Katie Peterson
Table of Contents
Let’s face it: with her various songs about love and relationships, be they joyous or heartbreaking, Taylor Dayne is the OG Taylor Swift.
Rising to fame in 1987 with her debut single, “Tell It to My Heart,” she has become one of the most successful female dance artists ever, ranking high on Rolling Stone and Billboard lists.
With so many dance-worthy hits that could easily be deemed Taylor Dayne’s most popular songs, it wasn’t easy to narrow it down, but here is our list of the 24 best Taylor Dayne songs.
24. “Supermodel”
We love that Taylor Dayne lends her vocals to film as well as radio, which is why we had to kick off our list of the best Taylor Dayne songs with “Supermodel.”
Released initially by RuPaul for the album Supermodel of the World, Taylor Dayne recorded a cover version for the soundtrack of The Lizzie McGuire Movie starring Hilary Duff. The montage “makeover/shopping” scenes in movies are some of the most fun, and having this version of the song “narrating” makes the scene super memorable.
23. “Fool to Cry”
“Fool to Cry” will always be a Rolling Stones classic written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, but Taylor Dayne gave it the old college try for Satisfied.
Doing the same for many others on our list of the best Taylor Dayne songs, which we’ll get to later, we have to applaud artists who pay tribute to the greats that came before and honor classic songs.
Related: 34 Best Rolling Stones Songs: The Ultimate Playlist
22. “My Heart Can’t Change”
Oh, the woes of unrequited love.
Taylor Dayne sings of these universal feelings in “My Heart Can’t Change,” and it’s easy for us to relate. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing the one you love walk away thanks to mistakes made.
21. “Floor on Fire”
“Floor on Fire” has make a best Taylor Dayne songs list.
Who doesn’t love dancing to one of her best dance club hits?
20. “Dance with a Stranger”
“Dance with a Stranger” is undoubtedly a more poetic way of describing a rebound relationship after having your heart broken, and we won’t lie. We kind of dig it.
When a relationship ends, we want to find a way to cure the loneliness, and Taylor Dayne gives us a great idea of how to with this song.
19. “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”
One of many cover songs that will grace this list of the best Taylor Dayne songs, “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” originally recorded by the Bee Gees in 1971, was released by Dayne for her Naked Without You album as a live performance on the album’s extended edition.
For those fans who have yet been able to witness a live performance by Dayne, this song is the perfect example of her ability to bring the house down with her vocals. Bringing out a bluesy quality to the song, we love her version almost as much as the original.
Related: 18 Best Sibling Bands
18. “Do You Want It Right Now”
Taylor Dayne may not have been the original recording artist for “Do You Want It Right Now,” but her version remains one of the most well-known over Siedah Garrett.
It was praised by critics and solidified the quality of the singer’s debut album.
17. “Say a Prayer”
We love the sentimental side of “Say a Prayer,” as Taylor Dayne sings of a relationship that stands the test of time.
What makes it stand out as one of the best Taylor Dayne songs, however, is the upbeat, high-energy melody that she was, by then, most known for.
The only thing better was the remix by David Morales released for her Greatest Hits compilation album in 1995.
16. “Facing a Miracle”
Taylor Dayne hasn’t only given us hits with her original albums but also in her work with other projects and organizations.
“Facing a Miracle” has to be one of her best, as she recorded it as the official theme song of the 2010 Gay Games. Performed in front of 50,000 fans in Cologne, Germany on the opening day of the games, we love the instrumental opening and her energetic vocal line.
15. “Original Sin”
We have to say, our favorite thing about “Original Sin” isn’t Taylor Dayne’s vocals. Although they’re spot on in this 1994 single, recorded and released for the soundtrack of The Shadow, the composition puts it over the top.
From the grand piano to the guitars to the backing chants of the choir, it’s one of the most memorable songs on the soundtrack.
Cash Box noted that producer Jim Steinman “created for Dayne an epic single worthy of her powerhouse vocals” and is “layered thick with energetic guitars, orchestral pianos, and a heavy-duty vocal choir that’ll have [them] dancing in the aisles.”
14. “Under the Bridge”
Taylor Dayne channeled the Red Hot Chili Peppers for this cover for her most recent album, Satisfied, and that’s enough to make us love it.
While the OG version will always be our favorite, Dayne gave “Under the Bridge” its due recognition, and we have nothing but respect for that.
Related: Red Hot Chili Peppers Heat up U.S. Bank Stadium
13. “Upon the Journey’s End”
It may not have been a significant single for Taylor Dayne’s career, but when “Upon the Journey’s End” comes up every time we listen to her debut album, we can’t help but play it on repeat for a few rotations.
Recorded as a duet with Billy T. Scott, the song’s message of standing by your friends (or lovers) no matter what, lifting them when they’re down, tugs at our heartstrings every time.
It will always be one of the best Taylor Dayne songs we’ve ever enjoyed hearing.
12. “I’ll Be Your Shelter”
Taylor Dayne may be best known for her dance and soul music, but with “I’ll Be Your Shelter,” she proved she could handle mid-tempo pop rock, too.
Originally intended to be recorded by Tina Turner, Dayne became the second choice for the song written by Diane Warren. It became a platinum single for the singer as she brought her classic party track vibes to the song.
