Top 10 OneRepublic Songs

OneRepublic
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OneRepublic is a pop-rock band led by lead vocalist Ryan Tedder, known for his songwriting and production work with a wide range of other top pop artists. After being dropped from a recording contract by Columbia Records, Timbaland's Mosley Music Group rescued them with a new contract. Their debut single "Apologize" was a massive hit in 2007-2008, and the band became fixtures on adult pop radio. 

01
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"Apologize" (2007)

OneRepublic Apologize
Courtesy Interscope

"Apologize" was initially released by OneRepublic as a single online via the social media community MySpace.  However, after signing the band to his label in the wake of the group being dropped by Columbia, Timbaland remixed the song and released it under his name featuring OneRepublic. His new mix added more percussion, new backing vocals, and sound effects. The remix appears on Timbaland's album "Shock Value." 

"Apologize" took off and became a massive international hit peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ultimately selling over five million copies. It temporarily set the North American record for the most radio plays in one week. "Apologize" also remained in the top 10 on the U.S. pop chart for 25 weeks, the longest run since Santana's "Smooth" featuring Rob Thomas in 1999. OneRepublic earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals. "Apologize" became the 10th single to sell more than five million digital downloads in the US. The song was also a significant international hit reaching #1 in countries around the world.

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02
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"Counting Stars" (2013)

OneRepbublic Counting Stars
Courtesy Interscope

This OneRepublic single from the album "Native" incorporates elements of the briefly popular trend to merge folk music elements with mainstream pop.  It blends those elements with a dance-pop beat structure. The first singles from "Native" were only minor hits. "Counting Stars" first became a hit in Europe and its success slowly spread around the rest of the world.  It topped both mainstream pop and adult pop radio charts in the U.S. and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Counting Stars" was a massive international pop hit hitting #1 in the U.K., Canada, and Brazil.

Ryan Tedder began writing "Counting Stars" while he was waiting for Beyonce to appear at a recording session. He debated whether he should share it with the star, but he decided it wasn't a suitable song for her. Instead, he took it home and worked on it while finishing other songs for the "Native" album. Ryan Tedder was pleased with "Counting Stars" being an uplifting song about faith and hope instead of the conventional pop song topics of sex, love, and money.

The music video for "Counting Stars" depicts OneRepublic performing in a building in New Orleans, Louisiana. A religious service is taking place in the room above the band, and by the end of the video, the floor collapses and everyone falls through the ceiling. It has been watched for than two billion times making it one of the twenty most-watched music videos of all time.

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03
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"Good Life" (2010)

OneRepublic Good Life
Courtesy Interscope

OneRepublic's "Good Life" caught the public's attention with its relentlessly upbeat nature. The song's incorporation of whistling inspired "Rolling Stone" to list it as one of the top whistling songs of all time.  Released as the third single from the album "Waking Up," the commercial success of "Good Life" was slow in coming. It ultimately reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 nearly two years after its initial release and peaked at #1 on the adult pop radio chart and #2 on the adult contemporary radio chart. The inclusion of "Good Life" on trailers for films like "Eat Pray Love" and advertising for TV shows including "Gossip Girl," "One Tree Hill," and "Cougar Town" helped boost the song's visibility. Ultimately, "Good Life" sold more than three million copies.

Ethan Lader, who worked on Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are," directed the accompanying music video. It includes cameo appearances by multiple well-known actors including Nicolas Cage, Cate Blanchett, and Anne Hathaway. It was filmed on location in West Hills, California. To help boost the song, OneRepublic recorded different radio versions of "Good Life" featuring call-outs in the lyrics for specific cities and states. The band released an official remix featuring rapper B.o.B.

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04
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"Love Runs Out" (2014)

OneRepublic Love Runs Out
Courtesy Interscope

"Love Runs Out" was released as the first single from OneRepublic's reissue of their album "Native." An intense percussive beat reminiscent of Ryan Tedder's work on Adele's "Rumour Has It" drives the song. Reportedly, "Love Runs Out" was intended to be the first single from the initial release of "Native," but Ryan Tedder could not finish writing the chorus in time.

"Love Runs Out" peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 10 at adult pop and mainstream pop radio. It did even better on the pop charts in both Canada and the U.K. peaking in the top 5 in both countries. The re-release of "Native" took place in April 2014, over a year after the collection's initial release. It expanded the album from 12 to 15 tracks including the new single "Love Runs Out" and a dance remix of "If I Lose Myself." 

Sophie Muller, a veteran music video director, known for her work with Eurythmics, Beyonce, Sade, and many others, directed the video for "Love Runs Out." It bears visual similarities to Sade's "Soldier of Love" music video directed by Sophie Muller.

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05
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"All the Right Moves" (2009)

OneRepublic All the Right Moves
Courtesy Interscope

Leading off the album "Waking Up" as the first single, "All the Right Moves" moves forward propelled by a rhythm track reminiscent of drum and bass dance music.  Ryan Tedder acknowledged that OneRepublic had performed the song many times live before releasing the recorded version which he claimed was a "different animal" than what the fans heard live.  The song climbed into the top 10 on the adult pop radio chart and peaked just inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. It ultimately sold more than two million copies.

