Since his audition in 2010 on the “X-Factor”, Harry Styles has continued to grow in his self and popularity. He has been stealing hearts all over the world since then. After discovering Harry, Simon Cowell blessed us all by putting together the legendary boy band group, One Direction. For six years, One Direction topped charts and covered magazines as they toured and created new music. Fans were heartbroken in 2016 as band members began to take on solo careers. Today, the best Harry Styles songs are taking the world by storm with his individuality and fearless expression that fans love.
Almost one year later in 2017 Harry Styles released his debut single – “Sign of the Times”. Oh, was it time for Harry to take over the charts! Harry Styles is so “Golden” and has been gaining popularity and continuing to sell out his concerts while on his international tour titled Love On Tour. His tour began in September 2021 and is expected to conclude in July 2023. When attending, expect to be dazzled through performances of close to 19 of his hit songs.
There are many songs by Harry Styles that are hard not to stand up and dance to. A recent study found that dancing to groovy music has been found to boost brain performance! Scientists from the University of Tsukuba report that “music with a groove” can significantly increase measures of executive function and associated brain activity. There is a catch, though: You have to be familiar with the tune. Just try turning on “As It Was” by Harry Styles and let yourself groove to the music!
Just as many Harry Styles songs may make you want to move your body and dance, there are plenty of soothing ballads that relax the senses. A recent study found that listening to music before bed may actually help you sleep better! Play a favorite slow song or two and let your body and mind come to a relaxing close after a busy day.
Whether looking for a soothing song or groovy beat, we visited 10 expert websites to put together this list of the Best Harry Styles Songs that were recommended across these sites! If you have your own suggestions, please leave them in the comments below!
The List: Best Harry Styles Songs, According to Music Experts
1. “Sign of the Times” (2017)
Harry Styles was a long-time member of the band One Direction. After the band split in 2016, Harry Style released “Sign of the Times” as a debut solo single. “Sign of the Times” is a slow-paced pop-rock track about avoiding emotion and reality during distressing times of grief, hardship, and inequality,” says Live365.
Harry Styles is uniquely his own with a blend of influences that have shaped the music industry. “He was aiming for the high ground of David Bowie, or Prince, or Queen. As Harry told Rolling Stone in 2017, it’s sung from the perspective of a mother dying in childbirth. ‘The mother is told, The child is fine, but you’re not going to make it. The mother has five minutes to tell the child, Go forth and conquer.’ That’s why ‘Sign of the Times’ feels uplifting, finding beauty in bleakness. The song made an instant impact — it hit Number Four in the U.S. — but it just gets more powerful as you live with it over the years,” explains Rolling Stone.
“Sign Of The Times” takes listeners through a roller coaster of emotions. “The song is an epic ballad that starts with a gentle piano and builds to a powerful climax, featuring Styles’ soaring vocals. The lyrics touch on themes of hopelessness and uncertainty in the face of adversity, but ultimately offer a message of resilience and perseverance. The song was a critical and commercial success, and helped establish Styles as a solo artist in his own right. Its cinematic quality and emotional depth have made it a fan favorite and a modern classic,” adds Singers Room.
Harry Styles explains how life will continue to be full of ups and downs. “‘Most of the stuff that hurts me about what’s going on at the moment is not politics, it’s fundamentals … Equal rights. For everyone, all races, sexes, everything. … Sign of the Times came from This isn’t the first time we’ve been in a hard time, and it’s not going to be the last time,’ Styles told Rolling Stone at the time of the song’s release,” adds Xxtrawave.
2. “As It Was” (2022)
It is hard not to want to stand up and dance when you hear “Come on Harry we want to say goodnight to you!” at the start of “As It Was”. “Because it’s a mixture of sonic and lyrical genius. Starting with the sounds, ‘As It Was’ features a solid blend of synths and upbeat melodies reminiscent of music from the ‘80s. Despite the song easily fitting into the pop category, it still has enough experimentation to feel like something all its own,” says Live365.
In 2022, Harry Styles released “Harry’s House” with this song included. “The first taste of his third album, Harry’s House, and an instant Number One hit. ‘As It Was’ is a seductive dance-floor synth-pop bop — yet it’s also the most nakedly vulnerable tune he’s ever done. It opens with the voice of his goddaughter, angry about a missed call. (‘Come on Harry, we wanna say good night to you!’) But even when he feels down and out, the breathy intimacy in his voice makes it feel like this is a shared story between two people. The ecstatic chimes ringing at the end are Harry playing ‘tubular bells.’ Total genius, done and dusted in three minutes. What a way to kick off the Harry’s House era, almost exactly five years after his debut single,” explains Rolling Stone.
Although “As It Was” is upbeat, the song has a deep meaning to it that reveals Harry’s feelings. “Suggesting a major shift in his own life, Styles sings about loneliness and the passage of time in the heartrending lyrics. Working through his complicated personal feelings, the piece gives off a therapeutic vibe while also setting up another exciting era for the singer. With the ability to combine sorrowful words and rosy production, the vocalist’s endless creativity spills out on ‘As It Was,'” adds Watch Mojo.
