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Our Top 10 Lana Del Rey Songs list will look at a popular singer, songwriter, producer and actress. She is known for singing songs about tragic romances, glamour and depression. She is considered one of the most influential singers/songwriters in the 21st century. She was picked as one of the greatest songwriters in the United States. She has sold over 32 million singles and over 15 million albums to date. Most of her albums have peaked in the top 10 on Billboard 200. Some of her hits include “Video Games,” “Young and Beautiful,” “West Coast,” “Shades of Cool,” “High by the Beach,” “Love,” “Lust for Life,” as well as others. Lana Del Rey has won 38 awards and counting. She has also been nominated for 96 awards and counting. Her musical style is considered alternative pop, pop, rock, hip hop as well as other styles. Some of her influences include Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Courtney Love, Eminem, Amy Winehouse as well as other artists.
Lana Del Rey was born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant on June 21, 1985. After she graduated from high school, she moved to Long Island to live with her uncle and aunt. He taught her how to play the guitar. She thought she would be able to write songs. She started writing songs and singing in nightclubs. While she was in college, she recorded EPs. She recorded the EPs under the name May Jailer. Lana Del Rey recorded an acoustic album named Sirens under the name May Jailer. She changed her name to Lana Del Rey after the actress Lana Turner and the Ford Del Rey sedan. She released her self-titled debut album in 2010. The album was pulled because her label couldn’t fund it.
Born to Die was released in January 2012. The album peaked at number two on Billboard 200. The album features the singles “Video Games,” “Born to Die,” “Blue Jeans,” “National Anthem,” “Summertime Sadness” and “Dark Paradise.” She won three awards for this album. The album sold over three million copies. It was the fifth best-selling album in 2012. Ultraviolence was released in June 2014. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. It features the singles “West Coast,” “Shades of Cool,” “Ultraviolence,” “Brooklyn Baby” and “Black Beauty.” The album sold over one million copies. Honeymoon was released in September 2015. The album peaked at number two on Billboard 200. It features the singles “High by the Beach” and “Music to Watch Boys To.” The album sold over 500,000 copies.
Lust for Life was released in July 2017. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. It features the singles “Love,” “Lust for Life,” “Summer Bummer” and “Groupie Love.” Chemtrails over the Country Club was released in March 2021. The album peaked at number two on Billboard 200. It features the singles “Let Me Love You Like a Woman,” “Chemtrails over the Country Club,” “White Dress” and “Tulsa Jesus Freak.” Blue Banisters was released in October 2021. The album peaked at number eight on Billboard 200. It features the singles “Blue Banisters,” “Arcadia,” “Black Bathing Suit” and “Beautiful.” Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd was released in March 2023. The album peaked at number three on Billboard 200. It features the singles “Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” “A & W” and “The Grants.”
Lana Del Rey has been an influence on different people in the music community. She is an eclectic artist who can sing a variety of musical genres. She has made a name for herself in music through her songwriting and strong vocals. The talented singer needs her flowers and our Top 10 Lana Del Rey Songs list gives us a chance to give them to her.
# 10 – Don’t Call Me Angel ft. Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey
The 10th song on our Top 10 Lana Del Rey Songs list is “Don’t Call Me Angel” from the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack. “Don’t Call Me Angel” was released in September 2019. This is a women’s anthem. The ladies warn anyone who wants to go out with them that they are not sweet and innocent little girls. They don’t want to be referred to as angels. They know they are good people, but they are not angels. Even though they consider themselves above the rest, they are not from heaven. They are not passive and weak the way the men think they are. They don’t want their men to be too mushy with them. They may hurt the guys’ feelings if they call them angels. The ladies want to be treated as equals and not as if they are beneath the guys. They don’t want the guys to give them sweet talk.
This is a great women’s anthem about wanting to be treated with respect. Women don’t want to be considered weak or angelic. Women can take care of themselves and have flaws. It is a song about independence. This song gives listeners a chance to hear these artists on a track together. Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey are from different genres of music, but they came together for this song. This song combines all their styles of music. Each artist gets a chance to shine on the track. All of their parts suit their style of music. Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey have the right amount of sass to pull off this anthem. The song will have women chanting with them in the agreement of independence. This song is enjoyable and needs to be on your playlist.
# 9 – West Coast
The ninth song on our Top 10 Lana Del Rey Songs list is “West Coast” from the Ultraviolence album. “West Coast” was released in April 2014. The song combines ambition and romance. The song opens with her letting her partner know that she is leaving. She tells him that she has a feeling that she can get what she wants. She wants fame, but she must leave him to get it. He lets her know he’s going to miss her. She feels the same way he does, but she won’t tell him. She feels alive because she is making her dreams come true. She enjoys the glamour of the West Coast life. She fell in love with the West Coast life. She talks about the West Coast having icons and starlets. West Coast has music and movies.
