Mark Ronson Stuns Fans Claiming Uptown Funk Is Not His Best Bruno Mars Hit

When Mark Ronson dropped “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars back in 2014, he didn’t just release a song—he ignited a cultural wildfire. The horns. The hooks. The unstoppable chant of “Don’t believe me, just watch.” It was an anthem that refused to be forgotten, dominating the charts and searing itself into the public consciousness.

Yet now, nearly a decade later, Mark Ronson has sent shockwaves through the music world by admitting there’s another track he considers even better than his historic Bruno Mars collaboration. It’s the kind of confession that immediately had fans scrambling to replay, re-analyze, and re-argue one of the biggest hits of the century.

This isn’t just clickbait. It’s an actual turning point in how we talk about Bruno Mars’ legacy—and about the sometimes messy, always fascinating way artists see their own work.

THE UNDENIABLE LEGACY OF UPTOWN FUNK

Before we get into the controversy, let’s be honest about why “Uptown Funk” is still unavoidable nearly 10 years later.

Uptown Funk wasn’t just a song. It was an event.

Released in late 2014, it went on to dominate the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 consecutive weeks, eventually becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. It won multiple Grammys, including Record of the Year. Its music video racked up billions of views on YouTube, embedding Bruno Mars’ swagger and Mark Ronson’s production wizardry into the very fabric of pop culture.

It didn’t matter where you were. Weddings. Clubs. Sporting events. Even grocery stores. That song was there.

But with time comes perspective. Even for its creators.

RONSON’S BOMBSHELL ADMISSION

In a recent interview making the rounds on social media and music blogs alike, Mark Ronson was asked to name the track he thought topped “Uptown Funk.”

Without flinching, he gave his answer.

It wasn’t one of his deep cuts. It wasn’t an experimental production few had heard of. Instead, it was another song entirely, one he claimed had “more nuance, more soul, more replay value.”

While he didn’t dismiss “Uptown Funk”—he ”praised its energy and crowd-pleasing brilliance—he admitted he no longer sees it as his pinnacle achievement.

That’s the real shocker.

Bruno Mars has rarely spoken about ranking his own work, but you can imagine the conversations that went on behind the scenes. After all, it wasn’t just a Ronson hit—it was arguably the signature track of Bruno’s career.

FANS LOSE THEIR MINDS

Of course, the internet had feelings.

Twitter lit up with debates. Facebook groups dedicated to music nostalgia started posting hot takes. TikTok creators dissected the production of “Uptown Funk” frame by frame, asking if Ronson was wrong, if he was right, or if he was just bored of his own success.

Comment sections exploded with lines like

“He’s crazy. Nothing beats Uptown Funk.”
“Finally someone says it. That song is overrated.”
“Mark Ronson is trolling us. It’s marketing, right?”

If you’ve spent any time online in the last week, you’ve probably seen the memes. Bruno Mars looking shocked. Mark Ronson with a “Sorry Not Sorry” caption.

It’s the exact kind of viral controversy that social media thrives on.

WHY THIS MATTERS

It would be easy to shrug this off as an artist being self-critical or as click-chasing hype.

But the truth is, Ronson’s comment reveals something bigger about how pop music is made—and how even the biggest hits can become cages for their creators.

Uptown Funk was a global phenomenon. But that level of success can be suffocating. Every subsequent release gets compared to it. Every artist meeting starts with “Can you do another Uptown Funk?”

For Ronson, admitting there’s a track he prefers is liberating. He’s allowed to grow. To change. To see past the brass-heavy, retro-inspired perfection that once ruled radio.

For Bruno Mars, it’s even more intriguing. Bruno has famously shifted styles over the years, from doo-wop soul to funk revival to 90s R&B. If Ronson says there’s a better track, it invites us to re-listen to Bruno’s entire discography to consider where his real genius lies.

WHAT SONG DID RONSON NAME?

This is the part that sent fans spiraling: Mark Ronson didn’t name one of his own hits with Bruno Mars.

Instead, he singled out a track he worked on with another artist—one he said showed more subtlety, more layers, and more emotional resonance.

While some music journalists speculate about which song he meant (he’s produced for everyone from Amy Winehouse to Lady Gaga), what matters most is the idea that even monumental hits aren’t immune to an artist’s own shifting tastes.

It’s the creative restlessness that made Uptown Funk so addictive in the first place.

BRUNO MARS: SILENT BUT DEADLY

Of course, while Ronson was dropping truth bombs, Bruno Mars himself has remained characteristically quiet about the whole thing.

No defensive tweets. No angry rants. No passive-aggressive Instagram stories.

That’s classic Bruno—let the music speak.

And it might be the smartest move of all.

While fans fight over which song is “better,” Bruno Mars sits atop an enviable career of multi-platinum albums, sold-out tours, and songwriting credits that would make any artist jealous.

He doesn’t need to tell you which track is best. He’ll just keep performing it for crowds who know every word.

THE DEEPER DEBATE

Beyond the social media noise, there’s a real conversation to be had here about how we value music.

Is the “best” song the biggest hit?
The most streamed?
The most complex?
The one that sells the most tickets?

For years, pop music has been obsessed with metrics. Chart positions. Streaming counts. Platinum certifications.

Ronson’s casual admission is a grenade in that mindset. It’s a reminder that even the most reliable hits can feel shallow to the people who made them.

It’s also a challenge to us as listeners. Are we willing to give the other songs a chance? Or do we just want the guaranteed dopamine rush of a proven classic?

THE UPTOWN FUNK EFFECT

Even as Ronson distances himself from calling it his best work, there’s no denying the impact of Uptown Funk.

It didn’t just make Ronson and Bruno Mars richer. It changed the radio. It revived a retro-funk sound that hadn’t been dominant in decades. It forced other producers to up their game.

You can argue about the lyrics. About whether it’s derivative. About whether you’re sick of it. But you can’t argue about the fact that for a solid two years, it was everywhere.

And the reason this conversation matters at all is because it’s still everywhere.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, is Uptown Funk really overrated?

Or is Mark Ronson just sick of being asked to repeat himself?

Does Bruno Mars care at all? Or is he too busy planning his next album, confident that whatever he drops will inevitably get measured against his towering back catalog?

It’s the kind of industry drama that keeps music fans engaged, outraged, and talking late into the night.

And maybe that’s the real genius of it all.

Because in 2025, nearly a decade after its release, Uptown Funk isn’t fading away. It’s back in the headlines. It’s being debated. It’s being defended.

That’s not failure. That’s immortality.