3. “Cherry” (2019)
In 2019 Harry Styles released his second album, “Fine Line”, which included the hit song “Cherry”. “‘Cherry’ is arguably his greatest song off of ‘Fine Line’ and an extremely tough contender for his greatest song of all time. ‘Cherry‘ takes listeners on an emotional roller coaster through the mind of a heartbroken Harry. Complete with an added voicemail from his ex-girlfriend, Camille Rowe, ‘Cherry’ was a risky demonstration of the kind of music Harry Styles was meant to create. One of the greatest musicians of our generation, and arguably one the greatest to ever do it,” says The Post Athens.
It may be hard to believe that even Harry Styles goes through break ups. “In this sobering folk number, the singer reels from a breakup in the authentic and complicated ‘Cherry.’ Knowing that his partner has found somebody new, Styles’ words bring out bittersweet feelings about the finality of a relationship. Even as one of the few non-singles from ‘Fine Line,’ this piece stands out for its deeply affecting storytelling and beautiful musical accompaniment,” adds Watch Mojo.
Harry Styles is vulnerable and emotional as he sings many truths that others wouldn’t dare to admit in the song “Cherry”. “Harry tells the story with dry wit, aiming his barbs at himself, even when the pain is real. (‘I can tell that you are at your best/I’m selfish so I’m hating it’ is really twisting the knife.) ‘Cherry’ ends with a voice note of his ex-girlfriend, Camille Rowe, speaking French on the phone. A heart-wrenching song that nonetheless soars to the sun,” explains Rolling Stones.
Insider adds “This song’s peaceful, tinkling guitar riffs — it was composed by a guitalele, a ukulele with six strings, while Styles was on tour — perfectly capture his remorse and change of heart. In conversation with the raw jealousy of ‘Cherry,’ ‘To Be So Lonely’ sees Styles wear his heart on his sleeve.”
4. “Watermelon Sugar” (2019)
What do you get when you take Harry Styles and add in some summer vibes? You get “Watermelon Sugar high”. “‘Watermelon Sugar’ remains one of Styles’ most reliable tunes, even though it nearly got cut from Fine Line. The song didn’t hit the top of the charts until nearly a year after its release, an exclamation point on its sweet, thumping magnitude unconfined to the boundaries of timeliness,” explains Paste Magazine.
Harry Styles finds a creative and upbeat way to describe attraction to a woman. “After his first album combined folk and rock elements, Styles embraced his next effort with more of an upbeat pop sensibility. There’s no better example of this musical shift than ‘Watermelon Sugar,’ a summer hit made for a beach party. Depending on how far you want to read into its innuendoes, the track recounts a deep attraction for someone and the feeling it produces at its peak. Combining funk and indie pop influences, the artist embraced his popstar persona in this single of pure sunshine,” adds Watch Mojo.
“Watermelon Sugar” is a playful song that will get everyone singing along. “‘Watermelon Sugar‘ was the first single of his that seemed to let out more of Style’s personality. The funky guitar and bombastic horns give the song laid-back but playful energy. Style’s showcases the rasp in his voice as well and even his higher register in a low-key seductive vocal. Everything builds to an energetic crescendo, extremely very on the theme if you subscribe to one of the more cheeky interpretations of the lyrics. Seeing the type of performer that Styles has evolved into, ‘Watermelon Sugar’ is a major inflection point,” says The Young Folks.
5.“Matilda” (2022)
Harry Styles can have you dancing one minute to reflecting on your own life the next. “‘Matilda’ is really just Harry’s vocals and the slightest bit of background music, which is extremely appropriate for the emotional weight that this song carries. A beautiful piece about childhood trauma and neglect proving that Harry writes songs to make people feel. It’s a breathtaking song, and much like all the songs in the top five could easily be number one,” says The Post Athens.
Harry Styles has continued to grow as fans have seen him evolve from his audition on TV in 2010. “It’s his most empathetic piece to date, delicately telling a story about the titular protagonist escaping a loveless upbringing at the genesis of her adulthood. ‘You can start a family who will always show you love / You don’t have to be sorry for doing it on your own’ is not an advice column as much as it is an act of solidarity, of understanding how you must leave your most familiar home to grow whole again,” explains Paste Magazine.
The fanbase of Harry Styles loves to hear his raw vocals and storytelling through music. “The song features a gentle instrumental that showcases Styles’ raw and emotive vocals. The lyrics tell a story of unrequited love, with Styles’ wistful tone conveying a sense of longing and regret. Although ‘Matilda’ was not officially released as a single, it has remained a fan favorite and has showcased Styles’ ability to craft intimate, introspective tracks that resonate deeply with his audience. ‘Matilda’ is a beautiful and heartfelt addition to Styles’ discography,” adds Singers Room.
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Sources:
- Singers Room
- Paste Magazine
- The Post Athens
- The Young Folks
- Watch Mojo
- Rolling Stones
- Insider
- Live365
- Xxtrawave
- Billboard
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.