The definitive ranking of every RuPaul’s Drag Race song with verses from the queens

Didn’t realise there were 42 songs when I started this x

2 years ago

Let’s not muck about. We all know what we’re here for. The amount of songs with verses written by the queens is growing exponentially as the RuPaul’s Drag Race machine expands. Since Read U Wrote U, these songs are pretty staple. This isn’t just a ranking of the top four RuMixes. It’s not just a ranking of girl group challenges. IT’S EVERYTHING. All songs from episodes that features verses from queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race ranked from worst to best. Buckle up.

42. Break Up Bye Bye (Filth Harmony Version)

The times when the groups have the same song and two different versions of it never bodes well for the team that does less well. With Break Up Bye Bye, the Frock Destroyers version was a cultural moment in the UK, leaving the Filth Harmony one in the dust. Not one of the three deliver a good verse, and because The Viv, Cheryl and Crystal are such good queens it just feels… wrong! Rock bottom of all the Drag Race songs ranked here.

41. UK Hun (Bananadrama Version)

Erm. Tia Kofi was good, let’s just say that!

40. He’s My Baby

The season 14 retro girl band songs all blur into one unless you really think about it. And if you’re going to really think about it, think not on He’s My Baby by the RuNettes – because it is by far the worst one.

39. I’m A Winner, Baby

When I think about Drag Race Down Under, my blood boils. This top four is, quite frankly, despicable. Two queens embroiled in racism accusations after blackfishing and golliwog tattoos surfaced, a queen who inexplicably returned to the competition after being eliminated with no reason given and then Kita Mean who actually deserved her spot there. I mean, what can you say? Is anyone enjoying this? Does anyone want this? It doesn’t matter if the verses are good when the context is so unpleasant.

But you know whose verse is NOT good? Karen From Finance. It is the worst verse in Drag Race franchise history. It’s not even a verse. It’s just speaking. A chat. And I’m ending the conversation.

38. Bye Flop (Dosey Hoes Version)

I feel bad for the Dosey Hoes, because they’re just a little all over the show. Kendall and Kimora are straight up terrible. Eve’s verse is actually extremely well written but she just performed it nervously and without the confidence she needed to sell it. Synthia fully annihilated, and the fact she got negative critiques is a miscarriage of justice!

37. Show Up Queen

It’s weird that with a cast as iconic as All Stars 6 that Show Up Queen constantly feels like a stagnant slog. For all its good verses, Trinity, Ginger, Kylie and Ra’Jah, you’ve got a duff one to drag it right down. Jan’s verse feels like a horror film – like she’s about to manically savage me out the TV screen. Pandora’s verse is the nail in the coffin – it’s literally just a bunch of ha-has and facial expressions!

36. My Baby Is Love

Another one of the retro girl group songs from season 14, and this one is just completely fine. Camden, Angeria and Kerri Colby all sound completely decent as The RuPremes and that’s all there is to it, really. Not a wow in sight, but no major errors.

35. Queens Down Under (Three and a Half Men Version)

Someone pressed randomise Sim on this bunch of verses. Karen From Finance should be banned from microphones. Kita Mean and Elektra Shock do really well. Maxi Shields delivers her verse on slow motion for some reason unbeknownst to anyone. A jumble sale. The fact that the skeleton of the song is so good and the chorus goes so hard works in their favour!

34. Queen of the North

Queen of the North is at its best when you watch the spectacle of it. Icesis Couture’s opening verse is absolutely ferocious when you watch her swishing her furs about and looking so formidable. Kendall’s verse is really fun and written well, and Pythia nails her shtick in the lyrics great. The worst thing about Queen of the North is that the song they’re doing the verses over is just nothingness.

33. A Little Bit Of Love

When UK Hun was as great as it was, and when three members of the United Kingdolls were in the finale, audiences were ready for UK Hun 2.0. But what we got… was a mess. And none of it was really Ellie Diamond’s fault, even if she has the worst verse. The mixing is all off, the performance was a bit lacklustre and it doesn’t have the arresting punch tat made UK Hun a phenomenon. Bimini and Tayce’s verse are good, but don’t feel right. Something is just… off? If anyone has their finger on what it actually is, let me know so I can sleep easy once again.

