Ranking All the Songs from the 50 Shades of Grey Soundtrack

In 2015, a romance movie called Fifty Shades of Grey came out, which was based on the book of the same name. It was an excellent example of a commercial success that was blasted by the critics. Something that was perhaps unsurprising considering its source material. In any case, Fifty Shades of Grey benefited a great deal from its soundtrack, which included some very well-known songs.

16. “I’m on Fire” – Awolnation

 

“I’m on Fire” remains a pretty well-known song. This is because it was one of the singles from Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A., which is one of the most famous studio albums ever made. There have been numerous covers of the song. Unfortunately, the Awolnation version suffers from those comparisons.

15. “Undiscovered” – Laura Welsh

 

There is nothing wrong with listening from indie pop from time to time. However, this isn’t the best way to be introduced to it.

14. “One Last Night” – Vaults

 

Vaults was an electronica band that started up in 2013 and continued until 2017. “One Last Night” can’t be considered one of the band’s more notable songs.

13. “Ana and Christian” – Danny Elfman

 

Danny Elfman made his name as the singer-songwriter for Oingo Boingo but he has long since become one of the best composers in the movie industry. His experience shows even here. Even so, “Ana and Christian” remains on the duller end of things.

12. “Did That Hurt?” – Danny Elfman

 

Speaking of which, “Did That Hurt?” would be the better of the two tracks that Danny Elfman contributed to this soundtrack. That is very much true in a relative sense.

11. “Meet Me in the Middle” – Jessie Ware

 

“Meet Me in the Middle” is decent enough. It might have secured a higher position if it had been on a different soundtrack with less formidable competition.

10. “Witchcraft” – Frank Sinatra

 

Frank Sinatra recorded “Witchcraft” in 1957. Given that the movie came out in 2015, it should come as no surprise to learn that the song is very good. Still, “Witchcraft” doesn’t feel like a natural fit for the rest of the soundtrack, which makes sense because everything is a product of its times.

9. “Where You Belong” – The Weeknd

 

The Weeknd has a couple of songs on this list. “Where You Belong” isn’t bad. The issue is that it is rightfully overshadowed by its much better-known counterpart.

8. “Salted Wound” – Sia

 

Sia’s songs have shown up in a lot of movie soundtracks. “Salted Wound” makes for enjoyable listening. However, it isn’t capable of matching either Sia’s better songs or the strongest songs that can be found on this soundtrack, thus leaving it in the middle of this list.

7. “I Know You” – Skylar Grey

 

“I Know You” met with a positive reception from a fair number of people. However, there were those who were less impressed by it as well. The song managed to make it onto the charts but never very high on those charts, which is one of those things that say a lot while saying little.

6. “Beast of Burden” – The Rolling Stones

 

There aren’t a lot of acts out there that can match the Rolling Stones’ reputation. Something that has been well-earned. For proof, considering “Beast of Burden,” which remains very catchy even though it was recorded in 1978.

5. “Haunted” – Beyonce

 

Speaking of which, there are those who would argue that Beyonce would be one of those acts. Whatever the case, her songs are consistently strong, with “Haunted” being no exception to the rule. Certainly, it is more than capable of carving out a high position for itself on this list.

4. “I Put a Spell on You” – Annie Lennox

 

“I Put a Spell on You” is one of those songs that have remained popular ever since its initial recording with the result that it has seen numerous covers. Annie Lennox’s 2014 cover is one of the better ones, not least because she managed to make it her own without sacrificing the things that made the original song great.

3. “Crazy in Love (2014 Remix)” – Beyonce

 

As mentioned earlier, Beyonce’s songs are consistently strong, particularly when they are being played in a context that is well-suited for them. “Crazy in Love” is the stronger of the two Beyonce songs on the soundtrack. This is particularly true because it is a remixed version done well, thus enabling it to offer something new for an already amazing song.

2. “Love Me Like You Do” – Ellie Goulding

 

“Love Me Like You Do” did very well when it came out. For example, it was just the 21st video to hit one billion views on YouTube. Similarly, it hit the number one position on a wide range of charts in a wide range of countries. Something that should make it very clear that “Love Me Like You Do” didn’t just do well by soundtrack standards but by general standards. That performance was well-earned.

1. “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey) – The Weeknd

 

On a related note, the Weeknd’s “Earned It” also did very well on the charts. Indeed, it was the lead single for the soundtrack, which says much about the faith that was placed in it. One can make an argument that “Earned It” is a better fit for the soundtrack than “Love Me Like You Do” because it is very on-theme for the movie. Meanwhile, the latter is quite a bit lighter, which doesn’t detract from its enjoyability but does weaken its association with the movie.