When we worked diligently compiling our list of the best 100 Drake songs, we knew that there would be some hurt feelings. After all, his discography is as popular as it is polarizing, spanning seven studio albums (the eighth, For All the Dogs, is out October 6), seven mixtapes, EPs, and collaborative projects. It's a lot of music, and a lot of songs for all kinds of artists to latch on to. Including quite a few you may not expect.
Over the past week, we've been DM'ing with musicians and actors over Instagram, asking them for their favorite Drake songs of all time. The answers came from all circles, spanning underground rap, progressive electronic music, modern rock, and far beyond. If ever there was an artist made for unsolicited, pleading DMs, it's Drake, and the following list was assembled in that spirit.
Rema: "Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2"
"Like I should be on my best behavior
And not talk my shit and do it major like the n***** who
paved the way for us."
Ice Spice: "Crew Love"
Tiesto: "Preach"
"My favorite Drake song is 'Preach' because he uses one of my fav house tracks in it and it blends so well with his vocal!"
Dua Saleh: "Search & Rescue"
"I have a lot songs saved from Drake’s past work that have either gotten me through some things or have elevated the parties that I’ve been to or hosted, seeing as so many people in the culture connect to him deeply. As someone who appreciates him, I’d like to highlight his recent music, namely 'Search & Rescue.' which is a cutthroat record that really speaks to how I feel in relationships and dating right now. His words aren’t too flowery or extra, they’re just real and I appreciate that. ✦⭐️💕"
d4vd: "Not You Too" (feat. Chris Brown)
"It just hits me right in the feels, the delivery the lyrics and the vibe are just perfect and the production is so ethereal."
Bartees Strange: "Jersey and "Life Is Good"
"Oh dude. It’s easily 'Jersey' with Future on the album they did together. That shit is excellent but only because it humanized Drake. It became clear that even tho he might be the most popular rapper alive - he ain’t slimier than the biggest dog of them all. NAY FUCKING VADIUS. OR 'LIFE IS GOOD!'"
papo2004: "Congratulations" and "How About Now"
Congratulations
"Had it on my MySpace page for a few months, bro went in for like 5 minutes sounded similar to Swizz Beatz 'that Oprah' which was a lowkey big song at the time with the Coldplay sample."
How About Now
"Production is crazy the lyrics are self explanatory everybody got that one jawn they always gon have love for but it’s like how bout now . Shit just like a loop."
Cash Cobain: “U Wit Me”
"He says 'how’s that for real ? you toying with it like happy meal. I just like how that line was perfectly executed he couldn’t have said it any better and it’s a fire line"
03 Greedo: "Search & Rescue"
"I need a hottie to save me."
Tony Shhnow: "Ignant Shit" (feat. Lil Wayne)
"Still an iconic song to this day. It was the perfect introduction to the boy for me. It was hip-hop. The king and the king to be on an instrumental that was already slaughtered by the previous kings. They were foreshadowing."
Robert Glasper: "Ignant Shit" (featuring Lil Wayne)
"I’m gonna take it back to his SO FAR GONE mixtape!!!!! That was my true introduction to Drake.. the song is 'Ignant Shit!!!' That track has a certain energy that gets me going I used to listen to a lot b4 I go on stage!! Both him and Wayne snapping on that joint also!! And Ofc ourse it’s the 'Between the Sheets' sample from my favorite band the Isley Brothers!"
Armani Caesar: "Champagne Poetry"
"The beat, the flow, everything is chef's kiss."
Polo Perks: "Cameras/Good Ones Go Interlude"
"The combination of productions and perspectives is unmatchable."
Mavi: "Diplomatic Immunity" and "Laugh Now Cry Later"
"Ima say on a bars level probably 'diplomatic immunity,' but as an overall moment it’s definitely 'laugh now cry later.' It was his first major single after a messy beef, and spoke to the cut-and-clear undeniability of his first-place position that informs the public perception n narrative voice since. The refrain of ‘but I guess you know now’ feels super weighty in light of all this, and I always said he should have saved that song as his retirement/ride off into the sunset song lol"
Jeleel!: "Laugh Now Cry Later"
"He makes me feel like I won a championship but still reflect on the hard times. It’s like a 'finally I made it' song."
Quenlin Blackwell: "Started From The Bottom"
"My answer is 'started from the bottom now we’re here' bc my dad was a victim of the prison industrial complex.”
Arca: "Search & Rescue"
"I love 'Search & Rescue''s laser focus melody with the hypnotic clockwork piano and the sweet melody as well as the beat, it’s simple elegance."
Eyedress: "Hours In Silence" and "TSU"
"Been a drake fan since the so far gone album but lately my favorites from him have been 'hours in silence' and 'tsu.'