This song will hit home for you if you have ever chosen your career over your love life. It may be hard to decide between your ambition and love life, but she makes the choice in this song. The music has different tempo changes. It goes from steady to dreamy throughout the song. The music will make you feel as if you are stuck in time and you will never want to be free from it. Reality won’t exist while you are listening to the song. This is a song you can listen to while you are sitting on the beach. The instrumentation is amazing. The musicians know when to slow things down and speed them up without missing a beat. Lana Del Rey’s voice is sexy and captivating. She sings the song with a breathy whisper that works with the music.
# 8 – Blue Jeans
The eighth song on our Top 10 Lana Del Rey Songs list is “Blue Jeans” from the Born to Die album. “Blue Jeans” was released in March 2012. The song is about the end of a relationship. She compares her boyfriend to James Dean. The relationship started off great, but her bad boy left her. The “blue jeans” describe what he was wearing the day they met. He reminded her of James Dean. She loved everything about him. They had differences. He liked punk rock while she was into hip-hop music. She knows that love is mean and that it hurts. She still thinks about the day they met. The narrator lets him know that she will love him for the rest of her life. She will wait for him forever. She wants him to remember that he belongs to her. She wants him to see that she loves him more than any other woman ever did. The second half of the song talks about why he broke her heart. He wanted a new life. She begged him to stay but he left her anyway. He wanted a better life that didn’t include her.
Your heart goes out to her as you listen to her talk about her painful story. No one wants to have their heart broken the way she did in the song. You can feel the emotion as she begs him to stay with her. This song gives you excellent details about what happened in the relationship. The song is addictive and has a great rhythm. The music matches the somber vibe of the song. The music has a cinematic flair to it. As you listen to song, it feels as if you are listening to a movie come to life. Lana Del Rey sounds fantastic. She sounds hurt and vulnerable as she sings about the painful breakup. You will fall in love with her voice as you hear her talk about this story. This is a song that will never get old. The chorus is fire. It will stay in your head long after you hear the song.
# 7 – Love
The seventh song on our list is “Love” from the Lust for Life. “Love” was released in February 2017. This song switches things up. She sings about love in this track. She usually sings about the tragic side of love. This time she wants to celebrate it. She talks about love making you feel crazy in a good way. She lets the listeners know that love can still conquer all. She wants you to allow yourself to feel love. The feeling can lift you up. You can still conquer things. This song is dedicated to her fans. She wants her fans to know that it is great to be young and in love.
This is a cerebral song. This is a song that will make you think about love and how powerful love can be. This song is different from any other love song we have heard. She doesn’t talk about a couple falling in love the way most artists do. She talks about love lifting you up. She is one of the few artists who can get away with singing a song like this. The music has a 60s vibe to it. Her vocals are hauntingly beautiful. She embraces each lyric as if she is telling a story. Her voice will make you pay attention to everything she is saying.
# 6 – Once Upon a Dream
“Once Upon a Dream” is from the Maleficent soundtrack. “Once Upon a Dream” was released in January 2014. This is a cover song. The song describes knowing someone and being sure that they love you. She is optimistic that the man she loves will love her too. She knows by looking into his eyes that he loves her. She is also aware that looks aren’t always what they seem, but she knows that he loves her. She believes he loves her the way he did in her dream. She is a girl daydreaming about the man she loves. The characters run into each other, but he gets directions from her and then leaves her. She is convinced that he will come back to her. They are attracted to each other when they see each other.
This song is a hopeful song about love. It is about the characters in the movie, but you don’t have to watch the movie to appreciate the song. Lana Del Rey’s version of the song is darker and more thought provoking than the original version by Mary Costa and Bill Shirley. The original version is a duet. The original version sounds more upbeat and appropriate for an animated movie. Lana Del Ray’s version sounds ominous. She sings this in her lower range. She sounds unrecognizable, but amazing in this song. Her voice is calming. She is accompanied by an orchestra. The cello and bassline dominate the music. The music is mesmerizing. Lana Del Rey made this song her own. It sounds different from the original version. Lana Del Rey’s version is worth checking out.
# 5 – Born to Die
The next song on our Top 10 Lana Del Rey Songs list is “Born to Die” from the album of the same name. “Born to Die” was released in December 2011. This song is about love and living on the wild side. She wants her man to make her feel like she is at home. She hopes he doesn’t make her sad or cry. She is aware that love isn’t always enough for people. The narrator knows that you deal with tough times. She wants to be with him for a long time. When she is at the pearly gates, she wants to be told that he belongs to her. The road is long and she wants him to make her laugh. She wants him to take a walk with her on the wild side. He is attracted to crazy girls. It’s a good thing because she is who he wants. She tells him that he can stop searching because they were going to be together for life.
“Born to Die” is eerily romantic and dark. She knows that she’s crazy, but he loves that about her. We all want to be in a romance that’s intense like the one she describes in the song. We want to be with someone for life and beyond. Lana Del Rey knows how to tell a dark story and you find yourself agreeing with her. This is the type of track that makes you feel like you are the person in the song. The song expresses love in a way that doesn’t sound cheesy or corny. The lyrics will make you think. The music is breathtaking. It has an orchestral build that will send chills up and down your spine. Lana Del Rey’s vocals are spectacular in this song. She sounds like Lady Gaga on this track. She will touch your heart when you hear her recite the lyrics. She might bring a tear to your eye as she interprets the song.