Related: How Did Tina Turner Die? How the Queen of Rock Left This World
11. “Heart of Stone”
Taylor Dayne strongly ended her Can’t Fight Fate album with this final single release.
“Heart of Stone,” whose accompanying music video was featured on her collection Twist of Fate, may have ended her run of top-ten singles, but we can’t get enough of the heartbreaking hit.
10. “I’ll Wait”
We understand why Clive Davis pushed for “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” to be the lead-off single for Taylor Dayne’s Soul Dancing album instead of “I’ll Wait,” but we hate that it never got its chance to be its own single.
This was one song where Taylor Dayne didn’t just prove her true gift of soul sound but also her gifts as a songwriter, penning it alongside Shep Pettibone and Tony Shimkin.
The accompanying video makes us love it even more, and it will always be one of our favorite Taylor Dayne songs over the years.
9. “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love”
Taylor Dayne knows how to bring life to an old classic as she did with this Barry White original, “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love,” in 1993.
Her version of the song became a hit in U.S. dance clubs, peaking at number two on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Larry Flick of Billboard said, “Long-absent pop dynamo takes a page from Barry White’s book of R&B/disco classics and gives it a faithful reading. Her boisterous delivery occasionally overpowers the instrumentation, though she is ultimately quite effective in conjuring up feelings of nostalgia.”
Related: Barry White: His Life, Death, and Everything In Between
8. “Send Me a Lover”
“Send Me a Lover” may not have seen significant chart success, peaking at number 50 on the Hot 100 and 19 on the Hot Adult Contemporary charts.
Nonetheless, we love that Taylor Dayne channeled her inner Celine Dion for this one, even if the former’s version technically dropped first when the latter recorded hers a year earlier.
The power ballad of heartbreak has to be one of Taylor Dayne’s most popular songs, and we can’t help but listen to it while eating ice cream straight from the pint every time our heart breaks.
Related: 15 Interesting Facts About Celine Dion
7. “Don’t Rush Me”
“Don’t Rush Me” earned Taylor Dayne not only her highest chart position in her career to that point, peaking at number one behind “Two Hearts” by Phil Collins, but also brought her major exposure on VH-1 and MTV.
Released as the fourth single off her debut album, the song’s music video was a montage of her live performances and was heavily rotated throughout the popular television stations.
Related: The 16 Best Phil Collins Songs
6. “Love Will Lead You Back”
Taylor Dayne kicked off the 90s with “Love Will Lead You Back” and quickly rose to the top of the charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, and even was certified gold by the RIAA.
Most everyone who has been in love can relate to the song, penned by songwriter Diane Warren, as she writes of a woman who is confident that she can let her partner go because his love will bring him back to her one day.
While we’re sure Whitney Houston, whom Warren originally intended to record it, would’ve knocked it out of the park, we’re glad Clive Davis of Arista Records pushed for this to be Dayne’s. It’s clearly one of the top Taylor Dayne songs to date.
Related: Clive Davis’ Net Worth: The Richest Man in Music
5. “Beautiful”
One of the more recent singles to grace our list of the best Taylor Dayne songs, “Beautiful” was released in 2007 as part of the singer’s fifth studio album, Satisfied. Her first album in almost ten years after taking a hiatus did not disappoint, and this song is one of the reasons why.
Also grabbing a songwriting credit for the song, “Beautiful” is a soul yet funky hit we’ll gladly listen to on repeat while driving around.
4. “With Every Beat of My Heart”
Taylor Dayne’s second album, Can’t Fight Fate, released in 1989, was one fans were definitely looking forward to. “With Every Beat of My Heart,” taken from that record, is easily our favorite of all the Taylor Dayne songs on the album.
As David Giles from Music Week noted, the “bluesy soul number” gives us Tina Turner-style vibes, and we’re digging it. Peaking at number five on the charts, Giles said, “the song isn’t immediate enough for massive success, but its singer is evidently here to stay.”
3. “Prove Your Love”
Throughout her career, Taylor Dayne has shown she has a knack for songs related to love. “Prove Your Love” was yet another of those.
Noted by Number One as having a “thumpingly catchy disco tune,” the song earned Dayne not only her first number-one hit in the United States but also garnered significant success overseas. The song went number one in Switzerland, four in Germany, and eight in Britain.
That’s certainly enough to make it one of the top Taylor Dayne songs.
2. “Tell It to My Heart”
“Tell It to My Heart” was our introduction to Taylor Dayne, so of course, we’ll get nostalgic and rank it high on our list of Taylor Dayne’s most popular songs.
Peaking at the number seven spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Dayne has commented that one thing, in particular, made her want to record the song for her debut album of the same name. “I thought there was something about the hook – it’s a happy hook.”
Girl, we couldn’t agree more.
1. “I’ll Always Love You”
There was no better choice for the number one spot on our best Taylor Dayne songs list than this 1989 hit single that catapulted her career.
“I’ll Always Love You,” the third single off her Tell It to My Heart debut album, led to her first Grammy nominations – Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song.
After kicking her career off with upbeat, freestyle tracks, she showed the world her soft, romantic side with this classic ballad that became a crossover hit for both R&B and adult contemporary audiences.
With a saxophone instrumental provided by Richie Cannata, best known for his performances with Billy Joel, this will always go down as one of the best Taylor Dayne songs, solidifying her place in music history.
What do you think of our list of the top Taylor Dayne songs?
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