Ranking Every Kanye Album From WORST to BEST

are you ready to look at one of the most legendary musical cataloges of all time because today we are going to be ranking every Kanye West album from worst to best now whether you love him or you hate him you cannot deny that Kanye West is one of the most important artists of the 21st century from genre shifting Sonic breakthroughs to the way he has inspired so many artists to be their most authentic selves Kanye West is an artist who one-of-a-kind creative Spirit has allowed for him to be a dominant musical Force for over 20 years at this point now today we are going to be looking at Kanye's entire catalog from his debut album of College Dropout to his latest record vultures as we try to find out just how good he truly is so if you are ready to look at one of the most revered yet polarizing cataloges in modern music let's waste no time and let's get right into it now kicking off this list in last place we have Kanye's 2019 album Jesus is King and when we look throughout y's iconic and revered catalog this is the record that ends up being considered the the black sheep of his discography and rightfully so now let me be clear compared to a lot of other rappers worst albums Jesus's king is not that bad but for Kanye West standards This Record Just Hits so below the belt where this album should have felt like a grandio spiritual awakening It Feels So Hollow and this is because of the fact that it was released in a state where it simply was not completed from some of the instrumental skeletons being so Bare Bones and under produced to Kanye's writing which lack the charm and Charisma we have come to expect from him Jesus's King feels like a record that had potential to maybe be great but just was never fully fleshed out it's a real shame because the tracks that don't suffer from these issues are Transcendent anthems that feature one of the most down-to-earth and passionate versions of Kanye that we have seen in years but it's just wasted when half of y's verses are hardly past the demo phase now regardless of my frustrations with this record its gospel influence sound and Kanye's passion are still as infectious as they can be and as a result despite its flaws This Record is still one of the most feel-good experiences that I have heard in the past 5 years and for these reasons while Jesus's King is easily Kanye's Worst Album it's nothing to be ashamed of now moving on to the number 12 spot we are already in a tier of albums that most rappers wish they were able to make but in this spot we got Kanye's collab album with Jay-Z Watch the Throne now when it comes to Watch the Throne This Record thrives by ingraining its identity in the fact that it's one of the most special moments in all of hip-hop history having two Mogul in Jay-Z and Kanye West come together at the height of their careers makes for a sheer and utter spectacle and this is exactly what they played into to create this album's greatest moments from The Cinematic intro of No Church in the Wild with Frank Ocean to Paris or Otis these tracks are once in a-lifetime experiences that capture the larger than life bravados of two of the most charismatic rappers we have ever had the pleasure of listening to on a lot of these tracks Jay-Z and Kanye's chemistry has never been better and even when they slow things down for more introspective Cuts Like New Day or murder to Excellence their humility is able to shine through just as much as their egos do now while this album is responsible for creating a handful of the greatest tracks Kanye and Jay-Z have ever been a part of together it's still at number 12 on this list as aside from its high highs it also contains some of the weakest tracks in Kanye's entire catalog aside from a few outliers the second half of this album really suffers with most of his track feeling super outdated or just way too superficial as they lack both the excitement and Sonic Excellence that makes the best tracks on this album The undeniable cultural moments that we remember them as now regardless of these issues Watch the Throne is still one of the better collab albums in modern hip-hop for the way Jay-Z and Kanye West were able to embody what it truly means to create a musical spectacle and for this reason while this records at number 12 it is still a very formidable addition to y's catalog now coming in at number 11 we have in my eyes what is Kanye's most underrated album with yay and while I know it's insane to call an album underrated yet have it in the bottom three of Kanye's discography his catalog is that good that a record this low holds so much weight now while most Kanye West albums Thrive by being Grand musical spectacles yay thrives by being the exact opposite This Record is short in its running time and linear in its focus as its seven songs all serve the sole purpose of exploring Kanye's battle towards self-love in one of the most powerful ways I have seen not just in hip-hop but really in all of media from the way Kanye shows us his shocking intrusive thoughts to the way his internal struggles have resulted in so much turmoil in his personal and family lives this album is able to feel so compelling emotionally by giving us a rare look into who Kanye West really is at heart now complimenting the raw vulnerability that Kanye shows the entire world through his songwriting and performances the production on this album serves as the perfect musical reflection of his pain as the beats are intentionally designed to sound messy and distorted and by doing this we ultimately get an album that ends up finding beauty within all