As Robbie Williams releases his XXV album, full of orchestral versions of his greatest hits, I thought I’d share my favourite Robbie songs.
I have also read this with a list of Take That and Robbie Williams songs, which seems not quite right to me. So I’ve included Take That songs where Robbie takes the lead.
21. Everything Changes
Robbie’s best song as lead vocal for Take That.
20. My Culture (1 Giant Leap featuring Maxi Jazz and Robbie Williams
This is such a great song. Robbie repurposes his poem, Hello Sir, from Life Thru A Lens to create a verse in My Culture. It’s such a great song. Hello Sir is such a great poem – it is one of the most impactful messages in my teaching career – recognising how destroying the negative effect a teacher could have on a person. In My Culture it is repurposed and uses ‘Dad’ instead of ‘Sir’ which is a bit strange. I’m reading too much into this. My Culture is just a great song!
19. Heaven From Here
Such a beautiful song. It never fails to make me think.
18. Karma Killer
Such energy. Absolutely brilliant!
17. Rock DJ
Just edging past Karma Killer, Rock DJ was such a massive song when it came out. It was everywhere and became such an earworm as a result. It’s a song that everyone knows.
16. Advertising Space
An anthemic effort from Robbie. His vocals are so powerful here. 2005 wasn’t a vintage year for music, so this stands out.
15. Better Man
I always got the sense that Robbie wrote songs whilst wearing his heart on his sleeve. I felt that he was genuinely wanting to become a better man. A great song.
14. Eight Letters
Originally released by Take That on their Progress album, Robbie recorded his own version of Eight Letters a couple of years later for his Take The Crown album. It’s hard to comprehend that this wasn’t a hit because it is a brilliant song and should have been a hit for one of them. (I think Robbie’s version is the best.)
13. You Know Me
Robbie can quickly go from loud rocky bangers to softer ballads. You Know Me falls somewhere in between. What a great song!
12. Something Beautiful
Another classic Robbie song. When that chorus kicks in: ‘Something beautiful will come your way’, you cannot help but sing along
11. Old Before I Die
I loved this when it was first released. I don’t think that it’s probably passed the test of time, and is not considered a classic. But at the time, it was such a statement from Robbie: I am no longer in Take That. It was so different to what we were used to. I remember when he performed it on TFI Friday, he changed one of the lyrics to say, ‘I hope I live to receive Channel 5,’ which is a reminder that 1997 was the year the channel that eventually cancelled Neighbours was launched.
10. Hey Tiger!
A throwaway song for the soundtrack of The Tiger Came To Tea, Hey Tiger! became so popular in our house, it is one of my most played Robbie tracks. It is fun and happy and I love it!
9. Millennium
Those strings from James Bond are so striking. Millennium was an instant classic on release. Brilliant.
8. Bodies
Bodies is probably not considered a classic Robbie song, but it is catchy and great to sing along to. I love it!
7. No Regrets
A Robbie classic. For me, No Regrets has improved with age.
6. Let Me Entertain You
At the time, LMEY was so different. It was another bold statement from Robbie and it is his signature track.
5. Angels
Quite possibly Robbie’s most famous song, Angels was the song that sent his career stratospheric. I remember it being sung by choirs, being used as the last song in nightclubs, soundtracking sad moments on TV and being sang really badly on karaoke – it was everywhere. Angels is a gorgeous song and the world is a better place because of it.
4. Candy
Robbie’s last ever Number 1 in 2012, Candy was famously ignored by Radio One because he was too old. Because of this, stubbornly, I listened to it more. It gradually became stuck in my head. It is catchy and fun and a great, great song.
3. Hot Fudge
Another album track, Hot Fudge is the hit song that never was. I don’t know why it was never released as a single. If you haven’t heard it before then you are missing out.
2. Strong
One of my favourite Robbie lyrics is ‘Is this real, ‘cos I feel fake, Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Lake… teach me things I don’t need to know.’ It always made me laugh. A an upbeat song about Robbie’s miserableness. It is brilliant!
- Feel
Oh wow. Feel is such a classic. I love that piano line. I love Robbie’s vocal. It has everything. It wasn’t one of his bigger hits, but for me this is my favourite!
I actually found it really hard to limit myself to 20 songs (that’s why I had to go up to 21!). So, for reference, here are the songs that didn’t quite make the list:
Supreme. Lovelight, Won’t Do That, Do You Mind, Morning Sun, South Of The Border, Ego A Go Go, Sin Sin Sin, Me and My Monkey, She’s The One, Win Some, Lose Some, Come Undone, Sexed Up, Kids, Life Thru A Lens, I Found Heaven, The Flood, Freedom, Could It Be Magic and Beyond The Sea.