Miley Cyrus Top 10

20 years since Disney Channel aired Hannah Montana, Disney+ filmed a reunion, and iHeartRadio gave Miley Cyrus an Innovator award. Looking back, I countdown 10 solo hits I recommend.

Top 10: 10. “II Most Wanted” - Beyoncé; live; 9. “Can’t Be Tamed”; 8. “Slide Away”; 7. “Used to Be Young”; 6. “We Can’t Stop”; 5. “Midnight Sky”; 4. “Party in the USA”; 3. “Wrecking Ball”; 2. “Flowers”; 1. “The Climb”

Deborah Harry;"Edge of Seventeen"; Jessie J; "Nothing Compares 2 U";

Follow our social media pages on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube!

Email: musicmediareviewpodcast@gmail.com

Theme Song: "Gym Track (2026 Remix)", composed by Jessica Ann Catena

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Hey, I'm Jess. Welcome to Music Media Review, a weekly podcast critiquing trends of the modern music industry. For 20 years, Miley Cyrus has been known as a Disney actress, unconventional pop singer, and high-profile celebrity. Celebrating a 20th anniversary when she starred on Disney Channel show Hannah Montana, Disney Plus has a televised special on their streaming platform, and she was just acclaimed an innovator at iHeart Radio Music Awards. Relieved Miley found strength turning her life around, I created a countdown of 10 solo hits I recommend from her. You can follow along with the links attached in the episode description. Balancing the best of both worlds, here's my music media review, counting down our Miley Cyrus Top 10. Number 10. I may have stumped some of you listing this collaboration to start out. Two Most Wanted was meant to be on Miley Cyrus' 2020 album, Plastic Hearts, very rock-driven with covers and classic rockers. However, Two Most Wanted's demo sounded originally didn't make the cut. Where it did go was Beyoncé's country-influenced record, Cowboy Carter. She and Miley first met recording all-female anthem Just Stand Up, composed for Stand Up to Cancers Foundation. I bought the 2008 digital charity single on iTunes when it came out. Phenomenal. Sixteen years later, Beyonce invited Miley to duet and made music history, releasing Two Most Wanted's acoustic power ballad. Both ladies were awarded Best Country Duo Group Performance at 2025's Grammy's Pre-Show. It's my favorite cowboy carter track, stripping down the guitar to carry out the divas vocals and gospel choir chiming in. Properly giving credit, Miley leads the verses as if she was singing it herself, Beyonce follows as a mutual partner standing by. They only performed it live once at Paris' Cowboy Carter tour stop. I shared the video link, it's magnificent. The choruses came out of nowhere, didn't give no warning, pedal so heavy like the two most wanted. And I don't know what you're doing tonight, but I'll be your shotgun rider till the day I die. Smoke out the window, flying down the 405. I'll be your backseat, baby, driving you crazy anytime you like. Well I'll be your shotgun rider till the day I till the day I die. Shotgun rider was gonna be the title, Beyonce had a better idea. Tossing out the Act 2 marketing campaign she planned, the double I Roman numerals were recycled throughout Cowboy Carter's track list, including Two Most Wanted. If Miley Sywis were to release a compilation, licensing should clear this. In 2024, Two Most Wanted charted number 19 Pop Air Play, number 10 Global 200, number six on the Hop 100, number two Hot Country Songs, and Number 1 in New Zealand.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

Number 9 Can't Be Tamed.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Miley's birth name is Destiny Hope Cyrus, born November 23rd, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee. Always smiling, her family nicknamed Miley and fanbase Smilers. Daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, managed by her mom Tish, and godchild to Dolly Parton, Miley wanted to explore the world out of adolescence. Watching the partying risquet behavior was a shock to younger fans and their parents, no longer the innocent Hannah Montana. As more Disney teen stars burned out, it heartbreakingly tarnished their idolizing reputations. Brittany Spears, Justin Timberlake, Lindsay Lohan, Shia LaBeouf, Demi Lovato. Setting the record straight, Miley wrote 2010 titled track Can't Be Tamed. The synthesized backbeats very Britney Spears womanizer, and their lifestyles weren't too different in the media's eyes. VH1 promoted the music video of a caged Miley, sporting wings, and a skin tight Leotard, surrounded by onlookers in a museum. She breaks free, declaring fierce warnings. I want to fly, I want to drive, I wanna go, I wanna be of something I don't know. And if you try to hold me back, I might explode. Baby, by now you should know I can't be tamed. I can't be tamed. I can't be blamed. I can't can't. I can't can't be tamed. I can't be changed. I can't be tamed. I can't be. Can't. I can't be tamed. The 2000s was a trashy decade, exploding reality show chaos constantly in the news. Anybody fell under the spell, documenting to camera, to TV, then launching social media. Despite rambunctiousness, Miley's self-control assured safety and no criminal record to date. Very lucky. She knew she had to put the press in place as they gobbled it up any sense. I like Campy Tame's analogies. Speaking out publicly and socially letting her roam around just as anybody else was her age. It charted number 16 Top 40 Radio, number 13 in the UK, number 8 on the Hop 100, number 6 in Canada, and number 5 in New Zealand.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

