Few artists have reshaped modern R&B and pop the way Abel Tesfaye — known to the world as The Weeknd — has over the past decade and a half. From the haunting mixtapes that surfaced anonymously on Tumblr in 2011 to record-breaking chart dominance and Super Bowl halftime glory, his catalog spans darkness, euphoria, heartbreak, and everything in between. Picking the best The Weeknd songs of all time is both a pleasure and a challenge, because nearly every era of his discography contains something undeniable. This list covers 20 essential tracks that define his artistry, with a mix of career-defining anthems and deeper cuts that serious fans know by heart. Whether you are new to his music or have had After Hours on repeat for years, this guide has something worth discovering.
For the best listening experience with these tracks, it is worth pairing them with quality audio gear. Check out this headphones comparison guide to find a pair that brings out the full depth of his production.
Blinding Lights — The Song That Defined a Generation
Released in November 2019 as a single from After Hours, “Blinding Lights” became one of the most commercially successful songs in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, spending 57 weeks in the top 10 — a record at the time. Produced by Oscar Holter, DaHeala, and The Weeknd himself, the track channels a pure 1980s synth-pop energy through pulsing Moog synthesizers and driving drum machines, yet it feels completely modern in its mix. On headphones, the stereo spread of the synth layers is extraordinary — you can hear the production breathe in a way that gets lost on laptop speakers. Lyrically, it captures the desperation of needing someone, driving through blinding city lights to get back to them. That combination of sonic euphoria and emotional urgency is what made it genuinely inescapable.
Save Your Tears — From Heartbreak to Dancefloor Catharsis
Originally released on After Hours in 2020, “Save Your Tears” reached new commercial heights when a remix featuring Ariana Grande dropped in 2021, pushing it to number one on the Hot 100. The production crafts an almost paradoxical mood — the melody is warm and melodic, built on piano-driven pop, while the lyrics are steeped in regret and self-awareness about emotional damage caused in a past relationship. The way The Weeknd delivers the line about realizing too late what he had is genuinely affecting, especially when heard in a quiet room late at night. The remix with Grande adds an airy counterpoint vocal that opens the song’s emotional dimension further. It became one of the defining pop moments of 2021.
After Hours — The Title Track That Aches
The closing track and emotional centerpiece of the 2020 album of the same name, “After Hours” strips away the danceable production of some of its album companions in favor of a brooding, synth-drenched ballad that sounds like crying in slow motion. Co-produced with DaHeala and Metro Boomin, the track runs over six minutes and earns every second with its patient build and devastating lyrical admission of self-destruction. The falsetto work throughout is some of the most vulnerable vocal performance in his catalog — nothing is hidden behind a wall of production here. Played through quality speakers in the dark, the low-end rumble and the way the synth pads swell and recede feels genuinely cinematic. It is the rare title track that actually lives up to the weight the album demands.
Can’t Feel My Face — The Pop Crossover Moment
From Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), “Can’t Feel My Face” was the commercial breakthrough The Weeknd had been building toward since his mixtape days. Produced by Max Martin and Ali Payami, the track borrows the propulsive energy of classic Michael Jackson pop and fuses it with the dark subject matter that had always defined The Weeknd’s songwriting — specifically, the numbing effect of drug use wrapped inside the metaphor of a toxic relationship. On radio and in clubs, the sheer energy of its chorus made it feel like a pure pop anthem, yet the lyrics never let you fully escape the darker undertone. It reached number one on the Hot 100 and remains one of the most effective examples of his ability to embed darkness inside an irresistible hook.
The Hills — Dark R&B at Its Most Visceral
Released in 2015 as part of the Beauty Behind the Madness era, “The Hills” opens with one of the most recognizable and unsettling production moments in modern R&B — a distorted, glitchy vocal loop that sets an immediately tense atmosphere before the track fully materializes. Produced by DaHeala, the beat is murky and minimal, giving the vocal space to do heavy lifting in depicting a relationship built on secrecy and moral compromise. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making The Weeknd the first artist in chart history to debut at number one with his first three entries. Live, the song carries even more menace — the production translates into something almost physical in a large venue.
