Photo: Sean Reynolds from Liverpool, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 10 Robbie Williams songs list article looks at one of the most successful British pop stars of all time. Starting his career in the music business with the boy band Take That, he has since gone on to have much greater success with his solo career after leaving the band in 1996. He has had seven number one singles and all but one of his twelve albums have got to number one in the British album charts, making him one of the biggest selling artists in British musical history.
He has received many accolades throughout his career, winning a total of eighteen Brit Awards. In 2004 he was inducted into the British Music Hall of Fame. In 2015, fifteen years after he had left them, he re-joined Take That in 2010 and performed lead vocals on their album Progress which at the time of its release was the fastest selling album in British history. However, this was only a temporary reunion and he left them again a year later.
This list will look at the ten best songs from Robbie Williams; solo career and not include anything he did with Take That.
# 10 – Millennium
Kicking off our top ten Robbie Williams songs list is this track that is taken off his second album I’ve Been Expecting You released in 1998. It was the first single to be released from the album and was William’s first to enter the UK chart. Outside of the UK, it received extensive radio airplay in the UK and Canada. The tune of the song borrows from John Barry’s “You Only Live Twice” from the soundtrack of the James Bond film of the same name. The apparent reason for this is because it is one of Williams’ favorite Bond movies.
# 9 – Old Before I Die
With this next track we all the way back to Robbie Williams’ first album Life Thru A Lens which was released in 1997. The song is very reminiscent of Oasis, who were a big influence on it. It got to number two in the UK and number one in Spain. The song received praise from critics who applauded Williams for going in a more alternative music direction with this song. Despite this, much of his later work would be more pop-oriented.
# 8 – Angels
Up next is another song from Life Thru A Lens. It was written with Guy Chambers and is William’s best selling song. It has been covered by numerous artists including Jessica Simpson and Beverly Knight. The song received much praise upon its release with many critics praising the fact that Williams was boldly showing his more emotional side.
# 7 – Let Me Entertain You
Up next is the fifth and final single from Life Thru a Lens. It was also written with Guy Chambers and got to number three in the UK. Musically, the song is rather sixties-esque being particularly reminiscent of the Rolling Stones. In the video to the song, Williams notably was wearing makeup that made them look quite a lot like Gene Simmons from Kiss. Williams actually was concerned that Kiss guitarist Gene Simmons would take legal action after he had filed a lawsuit against heavy metal singer King Diamond in the 1980s for supposedly plagiarising his look.
# 6 – Strong
Here we have the third single from I’ve Been Expecting You. It entered the top five in the United Kingdom and the B side was the live version of “Let Me Entertain You.” In 2017 Williams played at the One Love concert in Manchester in memory of the victims of the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert. He opened and closed his set by getting the crowd to sing a terrace chant of the song’s chorus by changing the lyrics to “Manchester, were strong.”
# 5 – She’s The One
Kicking off the second half of this list we have a song that is a cover of a song originally by World Peace. This version was released in 1998. In most countries, it was released as a single track with two exceptions being in the UK and New Zealand where it was released as a double A-Side with “Its Only Us.”
It was the fourth single from I’ve Been Expecting You and was William’s second UK number one.
# 4 – Rock DJ
Up next we have a song from Robbie’s third album Sing When Your Winning released in 2000. It was the album’s lead single and contains samples from two songs: Barry White’s “Its Ecstasy When You Lay Next To Me” and “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest. It was number one in numerous countries including the United Kingdom as well as reaching the top ten in many more. It was the biggest selling single of 2000 and is known for its rather disturbing video which saw Williams ripping off his own skin.
# 3 – Something Stupid
At number three we have another cover song that was originally by C. Carson and was made more famous by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy Sinatra. Williams recorded this version in 2001 with Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman. It was on Robbie’s 2001 covers album Swing When Your Winning and topped the charts at the end of the year, making it the Christmas number one of that year. It was his fifth number one overall.
# 2 – Supreme
Just off the top spot is a song taken from Sing When Your Winning. It was the record’s third single and reached number four in the UK. The song’s verses are based around that of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” The video featured William’s digitally portraying the 1970’s motor racing champion Jackie Stewart with his face enhanced over Stewart’s body.
# 1 – Kids
At the top spot is a duet between Robbie and the Queen of Pop herself Kylie Minogue. It was a joint single that was featured on both Sing When Your Winning and Kylie Minogue’s seventh album Light Years. Williams and Guy Chambers wrote the song for Kylie Minogue. It contains a sampling of “Give Me Your Love” by Sister Love. The song came about when Kylie Minogue asked Williams to write a song for her album. Once he started writing it, Williams felt chemistry between them and decided to turn it into a duet. This proved to be a very wise move as the song was a smash hit upon its release, reaching number two in the United Kingdom. A video was made for the song which featured Williams and Kylie Minogue together in what was clearly a homage to “Grease.” It is also featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto V.
Updated October 31, 2023
Top 10 Robbie Williams Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
