The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
Olivia Rodrigo is by far my favorite music artist I’ve ever listened to. Her combination of heartbreaking ballads and energetic 2000s pop-rock leads to her being an artist I always want to hear in any mood or situation. Her music has been a cornerstone in my life these last five years. Through the good and the bad, there has always been an Olivia Rodrigo song there to express how I feel perfectly. With the GUTS era officially coming to a close, a new album just around the corner, and finally seeing her live during her record-breaking show at Lollapalooza, now feels like the time to reflect back on her whole discography and rank them to determine my favorites. This includes her two studio albums, SOUR and GUTS (and GUTS Spilled), along with “Can't Catch Me Now” from the Hunger Games soundtrack and “All I Want” from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. A clean 30-song discography that will bring my emotions on a roller coaster ride.
30 - “hope ur ok”
No artist is perfect; there will always be at least one song that isn’t very good. And unfortunately, Olivia Rodrigo is no different. “hope ur ok” is not only Olivia’s worst song, but it is the only song of hers I consider bad. Olivia’s strongest aspect of her music is her amazing writing. Her lyrics are always very good and portray such powerful emotions in an outwardly teenage way on SOUR and a more introspective way on GUTS. However, “hope ur ok” is the only time she sounds like she’s talking about something she knows nothing about. SOUR is an album all about teenage angst and the pain of your first breakup. It’s a record that features some immature lyrics but it works with the record’s subject matter. “hope ur ok” features many lyrics like “his parents cared more about the Bible than being good to their own child” and “she was tired 'cause she was brought into a world where family was merely blood” that to me give off the vibe of knowing everything about the world in middle school when that simple isn’t true. It is the only time where Olivia sounds her age in a bad way, with her being 17 when she wrote this song. The instrumental also sounds off, with an off-sounding guitar that overpowers the song. However, the song isn’t entirely bad. Olivia Rodrigo has consistently done one part of a song perfectly every single time: a bridge. The bridge in this song is very good; it uses some vocal layering that sounds elegant and makes up for more lackluster lyrics. It adds intensity that the song desperately needed. However, one good, albeit short, section does not make up for the rest of the song. It is easily Olivia’s worst song, and no song even comes close.
29 - “girl i’ve always been”
The second bonus track off of GUTS (Spilled), “girl i’ve always been” has two very simple issues: it’s too short and it’s unmemorable. The song is exactly two minutes long and is a simple country tune about how Olivia is the girl that she is, and that won’t change. It’s not a bad song, it’s catchy and fun, but it’s a song I never go out of my way to listen to.
28 - “enough for you”
“enough for you” is the start of SOUR’s Achilles heel of generic ballads. While Olivia Rodrigo is a fantastic balladeer, her debut album features a handful of ballads that blend together. “enough for you” is a simple song about nothing she did being enough for her ex. It’s okay, but generic.
It is the song I forget the most off SOUR.
27 - “favorite crime”
For being her 7th most popular song according to music metrics vault by streaming numbers, I find “favorite crime” to be one of Olivia’s weakest songs. This is the second song in the generic ballads trilogy. “favorite crime” uses the metaphor of their relationship being like partners in crime and doesn’t really go any further than that. It has some good lines, I really liked “One heart broke, four hands bloody” in particular, but it just has good moments that don’t fully come together to make a good, complete package.
26 - “teenage dream”
“teenage dream” was a great end to my favorite album. A reflection of her life and how she got to this point is a fantastic way to end her sophomore album. However, as a song on its own and no longer being the final track on GUTS (Spilled), its long outro and just alright melody don't have me coming back too often. A song that works significantly better with the context of the album.
25 - “All I Want”
“All I Want” is an interesting song in Olivia Rodrigo’s discography. It’s a song written and performed by her, but it isn’t a song about her. The song is from the perspective of the character she plays in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. However, you could be convinced that this is a track off SOUR as it sounds nearly identical to many of the ballads from that record. It is a great ballad, but being from a point of view not her own and having that Disney cleanliness to it, it does lose a lot of points with me.
24 - “stranger”
“stranger” is a fantastic song lyrically. It’s a song topic not often discussed. A song about the healing process post-breakup and how someone you were in love with eventually becomes a distant memory. It was a song that helped me a lot during my own heartbreak. However, the song doesn’t sound that great. The intro guitar sounds weirdly mixed. It sounds much better when Olivia’s vocals kick in, but that harsh intro does bring it down a bit. With a discography this strong, a few seconds of something rough does bring it down towards the bottom of the list.
23 - “1 step forward 3 steps back”
The third of the generic ballad trilogy, “1 step forward 3 steps back,” is an alright song. Nothing too crazy and nothing too noteworthy. A good song, but one I never seek out.
22 - “vampire”
The lead-off single for GUTS, and it was okay. “vampire” was a back-to-basics single that is very similar to “drivers license” but not nearly as good. The vampire metaphor isn’t the greatest, which causes the chorus to be one of her weakest, but the verses and especially the bridge are fantastic. A song to get fans excited for the new era, but one of the weakest off the album.