# 4 – Lust for Life ft. The Weeknd
“Lust for Life” is from the album of the same name. “List for Life” was released in April 2017. The optimistic song is about living life to the fullest. It celebrates life and passion. The song wants listeners to enjoy life and not worry about fear or the things you can’t do. They want people to strive to achieve their dreams. They don’t want listeners to give up on achieving what they want in life. You shouldn’t worry about any obstacles that stand in your way. They don’t want fans to be afraid of taking risks and making mistakes. They want you to enjoy your life without worrying about what could go wrong. They want you to make the most out of life. This song informs you that life is precious and short. We should make the best out of life for as long as we can.
This song is a great reminder that life is worth living. It is a song that will make you feel good about life. If you are feeling depressed about anything, this is a song that will make you feel better. It reassures you that you should take risks and not be concerned about your mistakes. This song has an old school feel to it. The song blends sensuality with inspiration. The song goes from overseeing your own life to taking off your clothes. We didn’t know that one thing could lead to another, but we won’t touch that. Lana Del Rey and The Weeknd’s voices blend perfectly together. Their vibe is something special. Her sultry vocals work with his smooth vocals. Their voices are soulmates. They complement each other well. This song is hypnotic and soothing and just what the doctor ordered.
# 3 – Video Games
Coming in at number three on our list is “Video Games” from the Born to Die album. “Video Games” was released in October 2011. The song is about a woman who loves her boyfriend even though he ignores her. She knows he is a fan of video games. She enjoys watching him play video games. There is another side of her that wishes he would give her the same attention he gives his video games. She does everything she can to make herself more attractive to him, but it doesn’t work the way she planned. He is interested in playing his video games instead of taking her out on a date. There was a time when he wanted her and the video games, but he started losing interest in her. She begins to resent the video games. She wants him to love her entirely and not split his time between her and the video games.
This song is realistic because guys tend to choose their video games over their girlfriends. Lana Del Rey wrote the perfect song to describe a guy who would choose their video games over her. The song is very relatable. It is refreshing to hear a real subject being talked about in a song. You don’t see a subject like this talked about often. Artists tend to stay away from subjects like this. Lana Del Rey wasn’t afraid to go there with this song. As you listen to the lyrics you may find yourself thinking that you have been in her position before. The slow pace of the track and the rhythm of the lyrics complement each other. The music is relaxing. Lana Del Rey’s vocals are smooth. It is hard to believe this is her debut single. She sounds as if she has been in the business for years. This song was a great way to introduce the world to the talented singer.
# 2 – Young & Beautiful
“Young & Beautiful” is from the Great Gatsby soundtrack. “Young & Beautiful” was released in April 2013. The song opens with her going down memory lane about her relationship. She fondly remembers how they were when they first met. He used to play around with her as if she were a kid. She wonders If he would love her if she were no longer young and beautiful. She wants to know if he will love her if she is in pain. She is convinced that he will continue to love her no matter how she looks. She asks God if she could bring her man with her when she goes to heaven. She hopes he can get in so they can be together. She loves her man’s face and body. She compares him to the sun. He makes her shine bright like diamonds.
This song questions whether young love can last. This song is different from most of her catalogue. Lana Del Ray usually talks about toxic relationships and unrequited love. In this song, she sings an emotional song hoping her partner will love her when she is no longer young and beautiful. This song is based on the movie, but you don’t have to watch the movie to understand it. She translates the lyrics in a way that makes them meaningful. This is a song that makes you question your own relationship. Will your partner love you when you are no longer young and beautiful? This is a beautiful song about what happens when you get past the superficial parts of a relationship. Lana Del Rey’s vocals are gorgeous. Her vocals are raw and emotional. She sounds like an angel in this song. The music is powerful and will touch your heart.
# 1 – Summer Sadness
The first song on our Top 10 Lana Del Rey Songs list is “Summer Sadness” from the Born to Die album. “Summer Sadness” was released in June 2012. This song talks about a summer love that she had. They had fun together. They enjoyed being around each other. She wanted him to know that he was the best. She describes the perfect evening. She has a red dress on and is ready to have fun. She is feeling alive. She is on fire and feels it everywhere. Nothing scared her. As the song progresses, she talks about losing the person she loved. She is going to keep the person’s memory alive by having fun. She will see him again later. She isn’t specific on how she lost the person she loved.
This song is eye opening. It will make you think of a lost love. Lana Del Rey is mysterious about the way she lost the person she loved. It is likely that she lost the person because he passed away. She doesn’t say bad things about the person, so he probably didn’t break her heart. The lyrics are sentimental. The first half of the song may make you smile while the last half may make you cry. This isn’t the type of song people expect to hear every day. The music is enchanting and will capture your heart. Lana Del Rey’s vocals are phenomenal. There is something special in the way that she sings. Her voice will take you on a journey you don’t want to end. She has vocal changes throughout the song. Her vocals go up and down throughout the song. This is the type of song you will want to listen to even when you are not sad.
Lana Del Rey’s 10 Best Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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