For 12 series (so far), The X Factor has produced an impressive amount of chart-topping hits, multi-million-selling albums and the odd novelty hit.
But here we're looking at the best of the best, musically. Sure, international impact, critical acclaim and general fan adoration helped inform our decision-making, but ultimately it's all about the song. As the judges remind us every week: song choice is key to success.
So without further ado, here is Digital Spy's definitive Top 16 best ever X Factor singles. Oh and we've limited it to just the UK series, obviously. Sorry Fifth Harmony!
16. SHAYNE WARD: 'NO U HANG UP'
Released: September 24, 2007 • Chart peak: No.2
After a few soppy ballads, Shayne Ward finally heated things up with his seductive single 'No U Hang Up', proving that the R&B/pop vibe everyone wanted from him immediately after the show would be as good as we'd hoped. This narrowly missed out on the top spot though, with Sugababes' mighty single 'About You Now' denying it the honour.
15. CHER LLOYD: 'WANT U BACK'
Released: February 17, 2012 • Chart peak: No.25
If Simon Cowell calls you a brat, take it and own it. That's exactly what Cher Lloyd did, and it's summed up no better than on the infectious hooks of 'Want U Back'. The premise is simple: Cher has lost her man and she's going to use everything in her power to reclaim him. Fierce grunts, bouncy beats and a catchy chorus make it one of the most unapologetically bratty bangers The X Factor has ever produced.
14. AIDEN GRIMSHAW: 'IS THIS LOVE'
Released: June 3, 2012 • Chart peak: No.49
In 2010, poor Aiden Grimshaw fell victim to the shock elimination storyline the X Factor likes to weave in every year. But the singer-songwriter from Blackpool was just too good to not get at least one shot at a music career, and his debut single 'Is This Love' was packed with all the drama, promise and talent he'd showcased during his time on the show.
13. REBECCA FERGUSON: 'NOTHING'S REAL BUT LOVE'
Released: November 20, 2011 • Chart peak: No.10
We may still bang on about wanting Rebecca Ferguson to record a massive dance anthem after she stormed The X Factor with 'Show Me Love', but ultimately, her distinctive vocal suits the soul-drenched numbers that she's put out. And that's no better demonstrated than on first cut 'Nothing's Real But Love'.
12. DIANA VICKERS: 'ONCE'
Released: April 19, 2010 • Chart peak: No.1
Diana Vickers may have seduced the X Factor judges with her unusual and delicate vocal, but she climbed to the top of the UK singles chart on a big and bold pop anthem centring on the hook "I'm only gonna let you kill me once". It's an electro-pop-rock twister that still manages to sweep us up to this day.
11. JAMES ARTHUR: 'SAY YOU WON'T LET GO'
Released: September 9, 2016 • Chart peak: No.1
When it seemed like all was lost for James Arthur and his music career in the UK, the power of a simple yet stirring guitar-led ballad gave him his second shot. While 'Say You Won't Let Go' is responsible for the single-biggest X Factor comeback ever, we're also pretty certain it'll be responsible for countless marriage proposals and newborn babies.
10. LOUISA JOHNSON (with CLEAN BANDIT): 'TEARS'
Released: May 27, 2016 • Chart peak: No.5
Although it's not Louisa's own single, the 2015 X Factor winner is the centrepiece of Clean Bandit's big disco blowout 'Tears'. It's a heartache anthem for the dance floor, as Louisa's clear and powerful vocal takes the anthem to church.
9. ALEXANDRA BURKE: 'BAD BOYS'
Released: October 12, 2009 • Chart peak: No.1
Only a handful of X Factor stars manage to fully realise their pop potential, and Alexandra Burke managed to do it all on her first proper single. Pulsating beats, siren synths, fierce choreography and more sass than a Simon Cowell put-down made it one phenomenal introduction. Hey, we didn't even mind Flo Rida on it.
8. JLS: 'BEAT AGAIN'
Released: July 12, 2009 • Chart peak: No.1
When it comes to X Factor boybands, JLS were the true trailblazers long before One Direction came along. 'Beat Again' was a refreshing slice of R&B/pop at the time – especially considering many were concerned they'd be stuck with Westlife-type balladry having been mentored by Louis Walsh. But no, JLS gave chest-pumping a whole new level of meaning, and we'll forever be thankful for that.
7. ZAYN MALIK: 'PILLOWTALK'
Released: January 29, 2016 • Chart peak: No.1
It didn't take Zayn very long after leaving One Direction to start talking about the one thing they weren't allowed to mention: sex. Oo-er. So the title of his debut single 'Pillowtalk' was an out-and-out statement. But beneath that post-boyband rebellion was an enormous R&B-tinged anthem that scaled both the UK and US chart.
6. FLEUR EAST: 'SAX'
Released: November 6, 2015 • Chart peak: No.3
This would've probably topped the chart if it wasn't released within the same period as the pop behemoths that were Adele's 'Hello' and Justin Bieber's 'Sorry'. But 'Sax' more than held its own with its infectious brass line and uplifting sentiment, soundtracking everything from X Factor montages to Asda Christmas adverts.
5. OLLY MURS: 'HEART SKIPS A BEAT'
Released: August 21, 2011 • Chart peak: No.1
When Olly Murs started the campaign for his second studio album in the summer of 2011, the ska-flecked bounce of 'Heart Skips A Beat' launched him to international fame. It's easy to hear why, the peppy production complementing both Olly's soulful vocals and cheeky chap persona perfectly. It still wins us over every time.
4. ELLA HENDERSON: 'GHOST'
Released: June 6, 2014 • Chart peak: No.1
Despite finishing sixth on The X Factor in 2012, Ella Henderson secured herself a big record deal with Simon Cowell, and then her debut single wouldn't follow for another two years after that. But Ella made sure people remembered her with her massive first cut 'Ghost', which fell somewhere between the rootsy heart of Adele and the pop sensibility of Leona Lewis.
3. LITTLE MIX: 'BLACK MAGIC'
Released: July 9, 2015 • Chart peak: No.1
Little Mix's biggest single came after a period in their career when they were certain they were about to be dropped by their record label. Well thank the music heavens they weren't, because 'Black Magic' is a slice of unashamed pop that's as spellbinding as its sentiment. Paired with the fact the girls can perform it to perfection, it's the real moment when the general public at large stopped and noticed their brilliance.
2. ONE DIRECTION: 'WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL'
Released: September 11, 2011 • Chart peak: No.1
'What Makes You Beautiful' just wasn't a fantastic debut single, it launched a whole pop phenomenon. It broke countless records and sold millions of copies, turning five ordinary boys from the UK and Ireland into international superstars. But aside from all its accolades, at its very core, the song has one of the catchiest choruses this century.
1. LEONA LEWIS: 'BLEEDING LOVE'
Released: October 19, 2007 • Chart peak: No.1
When Leona Lewis won The X Factor in 2006, talent show winners were still seen as popstars who would achieve a bit of domestic success and very limited international acclaim. 'Bleeding Love' destroyed that perception, before taking its place at No.1 in countries the world over. While its premise is nothing we hadn't heard before – big vocals on a power ballad of heartache – it was completely different from anything in the chart at the time. That thudding beat, haunting organ and Leona's powerful delivery meant it came together in the most glorious way possible.
We're not sure anyone from The X Factor will be able to reproduce something of this standard that has this level of impact ever again. Leona remains the only X Factor star to have been nominated for a Grammy Award thanks to 'Bleeding Love', and the track has aged so well it still packs an emotional punch nine years after its release.
