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Britney Spears's 15 biggest hits, ranked: which is our No.1?
BY ALIM KHERAJ

Since 1998, Britney Spears has grown to become one of the most successful recording artists of all time, selling a staggering 100 million albums worldwide and 100 million singles. Over nearly 20 years, she's released 40 singles, including six UK Number 1s and 23 Top 10s.

Britney's had her fair share of ups and downs, but has consistently released absolute bangers, from '…Baby One More Time' to 'Work Bitch'. And it seems that there's no stopping her, too, with the singer planning to release her "all new, totally different and somewhat unexpected" ninth album and lead single, 'Make Me (Oooh)', within the next few weeks.​

But with so many amazing songs, what is Britney's best single? We went back through her extensive discography and ranked our Top 15 (don't @ us)…

15. 'DO SOMETHIN''

Released: February 14, 2015 • Chart peak: No.6

Released as part of Britney's first greatest hits, My Prerogative, 'Do Somethin'' was a surprise hit in the UK, reaching Number 6 on the Official Singles Chart.

Why 'Do Somethin'' is significant stems from the sonic direction it hints towards. Fizzing synths and harder drums pushed Britney into slightly left-field territory, something she'd continue to nurture on her next two albums. It was also the singer's last UK single before her public troubles and subsequent comeback.

14. 'TILL THE WORLD ENDS'

Released: March 4, 2011 • Chart peak: No.21

Co-written by Kesha, 'Till The World Ends' is probably the most anthemic single that Britney has ever released, which is why it's played out both her 2011 'Femme Fatale Tour' and her successful 'Piece of Me' residency in Las Vegas.

Hedonistic lyrics mix with Euroclub beats and blipping electronics, egging you on to keep dancing till the apocalypse. (The song was also given the remix treatment, adding both Nicki Minaj and the song's writer Kesha into the mix. On Nicki's verse she actually clucks like a chicken.)

13. 'WORK BITCH'

Released: September 17, 2013 • Chart peak: No.7

Before Rihanna and Fifth Harmony were discussing the ins and outs of employment, Britney was commanding you to work (bitch). Marking her 23rd Top 10 single in the UK, 'Work Bitch' and its dedication to EDM beats and British accents is probably the most ridiculous thing that Britney has ever recorded.

It may contain everything and the iamspamspamamisink (as well as a Bugatti, a Maserati and a party in France), but in just three years 'Work Bitch' has become a Britney classic.

12. 'BORN TO MAKE YOU HAPPY'

Released: December 6, 1999 • Chart peak: No.1

Never released in the US, 'Born To Make You Happy' gave Britney her second chart-topper in the UK. If it were to be released now, it'd only be a matter of time before the song was torn apart by online commentators criticising the subservient nature of the lyrics (and the fact that such a song was written by two men for a 17-year-old girl.)

However, 1999 was a different time and people weren't so 'woke'. Instead, they were lured in by the Spears' pure vocals and the dreamlike production.

11. '(YOU DRIVE ME) CRAZY'

Released: August 23, 1999 • Chart peak: No.5

While '(You Drive Me) Crazy' is most notable for its prominent use of cowbells and a cameo from Sabrina the Teenage Witch herself, Melissa Joan Hart, in the video, it's also the song that proved Britney was more than just one hit single. And, for the third cut from her debut album, the song is distantly self-assured. Backed up by rock guitars and flawless Max Martin production, Britney sounds confident, her vocals clear and powerful.

10. 'WOMANIZER'

Released: October 3, 2008 • Chart peak: No.3

After some public ups and downs, we weren't sure whether we'd ever see a new Britney Spears song. So, it was a surprise when, in the latter half to 2008, news started to spread that Britney Spears was indeed releasing new music.

Lead single 'Womanizer' was clearly a mission statement, with whirring sirens, simple beats, the catchiest of hooks and purposefully nonchalant vocals hinting towards a Britney back on track, taking charge of her narrative. Luckily, it delivered on that mission. 'Womanizer' cracked the top ten in every country it charted in.

9. 'EVERYTIME'

Released: May 10, 2004 • Chart peak: No.1​

Sung almost exclusively in her breathy falsetto, the song's lullaby-like production, wonderfully simple piano riff and confessional lyrics create a fragile picture of fame, love and the brevity of life. It's hard not to be swept up by the breeze of swelling strings and the tempestuous dark turn of the middle eight, before gently arriving at the final chorus.

