop song with a "scorching" rhythm. The lyrics refer to experiences of torment, anxiety and confusion.

"Disturbia" received positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised its dark musical tone, lyrics and rhythm, and noted that it was reminiscent of Rihanna's previous single "Don't Stop the Music" (2007).

S&M

"S&M" is a song by Rihanna from her fifth studio album Loud (2010). It was released on January 23, 2011 as the fourth single of the album.

Backed by a bass beat, keyboards and guitars, "S&M" is an up-tempo dance-pop, Hi-NRG and Eurodance song with lyrics about sexual contact, sadomasochism, bondage and fetishes.

Love on the Brain

"Love on the Brain" was recorded by Rihanna for her eighth studio album Anti (2016) and was released to US radio stations on September 27, 2016 as the fourth and final single of the album.

"Love on the Brain" is a doo-wop and soul ballad inspired by the music of the 1950s and 1960s. Lyrically, the song deals with the problems of toxic love.