Billie Eilish's 'Birds of a Feather' Named Best Love Song, Surpassing Etta James' Classic "At Last"

Love songs are easily one of the most popular music genres ever because they connect with listeners of every generation. That is why even people who were born decades after Etta James released her iconic song "At Last" often swoon when the timeless 1960 classic is played. Despite that cross-generational appeal, a recent ranking from a highly respected outlet named a 2024 track above it as the greatest love song of all time.

The Unthinkable Dethroning: Which 2024 Track Unseated Etta James for the Ultimate Love Song Crown?

In January 2026, Time Out published its ranking of the "30 best love songs of all time." The outlet named Etta James' eternal classic "At Last" at No. 2. Olivia Dean's "A Couple Minutes," Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love," and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" were ranked from No. 3 to No. 5, respectively. The track that surpassed all of those songs to top the ranking at No. 1 was "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish.

The outlet's description of the reasoning for its choice began by addressing the obvious: "Birds of a Feather" isn't an ode to the power of love. Instead, Time Out noted that "not all love songs are gushy ballads." From there, the song was praised for "hitting a middle ground between joyful and melancholy, light and haunting."

Interestingly enough, Time Out contended that at first listen, "Birds of a Feather" seems cute, which is a highly questionable statement for anyone who pays attention to lyrics. Ultimately, the outlet explained its choice by arguing that the song is about "not being able to live without someone," while citing the following lyrics: "If I'm turning blue, please don't save me / Nothing left to lose without my baby."

Released in 2024, "Birds of a Feather" became a major success for Eilish. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 1 of that year and spent a total of 67 weeks on the chart. While the song topped out at No. 2, spending that long on the chart is far more impressive than topping it for a week and then quickly disappearing.

The song and Eilish's success are well-deserved. She is an immensely talented performer who, alongside her brother Finneas O'Connell, crafted a track that spoke to millions of people. The magnitude of that accomplishment should never be diminished by anyone. Still, there is no denying that seeing "Birds of a Feather" listed above "At Last" as part of a love song list is shocking.

Next: 1998 Rock Classic Suddenly Climbing Charts 28 Years Later - Among 'Greatest Love Songs of All Time'

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 5:45 AM.