of its Madness now with yay as a whole through Kanye's own personal battles that we see firsthand the record leaves us making sure that we don't just accept Kanye for who he is but that we also accept ourselves for who we are now by the end of this album kany has not found solutions to the issues that made him created in the first place but what he now understands is is that living with imperfections is what makes him a human being now after a run of records and incidents in the 2010s that had people questioning if Kanye even had a conscience anymore ultimately yay proved that he was more emotionally intelligent here than he ever was so while we often seek immediate answers to our problems Sometimes the best solution is acceptance and because of the invaluable way which yay tells us this through its seven tracks it's an amazing part of Kanye's legendary catalog and number 11 on this list now crack in the top 10 we got Kanye's latest album vultures one and already being a top 10 yay project says a lot about the quality of a record and with this collaborative effort with the one and only TI doas sign while it's not Kanye's most deep or meaningful album it is one of his most entertaining in a while now with vultures while this album doesn't innovate in the same way a lot of yay other albums have it still manages to be a really strong addition to his catalog because of the sheer spec iCal that's on display throughout it fusing together house experimental hip-hop trap gospel music and so much else vultures is one of Kanye's most dynamic records to date and listening to its 16 tracks really feels like a musical roller coaster where you never know just how the next turn you take is going to pan out now while Kanye's lyrics on this album are arguably the most superficial and mind-numbing of his entire career despite Kanye's subject matter being pretty Hit or Miss The Surreal soundscapes along with y's bravado and presence and and of course Tai's amazing Hooks and vocals make for a combination that gives us some of the most exciting music hip-hop has seen in quite some time whether it's tracks that were made for soldout clubs and world tours like paid and back to me or other songs that are about to become the mosh pit anthems of the year like Carnival and Fon vultur offer such a wide array of different musical spectacles and when we look at how these moments reach such special highs right alongside what Kanye and taalas sign do the features make this album even more exciting with nipy hustle YG Northwest l Durk Travis Scott many more and of course such highlights as Playboy cardi and Freddy Gibbs Who deliver some of their best performances in a while on their respective guest appearances with all of the features that are able to contribute to the world's Kanye and taala sign put together on vultures it shows that even 20 years after the release of Kanye's debut album he is still one of the best curators and Visionaries in Hip Hop who knows how to get the best out of such a wide array of talent now also with this album while Kanye's lyrics leave a lot to be desired and even leave you with your head scratching time to time from the production which feels so alive and Ever Changing to the atmosphere and presentation which manages to feel so consistently fresh and captivating vulture feels like y's most cohesive and wellth thought out record in a while in terms of its pacing and quality as there's really no filler tracks and moments that are so bad or confusing that make you question how they were even left on the thing as a whole so overall for being a project that just offers a ton of super fun memorable and distinct tracks with one-of-a-kind production amazing features and at the center of it all two great artists who are getting Peak performances out of one another while vultures isn't one of Kanye's very best albums by any means it's still a great record that makes it to the number 10 spot on this list now coming in at number nine we got arguably the most influential album not just in kan's catalog but of the entire 21st century with 808s and heartbreak and from the the sheer display of emotionality from Kanye to this record's Forward Thinking sound 808 in heartbreak is one of the most unique offerings that Kanye has ever given us now after the run of The College Dropout late registration and graduation this album was a complete 180 for Kanye West and despite going against everything that worked for him at the time he ended up creating something that would go on to change the course of music from the intro track say you will to the album's closer Pinocchio story 808's deconstructs a man who went from being on top of the the world to being in one of the darkest times of his life after his engagement was called off and more significantly he lost his mother D West Kanye had a gaping hole in his heart and the way he was able to translate this excruciating pain into this album makes for one of the most heartbreaking listens out there with each track on 808 you learn more about the void that can't be filled with in Kanye's life and despite him having all of the money and to claim that one could ever desire none of it matters because he has no one to share it with with it's really the little details on 808s that paint across this so well whether it's gripping with loneliness un welcome to heartbreak or yay internalizing the torturous cycle that his life is in on street lights there's hardly a second on this record where you do not feel the pain and remorse that's destroying the Kanye West that we knew and loved when it comes to this album while Kanye's performance