Earned It — Orchestral Elegance and Raw Emotion
Written for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack (2015), “Earned It” demonstrated a dimension of The Weeknd’s artistry that sometimes gets overlooked — his ability to work within lush, orchestral arrangements without losing his distinctive identity. Produced with Ahmad Balshe and Jason Quenneville, the track layers string arrangements over a sparse rhythm section, creating a sophisticated backdrop for one of his most emotionally direct vocal performances. It earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, one of the few times R&B has received that recognition. On a good pair of headphones or in-ear monitors, the string writing reveals layers of countermelody that you miss in casual listening — it rewards close attention.
Die for You — A Love Song That Became a Phenomenon
Originally released on the Starboy album in 2016, “Die for You” had a second life years later when it went viral on social media and re-charted dramatically, eventually reaching the top five on the Hot 100 in 2023 — a remarkable feat for a seven-year-old deep cut. Produced by DaHeala, the track is built around a shimmering synth arpeggio and a mid-tempo groove that creates space for an unusually sincere lyrical performance about commitment and sacrifice in love. It stands apart from much of his catalog precisely because it is relatively uncomplicated emotionally — no self-destruction, no moral ambiguity, just devotion. The delayed commercial success story is one of the most interesting in recent pop history.
Starboy (feat. Daft Punk) — The Perfect Collaboration
The lead single from the 2016 album of the same name, “Starboy” brought together The Weeknd and Daft Punk in a pairing that made complete sonic sense — both acts traffick in the space between darkness and dancefloor euphoria. The production combines the French duo’s trademark filtered disco house textures with a harder, darker melodic structure than their earlier work, resulting in something that sounds both polished and slightly menacing. It debuted at number one on the Hot 100, making it one of the fastest-rising singles of that era. The rhythm guitar groove buried in the mix is the kind of detail that rewards listening on a quality pair of earbuds — it ties the whole track together in a way that is easy to miss otherwise.
I Feel It Coming (feat. Daft Punk) — Pure 80s Sophistication
The second collaboration between The Weeknd and Daft Punk on Starboy, “I Feel It Coming” takes a completely different tonal approach from their title track partnership — here the mood is warm, celebratory, and deeply indebted to the smooth soul and funk of artists like Prince and Michael Jackson at their most elegant. The chord progressions feel genuinely sophisticated, and the production has a lushness that rewards high-fidelity listening setups. Vocally, The Weeknd is warmer and more restrained than usual, letting the melodic richness of the arrangement do significant work. It proved that his range extended well beyond the brooding persona that defined his early mixtapes.
Call Out My Name — Raw Vulnerability in Five Minutes
From the My Dear Melancholy, EP (2018), “Call Out My Name” is widely interpreted as being about the end of his relationship with Selena Gomez, and whether or not that framing is accurate, the emotional rawness of the performance is undeniable. The production by DaHeala and Frank Dukes builds from a minimal, almost eerie piano figure into a full arrangement while keeping the atmosphere intimate throughout. The bridge, in which he confronts the feeling of having given everything and receiving nothing in return, is one of the most emotionally exposed moments in his recorded catalog. The EP as a whole marked a deliberate step away from pop accessibility toward something more uncomfortably personal, and this track is the clearest expression of that shift.
I Was Never There (feat. Gesaffelstein) — Electronic Darkness
The collaboration with French electronic producer Gesaffelstein on My Dear Melancholy, (2018) represents one of the most sonically adventurous moments in The Weeknd’s discography. Gesaffelstein’s production is industrial and cold — built on distorted kick drums, metallic synthesis, and an overall aesthetic that sits closer to experimental electronic music than mainstream R&B. Over this challenging backdrop, The Weeknd’s vocals explore dissociation and emotional unavailability with a detachment that mirrors the production perfectly. The track demonstrates that his artistry is genuinely expandable into genre spaces well outside his commercial comfort zone. It is an essential listen for anyone who has only encountered his more accessible work.
