Last week, the team behind dance-music legend Avicii released his final album, a little over a year after his tragic passing. The album was about 90 percent finished before Avicii sadly took his own life, and his frequent collaborators and fellow producers were brought in to finish the job he started. All net proceeds from the final album, called Tim, are being donated to the mental health awareness charity started by Avicii’s parents, and it’s great to see such a horrible moment be turned into something that has the potential to make a positive impact in the lives of others who are suffering.
Now that Avicii’s amazing discography can be presumed to be complete (despite many leaked tracks still sitting in a vault somewhere), it seems like the right time to run down a list of his Greatest Hits and, appropriately, rank them in order of Greatest-ness. This is done mostly on the basis of my personal preference, but some additional weight is given to songs that made a greater impact on the EDM and music worlds at large. While we may never get to hear any new Avicii music, with this list, we can at least remember how great the music was that we did get to hear throughout the last decade. Spotify playlist at the bottom. Let’s get into it!
30. “Heart Upon My Sleeve” (2013/2019): This song was originally leaked in 2013 with the vocals of Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, but then officially released on Avicii’s debut album True without the vocals. Now, in 2019, six whole years later, the original version has finally been released with vocals on Tim. It’s indicative of the twin issues that vexed much of Avicii’s otherwise brilliant career: his own perfectionism, and the meddling of his team and the industry as a whole. Many of Avicii’s songs had been tinkered with within an inch of their lives by the time they were released, often stripping away some of the infectiousness they carried when they were first leaked, and many more collaborations remain sealed behind closed doors, unable to be released due to label interference and obstructionism. Fans can only hope they continue to trickle out, but hoping for that seems futile at this point.
29. “Fades Away” (2019): If there are never to be any more posthumous Avicii releases, then “Fades Away” stands to be the last track we ever hear for the first time, as it closes his final album, Tim. Vocalist Noonie Bao provides a haunting melody that flits above an orchestral beat that, indeed, fades away to darkness, not-so-subtly indicating that this is it, the last we’ll ever hear of Avicii’s music.
28. “SOS” (2019): With respect to Chris Martin, Aloe Blacc (of “Wake Me Up” fame) probably provides the best vocals of anyone featured on Tim with “SOS.” That, plus the enormous worldwide success of “Wake Me Up,” is probably why “SOS” was chosen to be the lead single off Avicii’s final album. It certainly doesn’t pack the same punch as their previous collaboration, but it’s one of the better tracks from the album, for sure. And the lyrics are as haunting as any you’ll hear, if you stop and think about them.
27. “Pure Grinding” (2015): Back to better days here. I don’t think this is Lil Wayne on vocals here, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it is. This track takes a bit to grow on you, but it will keep you motivated to do whatever needs doing in your life, even if it never quite crescendos and achieves liftoff the way that I want it to.
26. “Can’t Catch Me” (2015): This one actually does feature Wyclef Jean, even if it’s uncredited. It’s another one from the back half of Stories, and another one I wanted to build up to a little bit more than what it winds up building to. But nonetheless, it’s a welcome blend of Swedish piano and Caribbean sounds that leaves me guessing as to what season it’s meant for, which is fun for me.
25. “The Days” (2014): Norwegian EDM superstar Kygo hit the scene in 2015, and cites Avicii as his #1 inspiration. Mid-tempo string/piano/thump blends like this sound like they were the most influential Avicii songs to Kygo’s sound, which has continued to endure and generate hits right up until now. So while “The Days” doesn’t jump off the page as anything special, just exceedingly pleasant, it may have been more influential than we initially thought, so it deserves some credit there.
24. “Hope There’s Someone” (2013): This is actually a cover of a song by the same name by a band called Antony and the Johnsons. It led off Avicii’s 2013 hourlong promo mix, and was a perfect choice for that playlist because it takes FOREVER to get going, but once it finally does, you are ready to absolutely rage for the next 56 minutes.
23. “Dear Boy” (2013): Synchronicity here- “Dear Boy” followed “Hope There’s Someone” on that legendary 2013 mix, and so it follows here as well. This one features M0, a Swedish singer who’s become a star in her own right since this came out. It keeps the party going, for sure.
22. “Lay Me Down” (2013): Adam Lambert provides guest vocals here on a track that doesn’t try to do too much. It’s a true-to-form disco anthem with a modern (for 2013) twist that gives it a little extra EDM oomph.
21. “Addicted To You” (2013): Avicii’s initial foray into country/bluegrass in 2013 included this footstomper, as well as more well-known tracks like “Wake Me Up” and “Hey Brother.” This one deserves more recognition because it’s almost as good as those chart-toppers.
