How to Make a Top 10 List Your Friends Will Actually Envy

Anyone can write down ten things they like. But some lists make you stop scrolling. You read every line, you argue with #4 out loud, and then you immediately want to make your own.

What's the difference? After looking at a lot of Top 10s (it's genuinely part of my job, and I love it), I think it comes down to a few simple choices. I'm Sherry from the ShareTens team, and here's my light, practical guide to making a list your friends would envy.

Step 1: Pick a niche, not a category

"Top 10 movies" is a fine list. "Top 10 movies I'd rewatch on a sick day" is a great list.

The more specific your topic, the more personality comes through. A narrow topic forces you to think about why you love something, not just whether you love it. And it gives your friends something to react to.

A few ways to narrow down:

• Add a mood: comfort shows, rainy-day books, songs for driving at night
• Add an occasion: Thanksgiving movies, road-trip snacks, holiday cookies
• Add a constraint: under two hours, only from the '90s, only animated
• Add a point of view: what a favorite character would pick

That last one is more fun than it sounds. On ShareTens we have Character Picks, where a character "makes" their own lists. Take a look at Eleven's Top 10s from Stranger Things: her #1 favorite thing is Eggo waffles ("I will not share the last one"), followed by Mike and Hopper. It's a great example of how a specific voice turns a simple list into something you want to read all the way through.

Step 2: Rank honestly (yes, even the guilty pleasures)

Here's the secret most people miss: an envy-worthy list is an honest one.

It's tempting to rank what you think you should love. The acclaimed classic, the cool album, the book everyone says is life-changing. But readers can tell. The lists people remember are the ones where someone puts a goofy comedy at #2 and owns it.

A few honesty checks:

• Would you actually choose #1 over #2 tonight? If not, swap them.
• Is anything on there just to impress people? Be brave and cut it.
• Did you leave off a favorite because it's "embarrassing"? Put it back.

Your Top 10 says a lot about you. Let it say something true.

Step 3: Make every spot earn its place

Ten is a small number, and that's the point. Every item should feel like it fought for its spot.

If you've got fifteen contenders, that's a good problem. Try this:

1. Write down everything that comes to mind.
2. Circle the ones you'd defend in an argument.
3. Rank the circled ones by asking "If I could only keep one, which?" over and over.
4. Stop at ten. The rest can be honorable mentions in your head.

The order matters more than you'd think. Moving something from #3 to #1 is a statement. Friends will notice, and they'll have opinions. That's a feature, not a bug.

Step 4: Add a line of personality

A bare list of titles is useful. A list with a short note on each one is memorable.

You don't need a paragraph. One line is plenty:

• Why it's on there
• The moment you fell for it
• Who should experience it
• A little inside joke

Look at how Eleven's list does it: #5, "Supercom radios," with the note "For talking to friends, even far away." That's seven words, and you know exactly why it matters. That's the energy to aim for.

Step 5: Share the link (and invite a response)

A Top 10 sitting privately on your phone is nice. A Top 10 that a friend opens, laughs at and answers with their own list is so much better.

When you share, give people a reason to respond:

• "Tell me what I got wrong."
• "What's your #1?"
• "I need you to make yours so I can judge it."

You'll be surprised how many people take you up on it. Lists are conversation starters disguised as lists.

Bonus: your list is a secret gift guide

Once your friends and family share their Top 10s, holiday shopping gets a lot easier. You're not guessing anymore. You know their favorite show, their favorite character, their comfort movie.

And if someone you're shopping for hasn't made a list yet, our gift quiz can help. It's five quick taps about who the gift is for, and it suggests ideas from our fan gift guides.

A quick checklist before you hit share

• Is the topic specific enough to be interesting?
• Is the ranking honest?
• Does every item deserve its spot?
• Did you add a little personality?
• Did you give people a reason to reply?

If you can say yes to most of those, you've got a list worth envying. ❤️

Make your Top 10

Ready to try it? Making a Top 10 on ShareTens is free and takes just a few minutes. Pick your niche, rank honestly, and share the link with the friend who'll argue with you the most. Start your Top 10 on ShareTens and make a list your friends would envy.

Share what you love.

— Sherry, ShareTens