Moth to a Flame (with Swedish House Mafia) — Club Energy with Lyrical Depth
Released as part of Dawn FM (2022), the collaboration with Swedish House Mafia delivers one of the most straightforward club anthems in The Weeknd’s catalog while still maintaining the thematic preoccupation with obsessive, self-destructive attraction that runs through so much of his best work. The production is enormous — four-on-the-floor kick drum, soaring synth leads, and a drop that is engineered for maximum impact in large spaces. Swedish House Mafia bring their signature sense of scale to a track that would have felt at home in the peak EDM era, yet the songwriting keeps it anchored to something more personal. Heard in the car at high volume, the low end is particularly satisfying.
Pray for Me (with Kendrick Lamar) — Two Eras Colliding
Appearing on the Black Panther soundtrack (2018), “Pray for Me” is one of the most culturally loaded collaborations in recent memory — pairing The Weeknd’s atmospheric R&B with Kendrick Lamar’s precision lyricism over a production that draws from trap, orchestral scoring, and ambient music simultaneously. Both artists deliver at full intensity, and the thematic resonance with the film’s ideas about sacrifice and duty gives the lyrics unusual weight for a pop-adjacent release. It topped the Hot 100 and introduced both artists to segments of each other’s audiences who might not have crossed over otherwise. As a piece of soundtrack work, it demonstrates how pop music can serve cinematic storytelling without becoming subordinate to it.
Often — Early Era Darkness, Fully Realized
From Beauty Behind the Madness (2015) but originally appearing in an earlier form during his mixtape era, “Often” captures the essential tension of The Weeknd’s early persona — seductive, explicit, and wrapped in a production aesthetic that makes moral ambiguity feel genuinely appealing rather than simply transgressive. The beat is minimal and hypnotic, built around a looped sample and a slow-rolling groove that gives the vocals maximum space. It is one of the tracks that most clearly established the sonic template other artists would spend years borrowing from as the dark R&B genre he helped define became mainstream. Listening back now, it is remarkable how fully formed that identity was even this early in his official album career.
Is There Someone Else? — Dawn FM’s Emotional Highlight
One of the standout tracks from Dawn FM (2022), “Is There Someone Else?” builds on the album’s overarching concept — a purgatorial radio station playing songs to the recently departed — to deliver a searingly honest examination of jealousy and romantic insecurity. The production combines warm 1980s synth textures with a contemporary clarity that makes it feel both nostalgic and immediate. The melody in the chorus is among the most immediately memorable he has written in the later phase of his career. It received significant critical praise as an example of his ability to work within conceptual album structures while still producing songs that function independently as emotional experiences.
Take My Breath — Synth-Pop Urgency
Released as a single from Dawn FM (2022), “Take My Breath” is a deliberate exercise in high-energy 1980s synth-pop revival, with production that draws directly from the era of Giorgio Moroder and Harold Faltermeyer while sounding completely contemporary in its mixing and mastering. The tempo is relentless, the synth arpeggios driving the track with a breathlessness that matches the lyrical subject matter exactly. It is one of the most physically energetic tracks in his catalog — the kind of song that is difficult to listen to while sitting still. For listeners exploring his work through a playlist of the best songs across genres, this track offers a useful point of entry into understanding his range.
Out of Time — Quiet Beauty in a Dense Album
Another gem from Dawn FM (2022), “Out of Time” samples Minnie Riperton’s “Les Fleurs” and Japanese city pop artist Tomoko Aran’s “Feel So Good,” weaving them into a lush, bittersweet composition about love that exists outside its proper moment. The vocal performance is unusually gentle — more conversational than his dramatic work elsewhere — and the production rewards careful listening with its layers of sampled and original material carefully balanced in the mix. It is the kind of track that sounds different every time, depending on where and how you hear it. Jim Carrey’s spoken outro adds a surreal but somehow fitting punctuation mark to the song’s emotional arc.
