What is Billie Holidays most famous song?

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Posted on Mar 7, 2021

Celebrating the music icon with some of my favorite songs.

Born Eleanora Fagan in 1915 to an absent musician father and a single mother, the Baltimore-raised jazz singer grew up in the fast life and never slowed down.

Along with innovative interpretations of jazz standards, Holiday wrote many of her own songs — a rare feat for jazz singers of that time.

I'm celebrating the diva's extraordinary talent with 10 of my favorite Billie Holiday songs, which are all as steeped in lore as she is. If you haven’t heard these songs before, grab a drink and take a seat:

1. "Strange Fruit"

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With lyrics written by communist poet Abel Meeropol (who adopted Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s children), 1939’s "Strange Fruit" is undoubtedly the most influential track she ever recorded. The song paints a harrowing portrait of horrific lynchings juxtaposed against a Southern idyll, which renowned jazz writer Leonard Feather described as “the first unmuted cry against racism.” Not only did a song like this put Holiday in vocal opposition to racist retaliation, but no record label would touch it. The record was eventually released on Commodore Records after Holiday’s a cappella performance brought executive Milt Gabler to tears.

2. "I'll Be Seeing You"

3. "Solitude"

4. "Blue Moon"

5. "Lover Man"

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This jazz standard is particularly associated with Holiday, who recorded it in 1941, the year she married James Monroe, an abusive playboy who was, as TLC would call it, a scrub. Monroe introduced her to opium, which set Holiday on her later path to heroin addiction (introduced by Joe Guy, another no-good musician she dated). Her 1958 live version is particularly haunting, paralleling her struggles to find a "lover man" who will treat her right.

6. "Billie's Blues (I Love My Man)"

7. "Them There Eyes"

8. "All of Me"

9. "Easy Livin'"

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Teddy Wilson tapped a young Holiday to sing vocals for this song in 1937, and the magical session included Young on tenor sax, Buck Clayton on trumpet, Walter Page on Bass, and Wilson on piano. Holiday's luxurious vocals weave effortlessly with their playing and capture the mood of a tie being loosened and a cigarette being sparked.

10. "God Bless the Child"

What are your favorite Billie Holiday songs? Let us know in the comments below.

Who doesn’t love Billie Holiday? An amazing singer who left us with so many beautiful songs, it’s common to question what Billie Holiday’s most popular song was — and what it is today. After all, what was once popular may not be as big as before.

Below, we’ve put together a quick survey of the most popular Billie Holiday songs according to the old music charts, as well as according to what is popular today via Spotify streams. Hope you like it!

Billie Holiday’s most popular song is “Carelessly”, released in 1937, which peaked at #1 on the charts. This is the only #1 hit that Holiday had, which is actually very surprising. She’s remembered for so many hits today, so you would think that she would’ve had more #1s.

“Carelessly” by Holiday is, of course, a wonderful song — just like most songs she recorded are. It’s no surprise that it hit the top spot in 1937!

Billie Holiday’s Top Chart Hits (Ranked By Chart Position)

  • Carelessly — peaked at #1 in 1937
  • I’m Gonna Lock My Heart — peaked at #2 in 1938
  • The Way You Look Tonight — peaked at #3 in 1936
  • Who Loves You? — peaked at #4 in 1936
  • I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm — peaked at #4 in 1937
  • These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You) — peaked at #5 in 1936
  • I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (Dear) — peaked at #5 in 1936
  • Riffin’ the Scotch — peaked at #6 in 1934
  • Twenty-Four Hours a Day — peaked at #6 in 1935
  • Mean to Me — peaked at #7 in 1937
  • This Year’s Kisses — peaked at #8 in 1937
  • No Regrets — peaked at #9 in 1936
  • A Fine Romance — peaked at #9 in 1936

Billie Holiday’s most popular song today is “All of Me”, which was first sung by Holiday in 1941. While popular back then, it was actually never released as a single, therefore it never hit the charts! Today, “All of Me” is one of the best Holiday songs — and her most popular, as it has the most streams on Spotify.

Interestingly, this song was never on the music charts, as it’s so popular today. But that’s why it’s so cool to look at what is popular today when discussing old artists — and looking at what was once popular during their lifetimes.

Excuse us, but we’re about to listen to “All of Me” on repeat for the foreseeable future.

The Top 10 Streamed Billie Holiday Songs on Spotify

  1. All of Me
  2. I’ll Be Seeing You
  3. Strange Fruit
  4. Easy Living
  5. Blue Moon
  6. April in Paris
  7. Crazy He Calls Me
  8. Autumn in New York
  9. I’ll Look Around
  10. Solitude

Interestingly, “Carelessly”, the only #1 hit that Billie Holiday had, isn’t on her Top 10 streamed songs on Spotify!

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Comment below what you think about this list of the most popular Billie Holiday songs. Is your favorite Holiday song listed here, or do you prefer one of her underrated ones? Hit the comments below with your thoughts!

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What was Billie Holiday's best selling song?

Billie Holiday's most popular song is “Carelessly”, released in 1937, which peaked at #1 on the charts. This is the only #1 hit that Holiday had, which is actually very surprising.

What were two of Billie Holiday most famous songs?

After she achieved mainstream success in the 1930s and 1940s with hits like “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” (with Teddy Wilson) and “Strange Fruit,” Holiday's physical and mental health deteriorated in the late 1940s and 1950s, and she died in 1959 from cirrhosis at just 44 years old.

What is Billie Holiday most known for?

Considered by many to be one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time, Billie Holiday triumphed over adversity to forever change the genres of jazz and pop music with her unique styling and interpretation. Holiday left employment as a maid to pursue work as a dancer in Harlem nightclubs.

What was Billie Holiday's song of the century?

She died several days later on July 17, 1959 at the age of 44. “Strange Fruit” remains one of Holiday's most popular and well-known recordings. It was named “Song of the Century,” by Time in 1999 and was included in the National Recording Registry on January 27, 2003.