Top 10 Underrated Adele Songs

While breakups can be hard, this cut from Adele's '25' suggests making the most of them. Through absolutely hopeless verses, Adele makes it clear her romance is over. As she breaks into the explosive chorus however, she pleads with her partner to make this last moment one worth remembering. Adele's lyrics are absolutely devastating, though she does suggest a healthy way to end a relationship. Adele wrote the song with Bruno Mars, who she claims pushed her to sing so passionately. It's this vocal performance and the chords around it that make the song so emotional to listen to.

Though 'Someone Like You' is known for being Adele's devastating piano ballad, 'Turning Tables' is a much more inspiring alternative. The breathtaking keyboard drives the song, while also interacting with Adele's vocals. Next to Adele's many songs that lament former relationships, 'Turning Tables' is one of the few about learning from them. The song's powerful message and uplifting string arrangements have made it a fan favourite and was even covered on 'Glee.' Adele was inspired by an argument with her ex, she evolves from the heartache however, and vows to never be hurt that way again.

As personal as many of Adele's songs are, she rarely delves into sex and physical intimacy. Adele explains how her partner used to satisfy her and uses these details to explore how empty she has become. Along with being Adele's most erotic song, 'I Miss You' also explores the disconnect between physical and emotional happiness. The pounding drums give the song an epic energy, while her powerful choruses tie the song together. The track marks another collaboration with Paul Epworth, who Adele worked with on hits like “Rolling In The Deep”, “Skyfall” and “I’ll Be Waiting”

Despite her big success singing over pianos and orchestras, Adele opened her first record with a guitar ballad. 'Daydreamer' finds Adele singing softly with nothing but her six-string, and tells a surprising story in the process. While Adele starts off describing a wonderful partner, it quickly becomes clear she's dreaming them up. Adele's vocals are just as whimsical as her lyrics, and they echo the mix of fantasy and reality she interprets.Though Adele's guitar tracks are few and far between, the simplicity here makes the song more intimate. This barebones performance also showed early on just how little Adele needs to blow listeners away.

Adele's brutal honesty in '21' hits hardest on 'Take It All,' as she reveals just how disconnected her partner has become. The song's massive chords are as sad as they are triumphant, and match Adele's vocals throughout the track. Each line shows Adele's deep devotion and love for her man, and that he just doesn't reciprocate her feelings. Adele allegedly played the song for the lover who inspired the record, who promptly broke up with her several weeks later. Her guttural delivery adds to the stripped-back piano and makes the song more conversational .

After passing by a park from her childhood, Adele was overwhelmed by all the innocent memories from her past. While the song plays out like a fantastical novel, it's actually just an exaggeration of how distant these experiences feel to Adele now. The tender guitar romanticizes Adele's memories, and adds an air of nostalgia to the song. The pain in Adele's chorus vocals is goosebump-inducing, and creates many unforgettable moments in the track. 'Million Years Ago' also reflects on the trappings of fame and living life, and comes together as one of Adele's most tragic songs.

Long before she recorded 'Skyfall,' Adele mixed guitars and strings mysteriously on 'Cold Shoulder.' The song is a true standout in Adele's discography thanks to its funky bass riffs, ringing bells and upbeat drums. Since she wanted a song with more of a dynamic club appeal, Adele recruited Mark Ronson to lay down some beats. Adele sings bitterly about a cheating lover, and the aggressive guitars match her more venomous edge in the track. 'Cold Shoulder' is arranged like a pop song, but it also features some of Adele's most psychedelic writing to date.

So much of Adele's '21' is toxic towards her former partner, so she wrote 'Don't You Remember' as a more positive reflection on their relationship. After escaping her purely negative outlook, Adele sings about remembering why you fell in love in the first place. 'Don't You Remember' is also unique thanks to Adele's honesty in admitting her faults during their romance. Though the song starts with acoustic guitar, it opens into a massive and emotionally stirring chorus. The twang and hints of banjo also showed that Adele could naturally blend tones of country into her crooning pop.

Wait, there’s a song on '21' that isn’t about Adele’s ex? 'One And Only' is full of upbeat funk and contains the few heartwarming lyrics about love on the record. It's so refreshingly hopeful that Adele has described it as the first happy song she's ever written. The piano and guitar also have a surprisingly comforting quality, as Adele sings about finally moving forward. Adele's co-writer Greg Wells even said that he nearly fell over when Adele pulled the song's knockout chorus out of thin air.


Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

"Right As Rain"

19 (2008)



"I'll Be Waiting"

21 (2011)



"Love In The Dark"

25 (2015)

As Adele was leaving home for university, she was inspired to write about all the things that made London special to her. Despite being written at such a young age, 'Hometown Glory' has as much emotional richness as her biggest hits. Adele's nostalgic love-letter to London is heartbreaking, and really shows just how attached she is to her memories of home. Her pictures of worlds colliding were actually inspired by seeing punks and hip hop fans uniting in London protests. With heavy piano and deeply personal lyrics, Adele made a single worth remembering.