Reminder — Starboy-Era Confidence at Its Peak
From Starboy (2016), “Reminder” is a straight-ahead statement of artistic identity — no romantic narrative, no emotional complexity, just a supremely confident inventory of achievements delivered over a trap-influenced beat that hits with satisfying weight. The production contrast between its minimal verses and slightly larger chorus keeps the track dynamic without needing a traditional pop song structure to hold it together. Reference to winning a Grammy and still being unrecognized by the Recording Academy for certain categories adds a layer of genuine grievance that gives the braggadocio some edge. In the context of the Starboy album, it functions as a palette cleanser between more emotionally demanding material.
Coming Down — Where Everything Began
From the House of Balloons mixtape (2011), “Coming Down” is a document of The Weeknd’s artistry in its most raw and unfiltered state, built around a sample of Beach House’s “Master of None” that creates an atmosphere of gorgeous, aching melancholy. The production is lo-fi and intimate in a way that his later, more polished work cannot replicate — you can feel the smallness of the recording space, the sense of something private being shared without permission. Lyrically, it deals with the aftermath of a night out, the emotional flatness that follows artificial highs. For anyone who discovered The Weeknd through “Blinding Lights” and wants to understand where that artistry came from, this track is essential listening.
One of the Girls (with JENNIE, Lily-Rose Depp) — A Recent Standout
Released as part of The Idol: Episode 4 soundtrack (2023), this collaboration between The Weeknd, BLACKPINK’s JENNIE, and Lily-Rose Depp functions as both a television tie-in and a genuinely compelling standalone track. The production is hushed and sensuous — sparse piano, soft percussion, and layered vocals that create an unusually intimate atmosphere given the commercial context. JENNIE’s contribution adds a tonal contrast that gives the arrangement a distinctive texture, while Lily-Rose Depp’s vocal presence is more subtle but effective in context. It introduced The Weeknd’s music to significant segments of the K-pop audience and demonstrated his continued ability to find compelling collaborative partners outside his usual creative circles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Weeknd’s most successful song of all time?
“Blinding Lights” is widely considered The Weeknd’s most successful song, having spent 57 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 and breaking multiple chart records. It became one of the best-performing singles in Hot 100 history and earned him multiple Grammy nominations.
What genre is The Weeknd’s music?
The Weeknd’s music spans several genres including alternative R&B, synth-pop, dream pop, trap soul, and electronic pop. His sound has evolved significantly from the lo-fi mixtape era of 2011 through his current work, incorporating 1980s pop influences, electronic music, and orchestral production at various points in his career.
Which album should someone listen to first?
For new listeners, After Hours (2020) is generally the best starting point — it balances his most accessible, polished production with the emotional depth and thematic consistency that defines his best work. From there, working backward through Starboy, Beauty Behind the Madness, and eventually the original mixtapes gives a clear picture of how his artistry developed.
How did The Weeknd get his start?
The Weeknd — born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye in Toronto, Canada — began releasing music anonymously on YouTube and Tumblr in 2010, with no press photos and minimal information about his identity. The mystery surrounding his identity helped generate significant online attention, and the mixtape House of Balloons (2011) established his critical reputation before he signed with Republic Records.
Did The Weeknd win a Grammy?
Yes, The Weeknd has won multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Urban Contemporary Album for Beauty Behind the Madness in 2016. However, he famously boycotted the Grammys after After Hours received no nominations despite being one of the most commercially and critically successful albums of 2020, and he has been publicly critical of the Recording Academy’s voting process.
What are The Weeknd’s best collaborations?
His most celebrated collaborations include the two Daft Punk tracks on Starboy (“Starboy” and “I Feel It Coming”), the Kendrick Lamar pairing “Pray for Me” from the Black Panther soundtrack, and his work with Swedish House Mafia on “Moth to a Flame.” His more recent collaboration with JENNIE and Lily-Rose Depp on “One of the Girls” has also received significant attention.