The "All the Right Moves" music video was directed by Wayne Isham, a winner of the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year in 2008 for his work on Britney Spears' "Piece Of Me." The clip depicts OneRepublic playing on stage for a masquerade ball. The style of props and the dance performed at the ball are from the Edwardian period.

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06
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"Stop and Stare" (2008)

OneRepublic Stop and Stare
Courtesy Interscope

"Stop and Stare" followed OneRepublic's initial success with "Apologize" with a big Coldplay-style rock production. It shows off lead vocalist Ryan Tedder's falsetto range. The band indicated that the song is about getting stuck in a rut in life and not knowing how to get out. The melancholy song turned into another major pop hit ensuring OneRepublic would not be a one-hit wonder.  "Stop and Stare" climbed to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #2 on adult pop radio. The song found significant pop chart success around the world reaching #4 on the U.K. pop singles chart and the top 10 in many other countries.

The accompanying music video for "Stop and Stare" was directed by Anthony Mandler, known for his frequent collaborations with Rihanna. The clip takes place in the Palmdale, California desert at an old gas station. The surreal imagery includes multiple versions of OneRepublic's leader Ryan Tedder. At one point one of the Ryans splits into two.

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07
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"Secrets" (2009)

OneRepublic Secrets
Courtesy Interscope

Acoustic strings give "Secrets" a unique, instantly familiar opening. Extensive use in commercial promotions and TV show soundtracks helped move the song up the pop charts.  Ryan Tedder's pleading vocals take center stage as "Secrets" unfolds.  It peaked inside the top 5 on both the adult pop and adult contemporary charts on the way to selling more than two million copies. "Secrets" brought OneRepublic success throughout central Europe hitting the pop top 5 in Germany, Austria, and Poland. 

"Secrets" was released first as a single in Germany and Austria because it appears on the soundtrack to the film "Zweiohrkuken." It was a sequel to the film "Keinohrhasen" that used the band's breakthrough single "Apologize" for its soundtrack. Consequently, "Secrets" became a major pop hit in Germany and Austria months before its official U.S. release.

The first music video released for "Secrets" included scenes from the German movie "Zweiohrkuken." A second video was used to help promote the sixth season of the U.S. TV series "Lost" and includes scenes from the show. The third video is the official one to support the song. Another commercial use of the song occurred when it appeared in the advertising launching Apple's iPhone 4.

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08
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"Feel Again" (2012)

OneRepublic Feel Again
Courtesy Interscope

"Feel Again" is likely to remind Florence and the Machine fans of their big hit "Dog Days Are Over."  Despite the comparisons, the song is a grand upbeat production. Lyrically, it talks about embracing life and shifting from being a lonely soul to a person who can love again. It also is reminiscent of the music of Las Vegas rock band, The Killers. Ryan Tedder has stated gospel music influenced him in the creation of the song. Released as a teaser single from the album "Native," "Feel Again" reached the top 10 at adult pop radio but peaked just inside the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

OneRepublic developed a partnership with the Save the Children Fund through "Feel Again." Ryan Tedder says that the collaboration helped him finish the lyrics to the song. He said the decision to donate a portion of the proceeds to Save the Children's Every Beat Matters campaign added a sense of seriousness and gravity to "Feel Again." The accompanying music video unfolds in a redwood forest near San Francisco, California. 

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09
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"If I Lose Myself" (2013)

OneRepublic If I Lose Myself
Courtesy Interscope

Ryan Tedder says the single "If I Lose Myself" was inspired by his own personal fear of flying.  Benny Blanco co-wrote the song, and Tim Bergling, aka Avicii, produced it. The song incorporates significant elements of contemporary electronic dance music. Ryan Tedder has explained that the lyrics are about his fear of flying and going down in an airplane. The band recorded "If I Lose Myself" on the Greek island of Santorini.

OneRepublic performed "If I Lose Myself" live on "American Idol" with Katharine McPhee. The song hit stores as the first official single from the band's third studio album "Native." It became a top 40 hit at adult pop and mainstream pop radio. It also surged into the top 10 on the dance radio chart.

The album "Native" became OneRepublic's first top 10 hit on the album chart. It reached #4 and was ultimately certified platinum for sales. The music video, directed by Michael Muller, was inspired by the hit films "12 Monkeys" and "The Matrix."

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10
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"I Lived" (2014)

OneRepublic Native
Courtesy Interscope

OneRepublic released "I Lived" as the second single from the deluxe version of the album "Native." It was the sixth single from the project overall. It has the honor of being the last song covered in the series finale of the hit TV show "Glee." OneRepublic's leader Ryan Tedder says that he wrote "I Lived" for his four-year-old son. He wanted to communicate the idea that you should do what you think you should be doing for every minute you have on earth. "I Lived" broke into the top 10 at adult pop radio and reached #18 on the mainstream pop radio chart. It was OneRepublic's ninth top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Directed by Noble Jones, the accompanying music video built upon an idea from Sophie Muller. It is dedicated to Bryan Warnecke, a 15-year-old fan of OneRepublic, who is a victim of cystic fibrosis. The fan is shown in the video engaging in a wide range of sports and other outdoor activities to demonstrate a full use of one's life on earth. The music video notes that Bryan Warnecke and his friends raised $300,000 for cystic fibrosis research.

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