As the life story of Pharrell Williams is told in Piece by Piece, it’s worth looking at Williams’ discography to remember, or learn, what the biggest songs of his career have been. Williams always strives to think outside the box when it comes to his career, and Piece by Piece is no exception. The animated movie explores Williams’ life through LEGO storytelling, amassing an impressive number of cameos from other musicians in Piece by Piece as it does so – including the likes of Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and Kendrick Lamar.
Of course, the reason why these musicians are included in the story is because of the many impressive collaborations Williams has been a part of over the course of his life. Williams has created many songs, both under his own name and on behalf of others, that have topped the charts time and time again, becoming the soundtrack to many people’s lives. Here are the 10 biggest songs from Williams’ career thus far, ranked by both their performance on the charts and their overall cultural impact and reception.
10 “Havana” By Camila Cabello Feat. Young Thug
Release Date: August 3, 2017
Though Williams has a smaller role in “Havana,” this song by Camila Cabello was nearly inescapable from 2017 to 2018. It was one of two leading singles from Cabello’s debut album, Camila, and it helped to launch her solo career after years spent in the girl group Fifth Harmony. Williams served as a writer for the track, in addition to providing vocals throughout the song itself.
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“Havana” took some time to rise through the charts, but eventually, it peaked on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at the #4 spot. Now, 7 years later, it’s been certified Diamond by the RIAA in 8 different countries, and it’s won an impressive array of awards – including Video of the Year at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. This success certainly makes it one of Williams’ biggest songs, but given the smaller size of his role in the song, it still sits a ways behind the following nine.
9 “Neon Guts” By Lil Uzi Vert Feat. Pharrell Williams
Release Date: August 25, 2017
Also released in August 2017 was “Neon Guts” by Lil Uzi Vert, which contained a full Williams feature in addition to him producing the track. “Neon Guts” wasn’t a huge performer on the charts, with the song hitting a peak of #79 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and only remaining on the charts for 2 total weeks, but its true prime arrived years after the song’s release. Because of a TikTok trend, “Neon Guts,” particularly the following lyrics, became the center of its own cultural moment.
I’m basically saying I’m cooler (Slatt) / Get Dior discounts from my cougar / Back in the sixth grade, I got them bad grades / I was in love with my tutor (Yeah)
Given how beloved Lil Uzi Vert is as an artist, this collaboration is big for Williams, even if Williams does stand on his own as a legend in his own right. This track is a fun ode to both of them and their successful lives, and the way they manage to bounce off one another throughout the track makes it a true bop in every way. Still, however, Williams has helped to create even more magic, even if this track’s cultural impact and overall vibe have become extremely memorable over the years.
8 “Money Maker” By Ludacris Feat. Pharrell
Release Date: July 17, 2006
“Money Maker” by Ludacris also sees a full feature from Williams, in addition to a songwriting and producing credit (as “The Neptunes,” including both Williams and Chad Hugo). The track, which samples the 1961 blues song “Shake Your Moneymaker” by Elmore James, had a steady climb to becoming a #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for Ludacris and Williams, which marked Williams’ second number-one hit on the chart. It persevered to earn this top spot for two weeks, as it initially debuted at #96 and was kept from the top spot by Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” for 4 weeks.
While commercially, this success is obvious, the prominence of this track has died down over the years. Still, that takes nothing away from the magic Ludacris and Williams created in this song. Its success certainly makes it one of Williams’ biggest songs, though these next few have become absolute staples of Williams’ career.
7 “Beautiful” By Snoop Dogg Feat. Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson
Release Date: January 27, 2003
“Beautiful” is only the first collaboration between Snoop Dogg and Williams on this list, as the two truly do make up a dynamic duo. The track did well commercially, reaching a peak of #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining on the chart for a total of 20 weeks. With Williams credited on the track for his vocals, production, and writing, this is certainly one of the duo’s most iconic – and biggest – collaborations to date.
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The impact of “Beautiful” was enough for Williams to add to the soundtrack for Piece by Piece, proving how important it has been to Williams’ career. This 2003 collaboration between the two would lead to their most popular the very next year, which has become arguably one of the biggest songs of all time. It was “Beautiful” that helped to pave the way, which earns it a place on this list – even if some of Williams’ other songs have still become even bigger.
6 “Feels” By Calvin Harris Feat. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, & Big Sean
Release Date: June 15, 2017
“Feels” sees Williams again offering a vocal feature, this time on DJ Calvin Harris’ track, alongside two other big names: Katy Perry and Big Sean. This occurred during an era where these kinds of collaborations were extremely popular, with multiple big artists all collaborating on a single track together. This was Williams’ chance to participate in the trend, and it certainly paid off, given its legacy 7 years later.
“Feels” wasn’t a huge commercial hit, with the song peaking at #20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but it stayed on the chart for 18 weeks and was a major hit in other countries. In the U.K., “Feels” topped the charts, making it Williams’ fourth to do so in the country. It has also since become a massive streaming hit, with it having amassed over 1 billion streams on Spotify in the 7 years since its release. This helps “Feels” to sit just outside the top five of Williams’ biggest songs, which is an impressive feat given Williams’ discography.