Number 8, Slide Away.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

Adapted from Nicholas Sparks' 2009 book, Disney casted Miley to play Veronica in 2010 film The Last Song. Liam Hemsworth portrayed her love interest well and began dating behind the scenes. Enjoying each other's company, it was difficult working out a rapport as friends or lovers. Liam and Miley had an on-and-off relationship 2010 to 2013, broke off an engagement and re-engage 2016. Marrying sometime 2018, the marriage only lasted seven months. From what I was reading, the relationship started very young and changed as they both got older into their careers. Bylie sang multiple songs representing their timeline, Slide Away bids farewell. She floats in a pool for the music video and debuted a performance at 2019's VMAs. I perceived the bravery executed maturely and musically for her. Once upon a time it was paradise. Once upon a time I was paralyzed. Think I'm gonna miss these harbor lights, but it's time to let it go. Once upon a time it was made for us. Woke up one day, it had turned to dust. Baby, we were found, but now we're lost, so it's time to let it go. I want my house in the hills, don't want the whiskey and pills. I don't give up easily, but I don't think I'm down. So won't you slide away back to the ocean? I'll go back to the city lights. Move on. We're not seventeen, I'm not who I used to be. You say that everything changed, you're right, we're grown now. I've always admired Slideaway's chill slide guitar riffs. This could have been figurative as the water Miley swims in the pool. Accepting the reality, some speculate the constant complications with Liam provoked her wildness. We may not know for sure, I ranked a transformative tract next on our list. Before we get to that, Slideaway got added to 2019's She Is Coming, charting number 47 on the Hop 100, number 40 in the UK, number 28 in Canada, number one in Belgium, Hungary, and Sweden Heatseeker. Number 7, Used to Be Young. While announcing 2023's endless summer vacation, Miley dropped a huge bombshell. There'll be no tour. Her parents divorced and she knew she wasn't up for all the motions. She instead filmed a Backyard Sessions concert at home, publishing it on Disney Plus. A whole new Miley Cyrus grew up, and I loved it. Endless Summer Vacation was my favorite 2023 album, Music Project by her, and blown away by Used to Be Young's vulnerability. Lyrically defending herself, Miley walks up to the camera in the music video on a black soundstage, tearfully singing how her past helped grow into the woman she is now. A white Mickey Mouse t-shirt is tucked behind the red sparkly dress worn over it, calling out to Miley's loyal followers. Flowers deserves its recognition as Endless Summer Vacation's number one hit, but used to be young poked nerves. I would have awarded songwriting prizes for its sincerity. I know I used to be crazy, I used to be fun. You say I used to be wild, I say I used to be young. You tell me time has done change me, that's fine. I've had a good run. I know I used to be crazy, that's because I used to be young. Genius.com cites a fascinating fact about Used to Be Young's single release date, August 25th, 2023. Miley released 2013 single Wrecking Ball that same day and did a racy VMA's performance with Robin Thick. It's obviously a personal day close to her heart. Wouldn't it be something if 2026 strikes up anything else? Used to be young charted number eight on the Hop 100, number seven Adult Contemporary, Number Six Global 200, Number 1 Adult Pop, and Canada Hot Adult Contemporary. Number six, We Can't Stop. Can't Be Tamed was a three-year precursor to We Can't Stop. Visually letting loose, the industry got a hard look to Miley Cyrus's outrageous side. The house party music video looked like footage paparazzi would exploit if found in trouble. Tripping all night in drinks, drugs, sex, and night swimming, Miley's clean cut Hannah Montana origin was no more. Vamping naughty at the VMAs and parodying politician Michelle Bachman on an SNL spoofed version, the FCC were challenged censoring this entire production. I remember seeing the music video on TV Network