Photo: Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 10 Gwen Stefani Songs list takes a look at one of pop rock’s successful artists. Gwen Stefani is arguably one of the most famous pop rock singers in the music business. She started her music career off in the band No Doubt and branched out as a solo artist as well as a businesswoman. She did what other artists only dream of doing. She managed to find success in the band as well as on her own. Gwen Stefani was born October 3, 1969.
While Stefani was in No Doubt, they were together for 18 years. They had numerous hit songs throughout their years together. The band took a break to do other projects. This is how Stefani became a solo artist. She took a chance branching out on her own because she was heavily known as the lead singer of No Doubt. Many artists start off in bands/groups and don’t become as famous on their own. Stefani proved that she was able to do it.
She released her debut album Love. Angel .Music. Baby. in 2004. She named her album after the clothing line she released. The album was initially supposed to be a side project until she made it a full album. She decided to make it a full album once No Doubt went on a break. She co-wrote every song on the album. She worked with well-known producers such as Andre 3000, Dallas Austin, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, The Neptunes and Linda Perry. The album debuted at number seven and sold 309,000 copies in its first week. It features the hit singles “What You Waiting For?,” “Rich Girl,” “Hollaback Girl,” “Cool,” “Luxurious” and “Crash.” The album received positive reviews. The album went on to sell over seven million copies. She won Billboard Awards for this album.
Like most singers, the acting bug bit Stefani. She made her acting debut in the movie The Aviator. Movie director Martin’s Scorsese’s daughter was a fan of No Doubt, which played a part in how Stefani got a role in the movie. She released her second album The Sweet Escape in 2006. She was originally supposed to go back to No Doubt when she did the first album, but she decided to do another solo project. She wanted to get a chance to release the leftover songs from her debut album. The album debuted at number three on the charts and sold over 243,000 copies in its first week. It features the singles “Wind It Up,” “The Sweet Escape,” ‘4 in the Morning,” “Now That You Got It” and “Early Winter.” The album sold over two million copies.
In 2014, she joined the reality show The Voice during its seventh season. She replaced Christina Aguilera as a judge on the show. Stefani appeared in a single with Maroon 5 in 2014 called “My Heart Is Open.” In 2015, she started dating country singer Blake Shelton. She met him while she was a judge on The Voice. She released singles with Pharrell Williams, Eminem and Sia in between releasing her solo albums.
Stefani released her third album This Is What The Truth Feels Like in 2016. The album was inspired by the end of her marriage to Gavin Rossdale and the start of her relationship with Blake Shelton. The album received good reviews. The album debuted at number one on the charts. This is her first number one album on the Billboard 200. It features the singles “Used To Love You,” “Make Me Like You” and “Misery.” The album sold 84,000 copies in its first week. It was one of the best selling albums of the week.
Stefani released her fourth album You Make It Feel Like Christmas in 2017. It features six original songs and six covers. Most of the reviews for the album were positive. The single ”You Make It Feel Like Christmas” was a modest international hit. The album also features the single “Santa Baby.” The album reached number 16 on the charts. It sold 10,000 in its first week.
Gwen Stefani has had a long career in music. She was successful in a band as well as on her own. She’s an inspiration to other women because she proved she could be a singer as well as a businesswoman. She has almost as many hits on her own as she does with No Doubt. This Top 10 Gwen Stefani Songs list will be about her hits as a solo artist.
# 10 – Used To Love You
The first song on our Top 10 Gwen Stefani Songs list is the emotional “Used To Love You” from the This Is What The Truth Feels Like album. This ballad has a synth pop sound. This vulnerable song is about a painful breakup. She wonders why she fell in love in the first place. If you pay attention to the lyrics, she’s basically inviting the world into what was going on in her marriage to rocker Gavin Rossdale. The music is simple. It just features a piano, drum taps, and subtle synths. The soft and simple music gives you a chance to focus on Stefani’s voice. She pours her heart out. You can hear the pain in her voice as she tells the world about her heartbreak. She sings in a lower register in the verses. She goes up an octave when she sings the chorus. She sounds like Madonna in this song.
# 9 – 4 in the Morning
The next song on our Top 10 Gwen Stefani Songs list is “4 in the Morning” from The Sweet Escape. This ballad with tempo has a synth pop sound. This pleading song is about her trying to save her relationship. Here is some trivia. She wrote this song with her former boyfriend and No Doubt band member Tony Kanal. This song is inspired by Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song.” The infectious music features soft keyboards throughout the beginning of the song. The guitar and synthetic strings give the song a rock edge.
Her vocals are on point. She sings in her signature soprano voice in the verses. She has a double in the melodic chorus. She also sings/raps the chorus which works with the music. She is channeling her inner Madonna in this track. This underrated song isn’t one of her biggest hits, but it deserved a spot on this list because it’s a great song.
# 8 – Make Me Like You
This romantic song is another song from the This Is What The Truth Feels Like album. This up-tempo song has a pop and disco sound. This touching song is about her relationship with her boyfriend Blake Shelton. It’s about her finding a new love after the breakup of her marriage. This song has an upbeat and radio friendly feel to it. Here is some trivia about the song. It took her 10 minutes to write this song. She must have really been inspired by her love of Blake to be able to write a song in such a short time.
It’s good to hear her sing a positive song about her relationship. She could have easily written another diss track, but she chose to write a love song. The music is very danceable. It sounds like throwback to the 80’s. This song is an earworm because it will stay in your head long after you hear it. The melody of the song is infectious. It sounds like something she would have done with No Doubt. Her vocals are strong. She shows control because she holds back on the verses and lets go in the hook. She also sings in falsetto in the hook. She sounds really happy in this song.