21 - “Can’t Catch Me Now”
A song from the fifth Hunger Games movie, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, “Can’t Catch Me Now” is a beautiful-sounding song that doesn’t really have much substance to it. The rare instance where the instrumental is significantly better than the lyrics. The lyrics are fine. Since the song is made for a movie, the lyrics aren’t about Olivia and are instead about the characters. As someone who hasn’t seen the movie, lyrics about the characters or story don’t matter as much to me. However, the music of this track is fantastic. I love how this song sounds, especially the vocal layering. Personally, lyrics are more important than sound, which is why it ranks so low, but the song has an undeniably amazing sound.
20 - “lacy”
When GUTS originally dropped, I referred to “lacy” as the “hope ur ok” of the album. Two years later, the song has grown on me a lot, but it is still not my favorite. Well-made song, but Olivia reflecting on her own perception is done much better later in the album and done better with a track on SOUR.
19 - “making the bed”
Similar to “lacy”, “making the bed” was a track that I put pretty low on my initial ranking of the album, but came around on. It’s a track I find to be more relatable than “lacy” which causes me to enjoy it more, but I feel similar to “making the bed” as I do about “lacy.”
18 - “ballad of a homeschool girl”
The first of Olivia’s rock songs. Rock is the genre Olivia Rodrigo excels at, with the majority of her rock songs being found at the top of the list. “ballad of a homeschool girl” is her weakest, but still a great song. The killer on this one is the lyrics. While intentional, the lyrics are a little sloppy. Parts of the song, like the outro, tend to rub me the wrong way, mainly with a line like “can’t think of a third line”. This song is much better live, however, one of the few songs that I listen to the live version more than the studio version.
17 - “logical”
“logical” is a fairly standard ballad with a fantastic bridge. “logical” also features a fantastic chorus. The main issue with the track is the verses. The verses are generic and not memorable at all. A song that I enjoy, but need to be in the right mood for.
16 - “scared of my guitar”
Similar to “logical,” “scared of my guitar” is a ballad I don’t come back to often, but it hits hard when I am in the right mood. The idea of repressing emotions about a relationship so much that music becomes scary is a great premise. The idea of being scared of your guitar because you have to be honest while making music is a great idea for a song, and the song executes that idea well. It isn’t an all-the-time listen, but it is one I do enjoy when the mood is right.
15 - “all american bitch”
The album opener to GUTS is pretty good, but another one of her weaker rock songs. The chorus is a lot of fun. The kick in of the drums, along with the explosive lyrics, makes for a great chorus. The verses are where the track lacks slightly, but they’re not bad. “all american bitch” is a lesser version of SOUR’s opening track.
14 - “so american”
The most unique song in her catalog, “so american” is the only love song Olivia Rodrigo has ever made. A song for her, at the time, partner Louis Partridge, Olivia details all the cross-cultural differences that cause them to fall in love with each other. The song works great in the context of the album, beginning with “all american bitch," an album full of heartbreak, and ending with “so american” creates a full circle album experience.
13 - “bad idea right?”
The second single off of GUTS, “bad idea right?” is a fun song about getting back with someone you know you shouldn’t. The early 2000s pop-rock sound and the lighthearted lyrics make “bad idea right?” a good idea to listen to.
12 - “get him back!”
When GUTS originally dropped “get him back!” was by far my favorite song on the album. But as time has gone on, I find myself returning to the track less and less. Still a great song, a fun idea with great lyrics, but I’m not finding myself queuing this song up nearly as much. However “get him back!” is a fantastic concert closer, one of my favorite songs to see live.
11 - “pretty isn’t pretty”
“pretty isn’t pretty” is “hope ur ok” done properly. Like “hope ur ok,” the focus is significantly less on herself and more on society. While the song is still from her perspective, “pretty isn’t pretty” is primarily about societal views on what is “pretty.” How people, especially women, are criticized, ridiculed, and constantly compared to impossible-to-achieve beauty standards. The chorus is a beautiful cry of pain, and the bridge is an explosion of frustration. This song is made even better because Olivia Rodrigo is the one performing it. Her vocal delivery and her background in acting allow her to deliver these lines with the emotions they needed. “pretty isn’t pretty” is a fantastic song, and the track not making the top 10 shows how good her discography is.
10 - “happier”
SOUR is an album filled with high highs and low lows. SOUR has so many generic ballads, but when a ballad is good, it is fantastic. “happier” is a great ballad. A song about acknowledging your ex has a new partner while also being possessive of them is a great idea for a song. The main line “I hope you’re happy, but don’t be happier” is a perfect description of describing an ex’s new relationship. The cooing in the instrumentals is heartbreakingly sweet. “happier” is a fantastic ballad.