Fuse. They were more open-minded to televise if YouTube was doing the same thing. MTV would have too, but I guess waited for Miley's stage conceptualizing for the VMAs. She was twenty one then, not far off compared to fraternities or any party animals following suit. Watching the mayhem was jaw dropping at first and wondered how Miley Cyrus would be able to control herself. Looking back to the persona she led on, insightful lyrics were uttered to those who disapproved. Remember, only God can judge ya. Forget the haters cause somebody loves ya. In other words, people are quick to judge and it's up to the individuals deciding who they want to be. We can't stop chanting choruses so la da di, we like to party, dancing with Molly, doing whatever we want. This is our house, this is our rules, and we can't stop, and we won't stop. Can't you see it's we who own the night? Can't you see it's we who bout that life? And we can't stop, and we won't stop. We run things, things don't run we don't take nothing from nobody. Yeah yeah. I interpret the deep robotic voice heard at the intro and chorus twisting 1963 It's My Party by Leslie Gore. It's my party and I'll cry if I want to. Cry if I want to, cry if I want to. You would cry too if it happened to you. That context referred to a birthday girl seeing her boyfriend kiss her best friend at her own birthday party. The autotune We Can't Stop rallies much heavier. It's our party, we can do what we want. It's our party, we can say what we want. It's our party, we can love who we want, we can kiss who we want, we can screw who we want. Luckily, Miley since treated herself physically, therapeutically, and is happily engaged. Lead single off bangers, we can't stop, charted number forty Adult Top 40 Radio, number thirty four Dance Club Songs, number two on the Hop 100, number one in the UK and New Zealand. The Hop 100 song that blocked it from number one was Blurred Lines by Robin Thick for Well Williams and T.I. coincidentally sung at the VMA shared stage spot. Number five, Midnight Sky. The 2020s reached personal peaks for Miley Cyrus and developed a music fusion. Borrowing retro rhythms with upbeat instrumentation, she recreated her pop sound morphing bits of rock and dance. Fully committing it on 2025 album Something Beautiful, I prefer 2020's Plastic Hearts. Midnight Sky comfortably expressed single freedom aiming to entertain pop fans during a rough time. The midnight sky is the road I'm taking, head high up in the clouds. I was born to run. I don't belong to anyone. Oh no, I don't need to be loved by you. Fire in my lungs, can't bite the devil on my tongue. Oh no, I don't need to be loved by you. See my lips on her mouth, everybody's talking now. Baby, ooh you know it's true, yeah. That I was born to run. I don't belong to anyone. Oh no, I don't need to be loved by you. Miley was inspired by Blondie's lead singer Deborah Harry filming the music video up close, filled with flashy lighting like a club, colorful candy backgrounds, and fashion changes. I detected a 1980s influence and there was another rock chick who influenced Midnight Sky's melody, Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks. Her 1981 solo hit Edge of 17 was remixed on a second Midnight Sky release titled Edge of Midnight Midnight Sky Remix. I like the remix a little bit more and added it to our playlist. And speaking of Fleetwood Mac, Miley invited drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Lindsay Buckingham on something beautiful's bonus track, Secrets, dedicated to reconciling with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus. Miley credited both men last year emotionally leading to the Hannah Montana Anniversary Reunion, also playing her dad on the show. She's become really good at letting music lead her life into each chapter. Near the end of 2020, Midnight Sky charted number 20 Adult Contemporary, No. 17 Pop Airplay, Number 14 on the Hop 100, No. 11 Adult Pop, and Number 3 Digital Songs. The remix has accrued 12 million YouTube streams and 147 million on Spotify.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Number 4.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

