Music
The 11 best Bruno Mars songs
With The Romantic Tour headed to the UK this summer, we rank the best tracks from the pop-funk king
Wedding songs, party anthems and sensual slow jams: Bruno Mars is a master of all trades. The Hawaii-born artist’s ballads and bangers are not only among the biggest hits of the century so far, their success have also made him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
While his flawless 2010 debut LP Doo-Wops & Hooligans – which now boasts more than 7.8 billion total streams – marked the arrival of a singular talent, the 15-time Grammy Award winner’s most recent album, 24K Magic, was just as critically acclaimed. That’s without mentioning his top-tier collaborations: who can forget ‘Uptown Funk’ with Mark Ronson, or his seductive team up with Anderson.Paak, ‘An Evening With Silk Sonic’.
Beyond his stellar discography and ability to blend retro funk, soul, and pop with modern sounds, the four-time Guinness World Record holder is globally renowned for being one of the best performers in the music business: alongside countless sold out world tours, his milestone 2015 NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show drew a record-breaking total viewership of over 115.3 million. Fast forward to 2026 and, following his huge Las Vegas residency that ended two winters ago, he’s gearing up for an unmissable return to the stage.
Here, we look back at 11 of the best Bruno Mars songs.
11. ‘It Will Rain’
(2011, single)
Let’s kick things off with one for the true fans. Although it’s currently Mars’ seventh most popular song on Spotify, ‘It Will Rain’ warrants a deeper dive into his back catalogue. Pouring his all into this theme song for the inescapable Twilight saga, which was mainstream culture in the early 2010s, his show-stopping voice rang out of cinemas across the globe. In the years that followed, he branched into acting; fun fact: Bruno voiced the character Roberto in animated film Rio 2.
10. ‘Count On Me’
(2010, Doo-Wops & Hooligans)
Listening to ‘Count On Me’ is an instant throwback, recalling a simpler and far more carefree time in most people’s lives. In a similar vein to Jason Mraz’s ‘I’m Yours’ from the same era, the gentle acoustic guitar plucks of this tropical-meets-funk ditty are the perfect pairing for Mars’ heartfelt lyrics and positive message about the importance of friendship.
9. ‘The Lazy Song’
(2010, Doo-Wops & Hooligans)
A mood-booster that’s sure to brighten up a bad day, ‘The Lazy Song’ is, as the saying goes, so laid back it’s almost horizontal. The ideal soundtrack for these cold winter months, Mars’ playful ode to procrastination and days spent lounging on the sofa was accompanied by a fittingly low-budget music video that remains one of his most memorable thanks to its iconic bopping monkey masks.
8. ‘24K Magic’
(2016, 24K Magic)
With his third album, a sequin-suited Bruno Mars stepped into the role he was always born to play: pop showman. The blinged up funk of its talkbox-led title track showcased a charmingly confident new era, as did record highlights ‘Finesse’ and ‘Chunky’.
7. ‘Versace On The Floor’
(2016, 24K Magic)
‘24K Magic’ was an LP of two thematic halves, as ‘That’s What I Like’ and ‘Calling All My Lovelies’ – which play like vintage 90s R&B tunes – added some bedroom-ready spice to Mars’s winning recipe. Taking the crown for its baby-making mood, however, it has to be the lusciously seductive ‘Versace On The Floor’.
6. ‘Uptown Funk’
(2014, Uptown Special)
Yes, Mark Ronson’s name leads the credits and it kicked off his album campaign, but there’s no question that it’s Bruno Mars who sent ‘Uptown Funk’ stratospheric. A big band number with lyrics that stick in the brain more than a decade later, the horn-blowing party anthem – which won two Grammy Awards at the 2016 ceremony: Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – is sure to get those of all ages up on their feet.
5. ‘APT.’ (with Rosé)
(2024, Rosie)
Arguably the biggest viral hit of 2025, the ridiculously-infectious and widely-mispronounced ‘APT.’ came about after Rosé (of BLACKPINK fame) introduced her crew to her favourite Korean drinking game. After pitching the idea, Mars loved it and added a playful rap and joined her on the chorus. Throw in an addictive TikTok-dominating dance trend and it’s easy to see why its music video broke streaming/viewership records on YouTube and Spotify.
4. ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’
(2012, Unorthodox Jukebox)
The runaway success of ‘Unorthodox Jukebox, Mars’ fittingly-titled second album, ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’ is Bruno Mars at his best: an earworm from the moment you press play, its verse and hook build with punchy drums and buzzy synths into a eutrophic singalong chorus. With its The Police-style guitars and composition combined with a 2010s pop sound, the cross-generational appeal is immediate.
3. ‘Die With A Smile’
(2024, single)
After some time away, Bruno Mars returned out of nowhere with this cinematic yet strikingly stripped back Lady Gaga duet. Channeling his similarly stirring 2012 release ‘When I Was Your Man’, ‘Die With A Smile’ is an emotional ballad of epic proportions. The story goes that the pair finished the track during a late-night studio session: their 70s-inspired harmonies compliment each other perfectly, and the instrumentation is exquisite, with the guitars, drums and piano keys building into a belt-along anthem.
2. ‘Grenade’/’Marry You’/’Talking To The Moon’
(2010, Doo-Wops & Hooligans)
Okay, so we cheated a bit here. But the hit rate for Mars’ first album is so strong that the majority of its singles could have made it onto this list. Choosing between ‘Grenade’, ‘Marry You’ and ‘Talking To The Moon’ is impossible – each perfect in their own ways, it’s easy to see why they each have more than one BILLION streams on Spotify alone.
1. ‘Just The Way You Are’
(2010, Doo-Wops & Hooligans)
As far as debut singles go, making an impact is crucial. And that’s exactly what Mars did when he arrived on the scene back in 2010. Showcasing his old school soulful tone and stunning falsetto, the loved-up ‘Just the Way You Are’ not only topped charts worldwide but won him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Now, it’s rightfully one the best-selling singles of time.
Bruno Mars has announced The Romantic Tour, coming to stadiums across Europe in the UK in June & July 2026. Sign up here before 18:00 on Monday 12 January to join the artist presale. Tickets go on general sale at 12:00 on Thursday 15 January.
