Ranking the Discography of Kanye West

I'm well aware that this is my third Kanye-related post that I've made in the past week.  Kanye is all the rage right now with the release of his new album and I like talking about him because he's one of the most interesting figures in music.  I think that his sound has become more refined throughout his career and most of his best songs lie in his newer music.  You could actually make a solid argument for every album as his best (yes, even ye).  Today, I decided to rank all 8 (I'm not counting Watch the Throne since I don't consider it to be a Kanye album but more of a Kanye AND Jay-Z album, meaning it doesn't belong in either of their discographies) albums from Kanye West.

8) ye

Released: June 1, 2018

Length: 7 tracks, 23 minutes

As I listen to some of these songs again, I realize that I may have been harsh on this album when I reviewed it.  It is a very personal album and does include some sort of introspection and self-awareness from Kanye, but that doesn't mean it's a great album in any way.  It sounds very rushed, which was made true from how recent these lyrics are and the reports that he started over after his "slavery was a choice" interview.  There were even reports of "Ghost Town" being finished on the day of release.  I get that Kanye has also rushed certain aspects of his albums to meet his deadlines, but this feels the most undercooked out of all of them.  Add that along with the production not being nearly as memorable as his other albums along with the passion being missing in his delivery and you have...this.

Favorite Tracks

Yikes

Ghost Town - feat. Kid Cudi x PARTYNEXTDOOR x 070 Shake

Violent Crimes - feat. 070 Shake x Ty Dolla $ign x Nicki Minaj

Least Favorite Track

All Mine - feat. Ty Dolla $ign x Jeremih [I just learned today that Valee wasn't on this song and I apologize]

7) 808s & Heartbreak

Released: November 24, 2008

Length: 12 tracks, 52 minutes

I don't think it's entirely true but a lot of his fans think that this album is a big influence on this recent wave of melodic, emotional, autotune-fueled hip-hop.  I can see how it can be influential, but it's not as big of an influence as some may think.  That's a debate for another day because the important thing here is why I think this is Kanye West's second worst album.  I don't think this is a bad album by any means but out of Kanye's discography it doesn't stand out as a milestone and feels very forgettable.  However, it did include one of his best songs.

Favorite Tracks

Heartless

Amazing - feat. Jeezy

Love Lockdown

Least Favorite Track

Pinocchio Story

6) The College Dropout

Released: February 10, 2004

Length: 21 tracks, 1 hour 16 minutes

This was where the rank started getting VERY hard.  The College Dropout is a classic, sure, but it's not nearly as memorable as what Kanye would end up doing for the rest of his career.  I also didn't appreciate that a whole third of the tracklist is interludes and skits that don't add any value other than to fill time.  I really see this album as the start of something great, but not anywhere near Kanye's best.

Favorite Tracks

All Falls Down - feat. Syleena Johnson

Jesus Walks

The New Workout Plan

Through the Wire

Least Favorite Track

School Spirit

5) Graduation

Released: September 11, 2007

Length: 13 tracks, 51 minutes

I appreciate Graduation because "Stronger" was one of the songs that defined my childhood and it was the first Kanye West song I've ever heard.  This was the album where Kanye started to gain traction in the mainstream.  It was one of the best albums of its time and has aged like a fine wine, but Kanye went on to release albums that were even better than this one.

Favorite Tracks

Stronger

Can't Tell Me Nothing

Flashing Lights

Homecoming - feat. Chris Martin

Least Favorite Track

Drunk and Hot Girls - feat. Mos Def

4) Late Registration

Released: August 30, 2005

Length: 21 tracks, 1 hour 9 minutes

If The College Dropout was the start of something great, then Late Registration was Kanye establishing himself as an emcee.  He clearly improved on all fronts for his sophomore effort and made one of the greatest hit songs in hip-hop history.  However, it still suffered from the same problem that brought down his debut where the skits and interludes take up a bulk of the tracklist.

Favorite Tracks

Touch the Sky - feat. Lupe Fiasco

Gold Digger - feat. Jamie Foxx

Drive Slow - feat. Paul Wall x GLC

We Major - feat. Nas x Really Doe

Least Favorite Track

Bring Me Down - feat. Brandy

3) Yeezus

Released: June 18, 2013

Length: 10 tracks, 40 minutes

Yeezus was where Kanye was starting to get really polarizing.  His albums since 2010 have had fans divided where they say they love it or loathe it.  My experience with Yeezus has improved with every listen.  It's pretty easy to digest since it's 10 tracks and 40 minutes long.  I also believe that this album is the best from Kanye in terms of production value.

Favorite Tracks

Black Skinhead

New Slaves - feat. Frank Ocean

Blood On the Leaves

Bound 2 - feat. Charlie Wilson

Least Favorite Track

I Am a God - feat. God

2) The Life of Pablo

Released: February 14, 2016

Length: 20 tracks, 1 hour 6 minutes

I think the same of TLOP as I do for Yeezus.  Every listen to this album has gotten better every time.  Is this album inconsistent and chaotic? Yes.  Is this a bad album that many are arguing that it's Ye's worst? Absolutely not.  There are so many amazing, memorable tracks on here.  You could feel Kanye pouring his heart and soul into every track and into the production.  This album is essentially Kanye at his most Kanye.

Favorite Tracks

Father Stretch My Hands Part 1 - feat. Kid Cudi

Famous - feat. Rihanna

No More Parties In LA - feat. Kendrick Lamar

Facts (Charlie Heat Version)

Least Favorite Track

Fade - feat. Ty Dolla $ign x Post Malone

1) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Released: November 22, 2010

Length: 13 songs, 1 hour 8 minutes

If The College Dropout was the start of something great and Late Registration was Kanye establishing himself as an emcee, then MBDTF was Kanye establishing himself as a legend.  This album is absolutely incredible.  It was Kanye at his hungriest, Kanye at his most passionate, and most importantly Kanye at his best.  Throughout his career, Kanye has gotten more and more arrogant, but with this album, he was able to add some bite to his bark and shut down his haters.  This isn't just one of the greatest hip-hop albums of the 2010s, it's one of the greatest albums of all time.

Favorite Tracks

Power

All of the Lights

Monster - feat. Jay-Z x Rick Ross x Nicki Minaj x Bon Iver

Runaway - feat. Pusha T

Least Favorite Track

Hell of a Life

As for collaborations and compilations, I think Watch the Throne is an iconic project between hip-hop's biggest heavyweights.  It makes me sad that Kanye and Jay-Z aren't friends anymore and that Jay-Z made that album a Tidal exclusive.  I also love G.O.O.D. Music's Cruel Summer compilation quite a lot.  It has some amazing posse cuts like "Mercy" and the remix to Chief Keef's "I Don't Like."

I will continue this series weekly whether it would be an artist's top 10 songs or their entire discography ranked.  Next week I will either rank Kanye's 10 best songs or Drake's entire discography.  Tomorrow, I will be listening to 8 songs from Kanye West and Kid Cudi ahead of their collaborative project Kids See Ghosts.