Party in the USA. Branching off Disney's catalog, Party in the USA is the first single Holiday Records signed Miley Cyrus independently. Testing on the Time of Our Lives EP, a future pop singer autobiographically penned the LA arrival to pursue her music dreams, Jessie J. She felt homesick moving there from England, hearing familiar music along the way eased the nerves in making the right decision. Only lyrical change was mentioning Nashville to match Miley's Tennessee home state. To this day, party in the USA is a guilty pleasure, a favorite to hear Fourth of July, and Ritual View Achieving the American Dream. When Miley first recorded it, she knew of Brittany Spears music, unfamiliar about Jay-Z's rap songs. Isn't that funny how she get close to his wife Beyonce after all those years? Jesse J picked Britney and Jay-Z to reference her backstory lyrics. I wonder when we'll hear new music from her. So I put my hands up. They're playing my song, the butterflies fly away. Nodding my head like yeah. Moving my hips like yeah. I got my hands up. They're playing my song. You know I'm gonna be okay. Yeah, it's a party in the USA. Yeah, it's a party in the USA. In the music video, Miley parks her car at a drive-in and a swing set attributing to one of her favorite movies, Greece. What really sold this song's infamy was singing at 2009's Teen Choice Awards. Miley hung on a poll on a platform she sang on was misunderstood as a sexualized moment. I still don't think that way, but it didn't hurt the song's mainstream success. Party in the USA charted number 13 Adult Top 40 Radio, number 2 on the Hop 100, and number 1 Top 40 Radio. The black eyed peas I got a feeling, Jay Sean and Lil Wayne's Down beat the top spot on the Hop 100 for three weeks. When pop culture can associate a vocabulary word or comparative expression, you've made it. Wrecking ball did verbally and visually in the music video. Miley's full face sings close up to the camera looking so hurt then swinging on a wrecking ball in the chorus to symbolize how emotionally hard she came on to Liam Hemsworth. The intro reminded nineties fans of Sinead O'Connor's nothing compares to you when she also sang straight to the camera lens, shedding a tear. Miley being Miley was partially nude swinging on a roped wrecking ball, breaking down sheetrock with a hammer, and licking it. Billy Ray felt his daughter's censored nudity was too much, replayed all over media. I recall it being a meme people made cropping out the face, swinging around, one of the first of its kind. Viral for many reasons, VH1 aired it on their network and Miley gave a statement to Z one hundred's New York City radio station. I think the video is much more. If people get past the point that I'm naked and you actually look at me, you can tell that I actually look more broken than even the song sounds. The song is a pop ballad. It's one of these songs that everyone is gonna relate to. Everyone has felt that feeling at one point. If people can take their minds out of the obvious and go into their imagination a little bit and see kind of what the video really means and the way it's so vulnerable, and actually, if you look in my eyes, I look more sad than my voice sounds on the record. It was a lot harder to do the video than it was to record the songs. It was a much more of an emotional experience. When you listen to Wrecking Ball, I say it's her best vocally. She tenderly sings the verse Lally Crescendo's. The chorus and harmonizes ad libs to finish. Upset and partially blaming herself, the chorus is Don't you ever say I just walked away. I will always want you. I can't live a lie running from my life. I will always want you. I came in like a wrecking ball. I never felt so hard in love. All I wanted was to break your wall. All you ever did was wreck me. Yeah, I came in like a wrecking ball. Yeah I just closed my eyes and swung. Left me crashing in a blazing fall. All you ever did was wreck me.