32. ConDragulations

Gottmik, Symone and Olivia Lux – what I’m about to say does not apply to you, my girlies. You all do a good job. Everyone else? Unbearable – or just plain daft. Kandy Muse, god love her, cannot understand a word of her verse – and I blame the producers for not helping her do another take or something because it’s a mess. Tina Burner… the less I say the better, honestly. Hell. LaLa Ri does her best but I can’t help but laugh at “Watch my runways gag your throats” when she infamously had terrible looks.

Elliott with Two Ts… so much to say in so little time. Why does she use the word “ratch”? “Changed the game, rewrote the book”…. what game? WHAT BOOK?

31. BDE (Slice Girls Version)

How slick The Slice Girls thought they were getting to pick the uptempo BDE as their choice! Didn’t work out so good, did it, gals? In all fairness – the only disaster here is poor Scarlett. Even before she forgets the lyrics mid performance, her verse is just so chaotic and bad on the ear. Charity Kase does a good job but just doesn’t really fit in. Krystal does Krystal and it’s decent. Kitty Scott Claus holds the performance together like industrial superglue with her star quality and prowess.

30. Living My Life In London

Sometimes Living My Life in London sounds great to me and sometimes it just sounds like “God, UK Versus the World was absolute chaos what the hell happened there”. Blu and Mo, no notes. Ate.

29. Bye Flop (Giddy Girls)

The winning Bye Flop succeeds because it consists of two amazing verses (Gia and Adrianna) and two decent ones from Icesis and Pythia. I also just… love this song? It’s so much fun! And I love that the chorus references all pop star “flop eras” like Witness, Joanne, Bionic and Gitter. And also Madonna’s Madame X, for some reason!

28. Clapback

Clapback is quite good, but it should have been amazing. Shea, Jujubee and Miz Cracker are a trio that are capable of good writing great lyrics and putting on a show – yet it somehow just always feels like it’s never at its full potential. Cracker always trying to cram a few too many jokes into a verse than the bars of music will allow. After two great Shea verses on I’m In Love and Category Is, her Clapback one just doesn’t go off as hard.

The actual Clapback song is amazing though? The middle eastern strings? LOVE.

27. U Wear It Well

The moment that Priyanka solidified that no queen would be winning this season other than her. Period. What an amazing verse, and excellent way to open the song. The whole “QUESTION” motif is just… euphoric. Scarlett Bobo (looks are a no no) just has a tone of voice that is too nasal for human consumption even if the “stomp our feet” and “QUEERS we define the scene” are banging lyrics. I love Rita Baga but her verse just doesn’t fit the song – it’s too theatrical.

Priyanka is so bloody good though that she drags the two of them up into the top 30. As she should. What’s her name?!?!

26. Not Sorry Aboot It

Not Sorry Aboot It is chaotic and all over the place, because there’s about 50 queens doing a verse on it. But when they kill it, they KILL it. Lemon the straight up rapstress puts her money where her mouth is with an absolutely banging flow and great lyrics that destroy Priyanka with a mere question. BOA ends Scarlett BoBo’s life and deserves her roses for it.

25. To The Moon

The top three of Drag Race UK season one all do a solid job on their RuMix – it’s just lacking any sort of iconic moment. Nothing wrong with it, but you never come away from a listen or a watch with any other opinion than “They did quite well on that”. You know what I mean? Where are the wows?

24. Bad Boy Baby Baby

The absolute shining jewel of the season 14 retro challenge came courtesy of Daya Betty, Willow Pill and Bosco who wrote a really funny and daft banger. “Look over there can you see our man?” “Actually I don’t I forgot my glasses” is one of the funniest openings to a song … ever? How dare it be so funny, actually? It’s just golden. All three of them nail it and there’s a reason all of them are in the final. Team Daya Betty til I die!

