From lead singer in an obscure 90s acid jazz band to one of the most significant songwriters and singers in the music world seems a strange route to take. Yet, the story of Australian artist Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, better known as Sia, reads like something from a very macabre work of fiction. But what are the Best Sia Songs of All Time? Let’s find out…
She released her first solo offering, “Only See,” after the disbandment of Crisp, the group she had been the vocalist of. Shortly thereafter, she moved to London, where she briefly provided vocals for Zero 7.
Then, she proceeded to work on and release her second and third albums. Hearing is Difficult and Colour the Small One in 2001 and 2004 respectively.
A rough start…
Despite having three albums to her name, she found minimal success. Yet, she resolved to move to New York in 2005 and redouble her efforts.
She released and toured with her fourth and fifth albums, Some People Have Real Problems (2008) and We Are Born (2010). Finally, she gained some notable success. Both albums were certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.
Sia then took a hiatus from being a solo artist and chose to write for and collaborate with other artists. She worked on and helped produce songs that would become some of the biggest hits of their time, including “Titanium” with David Guetta, “Diamonds” with Rihanna, and “Wild Ones” with Flo Rida.
Success arrives…
In 2014, Sia broke through with two massive albums. Her sixth, 1000 Forms of Fear, peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart and yielded a top ten single in “Chandelier.” This also spawned a relationship with child dancer Maddie Ziegler.
That relationship would culminate in even more collaborations in the form of highly successful music videos. It was also around this time that Sia began obscuring her face using an arsenal of wigs.
Her 2016 album, This Is Acting, yielded her first Billboard 100 #1 single with “Cheap Thrills.” She then embarked on a very unique tour named Nostalgic for President. This featured dancing by Maddy and a myriad of other performance art elements.
Constantly creating…
Her eighth album, Everyday Is Christmas, was reissued in 2018 with bonus material. That same year she teamed up with Diplo and Labrinth to form the group LSD. They released a self-titled album in 2019.
Sia has directed a film, won a dozen ARIA awards, and has been nominated for nine Grammy’s and an MTV Music Award.
Astounded by this strangely shaped narrative, I added all of Sia’s music to my digital library. I spent a week or so listening to it all, and here are my picks for the best Sia songs ever.
45 Best Sia Songs of All Time
1 Numb
Album: Colour the Small One
This song can be described as a diary entry as much as it can be described as a piece of music. The subject matter sits close to the heart of Sia. She’s had her fair share of dealing with addiction and depression.
Despite the dark nature of the content, the song seems to contain a silver backbone of positive energy. A particularly moving live version can be found on Lady Croisint from 2007.
2 Taken For Granted
Album: Healing Is Difficult
The debut single from Sia as a solo recording artist. It belies a lot about Sia’s inspirations and influences. It sampled a part of “Montagues and Capulets,” which is a Romeo And Juliet Ballad by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.
The single was released in the UK, Australia, and the US. But, it only garnered success in the UK, reaching #10 on the charts. The album had even less success peaking at #99 in Australia and not charting anywhere else in the world.
Although, it is the inherent promise of a great songwriter that we can hear in this song. And that makes it not just beautiful but significant to Sia’s musical journey.
3 Wild Ones
Album: Wild Ones
An incredible commercial success. Flo Rida’s choice to put her on the main vocal paid off. Fans of her previous music would have noticed this song showcases the many different textures she can achieve as a vocalist.
“Wild Ones” peaked at #1 on the Australian Music charts. In Canada and New Zealand, the song peaked at #3. In the US, it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top 100. And, in the UK, it peaked at #4.
4 Big Girls Cry
Album: 1000 Forms Of Fear
If the more upbeat side of Sia’s compositions is what draws you to her, this song probably won’t take your fancy. This slow emotive song was the second track on the 1000 Forms of Fear album. It takes you back a bit.
You realize this song is a glimpse of Sia’s songwriting we barely get to see. The song is for quiet moments and contains one of her most emotional deliveries.
5 The Girl You Lost To Cocaine
Album: Some People Have Real Problems
According to Sia, this song was about walking away from people who had become “too needy,” explaining that the process of writing the song was very different from most of her other songs.
“The Girl You Lost To Cocaine” seems to have taken a bit longer, and it can be heard in the original version. The song has seen particular popularity under EDM artists who like to make dance mixes of it.
Many cited this song as one of the highlights of Some People Have Real Problems, reaching #8 on the US dance chart. Also, this was the first Sia album to chart. It reached #26 in the US, and on alternative charts, it reached #5.
6 Breathe Me
Album: Colour the Small One
Not necessarily one of the biggest Sia songs in terms of chart performance or even being well known amongst her fans. “Breathe Me” is a beautiful composition but also holds historical importance when looking at the development of Sia’s music.
In this song, you can hear the influences of artists like Tori Amos and Kate Bush. The song was released as the first single from the album, and it charted in the UK, peaking at #71. However, in Denmark, it performed surprisingly well, becoming a top twenty hit.