is what our heartstrings tie on to the 808 driven sound creates this Eerie Sonic Image that defines the album greater than any other part of it the chilliness of the production and the frequency of Kanye's autot tune really makes this project feel like the musical equivalent of a cold winter Breeze and this only enriches the emotional weight it holds so when we look at 808s in heartbreak and see its unique combination of painful storytelling and Spacey production this album isn't just an amazing Kanye record but to this day despite all of the albums that it's influenced in execution it's one of a kind in the hip-hop world and coming in at number eight we got Kanye's 2021 solo album da and when it comes to this album while it is not by any means the most cohesive Kanye record it's arguably his most exciting from the features to the amount of sounds Kanye is able to juggle on this thing at once dond is the definition of a musical Blockbuster in the best sense possible every track on this record packs a unique punch of excitement and the way Kanye designed this album you truly never know what's going to come next mostly for better but sometimes For Worse from the trap drill crossover of Off the Grid to the Soulful believe what I say d really feels like a musical highlight reel where we get to see all of Kanye's greatest strengths on display at the same time Kanye is vulnerable on this album yet he is still able to make some of the most explosive bangers of his career and while he dips into the gospel sound that he tried to immerse listeners in on Jesus's King he's also got Cuts here that are as abrasive and suspenseful as something you would see on yeus now while this amalgamation of skills is what makes D so great it's also what makes this record a structural mess and when it comes to this album this is by far its biggest problem and the reason it can't go any higher on this list it's a shame because despite D containing so many of Kanye's best songs in years there's no rhy or Reason to half of it and within almost 2hour runtime even for an artist as gifted as Kanye West this ends up being a weakness now with this said with the array of worldclass features from the likes of Jay-Z Andre 3000 Playboy cardi and many others to the jaw-dropping performances seen on tracks like Jesus as Lord and come to life from Kanye himself all in all despite any of D's clear and apparent flaws it is still a magical album and coming in at number seven we have arguably Kanye's most iconic album with gradu ation and when it comes to his third studio album as I've said before it's hard to really say anything about this album that hasn't been said already graduation is the quintessential Victory lap album in rap music everything about this record feels so Larger than Life from the triumphant performances from Kanye West to the soundscape which was designed to be played in the biggest Arenas in the world no matter what angle you look at this album from graduation is the type of record that is the textbook definition of legendary as soon as you hear those sweet drums kick in on good morning you know you were going to be in for one hell of a ride that does not let up for a single second well except for drunk and hot girls that song is an absolute Miss before the rest of the record it is the gold standard on how to successfully close out an all-time great album series coming off The College Dropout and late registration graduation perfectly closes this album Trilogy by embodying the core values of the entire series and presenting them within the light of where Kanye was at after solidifying himself as a fullon musical Superstar the hits off this album never fail to get any room going and while this album can assert its Victory with loud and in-your-face moments it's also able to do it through some of the most relaxing and wondrous tracks you'll ever hear it's the way graduation presents the One of a Kind Swagger of Kanye alongside his humility that alongside being a celebration makes this album truly feel like the midpoint between the Kanye we saw in the early 2000s and the one we would see later on so for graduation being a one-of-a-kind Triumph in the career of Kanye West it gets this high up on the list and right outside of the top five we have Kanye's second collab album and first ever with kid Cy in their 2018 LP kidy ghost now with this album featuring Kanye finally teaming up with his most renowned collaborator and prot at the time after years of these two giving us classic tracks this was already a moment that would have been so impactful to hip-hop regardless of what the duo would have done and when it comes to what one of the most renowned pairs of all time decided to do on their seven track album where I praised yay earlier for being such an important piece of music as it explores and Embraces themes and ideas that are often way too Shi away from in rap and in all of music KY ghost manages to chase these same goals and ultimately execute them in a way that isn't just great but ends up being truly life-changing I am not overstating that now after a time where both Kanye and kid Cy hit rock bottom in their lives dealing with their own personal issues this record brought us on this journey of dealing with the aftermath of this as they search to discover inner peace and with this pair of not just collaborators but best friends lifting each other up out of the darkness it makes for an experience that at times will move you to tears from the caling presence of kid cudy whose vocals feel like a beam of light to the honest and vulnerable version we see of Kanye which