23. Oh No She Better Don’t

This should be studied in Drag Race history lessons. It’s just so, so, so iconic – and honestly kind of the benchmark for the *other* huge song that catapulted queens verse songs into the Drag Race staple canon. The season six cast were untouchable, and there are so many funny lines and moments in this even if its not as well mastered and produced as some of the later bangers. Bianca and Adore absolutely annihilate, Joslyn and Ben do a great job – honestly, everyone does well besides Darienne’s weird dirty feet verse. Rewatch it if you haven’t for a while, it’s SO charming.

22. You Don’t Know Me

You Don’t Know Me is a horror film. It is absolutely terrifying. Everyone is harrowing. The predator who must not be named bringing a deeply sinister energy to it aside, everyone else is just frightening. Jan is so good but like a serial killer version of Rachel Berry from Glee. Jaida is the only queen here who I think might not murder me in my sleep. It all kind of works, though. As nightmare fuel.

21. Can I Get An Amen?

All you need to listen to is about five seconds of Can I Get An Amen and you’re laughing. Coco Montrese I owe you my life. “I lost all hope today” is just… so funny. Whilst Alyssa bops and weaves next to her and she looks like she wants the ground to swallow her up? You couldn’t write this. So many iconic moments, so little time. Jade Jolie goes full timid shrew. Jinkx and Ivy serve vocals. “WHERE MY PEOPLE AT?” A piece of herstory.

20. Vegas Medley

The Vegas Medley is a hard one to rank because it lies somewhere between a Rusical and a finalists RuMix situation. The queens had to write and record original bits, so I’m including it. Whilst it sacrifices iconic verses, what we get instead is theatrical spectacle. All of the queens really nail it – Gigi especially just sounds incredible, and I love her and Crystal Methyd doing the Mirror Song. It’s a nice change of pace from the other songs here – just pure professional level musicality.

19. Queens Down Under (Outback Fake Hoes)

All four of them nail it, and that’s all there is to it. The actual bones of Queens Down Under is such a banger – the chorus goes so hard? The judging here saying Coco was in the bottom was ridiculous, she literally nailed her part and it’s a fun switch up. Scarlet’s bit is really bloody good, Etc is very underrated and Anita stole the show with some of the most fun word play in any Drag Race song ever. Quote me.

18. This Is Our Country

Although RuPaul and Tanya Tucker should have been seeing Lil Nas X in court for this blatant Old Town Road rip off burglary, This Is Our Country really goes off and definitely has a unique sound amongst the rest of the Drag Race songs ranked here. Eureka deciding to do Marie Antoinette geish for a country song is as ludicrous as it is funny. Ginger sounds great even if the choreo doesn’t sell it to me. Ra’Jah’s lyrics are amazing and I’m so glad she got to use all of AS6 to prove to the world her rudemption – she nails it. And Kylie Sonique Love, GOD, what an icon. Main pop girl behaviour. “If we can’t go to heaven then we gonna raise hell” is perfect songwriting. The crown was hers in that moment.

17. Queens Everywhere

Queens Everywhere goes off when you listen to it and don’t think about the sheer panic that was in everyone’s eyes when they performed it in one take. Yvie and Akeria aside, the other three are rabbits in headlights. But their verses actually bang when you listen along. I wish Vanjie didn’t fuck up her performance because I love her verse so much. Akeria’s “Where is the bawdy” is honestly historical.

16. BDE (Pick ‘N’ Mix Version)

One of the best moments of Drag Race UK season three was when Pick N Mix showed us their BDE (Big Drag Energy), and made the other team absolutely eat it with their campy power ballad. All four of them really nail it. Love Choriza May becoming the drag ROSALIA. A special shoutout goes to River Medway for her iconic and heartfelt verse. “Missing my mum but I know she’s up in heaven” is so moving. The girls just all work together so well – they really get it. That’s what makes this work so well. Team work!

