Top 20 Best Amy Winehouse Songs

The third track on Amy Winehouse’s most famous and enduring album is, like the rest of the body of work, a perfect mix of retro 60s soul and r&b with a modern influence. While its title references a Billy Paul classic, the song was reportedly inspired by her love for the American rapper, Nas. “Me and Mr. Jones” often gets overlooked because it’s not quite as immediately catchy or intimate as the other songs on the “Back to Black” album. But its steady beat and fun turns of phrase are enough to recommend it. It’s also a classic example of Winehouse’s ability to make even the most vulgar lyrics sound elegant and heartfelt.

Anyone who’s ever liked someone who didn’t like them back can find something to relate to in “You Sent Me Flying.” Themes of unrequited young love and feeling abandoned are backed by a deceptively cheery R&B production. Winehouse and co-writer Felix Howard’s lyrics about getting “kicked to the curb” sound somehow even more impactful thanks to the slick beats of producer Salaam Remi. It’s a journey of a tune, and the fact that it bleeds right into “Cherry,” a short homage to her guitar, is telling. These songs are a beautiful attempt to heal from heartache through writing music.

Diehard fans will know that Winehouse’s Grammy-winning album was written and recorded in the aftermath of a break-up with the man who would become her husband. This inspiration is crystal clear in “Some Unholy War.” It’s about the singer’s devotion to her lover, even through the pain and struggles of life and personal tragedies. The war may be hyperbolic, but Winehouse’s delivery is an intense show of loyalty. Whether you hear it at its original tempo or in the slower, mournful rerecording, “Some Unholy War” is an anthem for anyone who’s ever been deeply in love.

Co-written with producer and composer Paul O’Duffy, “Back to Black”’s track 8 is a ballad about the reality of living in the aftermath of a breakup. In it, Winehouse goes through all the things she’s doing to avoid thinking about a lost love. The song is masterfully constructed. It starts out pretty straightforward, saving its strong imagery and romantic lyrics for the chorus before snapping back to reality. But she can’t escape from her feelings in her dreams. The entire thing feels otherworldly and foggy, like being inside the head of someone who’s lost the only thing in her life that makes sense.

If it weren’t evident in her own music, the R&B sounds of the 1960s heavily influenced Amy Winehouse. Originally recorded in 1962, this hit from Ruby & the Romantics was a number 1 single that was later covered by artists like Frankie Valli, Christina Aguilera, and Cher. But Winehouse’s way of singing a poignant lyric gave it new life. Originally recorded for the “Frank” album, her emotional take on the song is balanced out by a reggae groove and a killer horn section. “Our Day Will Come” was the second single released from her posthumous album, “Lioness: Hidden Treasures,” and it didn’t take long for it to become an essential track for fans.

The highest-charting single from her first studio album “Frank”, this tense breakup song is told from the point of view of a woman reeling from a cheating ex. The title refers to her returning a box of presents he gave her during the relationship. Some of these things are literal, but it’s all a metaphor for a desire to remove any reminder of the pain. In an interview with music writer Paul Du Noyer, Winehouse explained the album’s title, which is taken from a lyric in “Take the Box.” Not only is it a fair description of her music, but the Frank referenced in the song is a Frank Sinatra CD, just one of the things her ex gifted her.

When she won her Grammy for Record of the Year, Amy Winehouse was apparently most excited because Tony Bennett was presenting the award. However, she couldn’t be at the ceremony, and the two wouldn’t meet until later. Her duet with the crooning legend was released about two months after she passed away. It was almost haunting to hear her sing as beautifully as she ever did. There’s no sign of the personal struggles we’d heard so much about. Her voice was as clear and powerful as ever. The fact that she got to make a record with one of her idols makes her swan song all the more special. This duet would earn the pair a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

As relatable as any of her songs, this one finds its narrator wondering when she and a flame can just get to the part where they’re friends. Inspired by the sounds of ska and reggae, “Just Friends” is most notable for Winehouse’s vocal skills, and showcases her gift for distinctive phrasing. Like a true jazz chanteuse, she mixes things up from lyric to lyric, making us wait just as often as she casually rolls through a line. With the freedom she seems to have with the melody, we can imagine this song sounded just a little different each time she performed it.

Complex but short and to the point, this number from Amy’s first album is a standout. “I Heard Love Is Blind” is about an illicit affair with someone who looks like the man she loves. Filled with ugly confessions and rationalizations, it’s easily one of her most intimate songs. It’s anchored mostly by an acoustic guitar, with some muted horns and other funky instruments thrown in, to fantastic effect. And the studio version is deeply memorable as a result of all this. But when she performs it with just her guitar, it feels like she’s pouring her soul out for us.

This was the third single from Amy Winehouse’s first studio album, but given its infectious beat and captivating instrumental riffs, it could’ve easily been the first. “In My Bed” is an ear-catching and spirited song about sexual freedom and the hesitance to commit to something serious and long-term. The way the lyrics hug the melody, bending words like reunion and memory to fit the curves of the music, sounds more natural than it should. It’d be a great single from anybody, but it’s Winehouse’s unique choices and vocal stylings that make this one feel timeless.