gives us his most human performances since his debut album after this Duo is done trading verses about their darkest demons and lowest moment moments it allows for them to heal right in front of our eyes and by seeing this process progress throughout the album and seeing these artists find the light in turn it also helps pick up and heal anybody listening to it it's so special when an album can translate its stories and struggles not just into something that the listener can audibly hear but also feel in their soul as it helps them with their own battles that they may face and for kidy ghost being a body of work that is able to make this rare artistic breakthrough it is number six on this list list and crack in the top five we got Kanye West's 2013 album yeus and even over 10 years after this record's release this is still one of the most polarizing albums in Kanye's entire catalog as it took everything the world knew about him at the time and just threw it out the window now after Kanye cemented himself as one of the faces of the entire music industry with albums that were always Innovative and creative but at the same time highly accessible to mass audiences yeus marked the moment moment where Kanye's music became more unpredictable and out of left field than ever and while some hated the project for this if you ask me it's this boundless creativity that makes it one of the best albums in y's entire catalog while all Kanye albums have top tier production in their own regard the Sonic World Kanye encapsulates you in here is like nothing else hip hop has ever seen before or after it as it took the grandio spectacle we expected from yay at the time and twisted and subverted it with some of the most abrac and intense production of all time every single track on yeus pushes what hip-hop production can sound like to its absolute limits and with this unseen level of creativity Kanye gave us a handful of some of his most structurally complex and narratively thrilling tracks ever that in themselves feel not just like a simple song but instead a fully actualized musical epic whether it's the ey openening New Slaves the gut-wrenching Blood on the leaves or anything in between the way the song is on ye's t take on different otherworldly forms throughout various sections of the tracks that mirror or just oppose the complex and everchanging emotional state and storytelling from Kanye West leaves us with a body of work that isn't just commendable for being creative but is truly legendary for the Creator behind it showcasing the Mastery of things that we didn't even know were possible to put together before it so for yeus standing now for over a decade as Hip Hop's de facto experimental album representing a moment where a musical Superstar went off course and made a body of work with no limits and fear of what the industry thought of it and ultimately delivering one of the most groundbreaking and masterful albums because of it it's made it all the way to the top five of this list and now in the Mount Rushmore of Kanye West albums at number four we got the record that started it all with his debut album The College Dropout and even after coming out over 20 years ago this record still stands as an alltime classic and this is because of the inspiring Journey that we witness Kanye Goan during the record the sheer hunger and will to be great that Kanye displays throughout every second of his Beats and every word of his verses on this album creates an aura that to this day hasn't been matched now while the desire to prove the world wrong makes you rude for Kanye on this album at the end of the day while a lot of other artists have displayed raw hunger on their debut records what makes The College Dropout so special is the sheer level of skill that Kanye was already at out of the gate Kanye was a great Lyricist at this point in his career and Beyond just have in bars that were well written technically the subject matter of his verses were treading on new ground for hipop at the time showing that you can make rapping about your 9-to-5 retail job sounds super compelling and in an era where everyone believed that rap had to be aggressive and violent for it to be successful this ultimately ended up changing the John refr now in addition to this Kanye's production would also start a Sonic Revolution as his sped up Soul sample beats became so memorizing and catchy that people are still trying to recapture this musical magic to this day so for Kanye's masterful display of rapping and producing along with his already genius curation ability which allowed for this album to depict a powerful narrative all enhanced by the exciting guest performances from some of the biggest and most skilled rappers at the time all in all The College Dropout will always remain as one of the best debut albums of all time and one of Kanye's best and for these reasons it's at number four on this list now crack in the top three we are now looking at some of the best hipop albums of all time and in this spot we have Kanye's second album late registration and when we look back on the old Kanye West that so many people love and miss there is no project in y's catalog that embodies why his early records resonated with listeners in ways that few other artists ever have lay registration offers to us the ultimate version of what made Kanye early on such a beloved figure in the rap world now as Kanye was able to make everything he manifested on The College Dropout into reality on this album he's now rapping from a much more comfortable place in his life but this doesn't change his humility in in a lot of