The Greatest (Billie Eilish song)

Last updated

"The Greatest"
Song by Billie Eilish
from the album Hit Me Hard and Soft
ReleasedMay 17, 2024 (2024-5-17)
Genre
Length4:53
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Finneas
Lyric video
"The Greatest" on YouTube

"The Greatest" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and the sixth track from her third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft (2024). It was released on May 17, 2024. Commercially, the song reached the top 20 in Australia, New Zealand, Portugal and Global 200, and the top 30 in Canada and the United States.

Contents

Critical reception

Tom Taylor of Far Out says that "The Greatest" may well be one of the best vocal performance of recent times. Praising the honest as Billie croons so sweetly that the plucking in the background is rendered almost inconsequential. [1]

Music and lyrics

As a softly voiced guitar ballad that turns into a belter, “The Greatest” acts as the sixth track on Billie Eilish’s third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft . The lyrics go through feelings of defeat, loneliness, anger, and mourning for what could’ve been.

By using sarcasm, Eilish explains how she gave her all in a relationship, and how she loved and appreciated this person even though they did not reciprocate these feelings, having shown no passion, interest, appreciation. Furthermore, in Eilish’s eyes, they had even failed to express any heartbreak after the relationship had come to its end.

Strings featured behind the vocals in the bridge follow the melody of those same lyrics, and are interpolated in different keys into the outros of both the opening and closing tracks, “Skinny” and “Blue.”

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "The Greatest"
Chart (2024-2025)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [2] 18
Belgium ( Billboard ) [3] 19
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [4] 72
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [5] 27
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [6] 18
France (SNEP) [7] 50
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [8] 20
Greece International (IFPI) [9] 25
Iceland (Tónlistinn) [10] 30
Lithuania (AGATA) [11] 29
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [12] 16
Norway (VG-lista) [13] 38
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [14] 36
Portugal (AFP) [15] 12
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [16] 31
South Africa (TOSAC) [17] 53
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [18] 89
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [19] 76
UK Singles (OCC) [20] 69
UK Streaming (OCC) [21] 22
US Billboard Hot 100 [22] 24
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [23] 9

Certifications

Certifications for "The Greatest"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [24] Platinum70,000‡
Canada (Music Canada) [25] Platinum80,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [26] Gold15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [27] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [28] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Taylor, Tom (May 16, 2024). "Billie Eilish – 'Hit Me Hard and Soft' album review: an honest examination of sexuality and stardom". Far Out . Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Billie Eilish – The Greatest". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Belgium Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Brasil Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  6. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 21. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Billie Eilish – The Greatest" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts — Digital Singles Chart (International) — Εβδομάδα: 21/2024" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  11. ↑ "2024 21-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Billie Eilish – The Greatest". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Billie Eilish – The Greatest". VG-lista. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  14. ↑ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 17.05.2024–23.05.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS . Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Billie Eilish – The Greatest". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  16. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 21. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Top Release Of The Week: Local & Intl Streaming". The Official South African Charts . Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Billie Eilish – The Greatest" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Billie Eilish – The Greatest". Singles Top 100. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Billie Eilish Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  24. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Billie Eilish – The Greatest". Music Canada . Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  26. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Billie Eilish – The Greatest". Radioscope. Retrieved February 27, 2025.Type The Greatest in the "Search:" field.
  27. ↑ "British single certifications – Billie Eilish – The Greatest". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  28. ↑ "American single certifications – Billie Eilish – The Greatest". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved March 14, 2025.
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