15. I’m in Love

I accept that I’m an agent of unrelenting chaos ranking I’m In Love so high, but it’s a risk I am willing to take. This song is anarchy, but I adore it. Alexis Mateo’s “DADDY YANKEE” intro verse is one of my favourite Drag Race moments ever. It’s so iconic and timeless to me. Even when this song is terrible, like India’s flop verse and Ongina’s laryngitis croaks, I’m having the best time ever. It’s just so fun and stupid? Shea Couleé supremacy.

14. Lucky

The best thing about Lucky is that it has absolutely no notes. At all. All four of them do great, the song is well mixed, the Ru bit is catchy, they all look amazing and the choreo slayed in the video. It’s not a fully iconic classic, but it’s just a completely well rounded job well done. And a nice end to season 13 after the fatigue that set in on the journey to the finals.

13. Break Up Bye Bye (Frock Destroyers Version)

The song that singlehandedly made the girl group challenge of Drag Race UK more iconic and important than Snatch Game. What’s fun is that the Frock Destroyers were the underdogs – the Viv, Cheryl and Crystal team was the one tipped to excel. Baga, Blu and Divina attacked it head on, worked as a unified team and absolutely made a hit that got into the Official UK Charts. Very iconic. And it’s now a gay bar staple and they got a full album out of it! Not bad.

12. Phenomenon

From the House of HAUWL! Phenomenon is just iconic line after iconic line. Denali opens it with such a titslapping verse that you’re just on their side straight away. Even the less iconic verses like Joey Jay’s still are fun, and Kahmora’s is the most Roxxxy Andrews moment since Roxxxy was here to make it clear. Like so bad that it’s somehow kind of… the best? Rosé’s is immaculate even though I go insane thinking about how she calls herself a fashion clown despite not being known for her looks or her comedy. “Tamisha Iman is coming for you” defines the word iconic.

11. Super Queen

I remember when Super Queen aired there was just a general consensus of it being a let down. But it is honestly great. The early 00s guitar driven vibes work so well for me. Monét sounds amazing on her verse, as does Monique. My friend said “Everyone’s great but why was Trinity doing an escape room for her verse” and I can’t unhear it now. She sounds like she’s lockpicking. Naomi Smalls steals the show for me, end of. Main pop girl. Why is her bit one second long when Monét and Monique’s lasts about 10 minutes each? Give Naomi the extended verse she deserves you cowards – and then maybe it will sneak into the top 10 of Drag race songs ranked.

10. Drag Up Your Life

Drag Up Your Life is iconic from start to finish. Every character is fully realised. Trixie’s maths verse has fun word play, Kennedy smashing through with a “SAY YES TO DRAG, YES MA’AM TO DRAG”, Ben’s goth, Shangela being Shangela and then Bebe’s showstopping “Rakatatititata”? The world was changed. So much fun – even though I will die on the hill that it was the worst of the two that episode.

9. American

The girls were going for their Pulltizer Prize on this one for some reason. Everyone’s writing prose, and I kind of love it. Aquaria opening a song about being American with “bonjour” is very iconic. Asia’s verse is honestly just gorgeous – every lyric is perfectly written and from a writing perspective it’s definitely one of the best ever. Even Eureka manages not to be too annoying. Bit of a hit! And the performance is a serve, deserves its top 10 spot on Drag Race songs ranked.

8. Sitting on a Secret

The way the judges tried to make us believe the eliminated queens didn’t wipe the floor with the remaining All Stars 3 queens is laughable – because this… is masterful. Chi Chi serves pure big dick vocals, Morgan’s is so bad that it’s good – not sure why she’s chosen to spit every syllable out like her life depends on it, Aja absolute bodies and gobbles – no notes, Thorgy Thor writes the funniest of the night and Milk is just pure weird greatness. LOVE IT. Underrated.

7. Hey Sis, It’s Christmas

The top three of season three are in a fortunate position in the fact that there’s never been a Drag Race Christmas RuMix song before, so Hey Sis It’s Christmas already felt novel and fun. Match that with the fact that all three of them write perfect verses for their drag aesthetics and then perform them flawlessly with wonderful choreo and you’ve got a winner. Ella sounds AMAZING. Kitty does Kitty, and it’s fun. Krystal serves KUNT. I won’t do Christmas without it going forward.