8. 'GIMME MORE'

Released: September 18, 2007 • Chart peak: No.3

Britney may have many iconic moments, but none can match the opening three words of 'Gimme More': "It's Britney, bitch."

Seemingly distant vocals move effortlessly between topnotch production, provided by Danja. The song's stripper aesthetic matches the dirty and hypnotic synths and lyrical connotations, while Britney coos and moans all over the place, exhibiting a wild sexual hunger. And, nearly ten years later, 'Gimme More' still sounds fresh, modern and ahead of its time. But then why wouldn't it? It's Britney, bitch.

7. 'I'M A SLAVE 4 U'

Released: September 24, 2001 • Chart peak: No.4

Grown-up Britney made her first full appearance in the steamy video for 2001's 'I'm A Slave 4 U', sweaty, toned and doing one of the most famous dance routines of her career. The song allowed for a sexier edge to peek through in Britney's distinctive vocals, something that's remained in her delivery ever since.

At the time, critics compared the song favourably to the late Prince, with NME suggesting that "if Prince was a 19-year-old former Disney Club host and virgin, he'd be proud to create such a record". Some compliment.

6. 'OOPS!... I DID IT AGAIN'

Released: March 27, 2000 • Chart peak: No.1

Giving Britney her third UK Number One, 'Oops!' is perhaps the antithesis of 'Born To Make You Happy'. The song was also a sign that Britney wasn't the naive girl portrayed by the media, as she definitely cries "I'm not that innocent" at the end of the chorus.

5. 'OVERPROTECTED'

Released: December 12, 2001 • Chart peak: No.4

Another moment where Britney's music became eerily prophetic, 'Overprotected' is an anthem that deals with the complexities of growing up and being held back by other people's perceptions.

It's classic Britney and Max Martin, full of distinctive chord progressions and more hooks than it seems possible to include in one song. It also features one of the greatest breakdowns in the history of pop music, allowing Britney to really showcase her skills as a dancer.

4. 'STRONGER'

Released: November 13, 2000 • Chart peak: No.7

Britney's never been one for self-help bangers; usually, her music centres around sex and relationships. While 'Stronger' is most certainly about a break up, there's a deeper element of defiance embedded both within the lyrics and the epic chord progressions.

Whether Spears is stronger without her teen image or free from a relationship is never quite clear, but what's abundantly obvious is that Max Martin and Britney are an unstoppable pop force.

3. '…BABY ONE MORE TIME'

Released: October 23, 1998 • Chart peak: No.1

The first smattering of piano in '…Baby One More Time' has an otherworldly pull, dragging you in to one of the catchiest songs of the 20th century. It's one of those rare serendipitous moments in history where two people, in this case Britney Spears and Max Martin, come together to create a piece of art that changes the shape of pop culture. That's what '…Baby' is: a piece of art. It's the song that started it all and thank God it did.

2. 'TOXIC'

Released: January 13, 2004 • Chart peak: No.1

Like '…Baby', 'Toxic' is one of those special moments in pop music history where the stars align. Produced by the now-defunct Bloodshy and Avant, the song was the second track to be lifted from Britney's fourth album In The Zone, and won her a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. Debuting at Number One in the UK, 'Toxic' was Britney's crossover moment, as many skeptics came around and realised the genius innovator that she could be.

1. 'PIECE OF ME'

Released: November 27, 2007 • Chart peak: No.2

Britney Spears' music has never been overtly personal, and 'Piece Of Me' is the closest Britney has ever come at addressing the crazy scrutiny she lived under.

Released in 2007, the song also became emblematic of Britney's darkest period, one where the press and paparazzi hunted her relentlessly 24/7. Bloodshy and Avant's distressingly distorted production and prehistoric caws create a sonic representation of the madness that was Britney's life at that time.

It might never have been a humungous worldwide smash, but 'Piece Of Me' is the central moment of Britney's career; it looks back at the woman she was and steps towards the one she's still to become.

No 'Lucky', 'Break the Ice' or 'If U Seek Amy' but 'Do Somethin'' is there?