9 - “good 4 u”
Olivia Rodrigo’s third single is the song that sold me on Olivia. “good 4 u” takes blatant inspiration from Paramore’s “Misery Business”, being an outwardly bratty and stubborn track that feels so good to listen to. Sometimes you don’t need a poetic ballad, sometimes you need a song fueled by rage. Olivia Rodrigo takes clear inspiration from artists like Paramore and Alanis Morissette, and “good 4 u” stands as tall as their biggest hits. It took listening to “good 4 u” for me to fully be on board with Olivia and realize her music was something special.
8 - “traitor”
Another great and unique track off of SOUR, "traitor" is a song about feeling cheated on while not actually being cheated on. When an ex starts a new relationship quickly after the old one ended, it’s hard not to feel cheated on, a feeling Olivia explores in great, painful detail.
7 - “deja vu”
The second single off of SOUR, “deja vu” is another beautiful ballad. The main standout is the bridge. Like stated earlier, Olivia Rodrigo is fantastic at writing bridges. All of the songs in the top 10 that have bridges are the best parts of their respective songs. The bridge on “deja vu” is her best bridge in her discography. Having the song start with “do you get deja vu” and ending with “I know you get deja vu” is amazing songwriting. Reusing all the imagery the song used earlier, but with more venom behind the words, feels so cathartic. “deja vu” is building up to the bridge, and it is worth it every single time
6 - “love is embarrassing”
In 2024, my most streamed song of that year was “love is embarrassing”, a short two and a half minute album track off of GUTS. For the longest time, “love is embarrassing” was my favorite song of all time. While I still love this song, it is a song I did unfortunately burnt myself out on. However, “love is embarrassing” is still one of the greatest pop-rock songs I’ve ever heard. The track is a ton of fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously, the lyrics are more self-critical than most of her other songs, and the sound is more upbeat than the rest of her discography. A fun track that is a perfect middle point of the album
5 - “the grudge”
From one of the most fun to one of the most heartbreaking, “the grudge” is brutally sad. Olivia Rodrigo’s monologue-esk writing is perfected with this track. “the grudge” is her best writing. The song encapsulates the heartbreak of wanting to be mad at someone, wanting to hate someone with your whole heart, but not being able to do so because of the happy past. It is a heartbreaking and devastating feeling. “the grudge” is by far Olivia Rodrigo’s best-written and performed song. The only issue is that it is too heavy sometimes. It is a track that needs to be played at the right time, given how soul-crushing it is. But when it hits, it hits hard.
4 - “obsessed”
GUTS (Spilled), while being a great deluxe of a great album, has one major benefit to it: it finally made the best song on the album available to stream. “obsessed” is by far my favorite track off GUTS and GUTS (Spilled). The cutting lyrics, the perfect chorus, the amazing instrumental, it’s got it all. It is a song I can listen to forever and never once be tired of it.
3 - “drivers license”
Olivia Rodrigo’s first-ever single is a ballad she wrote when she was 16 about getting her driver's license. It not only rocketed her to stardom, but it is the best ballad she has written. Whereas “the grudge” is better written, “drivers license" hits the teenage heartbreak and angst that SOUR does best. It is a song written by a 16-year-old, sounds like it was written by a 16-year-old, and succeeds because it hits that feeling of being 16 years old perfectly. “drivers license” is the best cry in the car song. It is a song that I didn’t get at first, but is now a song I don’t know how I didn’t understand. For being her first single, “drivers license" is still one of her best.
2 - “jealousy jealousy”
While her ballads might be what Olivia Rodrigo is known for, her pop-rock songs are by far her best. “jealousy jealousy” is fantastic. There isn’t too much to discuss; the lyrics are good, the sound is good, the bridge is good, everything on this track is perfect. It’s like “pretty isn’t pretty” but smaller in scope, which causes me to like it more. It also turns the track into her more rock sound than her ballad sound, which is always a plus. A great end to SOUR if you don’t count “hope ur ok”.
1 - “brutal”
This was the easiest decision on the whole list. The album opener of SOUR, “brutal” is a flawless song. A slow violin to ease you in, into a hard crash of guitars and drums, and somehow an even harder-hitting chorus, just to end back at the violin’s, the sound alone sets up the whole album perfectly. The lyrics are also fantastic. Going back to “drivers license" best quality, this song complements “drivers license” by having more fun with the idea of being a teenager. Every small thing feels like the end of the world, even when it’s something as minor as not being able to drive yet. “brutal” and “love is embarrassing” are tracks where Olivia seems to be having much more fun, and that fun bleeds into the listening experience. Ever since I listened to SOUR for the first time, “brutal” has been one of my favorite songs. It is a track I listen to nearly daily and have yet to grow tired of it. It is the best song Olivia Rodrigo has released.
Conclusion
Olivia Rodrigo is my favorite artist of all time. With the release of her third album just around the corner, I am very excited to see how her new music stacks up with the rest of her discography.
Sources: Music Metrics Vault
