Paul Young Songs Ranked

Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived band’s Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband, and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. His hit singles include “Love of the Common People”, “Wherever I Lay My Hat”, “Come Back and Stay”, “Every Time You Go Away” and “Everything Must Change”, all reaching the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. Released in 1983, his debut album, No Parlez, the first of three UK number-one albums, made him a household name. His smooth yet soulful voice belonged to a genre known as “blue-eyed soul”. At the 1985 Brit Awards, Young received the award for Best British Male. Associated with the Second British Invasion of the US, “Every Time You Go Away” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985. It also won Best British Video at the 1986 Brit Awards. Here are all of Paul Young’s songs ranked.

Don’t miss out on the music of Paul Young. Click below and experience one of the greatest musicians of all time.

10. I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down (The Secret of Association, 1985)

“”I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” was a single off of Paul Young’s The Secret of Association album. Pretty good song, though i didn’t make much chart impact. At least not here in the States.”

9. I’m Your Puppet (Duets, 2002)

“The music invites people to experience the new, a new walk, a new way of expressing and living, hence the use of walking and toking verbs, which means walking and talking.”

8. What Becomes of the Broken Hearted (Fried Green Tomatoes, 1992)

“I love what Jimmy Ruffin did with this song, it is a classic. Paul Young just took it to another level, from great to awesome. He is a guy with soul and a guy who apparently loved the original song enough that he didn’t want to change it, just add some vocal and instrumental ‘tweaks’ to make it even better and even more of what it was to begin with, an amazing tune.”

7. Everything Must Change (The Secret of Association, 1985)

“Paul Young’s voice ranks among my favorites and this album where he solidified his place in UK pop is given the opportunity for the ardent fans to experience it anew.”

See more: Paul Young Albums Ranked

6. Don’t Dream It’s Over (From Time to Time – The Singles Collection, 1991)

“Excellent musically with fine production. Pino Palladino is one of the best bass guitarists I’ve ever heard – he can carry a song in a way usually done by lead guitarists.”

5. Oh Girl (Other Voices, 1990)

“Paul takes the Chi-Lites hit, and does as little as possible with it. It almost sounds like one of Todd Rundgren’s attempts to perfectly replicate the original. The end result is quite pleasing, and Paul does have enough soul to make it work, but, like Todd’s near-perfect remakes, the end result was totally unnecessary.”

4. Wherever I Lay My Hat (No Parlez, 1983)

“Perfect score simply for the incredibly gifted bass performance of Pino Palladino which was, according to him, just a “run-through” before sitting down and recording the “proper” bass part. The producers preferred the ad-libbed version, and a million bassists ripped the frets from the necks of their basses in response.”

See more: Tomorrow x Together Albums Ranked

3. Love of the Common People (No Parlez, 1983)

“It’s an odd duck to be sure. A classic soul/reggae number being interpreted by a blue-eyed soulster, featuring a mainly synthetic backing complete with pretty loud female backing vocals yelping “it’s so cold!” and “ah-i-yi-yi” at seemingly random moments. On paper, it has “train wreck” written all over it. Instead, it all comes together, and manages to sound “nice” and “sympathetic” in the best possible meaning of the words.”

2. Come Back and Stay (No Parlez, 1983)

“One of Pino Palladino’s first showcases on fretless bass, but he has to share center stage with Paul’s impassioned singing, the backing vocalists (especially the banshee during the solo) and whoever’s doing the keyboard washes. Somehow, there’s room for everybody, and they all rise to the occasion. Few songs this synthetic feel this emotionally powerful.”

1. Every Time You Go Away (NOW That’s What I Call Music! 5, 1985)

“Paul Young’s music will live on and has since his debut in the 1980s when MTV stood for Music Television and videos and video disc jockeys. This compact disc has all the classics that I enjoyed including “Law of the Common People,” which has become my favorite on the compact disc. I remember it more from the ultimate eighties film, “Sixteen Candles.” Yes, I was an eighties child. The song, “Everytime You Go Away,” is another classic. I don’t know where Paul Young has gone but I hope that he’s still making music because his fans are still out here were just getting older.”