20. “Fade Into Darkness” (2011): Our first way-back song on this list, but far, far from the last. This is what original Avicii sounded like. Pure piano, uplifting but simple lyrics, male vocals (Avicii displayed more of a preference for male vocalists than most current producers, I’ve noticed), fog-machine sound effect, and enough of a beat to keep you dancing all night long. It’s a tried-and-tested formula, people.
19. “Feeling Good” (2015): OK, I admit this is the least original entry on the list. Like, everyone takes a stab at this song. There was no need for Avicii to add his spin on it to the canon. But when you listen, you won’t be sorry he did. This rendition is simply outstanding. Slow sultry, patient buildup, satisfying reward, and frequent collaborator Audra Mae provides spot-on vocals. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s truly excellent. And yes, it was done for a Volvo ad, I’m aware. Still great.
18. “Without You” (2017): More than almost any other, this one breaks my heart, as it was Avicii’s last big single before his passing. It makes me sad because I didn’t appreciate as much as I should have when it came out. It deserves to be right where I’ve ranked it, mentioned in the same sphere as some of Avicii’s best work. I took it for granted, because I thought there would be so many more great songs still to come. I can’t take that back, but I can appreciate it now. So that’s what I’m doing.
17. “City Lights” (2015): This is one of the few true club tracks on this list, the kind where you have to skip to 1 minute into the song to get to the real music. Once it gets going, though, it’s a classic Avicii track, the kind that he definitely strayed away from later in his career as he looked to branch out into other sounds and get away from his progressive-house roots. It’s got the twinkles, Vocoder vocals, and a melody that will bring the house down in the right circumstances.
16. “True Believer” (2015): Here’s another one, also from 2015’s Stories, that takes awhile to get going. This is a weird one, because the original leaked vocals unmistakably featured Chris Martin, but then the final version seems to only include him as a harmony in certain parts, while the lead vocals went to...apparently, Avicii himself? No idea what happened there, but I assume it was another combination of endless studio tinkering and perhaps label interference. It’s disappointing, because this had the makings of an all-time collaboration, but it sort of fizzled due to totally preventable reasons. Nonetheless, the final product is still surprisingly pretty great, thanks to its strong bones.
15. “You Make Me” (2013): This is an interesting one, as it sort of straddles the line between Swedish progressive house and elements of the more rootsy feel Avicii sought on True. Ultimately it stays more on the Swedish, rather than Appalachian, side of things. Strangely, though, the sound works, and it was one of my favorites on the album, behind only the 2 standout chart-topping hits.
14. “My Feelings For You” (2010): This may the farthest-back Avicii song that we have on this list. This one’s from way back in 2010, and it is striking in its simplicity. It lacks a lot of the flair and flourishes that would come to define Avicii’s sound even a few years later, but it is still pretty unmistakable. I think the simplest thing about it has to be its lyrics- just one phrase, repeating, an old EDM trick that Avicii outgrew pretty quickly by 2012 or 2013.
13. “I Could Be The One” (2012): Avicii teamed up with his friend and occasional collaborator Nicky Romero on this one, and the uncredited vocals are done by Noonie Bao, who also sang much later on “Fades Away.” This was a tweener track, released after the megahit “Levels” but before the next megahit “Wake Me Up,” and its style skews much more towards Avicii’s early sound, rather than the more rootsy sound he would tend towards later on. It’s pretty much pure energy, all the way through.
12. “Liar Liar- Avicii by Avicii Remix” (2014): This is a weird one, for sure. “Liar Liar,” the regular version, was a non-standout track from 2013’s True. But Avicii went back and took a melody he’s used before on some other unreleased tracks and stapled it onto this one, and suddenly it became a top-notch progressive house party track. Does it flow perfectly? No, probably not. Is it largely unknown to the general population? Absolutely. But it’s an awesome listen, and I never get tired of it, so here it is anyway.
11. “Hey Brother” (2013): Remind you of “Man Of Constant Sorrow” from O Brother Where Art Thou? Well, that’s because it features vocals from the same man who sung that classic ballad, Dan Tyminski. He even sings “Oh, brother” several times in the bridge! This one may have been the most bluegrass of all the tracks on True, but it still had a beat with some classic Avicii sounds that kept its Swedish heart beating underneath. The whole thing from start to finish is a piece of pure ingenuity.
10. “Blessed” (2011): In my interpretation, this song is about the joys of creating music. As such, it’s a fitting intro to the top 10 Avicii songs. He made it very early on in his career, and you can feel the enthusiasm permeating the whole thing. Props to guest vocalist Shermanology as well, for doing the best she can with a pretty limited vocal sample.
