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Top Ten Phil Collins Songs

Phil Collins was one of the most popular singers during the eighties and nineties decades. He got on the Billboard Hot 100 a dozen of times during this era. Whether tackling more serious, slower songs or more upbeat, fun numbers, Collins excelled at both. For my top ten list, I could have easily populated the top spots with the songs that he did for Tarzan as a big Disney fan myself, but I tried to be objective, so I represented all of his types of music. Here’s the list.

10. Two Hearts

One of the more underrated Phil Collins songs is Two Hearts, a number that is so upbeat, so catchy and so joyous that it’s difficult not to get swept by its energetic tempo. It starts fast and continues that trend throughout. It’s such a breezy, fun song.

9. Easy Lover

Going from underrated to overrated, Easy Lover usually gets the spot among the top three best Collins numbers, but I personally find it more belonging to this ninth spot. While the number is definitely very memorable and superbly sung, it’s not among Collins’ most entertaining songs, though it’s still pretty good.

8. True Colors

Another underappreciated number is True Colors, a song that is so elegantly composed, calm and cozy. It represents the singer’s versatility as he wasn’t just amazing at the upbeat songs, but also these slower tunes. The music here is excellent while the lyrics are also great.

7. One More Night

A truly beautiful ballad, One More Night is one of Phil Collins’ most subdued, intimate and romantic numbers. It works effortlessly at being charming and soothing. It’s one of the best of his calm songs with one of his most beautiful refrains. For all of these reasons, it gets the deserved seventh place on this list.

6. Look Through My Eyes

Brother Bear is the second Disney film that Phil Collins worked on for the soundtrack. While it usually gets derided for its quality, I would counter that the soundtrack is actually very good. The one indisputably great song on it is definitely Look Through My Eyes. It’s gorgeously sung, beautifully written and especially memorable in its striking chorus, the last one in particular being rousing in quality.

5. In the Air Tonight

In the Air Tonight is usually cited as Collins’ best song, though obviously I disagree due to this fifth placement here. It’s very well written and it features an instantly memorable chorus, but the rest of the song besides that main section was a bit forgettable to me, which resulted in this controversial spot for it.

4. Son of Man

Whenever I hear Son of Man, I start singing along with it. It’s just that infectiously fun. This song isn’t quite the most iconic from Tarzan’s soundtrack, but it is the most purely enjoyable one. The opening alone is instantly iconic how incredibly fast and catchy it is. The song was accompanied wonderfully by a great sequence in the movie. Collins’ singing is incredible here and the song is one the most irresistibly enjoyable tunes that I’ve ever heard.

3. You’ll Be in My Heart

But You’ll be in My Heart gets the spot above Son of Man not because I like it more, which I don’t, but because of its importance. This is the song that finally brought this singer an Oscar and deservedly so. It represented the heart and soul of the movie. The lyrics are immensely sweet while his singing is just beautiful. It’s among his most purely romantic outings.

2. Another Day in Paradise

Another Day in Paradise is easily Phil Collins’ deepest and most mature song as it is all about the issue of homelessness. He clearly cares about this issue as is evidenced by his exceedingly saddened, emotional voice. Great singing and themes aside, the song is just all-around incredible due to particularly iconic refrain that features great drum work and a very memorable beat. It’s a true classic and a number two choice for this list.

1. Against All Odds

For the number one choice, I had to pick Against All Odds, which was one of the biggest hits of his career, and for many great reasons. It was his most populist song for sure, but when you execute a number so incredibly well, the populism on display doesn’t matter. I actually loved it for being so catchy, gorgeously sung and iconic not only in its chorus, but throughout, which is not something that most of the other Collins songs could boast of. 1984 was a superb year for the singer and this wonderful ballad represents the entire decade so aptly. I love it so much.

Honorable Mentions:

Strangers Like Me – Strangers Like Me is another Tarzan masterpiece. The lyrics alone make it richly detailed and even deep. It’s such an emotional tune.

Two Worlds – Speaking of moving, Two Worlds started off the aforementioned movie with so much power and emotion. It signaled the beginning of a great Collins-Disney partnership.

Can’t Stop Loving You – On the underrated side of things is Can’t Stop Loving You, an upbeat, gorgeous song that is actually better in the non-chorus section.

I Wish It Would Rain Down – This song is one of the singer’s more unique. It is beautifully composed and wonderfully sung with such a great beat to it.

No Matter Who – No Matter Who is one of those tender, romantic and sweetly sung songs that Collins was particularly adept at executing. It deserves more love for sure.