Lenny Kravitz Best Songs, Ranked: 10 Smash Hits to ‘Dig In(to)’
Find out which song turned Lenny Kravitz into a household name!
“It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” and musician Lenny Kravitz has proven that time and time again. The singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and actor has graced the music industry for over 30 years, with major hit songs and unforgettable performances. Over time, fans have gotten some of Lenny Kravitz best songs that are perfect additions to your playlist.
Lenny Kravitz has earned multiple awards throughout the decades, including four Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The musician received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2024, and was honored with the Music Icon Award at this year’s People’s Choice Awards.
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Not only has the singer put out dozens of tracks that belong on any list of Lenny Kravitz best songs, but he is also a fashion icon. The multi-talented artist was recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with a Fashion Icon Award in 2022.
Check in with the rockstar as we rank 10 Lenny Kravitz best songs.
10. ‘Lady’: Lenny Kravitz best songs
Coming in at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart is “Lady.” This 2004 hit was as irresistible as they come and made for one of Lenny Kravitz best songs. This single, which was the final one from his album Baptism, was the last of Kravitz’ music to reach the top 30. The song is rumored to be about his ex-fiancé, Nicole Kidman.
“Lady” was also used in a commercial for GAP, featuring Kravitz performing his hit with actress Sarah Jessica Parker dancing alongside him.
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9. ‘Black and White America’
This 2011 single, which came from his album of the same name, has quite a story behind it. Kravitz uses this song to address issues of diversity in America and how his own family had to deal with it. Singing about his parents’ interracial marriage, he offered up lyrics like, In 1963 my father married (A black woman) And when they walked the streets, they were in danger (Look what you’ve done).
Kravitz revealed that he got inspiration to write the song from a documentary on the subject explaining, “So the chorus of the song … I was just saying to them, this is what’s happening, you need to know what time it is… I grew up between two cultures at a pivotal time after the civil rights movement, and [it’s] the story of my parents, and what they went through. It’s very natural for me to write about that sort of thing.”
8. ‘Let Love Rule’: Lenny Kravitz best songs
This debut single, “Let Love Rule,” is one of Lenny Kravitz best songs. “It was 1988, and I was living in a loft over on Broome Street in New York City,” Kravitz shared with Rolling Stone of the song that would be released the following year. “I had written ‘let love rule’ on the wall next to the elevator … I loved the phrase. One day I got off the elevator and saw it and thought I should write a song called ‘Let Love Rule.’ I went into the apartment, grabbed a guitar and wrote it. It just hit me.”
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7. ‘Dig In’
While this song only hit number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, it did score Kravitz his final Grammy award in 2002 for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The track, which came off of the self-titled album Lenny, was used in multiple projects, including the 2002 promo for the NBA Playoffs commercials.
6. ‘Always On The Run’: Lenny Kravitz best songs
This hit song was actually a collaboration with Guns N’ Roses guitarist, Slash. The two had gone to Beverly Hills High School together, though they weren’t very familiar with each other. Unsurprisingly for the talented musicians, the song only took one day to write.
Kravitz shared with Rolling Stone, “He had me get a gallon of vodka and a bag of ice, and we went in the studio, and bang, there it was. The two of us wrote and cut the tune. I played drums; he played guitar. Then I played my guitar, bass and did the vocals… It was a wild day.”
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5. ‘Again’
Part of Kravitz’ 2000 album Greatest Hits, which went on to become his best-selling record. With over 10 million copies sold worldwide, “Again” helped the album achieve its success. The hit landed at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned Kravitz his third Grammy award in 2001.
4. ‘American Woman’: Lenny Kravitz best songs
One of his most well-known hits, “American Woman” was originally recorded by the rock group, The Guess Who. Kravitz was asked to cover the song for the film, Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
The singer revealed later, “I was called by the people making Austin Powers and they simply asked me to cover ‘American Woman,’ which I thought was odd, but I accepted, thinking it was an interesting challenge and did my best to change it as much as possible while still respecting the original.” Kravitz even revealed the writer of the song, Burton Cummings, personally congratulated him.
3. ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way?’
This one begins with one of the greatest guitar riffs, which immediately catches an audience’s attention. The song reached number 4 in the UK and pushed his album of the same name to number 12 in the US. The guitar-driven track was so popular that it was covered by multiple artists, ranging from Metallica to Mel B of the Spice Girls.
2. ‘Fly Away’: Lenny Kravitz best songs
Another Grammy-winning performance for “Fly Away,” this is one of Lenny Kravitz best songs. The song was written quickly, after he’d already completed his 1998 album, 5. Lucky for fans, Kravitz included “the song”Fly Away” on the album.
The song’s popularity skyrocketed and is now one of his best-known hits. Kravitz shared, “People can identify with it, because it’s a song about escaping and going to this other world — this other place where things are different.”
1. ‘It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over’
This smash hit is easily one of Kravitz’ best. The 1991 release came off the album Mama Said, and though it was before his breakout success in the mid-90s, “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” was the turning point for Kravitz. The singer admitted later that he had written the song, but had no intentions of releasing it.
He initially wanted to give the song to Smokey Robinson, but his label convinced him to record it himself, and good thing that he did — this release turned Lenny Kravitz into the household name we all know and love today.