ways it actually enhances it without rapping about how frustrated he is with his place in Life or how bad he needs to blow up in the rap World Kanye is able to focus on the much more human aspects of his reality as lay registration shows us that this life of Fame that he manifested may not be worth what it was hyped up to be whether this is conveyed through a comedic hit like gold digger or through the realizations that a life of Fame will only lead towards a downward spiral like an addiction Kanye puts into perspective just how much his life may spiral out of control now and looking back on everything we have seen happen to Kanye over the years this portion of the record feels all the more valuable now right alongside this part of the album as Kanye internalizes this life of Fame he also delivers some of his most vulnerable performances to date and these moments make for some of the best material that Kanye has ever released whether it's yay expressing his love for his mother on hey Mama or we're seeing how livid he is as he questions why he can't do anything to save his grandmother from passing away on roses the emotions and thoughts Kanye shares with us here show us just how special everything about him was at this time to this day there are few other rappers who even dare to dive into these types of topics and when it comes to exploring them with the emotions that end up bottling up inside of you and storytelling that will leave you thinking well after your initial listening experience late registration gives us immortalized proof of what makes Kanye West a phenomenal and these days underappreciated MC in his best moments now Beyond Kanye's rapping lay registration is one of his best produced albums with its soundscape that incorporates heavy Jazz influence into the Soulful style of production that made the college dropouts so memorable in the first place so overall for all of these reasons and for being the old Kanye's magnum opus late registration has made it into the top three of this list and now coming in at number two serving as Kanye's second best album we got his 2016 record the life of Pablo and where late registration was the magnum opus of what the old Kanye West had to offer this is the absolute peak of what many deem the new Kanye and the reason why it's even higher than an album as good as late registration is because the life of Pablo shows us a version of yay who isn't just at the near peak of his Artistry in terms of his songwriting and production skills but beyond the records musical prowess this is an album that gives us the most real look into the madness that has been the life of Kanye West through 20 tracks the life of Pablo is an album that goes absolutely all over the place and while comparing the gospel infused intro of ultralight beam to The in-your-face Banger of famous may make it seem like the record is an absolute mess on paper in actuality the record thrives by having such a jua position in tone and style between so much of it is this is exactly what Kanye was trying to depict from the album cover showing the two different realities that straight up ask the question which one this theme is echoed throughout the life of Pablo as Kanye paints to us the picture that is his messy troubling and imperfect reality having an album that inherently allows itself to give you some of the most beautiful Cuts in Kanye's catalog while also offering up some of the most dark and unsettling as well It ultimately gives to you an experience that isn't afraid to go in any direction or say just about anything and while it definitely gets bumpy along the way this is a product of it mirroring the full scope of emotions that any human who has ever lived on Earth can elicit the combination of Father's stretch my hands part one and two perfectly Channel this at the very start of the record is what goes from a Heavenly Banger with Kanye rapid about his guilty pleasures quickly spirals out of control as Kanye begins to question how his own lifestyle is reflecting the failure of his fathers and how this may destroy everything he ever loved it's moments like these that make this album incredibly complex as it's not just allowing for Kanye to vent out his biggest fears and worries but in a way it's also testing him each track on this album faces Kanye with a new challenge where he ultimately has to choose what reality he wants to live in and what's so interesting about it all is that at the end of the day not even Kanye himself knows what direction his life is going to end up in we see yay both on the verge of destroying everything he has ever worked for and then we also see him want to escape the lifestyle that his stardom and his family's image seem like they are trapping him within overall it's this ability to engulf himself in just about any story and emotion in his mind that doesn't just make Kanye's performance so comp telling on this album but it also allows the album to embody so many different styles and as a result features so many different artists spanning from Kendrick Lamar Andre 3000 and Chance the Rapper to Frank Ocean Rihanna and the weekend now to fully understand the message and really the Cry for Help from Kanye on this album it requires an entire trackby track breakdown but as it stands while Kanye does have an album that is better than this as we will soon see I don't think there is a single record more important to understanding who who he is at heart hearing about all the past trauma and current battles that have made Kanye into the person he's often characterized as is so infatuating and with this project while I