# 7 – Wind It Up
This party song is from The Sweet Escape album. This up-tempo song has an alternative hip-hop and dance pop sound. This energetic song is about nothing. It is a reason to get you on the dance floor. Here is some trivia. Writer and producer Pharrell Williams didn’t like the yodeling in the song. He was right about the yodeling. It’s not needed in the song because it doesn’t add anything to it. With that said, this is a great song if you like to dance. It will have you moving around on the dance floor. This isn’t her style of music, but she manages to make it work. She sampled the music from the movie The Sound of Music which is why she is yodeling in the beginning. The thumping drumbeat sounds like a high school band. She sings the verses in a lower register while she sings the chorus in an upper register. She doesn’t take any vocal risks by holding notes, but she did a great job with her vocals.
# 6 – Luxurious ft Slim Thug
This desirable song is from the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. album. This ballad has an r&b sound. This alluring song is about her wanting to be rich in love. She compares her love to luxuries. This explains the title of the song. This song has a sample of the Isley Brothers’ “Between The Sheets.” It is a slowed down version of “Between The Sheets.” The sample works with the song. It makes it sound rhythmic. The lyrics to this song are different because most people don’t compare their love for someone to luxuries. The lyrics are surprisingly sharp.
Here is some trivia about the song. Stefani didn’t want to use the sample at first because she didn’t want to lose some of the publishing rights to the song. She changed her mind because she thought the song was amazing. She took a chance and ventured into r&b territory as opposed to the pop/rock she was used to singing. The ventured paid off because she made the song work. She shows off her rhyming skills when she sings/raps throughout the song. Slim Thug’s rhymes are on point. Stefani and Slim Thug are an unlikely pair, but they did a good job on the song.
# 5 – What You Waiting For
The next song on our Top 10 Gwen Stefani’s Songs list is “What You Waiting For” from the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. album. This up-tempo song has an electro pop, new wave, dance rock and funk sound. This indecisive song is about her insecurities about leaving her band and going solo. The song opens with a heart-wrenching piano. The guitar and electronic keyboard drive the beat. The song is written in verse-chorus form. She sings the song as personas. One of her personas sings in a higher octave while the other more confident persona sings in a lower octave. The first persona is featured in the verses while the second one is in the chorus. After the bridge, she combines the two personas to create one sound. This is a unique way to sing a song. She does a good job vocally in the song.
# 4 – It’s Cool
This bittersweet song is from the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. album. This midtempo song has a synth pop and new wave sound. This amicable song is about her breaking up with someone and being friends with him. Here is some trivia about the song. It is about her relationship with former bandmate Tony Kanal. This song was supposed to go to Christina Aguilera, but somehow Stefani got her hands on it and it was the right choice. She is friends with her ex so this song is perfect for her. The song is a sequel to No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak.” The music features the bass guitar, drums, keyboards and synthesizers which combine to make beautiful music. The bass guitar and the hard-hitting drumbeat help sell the song. She sings the verses in a lower octave while she sings the chorus in a higher octave.
# 3 – Hollaback Girl
This diss track is from the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. album. This up-tempo song has a hip-hop sound. The antagonistic song is about her being the queen bee and not a background person. This is Stefani’s answer to rocker Courtney Love’s claim that she is a cheerleader in the music business. Stefani didn’t like being called a cheerleader because she was never one before. She decided to record a song about the incident. The music sounds like a marching band song because of the trombone, clarinet, saxophone and drumbeat. The catchy music is perfect for the club scene. This is the only number one song that features a tuba. Stefani’s vocals are sassy and make the music come alive. She sings in time with the beat changes. She sings/raps the lyrics and does it really well. She is a little hard to understand in some of the lyrics, but it doesn’t take away from how good the song is.
# 2 – Rich Girl ft Eve
This fantasy song is another song from the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. album. This midtempo song has a reggae sound. The dream inspired song is about her wanting to be rich and famous. This is something most people dream of being in their life. The upbeat music is very dance friendly. We dare you to sit still through the beat. The thumping drumbeat is amazing. The electronic keyboard and guitar gives it a mini rock edge. Stefani’s voice sounds great. She sings in time with the music. Her vocals are layered because she has a double. She showed that she could sing a reggae song. She is out of her comfort zone, but she sounds as if she’s at home. She sounds similar to Madonna. Eve’s rhymes are really good. She raps in time with the beat. Stefani and Eve’s voices blend well together. They seemed as if they had a great time performing this song.
# 1 – The Sweet Escape ft Akon
We have come to the number one song on our Top 10 Gwen Stefani Songs list. The number one song is “The Sweet Escape” from the album The Sweet Escape. This midtempo song has a pop and doo-wop sound. This apologetic song is about an apology for a fight between lovers. Here is some trivia about the song. Stefani thought they were going to do a hip-hop song, but it turned out to be a doo-wop song. The song has a catchy beat. It uniquely combines an old school sound with a current beat. It is a bouncy summer song with a hypnotic chorus. Stefani does an amazing job vocally. She sings in her vocal comfort zone.
This is another song that could have been a Madonna song. Akon’s vocals are a welcome addition to the song. He leaves his mark without overstepping his bounds. They do a wonderful job together. They should do more songs together. The only minor complaint about the song is she is a little hard to understand. You might have to get the lyrics to find out what she is saying. Other than that, this song is fantastic.
Top 10 Gwen Stefani Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
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