SPEAKER_01 22:39

Yeah you, you wrecked me.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Miley didn't write this track, emulated the point across to own the message, and again on her godmother Dolly Parton's 2024 album Rockstar. Midnight Sky, Wrecking Ball, and Something Beautiful suit Miley's rock energy. I foresee more continuations like this for her catalog. Follow up to We Can't Stop Single Off Bangers and VMA's 2014 Video of the Year winner, Wrecking Ball charted number 15 Adult Contemporary, No. 7 Adult Top 40 Radio, Number 1 Top 40 Radio for 2 Weeks, and the Hop 100 for 3 Weeks.

SPEAKER_01 23:25

Her first Hop 100, number 1.

SPEAKER_00 23:34

Number 2, Flowers. My most heard episode on my previous podcast Music Notes with Jess was talking up Miley Cyrus Pop Hit Flowers. I've never seen so many downloads when I posted it January 2023, still growing online. Coming out fresh in the new year and pre-Valentine's Day, the empowerment lived on all year and radio. Maybe because I care too much, part of me feels sympathetic for how many fans marvel flowers. There's a frequent amount of modern songs content being single as opposed to desiring love and or relationships. Think about that listening to trending music, barely any happy themes, reminding importance and taking care of yourself. Not bad advice, just compelling breaking the norm. Miley's way of life. Focusing self-love, no rebounds, she proudly sang, I didn't want to leave you, baby. I didn't want to fight. Started to cry, but then remembered I can buy myself flowers, write my name in the sand, talk to myself for hours, say things you don't understand. I can take myself dancing and I can hold my own hand. Yeah, I can love me better than you can. Can love me better. I can love me better, baby. Can love me better. I can love me better, baby. Compared to 1978 disco song I Will Survive, singer Gloria Gaynor praised Flower's similar melody and courage as she's known for. Well received globally, Miley received multiple awards including Pop Song of the Year at iHeartRadio Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Top Radio Song, Global 200 Song, US and Internationally, Grammy's Best Pop Solo Performance, and Record of the Year. The biggest record set is longest number one adult contemporary hit for 57 non-consecutive weeks, surpassing Maroon 5 and Cardi B's Girl Like You from 2018. Miley was so light of her feet in the music video, dancing up the block up to her home and working out outside. If I were ranking this top 10 statistically, Flowers would have been number one. A signature hit is why I gave it second place. It did rank number one in 60 countries, including 8 weeks on the Hop 100, 10 weeks pop airplay, 17 weeks adult pop, and 57 weeks adult contemporary. Practically every competition shows featured contestants singing my number one song. Rumors once claimed Taylor Swift composed it, but kinda in the picture. Transitioning Disney to Pop Star, the number one Miley Cyrus tune is. Taylor Swift wrote the soundtrack opener You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home and is shown in the movie. I've seen some Hannah Montana episodes on babysitting gigs, haven't seen the movie. Billy Ray Cyrus plays a widowed former rock star, Robbie Ray, raising his son Jesse and daughter Miley, who conceals her onstage identity wearing a blonde wig to separate her from her personal life. Disney Channel aired the series march twenty fourth, two thousand six to january sixteenth, twenty eleven. Non-viewers learned about Miley being Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter, who also wanted to sing. His famous country hit was 1993's Achey Breaky Heart, recognized by younger generations on Lil Nas X's Old Town Road Remix in 2019. The climb's a perseverance ballad, valuing the process, chasing goals. Sung near the end of the film, the music video has Miley walking a deserted road with an acoustic guitar on her back, montaging Hannah Montana's movie. I saw it air on VH1 figuring out my next move as a college junior. Wound up applying to two other universities to obtain a bachelor's degree, transferred my community college credits, and graduated two years later with a BA in communications studies, cum laud. Remains my proudest accomplishment. Back to the countdown, I believe the first spot the climb was heard on Radio Disney's syndicated stations. Listeners' requests must have skyrocketed to be added on four radio formats country, pop, adult contemporary, and Christian music. Country songwriter Jessie Alexander wished her own big moment to come as her husband was succeeding in the same industry. She told Billboard in 2020, it was through that period of time the frustration I was going through, I was writing a lot of stuff about that. I had this bizarre twist of fate where I was just about to give up and bam! Not only one of my dreams came true, but beyond my wildest dreams. I also have the biggest job I've never done, which is parenthood and motherhood. I'm learning how to swaddle a baby while Miley is playing at the inauguration of President Obama. It couldn't have gone any weirder. This was my first major hit, a game changer, and opened so many doors and really gave me that confidence of, yeah, I'm a songwriter. It's so simple. I still get caught up just like we all do, with what someone else is doing or how did they get there faster and why am I not where I think I should be? But it's almost like God gave me those words to be some kind of mantra to myself. Even I sometimes have to remember, slow down, this is your journey, it's not someone else's journey. And if you rush and get there too fast, what would the whole journey be like if you got it all right away? These were the years of me trying to figure out, okay, how do I reinvent myself? The climb wasn't luck. This is my purpose, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. Nowadays, Miley overcame two obstacles in her family. She made up with her dad, who cameos separate on the Hannah Montana 20th Century Special, interviews with her mom Tish, casting director who hired her, Selena Gomez, Chapel Roan, and Call Her Daddy Podcast host Alex Cooper. It's a cute behind-the-scenes documentary where Miley grew her real blonde hair like the Hannah Montana wig, singing some performances to a crowd. Younger Me is a great new single tributing the anniversary and celebrating an engagement getting older. Max Mirando is a low-key drummer in rock bands Lily, formerly The Regrets, and was fixed up on a blind date with Miley in 2021. Miley Cyrus made quite a name for herself. The climbs perfectly shadowing every part of her life. There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna make a move. Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes you're gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb. Winning Teen Choice Awards, Choice Single, and Best Song from a movie at MTV's Movie Awards, the climb charted number 42 Hot Christian Songs, number 25 Hot Country Songs, Number 5 Pop Radio, Number 4 on the Hop 100, and Number 1 Adult Contemporary for 15 weeks.

SPEAKER_01 31:59

Thanks for flashing back Miley Cyrus Music with me.

SPEAKER_00 32:02

iHeart Radio Music Awards is streaming on Hulu to re-watch her innovator acceptance speech. Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is on Disney Plus. View this countdown's 10 songs on the linked video and Spotify playlist in the episode description. I linked a few extras to check out too. Which one is your fave? And what do you think of Music Media Review? Email Music Media Review Podcast at gmail.com. Follow our social media pages on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Please rate and review wherever you're streaming. I'm Jess. Talk to you again next week.