9. “Drowning- Remix” (2011): I went back and forth about whether to include remixes in this list, but ultimately there were a couple early Avicii remixes that were too good for me to ignore. “Drowning,” originally by fellow EDM heavyweight Armin Van Buuren, was one of them. Avicii’s remix strikes all the right notes, setting you up with trancey verses sung by Laura V, and then hitting you with a an uplifting melody and rhythm following the chorus
8. “Seek Bromance” (2010): For all intents and purposes, this was Avicii’s debut single. It was, at least, the first song he released that captured anyone’s attention, way back in 2010. It’s actually a mashup of Avicii’s own instrumental track “Bromance,” with uncredited vocals from a different song called “Love U Seek,” which is indicative of the slapdash nature of his early career, when he was just another bedroom DJ looking to make a name for himself. It’s safe to say, after this one, he was able to move out of the bedroom, and away from mashup tracks like this one.
7. “Waiting For Love” (2015): This is another Avicii track with a bizarre story surrounding its vocals- originally they were sung by John Legend, and it sure sounds like Legend on the finalized, released version, but apparently the vocals are sung by frequent collaborator Simon Aldred, who must’ve been doing his best John Legend impression, because the resemblance is uncanny. Also, this is a collaboration with Dutch superstar producer Martin Garrix, so it’s safe to say there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen for this one, but the final version is exceptional enough to secure its place in the top 10 here. I guess you could say it succeeds almost in spite of itself. Guess I won’t be headed to church on Sunday...
6. “Dancing In My Head” (2012): This is a relatively obscure track that never got near the amount of love it deserved. Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know, but this is an excellent, excellent song. The melody will get in your head and stay there, and you just won’t mind at all. Vocalist Eric Turner may be hard to pick out of a lineup, but his vocals work perfectly here. But really, all the credit has to go to Avicii, for knocking it out of the park here.
5. “Heaven” (2019): Honestly, this entire list came about largely because I couldn’t decide how high “Heaven” should go on the pantheon of all-time Avicii songs. You can read all about my thoughts on this one here. There’s not much more to say, other than that we should feel extremely blessed to have gotten one more top-tier Avicii song included on his final, posthumous, album. Ultimately, number 5 seems fair for a song that was so eagerly anticipated by so many for so long, and yet still managed to live up to expectations. I for one will be bumping it all summer and well into the future.
4. “Silhouettes” (2012): This was maybe the second Avicii song I ever heard, and as such, it may have been the one that confirmed for me that he was an artist who had staying power beyond one breakout hit. The vocals by frequent collaborator Salem al Fakir are pretty great, and the melody puts you into the perfect state of mind, no matter what your mood was before. It definitely falls into the category of songs that I always enjoy hearing, anytime it comes on. And ultimately that’s what puts it into the top tier here.
3. “Wake Me Up” (2013): I could write pages and pages about “Wake Me Up” and the impact it had on the music world. When Avicii played it at Ultra 2013, it drew boos from the puzzled audience that had come to hear progressive house hits like “Levels.” Six months later, it was #1 around the world and proved that EDM could crossover in more adventurous ways than just provide backing beats to low-grade pop and hip-hop songs. It showed, along with Daft Punk’s disco-analog reemergence that same year, that EDM could still have a soul, or perhaps, that it had gained the soul it was always lacking. Although “Wake Me Up” spawned a thousand imitators, though, none could ever match Avicii’s ability to spin a gorgeous original melody in with a retrofuturistic sound that tugged at your heartstrings while still making you want to dance. It was a one-of-a-kind talent, and truthfully, it was a sound that he spent the rest of his brief career trying to recreate with varying degrees of success.
2. “Levels” (2011): What is there to say about “Levels” that hasn’t been said already? It’s maybe the most impactful, most ubiquitous song to come out of the entire EDM era, if you want to call it an era. It was inescapable in 2011-2012, and for me anyway, I never wanted to escape it. It was the song that put Avicii on the map. In fact, it did more than that- it established him as a cut above all the other DJs out there, even though it was the first track many of us had ever heard by him. The Etta James sample is perfectly placed, and every element of the composition is truly perfect. It would be impossible to have a conversation about Avicii without “Levels” being pretty much the first song mentioned. To this day, bros will still fist-pump when this comes on in the club, and I hope they continue to for the rest of time. But, somehow, “Levels” gets beaten out by an even better Avicii song when it comes to my personal favorite...
1. “Rapture- Remix” (2010): I’ll admit I’m cheating a bit. “Rapture” was a hit from 2002 by iiO featuring Nadia Ali, and that was a great song. But when Avicii came out with his “New Generation Remix” in 2010, it took the whole thing to another level. From a purely musical standpoint, this is the greatest Avicii song of all time, and maybe the greatest remix of all time. Even more than “Levels,” “Silhouettes,” or “Heaven,” I can promise I will never, ever, EVER get tired of this one. It’s 3 minutes, 42 seconds, of absolute blissful musical perfection. But that’s just my personal preference. Take us out, Nadia...
*RIP Tim Bergling, 1989-2018*
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