"hours in silence: i love how melancholy and sad this song sounds especially when the beat switches up and gets slower towards the end, i feel the pain every time that part comes in 'it’s my fault for once i drain accounts to make you love me' always hits deep.
"tsu: this song is so beautiful and slows down towards the end i love when drake songs have two parts it’s usually turnt up then it slows down towards the end and he starts singing. Reminds me of driving home late at night just being in your head 'neither of our past bout to go away you make me forget about it anyway' that part is a tearjerker and always gets me in my feels.
Clip: "Blem"
"I love blem bc Drake ate, like I’m blem for real I might just say how I feel!"
Jaboukie: "Karaoke"
"'Karaoke.' debut album. degrassi residuals drying up. he taped a photo of sade to the mic stand and let it out."
Danny Brown: "Over My Dead Body"
"It’s just a beautiful song feels like it could be a superhero theme song. every time I hear it feels like I’m floating in the air"
Mahalia: "Fire & Desire"
"One of the most underrated Drake songs of all time. Beautifully written and beautifully song. It breaks my heart every time and I have no idea why."
CEO Trayle: "Faithful" (feat. Pimp C and dvsn)
"That’s a crazy collab and the Pimp C feature is iconic."
Mick Jenkins: "Madonna"
"It’s [a] vibe that doesn’t lose. Dolo, with ya shorty, or with a coupled up squad, or at a function. Can’t lose."
Xochitl Gonzalez: "Passionfruit"
"'PASSIONFRUIT!!!' It's old, but it's the embodiment of my favorite DRAKE — because he contains multitudes. He's so emotionally intuitive and it's like, he can choose to use his forces for good or for evil — and I feel like 'Passionfruit,' lyrically, is him using his forces for good.. AND it's just such a damn vibe that locks in that moment in time. That spring that album came out, that song was coming out of every car in Brooklyn and that song just embodies the vibe of that moment."
Nija Charles: "A Night Off" (feat. Lloyd)
"My favorite Drake song is 'A Night Off (feat. Lloyd).' There’s so many to choose from because Drake has had a project for each step of me growing into adulthood. 'A Night Off' brings me right back to middle school back when everyone was wearing YMCMB shirts & listening to songs off iPods and not iPhones."
Ralphie Choo: "Jungle" and "Yebba's Heartbreak"
"Maybe 'jungle,' Cause he used "6 8" from Gabriel Garzón-Montano as a sample. or 'yebba's heartbreak.'"
Desus Nice: "Do Not Disturb"
"My favorite drake song is “do not disturb”. Between the Snoh Aalegra 'time' sample and drake actually showing emotion about the industry, this might be one of his realest tracks."
QRTR: "Over" and "Redemption"
"'over' from thank me later because i used to blast it in my car in college when i first moved to new york and thought i was really doing something.
"anddd 'redemption' from views because i love soft drake and i too have many exes."
Maxo Kream: "Stay Scheming" (with Rick Ross and French Montana)
“'Bitch yu wasn’t wit me shootin in the gym'
"Iconic bar and I live days by day by that."
Mura Masa: "Worst Behaviour"
"First thing that comes to mind is 'Worst Behavior.' Very very good Dahi beat with some touches of course from 40. Lots of quotables from Aubrey on this one but still to this day find myself occasionally yelling 'WORST' in normal conversation. That’s longevity."
Eem Triplin: "Redemption" and "Jaded"
“'Redemption' cuz das sum real pain & 'jaded' cuz dat song is even more painful then 'redemption.'”
Genesis Owusu: "Life Is Good"
"Drake is such an enigma to me. I don’t love or hate him, just purely fascinated. I wanna observe how he moves through life, why he does the things that he does. There are a lot of songs I could put in here, but him sombrely singing 'haven’t done my taxes, I’m too turnt up' really pushes this song over the line for me."
RxkNephew: "Back On Road"
"My favorite drake feature is the one with Gucci mane right after Gucci got cloned !! Big shouts out to drake for fucking wit Gucci after lil Wayne said fuck Gucci gucci who ! Tell drake to jump on dat slitherman Vs Nephew Remix on god."
Novelist: "Hours In Silence"
"I believe Drake is astute in expressing his vulnerabilities and binding them with a mood, to the affect of the listener feeling his perspective almost first hand. This song is a prime example of that in my opinion."
Tommy Genesis: "Hold On We're Going Home," "Passionfruit," and "Search & Rescue"
"'Hold On We’re Going Home' - As a Canadian rapper, you know i’m a huge Drake fan. This is my all time favorite Drake song gets me in my feels every time.
"'Passionfruit' - This is my mom’s favorite song, she likes the line 'passionate from miles away, passive with the things you say'. She said 'that’s good writing.'
"'Search and Rescue' - I love this song and lil known fact that’s my voice in the beginning doing my friend Sad Pony’s tag."