Let’s talk about Kanye West and his greatest hits before Mr. West comes and interrupts this top ten. West is known for his on stage antics and headline grabbing attention, but first and foremost, West is an artist. He is an incredibly talented lyricist, vocalist and rapper.
Despite his ups and downs in the public eye, West has always proven that he can deliver music that feels new, modern and fresh. His albums like Graduation and 808s & Heartbreak were ahead of their time. West was developing and embracing musical trends years before they became popular in mainstream music. Despite being in the public eye, West is out to prove that he can once again create musical magic.
West recently premiered the music video for “All Day” and it shows off his visual style along with his rapping skills, which are at the top of his musical game.TheCelebrityCafe.com is counting down the top ten Kanye West singles. From “Bound 2” featuring Kim Kardashian in the music video to “Jesus Walks,” West is known for taking unique melodies and weaving his lyrical timing within his singles. Did your favorite West song not make the list? Comment below and add your favorite.
Image courtesy of Roger Wong/INFphoto.com
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10. No. 10
This song became popular after the music video was released. The video featured his now wife, Kim Kardashian. It was a video that had shock value and helped to increase West’s profile as a celebrity, more so than a rap superstar.
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9. No. 9
“Love Lockdown” was featured on 808s & Heartbreak, which was a completely different musical direction for West. West embraced auto tune and helped to launch an entirely new musical genre. “Love Lockdown” was a rap infused pop song that helped to redefine West’s musical standing at the time.
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8. No. 8
FourFiveSeconds features Kanye West along with the harmonious talents of Rihanna and musical legend Paul McCartney. For these two current chart topping talents to work with such a legend, resulted in a catchy and unforgettable single.
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7. No. 7
“Heard Em’ Say” featured Adam Levine and was also one of the earlier singles that helped launched West into fame. This was when West was still finding himself as an artist and wasn’t afraid to embrace multiple musical influences. It was a unique pairing with Maroon 5’s lead singer but Levine complimented West’s hard hitting and aggressive lyrical delivery.
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6. No. 6
Before West became Yeezus himself, he wrote a very religious tribute about his faith. “Jesus Walks” was featured on his early album The College Dropout and when fans go back and listen to this album, it feels like a completely different Kanye West. West was about owning his craft and exploring himself musically. Yes, he wasn’t afraid to make the outrageous statements but in this case, he used his platform to proclaim his faith, which later turned into him becoming Yeezus.
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5. No. 5
West made himself a tabloid headline when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech. The scrutiny that he endured following that night was relentless and became more intense in the days after. It was so much so that West stepped away from the spotlight. He returned the following year to the VMA’s and performed this single, “Runaway.” The song was an apology in a way on Kanye West could manage.
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4. No. 4
“Heartless” was the debut single off of 808s & Heartbreak and it showed off the fact that West had not only invited a new musical genre for himself but he was still at the top of his lyrical game. The song was undeniably good and it felt like a complete refresh of West’s career at a time when the pop/rap game was becoming stale with over used beats and repeated rhymes.
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3. No. 3
“Gold Digger” which featured Jamie Foxx was one of the first major hits that West had on his hands. It was catchy and combined his rap influences with current pop music. It hit at the right time and stayed on the charts for weeks because of how catchy it was, both lyrical and with its melody.
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2. No. 2
“Stronger” became a musical anthem. it was encouraging, fresh and showed yet again that West doesn’t like to stay in a musical box for long. After his incredible introduction into the music industry, he released Graduation in 2007 and showed off the direction his career could go in.
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1. No. 1
In the very early days of West’s career, his mouth and jaw were wired shut due to an extreme car accident. West performed and recorded “Through The Wire” with his jaw still wired. This story was slowly learned as fans started listening to this track. How was it possible that such talented was coming out of someone that had his jaw wired shut? Listening to the early tracks of West, it is sad, sad because of the pure talent and willingness to experiment that was felt in these early songs and now it seems that West won’t get out of the way of himself and return to the days of pure musical creation.