Beyoncé stans have long argued over the ranking of her discography, but I am here to set the record straight. This ranking is definitive, as in definitely the truth. I'm including the all studio, collaboration, and live albums that are available on all streaming services.
10. The Gift
The Gift is a great album. Better than any of Beyoncé's other projects? Hardly. Where in a typical Beyoncé album at least ¾ of the songs pull their own weight and could arguably perform well as singles, The Gift does not possess this quality. There is a considerable gap between the quality of the best songs and the worst songs. It's cohesive and does a great job of representing the story of the Lion King, but sadly it has to fall at number 8.
9. I AM... World Tour
This live album is fantastic, especially to watch the movie that goes with it. Today, we know she can do much better with a live album. The live versions of Crazy in Love, Diva, and Freakum Dress are standouts to me. Something about the live horns and guitars and the better-than-studio vocals bring immeasurable joy to the heart.
8. Dangerously In Love
With 5 hits and 5 more deep cuts, Dangerously in Love is a debut that undeniably demanded attention. Unfortunately, this album is so low on the list because it has most of Beyoncé's worst songs. It's a fabulous R&B album, but Beyoncé shows in later years that she can do better.
7. EVERYTHING IS LOVE
A joyous expression of black love. The epitome of black excellence. EVERYTHING IS LOVE is an amazing nine-track project that has no skips and a very particular, individualized sound. It also has one of the best rap verses of 2018 in Jay-Z's verse on APESH*T. EVERYTHING IS LOVE is only so low in the rankings because there was only one single, and it was not better than the singles from the latter albums. Additionally, aside from APESH*T, this album has some of Jay-Z's most questionable lines.
6. I AM... Sasha Fierce
If not for the singles, this album might have been placed at the bottom of Beyonce's solo albums rankings. However, I could not do that and still be able to sleep at night. Radio? Video Phone??? Ego?? SINGLE LADIES???? And there's even more singles that made this album so grand. I Am… Sasha Fierce was an iconic moment in pop culture, but many of the songs that are not singles are easily subpar (by Beyoncé's standard) skips.
5. 4
This is easily Beyoncé's album vocally. 4 is sonically distinctive, especially considering it was released in 2011, a time where EDM and dance songs were ruling the charts. All the songs on 4 are really good… like really good. 4 covers a lot of subject matter, making it the most mature of Beyoncé's projects at the time. The singles (Countdown, Run the World, End of Time) did not chart as well as those of I Am… Sasha Fierce or B'day; however, their infectious sound along with the powerhouse vocals that were rare to pop at this time make the singles some of Beyoncé's most enchanting.
4. B'day
If we're rating these albums Verzus style, as in hit for hit, I believe B'day is topping any of Beyoncé's albums. However, this list is not about hit for hit, it is about how each full album ranks in terms of quality AND cohesiveness. The album has no clear narrative or story to tell; It's more like a Beyoncé's Greatest Hits playlist. The deluxe version of B'day gives us a more complete picture of Beyoncé's individuality and range, as it gave us more ballads and Spanish songs.
3. BEYONCÉ
This album is truly bliss. The production was flawless: songs like ***Flawless, Haunted, and Rocket have immaculate progression. The lyrics combined with the production and slowed down tempo of Jealous creates the perfect amount of sass, guilt, and of course jealousy. This album had a narrative that is the embodiment of the good, the bad, and the ugly of marriage. Overall, in her self-titled album Beyoncé gave us a new maturity, feminist anthems, and a vulnerable look into her marriage.
2. Lemonade
Ah yes, the supreme Beyoncé studio album. Aside from the mounds of critical acclaim and awards Lemonade earned, from start to finish it is a flawless expression of every aspect of conflict that comes with infidelity in marriage. Sorry encapsulates all emotions that come when you're cheated on, from anger to sadness to vengefulness to couldn't-care-less. All Night epitomizes the beautiful feeling of returning to your soulmate in a way no other song has ever done! Love Drought is peak lyricism with passionate vocals that make you feel like you yourself were the one Jay-Z cheated on. Although no other studio album of Bey's is topping Lemonade, there is one more project that is topping it...
1. HOMECOMING: THE LIVE ALBUM
If self-titled and Lemonade are immaculate pop albums, Homecoming is that on steroids. All of Beyoncé's greatest songs but with extra instruments, excellent transitions, powerful vocals, interludes, and a setlist with not a song out of place. The performance of Homecoming at Beychella is arguably the greatest live performance of all time, and it's especially extraordinary because it was such an unambiguous expression of black pride. Homecoming is impeccable and Beyoncé's best album.
