Best Frank Ocean Songs
Frank Ocean has garnered a cult following with his genre-defying music and introspective lyrics. As fans, we've debated the merits of individual album songs and the albums as a whole. But one aspect remains largely unexplored—the comprehensive ranking of Frank's songs across albums. Until now.
In this article, we delve into the exhaustive task of ranking all 76 of Frank's released tracks, highlighting the best lyric from each. Before we dive in, let's establish the criteria: a song must either be a part of the four major albums or voluntarily released by Frank as a primary artist. Collaborations and features do not qualify for this list.
Setting the Stage
Before unveiling the rankings, it's essential to note the baseline assumptions. Coming into this, many fans might have ranked Frank's projects in the following order: 1. Channel Orange; 2. Blonde; 3. Endless; 4. Nostalgia, Ultra. Surprisingly, the average ranking of a song from each album mimicked this order closely. However, the razor-thin margin between Channel Orange and Blonde was unexpected.
- Channel Orange: 28.222
- Blonde: 28.235
- Endless: 44.35
- Nostalgia, Ultra: 52.07
With these averages in mind, let's dive into the rankings.
76. Golden Eye
75. Soul Calibur
74. Dust "The best advice I got was keep writing. I don’t particularly care who was talking in the library."
73. Florida
72. Ambience 002: Honeybaby
71. Device Control "I think I saw billboards describing life interactivity. This song is weird, man. But I’ll be damned if I don’t get something productive done every time I listen to it."
70. Frank’s Track "Life is precious, we found out."
69. Close To You "I’ll be honest, I wasn’t devastated, but you could’ve held my hand through this baby. I know there are lots of fans of this song. I’ve never been able to vibe with it."
68. Street Fighter
67. There Will Be Tears "You can’t miss what you ain’t had, well I can, I’m sad."
66. Ambience 001: In a Certain Way "You are beautiful and you’re young, you deserve to have the best in life."
65. Hublots "All this estate for my mind to run."
64. Pyrite (Fool’s Gold) "A call from the woman who loves you and hello from a friend."
63. We All Try "I know that we sin, but I do believe we try."
62. Mine "How come the ecstasy depresses me so?"
61. Rushes To
60. Good Guy "Here’s when I realized you talk so much more when I do."
59. In Here Somewhere "You don’t have to be all by yourself."
58. Pretty Sweet "This is the blood, the body, the life right now. This actually would’ve been lower, but I’m a sucker for a children’s choir."
57. Bitches’ Talkin "All these bitches want is Jodeci. What even is a radiohead anyway?"
56. Start
55. Acura Integurl "When I met you you were Thom Yorke, Chris Martin and U2, when you met me I was Three 6, Pimp C, Bun B, 8-Ball and MJG."
54. Pilot Jones "I just don’t know why, I keep on trying to keep a grown woman sober."
53. Deathwish (ASR)
52. Strawberry Swing "There wasn’t room for you and I, only you, goodbye."
51. Not Just Money "I don’t have money, I have bills to pay."
50. Lens "Spirits watch me pants down, can’t be ‘barrassed of it."
49. White
48. Device Control (Intro)
47. Sideways "When I’m up they gon’ hate, when I’m down they gon’ celebrate."
46. American Wedding "This is the home of the brave, land of the free, but your parents still didn’t know. If this were a ranking of “Frank songs I like the most”, instead of “Frank’s best songs”, it would actually be a lot higher. But a huge amount of why I love this song is because Hotel California is so good, so I couldn’t give Frank most of the credit here."
45. Wither "It takes a mind to worry, a conscience to feel ashamed."
44. Biking "Raf moving slow like a creep. I don’t know why I like this lyric so much. It just sticks out so much—it isn’t connected to the line before it nor the one after. It’s such a random, petty shot. And I love it."
43. Godspeed "You look down on where you came from sometimes, but you’ll have this place to call home always."
42. Forrest Gump "Forrest green, Forrest blues, I’m rememberin’ you. The song we all wished he’d killed live at the 2013 Grammys. Maybe in another dimension..."
41. White Ferrari "I’m sure we’re taller in another dimension. I wanted to like this song more than I do."
40. (At Your Best) You Are Love "Should you ever feel the need to wonder why, let me know."
