10 Best No Doubt Songs: Essential Hits and Deep Cuts

Photo: Nicholastbroussard, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 No Doubt Songs list looks back at a ska band that became one of the biggest pop-rock acts of the 1990s, fueled by great musicians and Gwen Stefani’s undeniable star power. It is difficult to categorize No Doubt because the band explored so many different styles. From their ska-punk roots to rock and roll, jazz, funk, pop, reggae, and dancehall, No Doubt developed a sound that was always evolving. Since the band’s breakthrough in the 1990s, Gwen Stefani has also built a massively successful solo career, reaching the level of pop stars such as Madonna and Lady Gaga. Her distinctive vocal phrasing, image, and stage presence inspired countless female vocalists who followed.

No Doubt released six studio albums. The band’s self-titled debut arrived in 1992, followed by the independently released The Beacon Street Collection in 1995. Later that same year, No Doubt broke through commercially with Tragic Kingdom. It would be another five years before the band released Return of Saturn in 2000. A year later, No Doubt returned with a very different sound on the 2001 album Rock Steady. Gwen Stefani then launched her enormously successful solo career during the band’s extended hiatus. Eleven years after Rock Steady, No Doubt reunited for the studio album Push and Shove in 2012.

No Doubt returned to the stage for a celebrated reunion at Coachella in 2024 and performed together again at the FireAid benefit concert in Los Angeles in 2025. Those performances reminded everyone how powerful the chemistry between Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, and Adrian Young remained.

Our Top 10 No Doubt Songs list attempts to present a mix of the band’s biggest hits and some lesser-known gems. We could have easily made a Top 50 list, but choosing ten is more fun.

# 10 – “Trapped in a Box”

There is no better song to open this Top 10 No Doubt Songs list than the organic, ska-infused track “Trapped in a Box.” The song appeared on No Doubt’s self-titled 1992 debut album, which was released by Interscope Records. When the label declined to finance a music video, the band reportedly spent about $5,000 to make one themselves. The video received limited exposure, including some MTV airplay, but the label did not give the record the support the band had hoped for.

This great No Doubt song is pure rock and roll, pop, and ska gold. It defined the potential of this band very early. The entire focal point is the music. Wearing a baseball cap, Gwen Stefani’s performance is all about her brilliant vocals on this track. Yet, even dressed down, one cannot take their eyes off her. Her presence is off the charts, even in a tiny room with nowhere to go.

# 9 – “Oi to the World”

Continuing with our Top 10 No Doubt Songs list, we turn to another great recording that has gone mostly unnoticed, or at least has been missed by many people. We rarely put a Christmas or holiday song on a Top 10 list, but this one is so good that we could not resist. “Oi to the World” was released on the album A Very Special Christmas 3 in 1997. The song was originally written by Joe Escalante of the Vandals. No Doubt’s version is simply smoking and highly entertaining. How could you not love a song that opens with a musician playing a bass solo while standing on top of an elephant?

# 8 – “Sunday Morning”

After opening our Top 10 No Doubt Songs list with two lesser-known recordings, we now turn to one of the big ones. As we said in the introduction, we wanted to mix it up, but the band had so many major hits that we could not ignore their commercial success. After all, this is a Top 10 list, and their hits were just as awesome as the rest of their catalog.

At number eight, we placed the grand track “Sunday Morning.” The song was released on the band’s 1995 breakthrough album, Tragic Kingdom. It was issued as a single in several markets, although it was not released as a commercial single in the United States. This great track has always been one of our favorite songs from Tragic Kingdom. It is also a critic and fan favorite. The energy and passion behind the song are limitless.

# 7 – “Squeal”

If there were ever an argument that No Doubt was, in essence, a ska band, take a listen to this great song. “Squeal” defines No Doubt at their rock and roll ska best. What separated No Doubt from other ska bands such as Madness was the dynamic phrasing of Gwen Stefani. This cut shows how the band wrapped itself around Gwen’s vocals and vice versa. This is stunning music that is both fun and captivating.

