Charli XCX is an English singer-songwriter who started posting music on MySpace back in 2008. Now, she’s a worldwide Pop Star. However, her mainstream success across North America and Europe has been a slow burner.
Her music is modern Pop infused with R&B and EDM styles that have been so popular in the 2010s. Charli’s vocals on the chorus and bridge of Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” gave her the exposure she needed to penetrate the US markets.
And, penetrate she did…
The Top 50 Charli XCX songs are a unique bag of delights that will keep your head nodding and your juices flowing. Her sound is often described as Dance-Pop, Synth-Pop, and Electro-Pop. It wouldn’t be overstepping the boundaries to say that the Korean Pop group Blackpink has a very similar sound to Charli, even though they came much later.
So, let’s check out a handpicked selection of Charli XCX’s best songs for those in the know and those who want to know.
Top 50 Charli XCX Songs
1 Boom Clap
“Boom Clap” was featured in the 2014 movie, The Fault In Our Stars. It was a massive commercial success across the US and many other territories around the world. This was her first soiree into the US Hot 100 Billboard charts and peaked at #8.
It sounded like a classic Electro-Pop song that was cool and catchy. “Boom Clap” catapulted her into the American markets. So the importance of this song in her career can never be underestimated.
The song was even more popular on the Billboard Mainstream Charts, where it placed in the top spot for several weeks. After this song was released, Charli seemed to become an international pop sensation overnight. That’s why I place this at #1 on this list of the top 50 Charli XCX songs.
2 1999
UK Pop music has always been a standard bearer in the music industry. “1999” was a massive hit on the UK charts in 2018 and was the first single from her album Charli. This EDM-inspired track is high-tempo and upbeat and could be something that you exercise or do the dishes to. Commercially, it didn’t do so well on the US charts, but it did right across Europe.
She recorded the track with X-Men Origins: Wolverine actor Troye Sivan who played a younger version of Wolverine in the 2008 movie. When you listen to it, there’s a lot of Britney Spears in there with a dance music twist.
3 Break the Rules
“Break the Rules” was the second single from her 2014 Sucker album. It’s the ultimate teenage rebellion song that talks about not wanting to go to school and preferring to get high and go partying instead. I’m not sure what clubs are open at 10 am on a Monday. But maybe that’s because I am getting old.
This popular Charli XCX song is all about breaking the rules and being a rebel. That’s something that most people can either respect or relate to in life.
She sounds like a cross between Kim Wilde and Lady GaGa on this track. Furthermore, it has a very distinct 1980s Electro-Pop vibe that is catchy and infectious. It made it into the Top 40 in the UK charts and just made the US Hot 100 Billboard charts. So, at the time, it was a roaring success for the artist.
4 Nuclear Seasons
When this song comes on the radio, it’s like being transported to 1985. That is thanks to the nostalgic Electro style of the music. “Nuclear Seasons” is a melodic yet driving track that will have you grooving or at least nodding your head to the beat. It was one of her earlier releases from the 2012 album, True Romance.
“Nuclear Seasons” always reminds me of a confused summer track that somehow sounds like springtime. But, that’s just me. Because it was so early in her career, this one largely went under the radar if you were outside the UK. That said, it’s hidden gems like this that make music worth listening to.
5 Doing It (feat. Rita Ora)
“Doing It” featuring Rita Ora is super-uplifting and perfect for playing when getting ready to go to the club. It was released as the third single from her 2014 Sucker album and hit the Top 10 on the UK charts. It has a classic Pop music sound that usually does very well in the UK. And the inclusion of Rita Ora gave it more of an international vibe than some of her earlier stuff.
I believe it makes the top 5 of the Top 50 Charli XCX song list, and it is a firm fan favorite in the UK. “Doing It” might not have cracked the US charts, but that’s not always the main goal for European artists. Although, it is nice when it does.
6 Fancy by Iggy Azalea (feat. Charli XCX)
When it comes to one of Charli XCX’s most famous cameo appearances, nothing can match the part she played on “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea. This is my favorite Charli XCX song because it has more of a Hip-Hop and R&B flavor than some of her EDM and dance-inspired tracks.
It bumps like a pro wrestler jumping off the top turnbuckle and with just as much swagger. Azalea, in my opinion, is a very underrated rapper, and she really does her thing on this banger.
