Top 10 Best Songs by Phil Collins

THE moment. Everyone waits for that drum fill. But the minutes before are at least as brilliant. The atmosphere is ominous, with a bare drum computer and floating synthesizers. Collins' voice is distorted and sounds bitter. The tension is built agonizingly slowly until that explosion of drums that changed music history. It's mysterious, angry, and brilliantly produced. A masterpiece.

The ultimate break-up song. Phil sits behind the piano and pours out his heart. He wrote it during his own divorce, and that pain is palpable in every note. The buildup is classic: from intimate and small to a grand, orchestral finale where he screams it out. It's raw, honest, and devastatingly beautiful. A tears-jerking first class.

Written for the Disney film Tarzan, but became a worldwide hit on its own. It starts as a soft lullaby and grows into a powerful pop song. The drums that come halfway through are typical Collins: big and tribal. The lyrics about unconditional parental love ("I will protect you") touch every parent and every child right in the heart.

Here all brakes come off. An explosion of funk and horns, clearly inspired by Prince. The beat is machine-like and tight. The title means nothing, it just sounded good as a drum rhythm. And that's exactly what this song is: rhythm. It's made to dance to, full of synths and a pumping bass. Energy bursts from it.

Phil Collins shows his social involvement. A stately, serious song about homelessness and the indifference of passersby. The synthesizer melody is somber and penetrating. David Crosby's backing vocals give the chorus a ghostly quality. It's a song that makes you think, without being preachy. Beautiful and painful.

A duet that sparks with energy. The combination of Collins' rock voice and the insane falsetto of Earth, Wind & Fire singer Philip Bailey is gold. The drums are, as expected, phenomenal and driving. It's a warning about a dangerous woman ("She'll get a hold on you"), wrapped in an irresistible, swinging rock song. Pure pleasure.

An epic song with a guest role for Eric Clapton on guitar. It has a gospel-like atmosphere, grand and dramatic. The lyrics are a plea for rain to wash away the pain. Collins sings with enormous passion, and Clapton's guitar weeps in the background. A powerful powerballad that reaches the soul.

A sober, melancholic ballad. The rhythm is slow and simple, almost hypnotic. The saxophone solo is sultry and sad. Phil sings plea after plea ("Give me one more night"), and you feel the despair of someone who doesn't want it to be over. It's minimalist produced, so the loneliness hits all the harder.

A cover of The Supremes, but Phil made it completely his own. It's a cheerful, upbeat tribute to the Motown sound he loves. The bass line hops and the drums are tight and energetic. It sounds sunny and optimistic, even though the lyrics are about patience in love. A song that immediately makes you happy.

Ed goes to the dance floor. This song marks a new sound with clear 1980s synthpop influences. The beat is tight and compelling. It's about nights that last too long and wrong choices. Despite the dark lyrics, the music is euphoric and energetic. It proves he can also score huge hits without his acoustic guitar.