13 classic Mandy Moore songs you need to listen to right now
By Reed Gaudens
Mandy Moore makes sweet melodies as Rebecca Pearson on NBC’s ‘This Is Us,’ but let’s not forget that her music helped define a generation. Give these 17 bonafide classics a listen!
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Rebecca Pearson might be the singer in the spotlight at the moment, but the moonlighting mama’s portrayer was once one of the biggest names in pop music. Before she became America’s new favorite TV mom, Mandy Moore wowed the TRL generation with her sweet as candy tunes. As a matter of fact, Moore’s music has become ridiculously underrated, and we’re about to remedy this injustice right now.
Back in the summer of 1999, 15-year-old Mandy Moore burst onto the scene with “Candy,” a song that defined that era of bubblegum teen pop. She held her own against the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson, her nearest contemporaries and closest comparisons. But four short years after her first album was released, Moore diverged from the sound that launched her career. As a major movie star and pop singer, Mandy Moore broke away from the herd at a young age and has never looked back. It’s that same creative instinct that has propelled her resurgence on This Is Us. Listen to these 13 classic Mandy Moore songs and get to know the artist behind Rebecca Pearson.
1. “Cry”
Nicholas Sparks fans will remember “Cry” from 2001’s timeless tale of teenage love, A Walk To Remember. You’ll be hard pressed to find a millennial who can’t still sing along to the song’s bittersweet but oh-so early ’00s chorus. Well before her peers had, Moore mastered the art of adult contemporary balladry.
2. “Most of Me”
Mandy Moore’s 2007 album Wild Hope introduced a brand new artist. She shed the layers of Top 40 and presented herself as a folk-pop singer-songwriter, an amazing progression. Moore co-wrote each song and sang at a register that uncharacteristic of the breathy coo requisite for pop princesses. “Most of Me,” a mid-tempo acoustic ballad, showcases the best of Wild Hope’s personal storytelling.
3. “So Real”
On the title track of her debut album, Moore sings about her innocence and being satisfied, which is kind of weird considering she was only 15. But when you separate the icky subject matter of the verses from the insanely catchy chorus, you’re left with a through-and-through bop. Nothing has ever been more emblematic of 1999 pop than “So Real.”
4. “Walk Me Home”
The second single from her second album somehow failed to chart despite being among her most well-known songs — for the Radio Disney crowd at least. Slow burner “Walk Me Home” might not have the staying power of “Oops!… I Did It Again,” but its accompanying music video of a wintry date at a movie premiere and ice skating rink is worth the price of admission alone.
5. “Only Hope”
Just like an episode of This Is Us, if you can make it through a listen of “Only Hope” without tearing up, you deserve an award. Moore performed the piano ballad for A Walk To Remember, and it’s a movie moment we’ll all collectively never forget. From her star-making performance in the film to her chill-inducing vocals on the soaring torcher, “Only Hope” is one of Moore’s most essential tracks.
6. “17”
“17” wasn’t a single off of Mandy Moore’s eponymous third album, but it should have been. The album transitioned Moore away from the dance-heavy power pop of the moment and more toward rhythmic pop-rock, as evident on standout “17.” Although not co-written by Moore, the song sounds like an autobiographical anthem with a double meaning about coming of age.
7. “I Wanna Be with You”
Call it a sleepy pop love song, call it whatever you’d like, but “I Wanna Be with You” was one of the defining songs of the new millennium as the theme song for the film Center Stage. Of course, it wasn’t a ubiquitous hit, but it does stand as Mandy Moore’s highest-peaking Billboard Hot 100 hit, ranking at No. 24. Millennials, you know you bopped to this one on the radio back in 2000.
8. “Crush”
You know how sometimes you’ll listen to a song so much that you remember it as a bigger hit than it actually was? That’s “Crush.” Despite hitting No. 1 on TRL and receiving some adult contemporary airplay, “Crush” was mostly slept on by the general public, even though it should be Mandy Moore’s synonymous hit. The sweet pop-rock torch song is without a doubt Moore’s best pop single to date.
9. “Moonshadow”
This Is Us fans, this one is for you! Whether by a twist of fate or divine coincidence, Mandy Moore recorded a cover of the Cat Stevens song “Moonshadow” for her 2003 album Coverage. A decade and a half later, Moore performed the song as Rebecca Pearson on This Is Us in the scene depicting Jack and Rebecca’s meet cute. Moore’s “Moonshadow” isn’t just impassioned and lovely, it’s also wildly serendipitous.
10. “In My Pocket”
How does one talk about “In My Pocket” without becoming overwhelming angry about its fate on the charts? The makings of a hit song were different back then, sure, but the Middle Eastern-influenced rhythmic pop banger should have been the song of the summer in 2001, running at No. 1 for nine weeks. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Although most of Mandy Moore’s songs are rather tame, “In My Pocket” truly goes off as a pulsating floor burner.
11. “Gardenia”
The beautifully harrowing standout on Moore’s Wild Hope album, “Gardenia” leaves its impactful mark in just over four minutes. Never had Mandy Moore been so stripped down and vulnerable as an artist than on the self-written piano ballad about heartbreak and insecurity. “Gardenia” features the vocal performance of Moore’s career and could be an easy feature on This Is Us.
12. “Fern Dell”
Mandy Moore’s most recent album, 2009’s self-titled Amanda Leigh, explored new sounds in a tight and clever collection of 11 songs. Furthering the singer-songwriter appeal, Moore kept things introspective and left of center, especially on the Fiona Apple-esque “Fern Dell.” The dramatic and bombastic bop sounds unlike anything Moore had released, yet exactly like the music Mandy Moore should be making.
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13. “Candy”
And of course, no list of Mandy Moore songs could ever be complete without the original classic, the song that started it all, “Candy.” From the very first “Give it to me” to the self-referential break down, “Candy” was iconic on arrival. It’s a song and music video that comes around once in a lifetime, a tangible time capsule and reliable destination for instant nostalgia. Sure, it’s not the greatest song ever written, but it’s fun and it gave us the talented artist and performer we know today. Love always, Mandy.
Which Mandy Moore songs are your favorites? Which classics will you be jamming to? Let us know in the comments!