“Squeal” was released on The Beacon Street Collection. The album served as the follow-up to the band’s debut and was recorded and distributed independently while Interscope offered the group little support. The success of the independently released record helped prove that No Doubt still had a devoted audience before Tragic Kingdom changed everything.

# 6 – “Hella Good”

Tell me the drums and bass line in the song’s introduction are not to die for. This one grabs you right from the start and gets better with every line Gwen Stefani sings. No Doubt’s “Hella Good” was released on the album Rock Steady and issued as the album’s second single. This No Doubt song has topped many best-of lists and remains a favorite of critics and fans worldwide.

# 5 – “Spiderwebs”

We turn to the band’s big hits as we enter the second half of our Top 10 No Doubt Songs list. Of course, because the group had so many successful songs, we are going to miss plenty of them because of space limitations. Nonetheless, these are our favorites that were also major commercial hits.

No Doubt’s single “Spiderwebs” was released from the album Tragic Kingdom. While it did not become the international phenomenon that “Don’t Speak” would become, it was a significant alternative-rock and pop-radio hit and reached the Top 20 in the United Kingdom. This intense tune perfectly combines ska, rock, and pop elements into a unique sound.

# 4 – “Ex-Girlfriend”

Another of No Doubt’s most entertaining songs is the great single “Ex-Girlfriend.” Gwen Stefani seems to be having a lot of fun on this one. “Ex-Girlfriend” was released as the lead single from the album Return of Saturn. The album and single were both released in 2000.

Return of Saturn had a darker, more introspective character than Tragic Kingdom. The album was produced by several people, including Glen Ballard, Jerry Harrison, Matthew Wilder, and No Doubt. Ballard was already well known for producing Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill. Still, a great song is a great song, no matter what type of production is added or removed. We love this one because everyone involved did a fantastic job.

# 3 – “Hey Baby”

This was one of those songs that took Gwen Stefani’s original vocal phrasing and turned it up to eleven. “Hey Baby” kept the band in the commercial spotlight when it was released as the first single from Rock Steady. The album was the most commercially polished record of No Doubt’s career and marked another change in direction, moving beyond the band’s ska roots toward dancehall, reggae, electronic music, and contemporary pop.

The song also made it clear that Gwen Stefani’s growing star power could eventually lead to a solo career. That career began only a few years later and made her one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

# 2 – “Don’t Speak”

As we close in on the number one spot on our Top 10 No Doubt Songs list, we turn to the band’s most commercially successful song. No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” was released from the landmark album Tragic Kingdom. Fueled by the success of “Just a Girl” and “Spiderwebs,” the band found an international popularity juggernaut with this explosive hit single.

“Don’t Speak” topped Billboard’s radio airplay chart for sixteen weeks, but it did not appear on the US Billboard Hot 100 because it was not released as a qualifying commercial single under the chart rules of the era. Internationally, the song reached number one in countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

The video for “Don’t Speak” drew upon the personal story of the breakup between Gwen Stefani and No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal. One could see the sadness that Gwen Stefani had endured from the breakup. It was an early glimpse of reality television without a monologue, seen through a music video. The video received heavy airplay, helping promote “Don’t Speak” internationally and turning No Doubt into superstars.

# 1 – “Just a Girl”

We close our Top 10 No Doubt Songs list with the highly entertaining and original-sounding song “Just a Girl.” The song was released on the Tragic Kingdom album and served as the album’s first single. It became the band’s first song to reach the US Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, its original 1996 release reached number 38, while its 1997 reissue climbed to number three.

It was tough to pick a number one on this Top 10 No Doubt Songs list because the band has so many earth-shattering songs. In the end, it was that ultraslick, funky guitar lick, the change from the groovy verse rhythm to the pulsating, intense chorus, and, of course, Gwen Stefani’s highly addictive, totally captivating, pitch-perfect vocal performance that made us choose “Just a Girl” for the number one spot.