It’s hilarious and way too explicit for radio in its original form. That sounds about right for Winehouse. But with this song, which we’re just gonna call “Pumps,” she takes a break from writing about the frustrations of failed relationships. Instead, she turns her keen eye toward the culture at large. It actually also features one of her more fun and sugary sweet vocals. Compare that to her biting lyrical takedown of attention-seeking targets, and you have a strong study in juxtaposition. For someone who never desired to fit in with the rest of pop radio, she certainly doesn’t pull punches here. She’s proud to be different.

We get to hear this story from a more objective perspective. Here, Winehouse writes about a woman so fixated on her last relationship she can’t give herself to a new one. Continuing “Back to Black”’s themes of trying, and failing, to move on from a breakup, the song shifts the focus to the man trying to win her over. But she is still in love with her ex, and Winehouse finds the tragedy in both characters’ struggles through the lyrics. The subject matter is pretty heavy, but it still has a great beat that just makes you want to listen to it over and over.

It was still relatively early in her career when Winehouse was featured on the soundtrack for “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.” Her stirring and soulful cover of the Carole King and Gerry Goffin song, originally recorded by the Shirelles, spoke to her ‘60s inspirations. But having her voice played against some light percussion and an acoustic guitar was very much a modern take on the classic. That version is surprisingly hard to find outside of fan uploads. However, her magical interpretation is still evident on the “Lioness” album. Producer Mark Ronson rearranged her cover, giving it a 60s-esque musical accompaniment closer in spirit to the original. Of course, Winehouse’s vocals are still the star.

In the lead single off of her very first album, Winehouse quickly announced who she was, what she was about, and what she expected from a partner. She wanted a man who was strong enough to take the reins. While it can play like a biting anthem, there’s a note of sadness to “Stronger Than Me” too. It became one of her early hits, and still holds a special place in the hearts of fans who were there from the beginning. It may not have caused an explosion on the charts, but it did earn Winehouse a prestigious Ivor Novello Award in songwriting.

It features an interpolation of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” so it’s easy to see why this is one of the lightest tracks on “Back to Black.” So much of the album is about sitting in the depression of a breakup. And there is some sadness here, but she’s also firing back at her ex with a vow to get over him. Infused with the catchy and melodic lightness of Motown, the song is a bouncy tribute to persevering through heartache. She was already on fire in the charts with the album’s first three singles. “Tears Dry on Their Own” was a welcome note of levity amidst the heartbreak.

When mega producer Mark Ronson featured Winehouse on his cover of the Zutons’ hit “Valerie,” it actually was a cultural reset. Though the third single from the album, it was a huge success, and its popularity was later helped along by re-recordings and even a “Glee” cover. “Valerie” may be Ronson’s track, but Winehouse is the shining star. Like “Tears Dry,” this one gives us a glimpse into the star’s bouncier, lighter side. And there’s multiple versions, including a live acoustic recording. So you can have a “Valerie” for any mood or occasion.

The thing about the Amy Winehouse catalog is that it’s equal parts harrowing and catchy. “Rehab” is no exception. Upbeat, sultry, and rebellious, this is quintessential Amy. This 2006 lead single plays differently now, but there’s no denying it’s the song that landed her on the international stage. “Rehab” came from a very real story she told producer Mark Ronson about refusing treatment for substance use disorder. Months later, everyone was singing along. At the 2008 Grammys, Winehouse received 6 nominations, winning 5. “Rehab” alone earned her three awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

While a lot of pop stars would sing about being bad, when Winehouse recorded this track, it felt honest. There’s no pretense, no attempt to save face with cheap rationalizations or sentimentality. She cheats on her lover, and she cheats herself as a result. It’s brutally honest as always. What sets this song apart is its thudding bass and her smoky voice cooing along. There’s a seductive sleaziness to it, like something you’d hear in an underground speakeasy. With some of the best and most innovative rhymes she ever wrote, it’s become an instant earworm.

Speaking of honesty, Winehouse’s most philosophical take on the ups and downs of relationships is slow, meditative, and somber without ditching the sound that makes her music great. Comparing herself to a gambler who plays a game she knows she can’t win, “Love Is A Losing Game” is an unforgettable testament to hopeless romance. It deservedly snagged Winehouse the award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically at the 2008 Ivor Novello Awards, where she was a double nominee for this song and “You Know I’m No Good.” It also found fans in superstars like Prince and Sam Smith, both of whom covered it after its release.

A perfect title for a perfect album deserves a perfect title song. If her career was about taking pieces of her life and making poetry out of them, “Back to Black” is Winehouse’s best work. Musically, it echoes her mid-century soul and R&B influences. Lyrically, it tells the story of how her future husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, dumped her for someone else and how in response, she returned to her self-destructive ways. If the infectious beat and Wall of Sound production aren’t enough to lock you in, her vulnerability, grit, and willingness to share her pain will surely leave a lasting mark.

What’s your favorite Amy Winehouse track? Tell us in the comments.