Rating: 7/10
At 19 years old, Adele released her debut studio album, titled after her age. The album was and still is a huge success, selling numerous copies and being critically acclaimed. It definitely showed Adele’s impressive vocal ability, as well as showcasing her unique style.
In this post I’ll be ranking all of the songs from Adele’s debut album, 19, from worst to best. Without further ado, let the ranking commence!
12. Tired (Track 11)
This isn’t a bad song, which speaks to the quality of this album, but it’s definitely my least favorite. I don’t find it too catchy or memorable. Plus, it’s not as rhythm-and-blues as the other songs on the album, which is disappointing, because I really like that about this album.
11. My Same (Track 10)
The instrumental for this song is really cool, it’s definitely the best part of the song. And while the lyrics are cute, they’re not too interesting, and I just don’t think this song stands out much.
10. First Love (Track 7)
Again, the lyrics in this are cute. The song describes Adele leaving her first love. She is very sensitive and sweet in this song, but the instrumental isn’t my favorite. It sounds like a nursery instrumental, and it’s pretty childish. It just doesn’t have that R&B quality that the rest of the album has.
9. Best For Last (Track 2)
This is a good song, and I like the sound of it, but once again, it’s not really a stand-out track.
8. Crazy For You (Track 5)
I really like Adele’s vocals in this, and I also really like the instrumental. It’s more low-key and relaxed, which I think is a nice choice. I like this song, but it’s not one of my favorites from the album.
7. Cold Shoulder (Track 4)
This song is really good, and it was a single, so Adele herself must have really liked it. I like the instrumental, vocals, and lyrics. I like it as part of the album, but it’s not really one that I would listen to outside of the album.
6. Daydreamer (Track 1)
The very sweet and somewhat stripped-down opener for the album is a great introduction to Adele’s vocal and musical style, as well as the album’s themes of romance and relationships. “You can find him sitting on your doorstep, waiting for a surprise. And he will feel like he’s been there for hours, and you can tell he’ll be there for life.”
5. Melt My Heart To Stone (Track 6)
I like this song because it the instrumental and lyrics go together really well, and they create a very fun but frustrated tone. When I was listening to this album, this was the first song (besides Chasing Pavements, which I had already heard) that I really liked.
4. Right As Rain (Track 8)
This marks the point on the list where all the songs from here on out are my favorites from the album, and they all have great replay-value. This song’s instrumental kind of sounds like music for the Wii Shop, but I don’t really mind it. This song is jazzier than the others on the album (at least in the chorus), and it’s sonically one of my favorites. The chorus is fantastic, and it really makes the song for me, even though the verses and pre-chorus are great too.
3. Make You Feel My Love (Track 9)
This Bob Dylan cover is truly amazing, and it’s probably the most famous/popular song off of the album. I really really love it, and I like how Adele made the song her own, rather than just doing an exact copy of Bob Dylan’s version. She put her own spin on it, and it really paid off, as she made a fantastic rendition of an already fantastic song. (PS: This song makes me sad whenever I hear it because of Glee.)
2. Chasing Pavements (Track 3)
This song is very underrated in my opinion, because, while it’s not unpopular or unknown, it really doesn’t get the praise it deserves. The instrumental, the vocals, the lyrics; it’s all wonderful, and it all comes together to create a brilliant song about being unsure whether or not to continue pursuing a relationship that doesn’t seem to be working, or just giving up. “If I tell the world, I’ll never say enough ’cause it was not said to you, and that’s exactly what I need to do. If I end up with you, should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements, even if it leads nowhere? Or would it be a waste, even if I knew my place? Should I leave it there? Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements, even if it leads nowhere?”
1. Hometown Glory (Track 12)
The album’s closer is truly 19‘s best, made even more impressive by the fact that this was the first song Adele ever wrote. Something about this song is just special, and it’s very timeless to me. The piano and the vocals are extremely moving, as well as the lyrics, which describe the love Adele feels for her town. It just hits me in the feelings, and it fills me with nostalgia. Truly an amazing song, and one of my absolute favorites from Adele. “I like it in the city when the air is so thick and opaque, I love to see everybody in short skirts, shorts, and shades. I like it in the city when two worlds collide, you get the people and the government, everybody taking different sides.”
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