6. Catwalk

The latest RuMix is one of the best of all time, ranked comfortably in the top 10 Drag Race songs ever. Catwalk is one of the best Ru songs in a long while – like her own take on George Michael’s Flawless. Match that with a top five that don’t fuck up once and you’ve got a winner. Bosco’s vocals are amazing, Angeria does Angie and it’s charming, Willow writes spectacularly and then Camden and Daya are just the full package. Lady Camden’s “SMACK” jumpscare frightens me every time.

What a success, and well written across the board. No one mentioned Mama Ru or the crown!

5. Category Is

As the RuMix that followed a number yet to be ranked here amongst Drag Race songs, the pressure was on for Category Is to keep up the momentum and hype of this kind of finale challenge. And it succeeds on every level. Although Trinity is the weakest, she doesn’t fuck it up. Peppermint is just instantly likeable and charming – I absolutely LOVE the way she says “Season noine”. Sasha does her quirky shtick and it’s fun. Shea? SHEA? Shea Couleé was literally like a professional rapper. She wrote the best verse and had some of the best flow I’ve ever heard. It’s outrageously good. Leaves me gagged every time.

4. I’m That Bitch

When this was the premiere episode of season 12, you just KNEW the season was going to be special. This is a rap opus. Every single queen bodies it – the weakest being Brita, Crystal and Jackie Cox but their verses are still quotable and fun. Gigi Goode’s word play deserved an Emmy. Nicki Minaj was literally quaking at it. Widow Von Du? The girls should be scared. But you know who steals every second of this? The main pop girl Nicky Doll – who served pop perfection. N-I-C-K-Y’s in town!

3. Kitty Girl

A spectacle. A triumph. Pure euphoria. You can’t watch this one take masterpiece without a massive grin. Everyone is just such a fucking star, the filming is amazing, the choreo is perfect and every queen is at their best. Kennedy is so professional. Shangela is performing like Beyoncé at Coachella. Bebe is perfectly campy and unique, and Trixie’s word play is incredible. It’s just perfect, honestly. Drag Race at its most serotonin blasting – one of the most feel good of all the songs ranked here. A joy.

2. UK Hun (United Kingdolls Version)

I can’t believe we’ve only had UK Hun in our lives for just over a year, because I can’t imagine a time without it. It’s engrained inside of me – seeped into every fibre of my being. If someone held a gun to my head and told me to do the whole song from start to finish I could do it. I wouldn’t even break a sweat. It never gets old, never feels overrated, never fails to please a crowd. Drag Race UK season two was from the TV gods. Bimini literally has been nominated for a Bafta because their verse here is that iconic. The UK was rocked, shaken and obsessed. It made lockdown manageable.

Four iconic verses, no notes. Something from the UK to finally be proud of. The best of British queer talent. Perfect.

1. Read U Wrote U

Look, guys. What can you say? This song is so deep into queer nightlife culture across the world that it’s basically an institution. This is like… the drag Like A Prayer by Madonna. The drag Toxic by Britney. It’s ESSENTIAL. It’s just an absolute masterpiece – not a second wasted. At the time Roxxxy’s verse was written off and laughed at, but I don’t think anyone in the world would swap it out now. It’s so iconic. When it comes to Drag Race songs ranked, if you don’t have Read U Wrote U at one I can’t help but think you’re kidding yourself.

Of course, we had Oh No She Better Don’t before it – but Read U Wrote U changed finales forever. And we will never go back! It’s not even that other songs can’t hit the heights of Read U Wrote U, it’s just they can’t replicate how gamechanging and special it was. The songwriting? The performances? The choreo? Detox fearlessly walking forward and hoping they put a chair down? Katya said they got three days to rehearse it and they didn’t waste a second. HISTORICAL. If anything ever beats this as the best of all Drag Race songs ranked, I will probably combust from how good it will need to be.

Catch RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 every Saturday on the streamer of all things drag, WOW Presents Plus. For all the latest Drag Race memes and Netflix news, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.