39. Songs For Women "And I’mma give you chills harmonizing to Otis, Isley, Marvin."
38. Lovecrimes "If we ever get caught, it’d be a long vacation for two."
37. Monks "Stage diving Dalai Lama. There are technically better lyrics in this song. But is there any better visual than a stage diving Dalai Lama?"
36. Nature Feels "I’ve been meaning to fuck you in the garden. Note to self: don’t use this song to introduce anyone to Frank Ocean. Or do. Depends on the person."
35. Sweet Life "Why see the world, when you got the beach."
34. Facebook Story "Aggzept me on Fazebuk Is virtual, means no sense."
33. Futura Free "Tyler slept on my sofa yeah, n**s go back that far. I know, I can swear on the internet. But the n-word always feels weird. Either way, great lyric."
32. End "They’re telling boulder heavy lies. The GOAT song to fall asleep to."
31. Fertilizer "Fertilizer, I’ll take bullshit if that’s all you got. Does it say something that I have this entire voicemail set as a text replacement every time I type “Be Yourself” to one of my friends?"
30. Be Yourself "Sluggish, lazy, stupid, and unconcerned."
29. Golden Girl "I’m my best on this island, I’m a mess in America."
28. Solo (Reprise) "Was I working just way too hard? Would be higher if not for the weird electronic sounds in the middle. Stick with the piano background!"
27. Memrise "I could fuck you all night long from a memory alone."
26. Thinkin Bout You "Or do you not think so far ahead, cause I’ve been thinkin bout forever."
25. Swim Good "Big enough to take these broken hearts, and put ‘em in it."
24. Slide On Me "That’s a free slide on me, first time’s on me, next time won’t be. Better without Thug."
23. Comme des Garcons "All this drillin’ got the dick feeling like a power tool."
22. Alabama "What can I do to love you, more than I do now? Sampha’s vocals at the end are a great touch."
21. Mitsubish Sony "Got some priest by the door, frisk the demons before they step into my glow."
20. Pink + White "It’s all downhill from here."
19. Super Rich Kids "We end our day up on the roof, I say I’ll jump, I never do."
18. Nikes "I’m not him, but I’ll mean something to you."
17. Pink Matter "If models are made for modelin’, thick girls are made for cuddlin’."
16. Skyline To "In comes a morning hunting us with the beams."
15. Higgs "I’ll be back before the street lights on, before the daylight’s gone. It’s impossible for any Frank fan to hear him belt out this line and not get chills."
14. Solo "No trees to blow through, but blow me, and I owe you."
13. Novacane "Now I’m something like the chemist on campus, but there’s no drug around, quite like what I’ve found in you."
12. Chanel "My guy pretty like a girl, and he got fight stories to tell."
11. U-N-I-T-Y "Never fuck someone you wouldn’t wanna be though. Frank’s best rapping. When I put this song on, the world slows down."
10. Bad Religion "It’s rush hour, so take the streets if you want to, just outrun the demons, could you."
9. Rushes "Tell me what you need from me, gas money."
8. Self Control "Wish we’d grown up on the same advice."
7. Sierra Leone "Baby girl if you knew what I know. I don’t think the human voice is capable of being silkier than when Frank sings, “tonight I’ll lay her in the cradle if it’s time to go to sleep”. That line is so crisp."
6. Crack Rock "You don’t know how little you matter, until you’re all alone, in the middle of Arkansas, with a little rock left in that glass dick."
5. Lost "Triple weight couldn’t weigh the love I got for the girl. Probably Frank’s poppiest song, and his most accessible for the average music listener. The harmonizing in the last chorus is amazing."
4. Nights "Rolling marijuana that’s a cheap vacation. Wasn’t huge on this song upon the first few listens of Blonde, didn’t get all the hype. I do now. Listening now as I post this actually."
3. Seigfried "Dreaming a thought that could dream about a thought that could think of the dreamer that thought that could think of dreaming and getting a glimmer of God. Woah."
2. Pyramids "Big sun coming strong through the motel blinds. This is the first Frank song I ever heard, and I remember in that moment trying to figure out what genre of music I was listening to. I knew then that I was listening to something unlike anything I’d ever heard."
1. Ivy "We’ll never be those kids again."
Ranking Frank Ocean's discography is no easy feat. Each song holds a unique place in the hearts of fans, evoking emotions and memories with every lyric. Whether you agree with this ranking or not, one thing is certain—Frank Ocean's music transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on listeners worldwide.
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