Top 10 Fiona Apple Songs

Photo: jareed, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Fiona Apple songs list looks at the songs of one of the most original musical artists to arrive on the music scene in the past thirty years. Fiona Apple released her first album entitled Tidal in 1996. The album and the accompanying singles and videos that were released from the record brought her instant fame as she become both a critic and fan favorite. It would be a few years before Fiona Apple followed up her debut album. It was a trend that would continue for the rest of her career as more time would pass between each album release.

Fiona Apple’s second album entitled When The Pawn…..(abbreviated) further proved that Fiona Apple was an incredibly gifted songwriter that sounded really like no other artists. Of course she was compared to Alanis Morrissette and Tori Amos, but she really sounded nothing like them. She did have the same intensity of Alanis Morissette but here vocie sounds comletey diffenet. Fiona Apple was always more of a musical trendsetter than follower. She has more in common with an artist such as Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls who started out about a year later than the other female pop artists of the 90s and 2000s. German Cabaret and early 1960s jazz noir flows more thorough the music of Fiona Apple than pop.

Fiona Apple took six years between her second and third albums. In 2005, Fiona Apple released the record Extraordinary Machine. Another seven years would pass before Fiona Apple issued her fourth album titled The Idler Wheel… Her fifth album and also her most recent record was released in 2020 entitled Fetch The Bolt Cutters. It was an album that many people feel is the best of her career.

Our Top 10 Fiona Apple songs list is just a simple presentation of our favorite Fiona Apple songs. There are so many more that we love, and of course we missed so many great ones that we would have like to preset. But a top 10 list can only present 10, so here we go……

# 10 – Ladies

We open up our top 10 Fiona Apple songs list with a track from her most recent album entitled Fetch The Bolt Cutters. Upon release, the album was instantly hailed as the best album Fiona Apple had ever released Critics claimed it a masterpiece, fans could not stop praising the records originality. Supposedly recorded on Apple’s basic consumer recording software program Garage Band, Fiona Apple delivered an album that proved if the songs are great, it doesn’t matter what type of recording device one uses.

Fiona Apple ‘album Fetch The Bolt Cutters utilizes many rhythmic devises to fuels the record’s song arrangements. Its done in a similar way to the methods that Tom Waits developed in the 1980s on his brilliant recordings Swordfishtrombones. Yet, there is still that Fiona Apple “ill do it my way,” attitude in it that makes it very effective and still original.

The track “Ladies,” is a great one. It of course is aimed towards a female audience as it speaks clearly to woman. Nonetheless, the melody, the groove, and the originality of this brilliant piece of music can be enjoyed by all.

# 9 – Sleep To Dream

Continuing with our top 10 Fiona Apple songs we turn to one of her earlier hits. The song “Sleep To Dream,” was released on Fiona Apple’s debut album Tidal. The album was released in 1993. The song “Sleep To Dream,” was released as the second single from the record. The song’s video won an MTV award for Best New Artist in a Video. The song’s moody dream like groove and melody set the tone for many of Fiona Apple’s songs that played a major role in the singer’s originality and appeal.

# 8 – Extraordinary Machine

“Extraordinary Machine,” was the title track to Fiona Apple’s third album Extraordinary Machine. The song was never released as a single, but it stands as our favorite track on the LP. There is a certain carnival atmosphere to the song that is highly addicting and of course just like so many of her other songs, very original sounding.

# 7 – Paper Bag

As we continue along with our Top 10 Fiona Apple songs list we turn to the great recording “Paper Bag.” The song was released on Fiona Apple’s third album Extraordinary Machine. The song was also released as the third single from the record. While so many of Fiona Apple songs titled ore towards the Tori Amos side of pop music, this one owes more to The Beatles than most of her other work.

# 6 – Fast As You Can

Fiona Apple not only composed and recorded brilliant songs, she released incredibly fascinating artistic videos. “Fast As You Can,” is a perfect example of a true artist knocking it out of the stadium. “Fast As You Can,” served as the initial single released on her sophomore album When The Pawn….. The album was released in 1999.

# 5 – Every Single Night

Fiona Apple is undeniably the queen of moody music, but this one is pretty creepy. And we love it The music reminds us of one of those dream that continues to flash before your eyes. One that you want to forget, but sadly keep trying to figure out. “Every Single Night,” was released on Fiona Apples album The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. Like her When The Pawn… album the record also had a shorter title simply entitled The Idler Wheel…. The album The Idler Wheel… was released in 2012.

# 4 – Criminal

Do you remember the first time you saw the video for “Criminal.” We can guarantee you didn’t turn the channel. We could also argue you probably never changed the channel whenever this song came on. From the song’s grooving opening bass line to Fiona Apple’s sultry guilty confession, viewers were hooked forever. The song appeared on Fiona Apple’s 1997 debut album Tidal. It was the album’s fourth single released from the record. The song also stands as Fiona Apple’s most successful song on the charts. It is her only single to break the Billboard Top 100 as it peaked at number 21.

# 3 – Hot Knife

We had a really hard time picking which songs we wanted t0 place on this Top 10 Fiona Apple songs list from Fiona Apple’s album Fetch The Bolt Cutters. Every song on the album is so brilliantly original. Nonetheless, the next two songs on this list we could not ignore. At number three on this list we present the great track “Hot Knife.” Watch this video and you will witness an artist becoming a master artist that is simply stunning

# 2 – Shameika

“Shameika,” is just one of those songs that leaves you speechless the first time you hear it. It’s also one of those songs that makes you hit replay instantly after the first time you hear it. This is as original as it gets. The song “Shameika,” was released on Fiona Apple’s brilliant 2020 album Fetch The Bolt Cutters.

# 1 – Slow Like Honey

There are a handful of songs in the classic rock catalog that have the power to really hypnotize the listener. Fiona Apple’s song “Slow Like Honey,” leads the way. We are not just taking changing one’s mood, we are talking total hypotonization. The mood that Fiona Apple set on this one simply cant be printed on this website. This is powerful stuff that will touch your senses in a very carnal way whether your female or male. If we had to pick one Fiona Apple song to present to someone who never heard of his great artist, this would be the one. And that’s why its number one.