These days, she mostly sings about Liam Hemsworth (falling in love with him, re-falling in love with him, possibly leaving Stella Maxwell for him, etc.), but don't forget that she's got six whole studio albums to her name, plus some singles to Hannah Montana's. With that much oeuvre to pick through, we've gone ahead and named the 10 best tracks, arranged from great to greatest.
10. "Can't Be Tamed"
The visual reads kind of silly now, but with this song, we've got an artist at a turning point. (Hannah Montana ≠ Miley Cyrus.) So with this distancing of herself from her Disney image with an "edgier," pure pop sound, we explore Cyrus' multiple reinventions.
9. "23"
Then a quick pivot to this collaboration with Mike WiLL Made-It on this club banger, which is mostly on here because it's catchy as hell, and she looks really good in the video.
8. "When I Look at You"
Then back to Early Evolution Miley with the Big Voice, an asset that has sometimes been overshadowed by her stage antics in later years. Not here, though, in this ballad from the main score for The Last Song, the weepy Nicholas Sparks film Miley and Liam Hemsworth met shooting. A good, old-fashioned love song sung with heart.
7. "7 Things"
And then a breakup song/certified bop that soundtracked some of our childhoods. While many musicians use their love lives as inspiration—sometimes over and over and over again—this strikes a delicate balance between lingering and moving on in a big way, the moving on bit being more prominent.
6. "Adore You"
Another breakup song, but one that's more emotionally deep and epic-feeling at moments—growth, you see? The best record off Bangerz.
5. "Malibu"
Followed by even more growth in this massive love letter to Liam Hemsworth, which might feel cloying in its sweetness if we didn't know that it was genuine. Read our line-by-line analysis here.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
4. "We Can't Stop"
Our top four begins with this party anthem, which, even if she has proven that she can deliver on feely tunes, Cyrus does really, really well. More points for achieving linguistic ubiquity (i.e., when everybody said "can't stop, won't stop" to death).
3. "Wrecking Ball"
Same here, which is definitely a testament to her ability to create memorable pop-cultural moments. But more than that, you've got a soaring melody, vulnerable lyrics, and yes, that music video. In this internet age, that makes it the whole package.
2. "The Climb"
However, in second place, we return to the "old Miley," whose videos had more weird CGI than high-budget construction equipment. But who cares when the song will inspire you to keep going, something we could all use these days? One could argue this is more relevant now than ever, but even self-contained, that boundless hope is what lands this one so near the top.
1. "Party in the U.S.A."
Ranking any artist's songs is incredibly difficult and subjective—except this time, because this is unequivocally Miley Cyrus' best record if you agree that the point of music is to unite people with a series of notes that denote a particular feeling. And this does exactly that with one of the catchiest hooks in modern pop that never fails to get everyone on the dance floor.
Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at MarieClaire.com. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.
-
Jess Hong Enters Her Chaotic Era
She was doing kids’ theater in New Zealand when she landed the leading role on Netflix’s epic ‘3 Body Problem.’ And now that the show is No. 1 on the streamer, her whole world is about to change.
By Jessica M. Goldstein Published
-
39 J.Crew, Reformation, and COS Items That Are Ideal for Spring Travel
Spring ready.
By Allyson Payer Published
-
Taylor Swift Breaks Yet Another Music-Industry Record
This is pretty much the norm now, no?
By Meghan De Maria Published
-
The 60 Best Musical Movies of All Time
All the dance numbers! All the show tunes!
By Amanda Mitchell Last updated
-
The Unstoppable Alia Bhatt
Bollywood’s silver-screen darling is both at the top of her game and just getting started.
By Neha Prakash Published
-
The 30 Best Movies on Hulu Right Now
From 'Fight Club' to '10 Things I Hate About You.'
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Queen Elizabeth Has Passed Away at 96
After a 70-year reign, the queen passed away at her home in Balmoral, Scotland.
By Jenny Hollander Published
-
The 50 Best '80s Movies
An official roundup of the decade's standout films.
By Quinci LeGardye Last updated
-
Elizabeth Lail and Dustin Milligan Compete in 'How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?'
The stars of 'Mack & Rita' could barely hold it together during a round of trivia.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Charli XCX Isn't Here to Appease Anyone
The pop star talks authenticity, her new album, and taking care of herself while on tour.
By Gabrielle Ulubay Published
-
The 21 Best Album Releases of 2022 (So Far)
Get your headphones out.
By Gabrielle Ulubay Last updated