Miley Cyrus has been in the public eye throughout nearly every era of her life. The daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus (and goddaughter of Dolly Parton) was cast in the role of Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel when she was just eleven years old, and her time in the House of Mouse launched her to a strata of stardom that quickly eclipsed that of her immediate family members. She’s remained as a fixture of pop culture ever since.
Following her Disney days, it took Miley a minute to lock in her sound — she couldn’t be tamed; she stepped into an ill-advised hip-hop era; she fell in and out of love, and then stripped everything back down to its bare bones. It’s difficult to deny, though, that Miley’s true gift is her voice, and in recent years she’s made room for that lead the way most of all. She’s found a bit of a niche in rock covers and ’70s-inspired sounds, letting her trademark rasp and vibrant stage presence act as a north star.
Something wonderful about this current era of her career is her unabashed love for the journey. She doesn’t shy away from the stories and songs that got her here, frequently gracing crowds in 2022 with reimagined versions of tracks from her Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana days.
Ahead of Miley’s first live album, titled ATTENTION: MILEY LIVE (out this Friday, April 1st), we’re looking back at her career so far. Check out the full list of Miley’s best songs below, and scroll to the end for a playlist of all 10 tracks.
— Mary Siroky