7 You’ve Changed
Album: We Are Born
The album We Are Born was a dramatic change in tone for Sia when compared with her previous albums. We began to see more upbeat songs in terms of composition and lyrical content. Although, there was no loss in the insight hidden so seemingly without effort in Sia’s lyrics.
Much of this change, according to Sia, was due to influences from childhood role models Madonna and Cindy Lauper. Although, by this time, influences were no longer as audible as in previous songs because Sia was fully formed as her own artist at this point.
Leaving her mark…
Co-written with producer and DJ Lauren Flax, the song was first announced via Twitter and even given away for free for a while. The song was charted on the U.S Dance chart in 2010. We Are Born made it onto the top 40 album charts in the US and went on to peak at #2 in Australia.
The album also earned an “Album of the Year Award” at the Australian ARIA music awards. “You’ve Changed” was also featured in that year’s season finale of “Vampire Diaries.”
8 The Greatest (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Album: This Is Acting
Many have interpreted this song as a tribute to the victims of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting. However, this has never been confirmed by either one of the artists involved. But, it would no doubt bring joy to their hearts to know their music has been meaningful to listeners in such a serious way.
The song features strong sonic contrasts in the form of Reggae grooves and thumping compressed drums. It is a dancing tune juxtaposed against a very cold delivery of some pain-ridden lyrics.
The music video features long-time Sia collaborator Maddie Ziegler. Furthermore, it gained notoriety as a work of note in its own right.
One of her best tracks…
“The Greatest” was released as the third single from Sia’s seventh album. It became an international hit debuting at #52 on the US Billboard Chart, #25 on the Australian Hot Singles Chart, and #49 on the UK Singles Chart.
The song was a top ten hit in France, New Zealand, Finland, Scotland, Norway, Hungary, Sweden, and Spain. In terms of popularity, this easily makes it one of the best Sia songs of all time.
9 Elastic Heart
Album: 1000 Forms Of Fear
This electric ballad caused quite a stir with its MTV Best Female Video nominated music video. The video featured Maddie Ziegler and well-known actor Shia La Beouf dancing together in a cage. They are wearing full-body suits, which give the appearance of them being naked.
There was some controversy surrounding a 29-year-old and a 13-year-old performing like that on a camera. But, in the end, it only added to the song’s notoriety and exposed more listeners to a great Sia song.
Controversy aside…
This song was written and initially recorded for the film “Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” Sia teamed up with Canadian music sensation, The Weekend, who co-wrote the song, and producer Greg Kurstin, who Sia worked with on her massive hit “Chandelier.”
American songwriter, DJ, and producer Diplo were also featured. Sia would later record a solo version for 1000 Forms of Fear. “Elastic Heart” peaked at #17 on the US Pop Chart and hit #1 on the Dance Chart.
10 Chandelier
Album: 1000 Forms Of Fear
Chronicling the steady demise of an alcoholic party girl crazed by the temptations and excesses of modern society, “Chandelier” is one of Sia’s biggest hits to date. It was Sia’s breakthrough song in the US.
The song was the first single from 1000 Forms of Fear and was co-produced by Greg Kurstin and Jesse Shatkin. The music video features Maddie Ziegler performing an interpretive dance and drew much praise from fans and critics alike.
Stoking the mystery…
The song was first exposed to listeners via a series of televised performances in which Sia did not show her face. “Chandelier” peaked at #8 on the US Pop Chart and #1 on the Dance Chart. Also, making it into the top ten Adult Pop Radio charts. The album 1000 Forms of Fear topped the Album Chart.
Sia performed the song live at the Grammy’s. It earned four nominations, including album, song, and video of the year. The music video earned an MTV Music Award for best choreography, as well as being nominated for video of the year.
11Reaper
12Alive
13Bird Set Free
14Titanium (with David Guetta)
15Soon We’ll Be Found
16Clap Your Hands
17Eye of the Needle
18Unstoppable
19Move Your Body
20Broken Glass
21Free the Animal
22Burn the Pages
23Confetti
24One Million Bullets
25Free Me
26Sweet Design
27Lentil
28Ho Ho Ho
29Beautiful People Say
30I’m in Here
31Drink to Get Drunk
32Little Black Sandals
33The Church of What’s Happening Now
34Stop Trying
35I Go to Sleep
36Sober and Unkissed
37Cellophane
38Reaper (feat. Kanye West)
39Helium
40The Bully
41The Whisperer
42Hostage
43Space Between
44Dressed in Black
45I’m Still Here
Looking for Some Great Music?
We have you covered. Take a look at our comprehensive articles on the Best Fleetwood Mac Songs, the Best Cat Stevens Songs of All Time, the Best The Guess Who Songs of All Time, the Best Breaking Benjamin Songs of All Time, and the Best 90s Love Songs for more great song selections.
Best Sia Songs of All Time – Conclusion
Picking the best song from a catalog as extensive and varying as Sia’s is impossible. And, in my opinion, many songs could be the best Sia song. In the end, I drew a name from a bucket and came up with “You’ve Changed.”
It marks the end of Sia as an artist and the beginning of what would become some of her greatest years. And the best part is that they’re far from over. So, there can only be good things to come.
Until next time, happy listening.