This track was released in 2014 and hit #1 on the US Hot Billboard Chart, which was massive exposure for Charli at the time. It also placed at #1 on the Canadian Music Charts and did amazingly well across Europe. If this was Charli’s tune instead of Iggy’s, I would have placed it in the top spot on this list.
7 Gone (feat. Charlie and the Queens)
By 2019, Charli XCX released her new self-titled album Charli which represented a change in sound for the British artist. “Gone” was the lead single from the album, and it featured Charlie and the Queens.
It’s one heck of a hot and sultry track that gyrates and grooves in an up-tempo fashion. You can really shake your rump to this vibe. The R&B vibes reminded me of something that Pussycat Dolls might have released in the mid-2000s because it has that sort of feel. I loved this track, although it didn’t do so great in a commercial sense.
8 SuperLove
“SuperLove” was one of her earlier singles that was released back in 2012. And it’s a complete Electro headbanger of the highest order. It was only released as a single and isn’t on any of her albums. Up-tempo, uplifting, and upward projecting are perfect ways to describe its very positive vibes.
This single was the first time Charli had hit the UK charts. So, it was one of the most successful Charli XCX songs. It made the UK music world sit up and take notice. And, afterward, there was no looking back.
9 Forever
In my opinion, “Forever” is one of Charli XCX’s most unique songs regarding its style and vibe. It’s very Electro, but not particularly in an EDM way. I suppose Electro-Pop might be the best categorization. The heavy effects used on her voice throughout the track give it an interesting flavor that makes you want to know more.
“Forever” is one of her newer tracks that was the first single from her 2020 How I’m Feeling Now album. Although the song didn’t chart too well on the US and UK charts, it did very well in New Zealand and several other territories. It’s undoubtedly a move away from her past sound, but that’s not a bad thing.
10 Blame It On Your Love (feat. Lizzo)
If you ever get a chance to catch the official music video for “Blame It On Your Love,” make sure you do because it’s an ode to LGBTQ values. The track features the American rapper Lizzo and was originally released from her 2018 Charli album. It has a very similar modern-day Pop-R&B-Electro vibe that made Blackpink so compelling over the past few years.
By this time in her career, Charli was not hitting the upper echelons of the US and UK music charts. But this track began to change all that. It has a very international feel and, in my opinion, is a supremely produced piece of modern Pop music.
11Vroom Vroom
12Out of My Head (feat. Tove Lo and Alma)
13Boys
14Cross You Out (feat. Sky Ferreira)
15Next Level Charli
162099 (feat. Troye Sivan)
17White Mercedes
18I Got It (feat. Brooke Candy, CupcakKe, and Pabllo Vittar)
19Emotional
20Famous
21Lucky
22Dream Glow (with BTS)
23Lipgloss (feat. CupcakKe)
24Silver Cross
25Backseat (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen)
26Good Ones
27February 2017 (feat. Clairo and Yaeji)
28Click (feat. Kim Petras and Tommy Cash)
29Grins
30Stay Away
31Focus
32Femmebot (feat. Dorian Electra and Mykki Blanco)
33Take My Hand
34Girls Night Out
35Shake It (feat. Big Freedia, CupcakKe, Brooke Candy and Pabllo Vittar)
36Paradise (feat. Hannah Diamond)
37Secret (Shh)
38Black Roses
39Cloud Aura (feat. Brooke Candy)
40Doing Out
41Drop That Kitty (feat. Ty Dolla $ign and Tinashe)
42Babygirl (feat. Uffie)
43Crying In The Club
44Allergic to Love
455 in the Morning
46Nuclear Seasons (Acoustic)
47Moments in Love
48Beaming (with Tommy Genesis)
49I Need Ur Luv
50Burn Rubber
Looking for More Great Pop, Dance, and R&B Songs?
If so, have a look at our detailed articles on the Best Pop Songs of the 2000s, the Best 2000s R&B Songs, the Best 2000s Dance Songs, the Best 90s Dance Songs, and the Top 14 Songs with a LOT of Bass for more incredible song selections.
Top 50 Charli XCX Songs – Final Thoughts
Charli is still making music 15 years after she originally started on MySpace back in 2008. Although her record deal with Atlantic ended, she released her fifth studio album, Crash, in 2022 and shows no sign of slowing down.
She’s had a monumental career that wasn’t handed to her on a plate. Charli had to work hard for all her commercial success, and it tells when you look at her vast back catalog. Her Electro-Dance-Pop vibes are the cornerstone of her success, and long may it continue.
Until next time, happy listening.