5 “Alright” By Kendrick Lamar
Release Date: June 30, 2015
“Alright” by Kendrick Lamar is a song that needs no explanation, given how important it’s become culturally. Williams served as a producer and writer on this track, in addition to serving some vocals. Lamar, Williams, and the rest of the brilliant minds behind this song had no idea initially what was to come from this song, but following its release, it quickly became one of the world’s most important songs, and an anthem for voices that were desperately trying to be heard.
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The chorus, as simple as it is with its repetitive assertion of “We gon’ be alright,” became the chant of some of the earliest protests in the Black Lives Matter movement. As the movement gained more traction that year, “Alright” quickly became one of its anthems, as its message resonated with those who were fighting to shine a light on injustice. “Alright” has since become one of Williams’ most culturally impactful songs, and thus one of his biggest, with only its chart performance keeping it from a higher ranking.
4 “Drop It Like It’s Hot” By Snoop Dogg Feat. Pharrell
Release Date: September 27, 2004
There’s no denying how big “Drop It Like It’s Hot” is, a popularity that’s been sustained over the last two decades. This collaboration is the biggest between Snoop Dogg and Williams, set up for success by their work together on “Beautiful.” Williams served as a vocalist, producer, and writer on the track, which topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks – and remained on the chart for 30 total weeks.
It’s impossible to say that phrase nowadays and not execute it in the style of the way it’s sung here.
While the phrase “drop it like it’s hot” wasn’t coined by Snoop Dogg and Williams in this song, the use of it not only skyrocketed with the release of this song, but it also became defined by the track. It’s impossible to say that phrase nowadays and not execute it in the style of the way it’s sung here. The song has become so popular that it’s been parodied many times over the years, in addition to its music video, which became a meme in 2011. Only three other tracks have managed to become bigger than this one for Williams.
3 “Blurred Lines” By Robin Thicke Feat. T.I. & Pharrell
Release Date: March 27, 2013
“Blurred Lines” may be one of the biggest songs of Williams’ career, but it’s also one of the most controversial – if not his most controversial. “Blurred Lines” was a massive hit at the time, spending 12 consecutive weeks at the #1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and remaining on the chart for a total of 48 weeks. Despite this huge commercial success, however, the legacy of “Blurred Lines” has taken a major hit, between both accusations of severe misogyny and legal issues.
The music video for “Blurred Lines” is also extremely controversial, with both a censored and an unrated version being available for viewing.
“Blurred Lines” caused Thicke, Williams, and T.I. to be taken to court by the estate of Marvin Gaye, who claimed copyright infringement for similarities to Gaye’s track “Got to Give It Up.” These legal issues lasted for many years, with Williams defending the track as much as possible, though the court ultimately ruled in favor of Gaye’s estate. The song was already controversial for its lyrics, which many insisted had extremely misogynistic undertones, amongst other disturbing themes. Despite this, “Blurred Lines” is still one of Williams’ biggest songs, with only two others surpassing it.
2 “Get Lucky” By Daft Punk Feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
Release Date: April 19, 2013
“Get Lucky” arrived just weeks after “Blurred Lines,” marking an iconic collaboration between Daft Punk and Williams. Williams served as the lead vocalist on the track, in addition to a writing credit. The song was a huge success commercially, even if it did only hit a peak of #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for 29 weeks – and was blocked from the #1 spot by “Blurred Lines.” The song also won many awards, including Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2014.
The true magic of “Get Lucky,” however, is its staying power. The song is still widely played to this day, and it has half a billion streams on Spotify, which is very impressive for a song that released when iTunes and other music platforms were still more popular. Only one other song has managed to outdo the staying power of “Get Lucky” for Williams, and set a legacy that was since come to define much of Williams’ work.
1 “Happy” By Pharrell Williams
Release Date: July 2, 2013
“Happy” is no doubt the biggest song of Williams’ entire career, a track that has had a massive impact both commercially and culturally. It was the biggest song of 2014, having received a re-launch of sorts when Williams re-released the single in November 2013, and it peaked at the #1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 10 weeks. It would go on to stay on the chart for 47 weeks as it continued to top charts worldwide. This popularity resulted in it becoming a meme, which helped its cultural impact to widen even more.
What’s perhaps most fascinating about “Happy” is that it originally served as the sole single off the soundtrack album for Despicable Me 2. This has given Williams a legacy rooted in the Despicable Me franchise; the artist continues to make music for the new movies, with “Just A Cloud Away” and “Double Life” being more recent examples that have certainly had their viral moments on TikTok. “Happy” truly changed the game for Williams as a solo artist, making it an integral part of the journey that Piece by Piece shows in its story.
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7/10 Piece by Piece PGAnimationBiographyMusical
Piece by Piece is an animated musical biography film directed by Morgan Neville. The film explores the life and career of musician and performer Pharrell Williams, who, through LEGOS, shows the evolution of his creative process throughout his life.
Director Morgan Neville Release Date October 11, 2024 Studio(s) The LEGO Group , Tremolo Productions , I Am Other Distributor(s) Focus Features Cast Pharrell Williams , Gwen Stefani , Kendrick Lamar , Timbaland , Justin Timberlake , Busta Rhymes , Jay-Z , Snoop Dogg , Morgan Neville Runtime 94 Minutes Main Genre Animation Expand