said late registration gives us the most universally human performance from Kanye West the life of Pablo gives us the most human depiction of Kanye West himself so for all of these reasons the life of Pablo is the second best Kanye West album and finally coming in at number one while there may be better records that em the old and new eras of Kanye West's career there is no album that better reflects the sheer and unrivaled Genius of Kanye West Than My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy even after almost being out for 15 years listening to Kanye's fifth album feels like you are engulfing yourself in a musical Odyssey that makes for one of the most thrilling pieces of media that you will ever encounter through 13 tracks Kanye brings us into the perfect musical world that channels everything that a great rap album needs and so much more the production on this record is Cinematic and grandiose in ways that have never been matched before or after its release there are so many all-time great features from some of the most talented hip-hop artists of all time and at the center of this all Kanye himself delivers a performance that defines his legendary career greater than anything else he has ever done and as you have seen that is really saying a lot in some way shape or form My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy captures every other aspect of Kanye's Artistry that has made his cataly so legendary as he puts it all into one defining experience y's as hungry as he was on The College Dropout as he comes with the lyrical complexity we saw on late registration all while he crafts a soundscape that captures the spectacle of graduation and the lawlessness of 08 but he does so much more with all of these aspects Kanye's verses on this album All tell incredible stories of Triumph and defeat as he pen some of his most well-thought out and interconnected performances to date and Beyond just his writing yay was so tune with his Artistry and vision that he uses the production to enhance the pain and victory that his verses do such a good job at telling us about whether this involves distorting his voice on a track like gorgeous to make the song's painstaking realizations feel all the more excruciating or it means crafted a track like power into feeling like one of the most important songs you will ever listen to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy uses its production to immerse you into the world of the record in a way that most albums merely can't now making this all even better Kanye's bars and production are only further brought to life through the Larger than Life unmatched presence that he brings to every single corner of this record and complimenting all of these aspects that Kanye controls while almost all of y's records Excel by bringing on featured guests My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy stands taller than the rest as it may just have the best use of features on any rap album ever whether it's Elton John playing a piano ballad a hook from Rihanna or kid cuy a small background vocal from Drake or entire verses from the likes of push a t Jay-Z Rick Ross or Nicki Minaj Kanye enlists the skills of some all-time grades to not just enhance the grandiose feel or the Larger than Life spectacle of the album but to add meaningful performances that enrich the ideas themes and feelings that he's trying to get across now all of these facets of the album seamlessly gel together to create unrivaled highs in the rap world and whether it's an intense posy cut or one of the best arranged hip-hop tracks ever with so many genre defining moments that all masterfully come together in one legendary album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy isn't just Kanye's best work but it embodies the sheer greatness and power that modern rap music has offered to the world better than any other album has so there you have it there are all of Kanye West solo and collab albums ranked in one list and wow no matter if you love or hate this guy you cannot deny that his discography is filled with top tier projects that aren't just great great in isolation but are so integral to the entire music world as many of these records have changed the way artists can create as a whole so looking at all this I now ask you the question does Kanye West have the best catalog in all of hip-hop history if you think yes hit that subscribe button to let me know and if you don't think so still hit that subscribe button because it helps me out a ton and definitely leave a comment on what you think about y's catalog and its entirety because well I am not saying that it is definitely the best you just watch the video you saw how many great albums he has it is definitely in contention thank you so much for watching your support means everything and if you want to see my further thoughts and initial reaction to Kanye's latest album vultures check out the suggested [Laughter] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] video [Music]

Channel: Fantastic Hip Hop

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Keywords: Kanye West, Kanye Album Ranking, Ranking Every Kanye Album From Worst to Best, Kanye Albums WORST to BEST, Kanye albums ranked, Kanye West albums ranked, Kanye West Best Album, Kanye West Worst Album, Kanye West New Album, How Kanye's New Album Changes Everything..., Kanye West Vultures 1, Kanye West Graduation, Kanye Life of Pablo, Kanye Vultures, Kanye West Best albums, Kanye West album ranking

Id: uqx3r3zDtN0

Length: 31min 2sec (1862 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 15 2024