Kanye West
The essential Kanye West records, ranked — where to start and what to reach for next.
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1808s & HeartbreakKanye WestStart here
808s & Heartbreak
A cold, Auto-Tuned grief record that reshaped pop-rap. Bold and influential. A pivotal record.
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2The College DropoutKanye WestClassic
The College Dropout
The debut that broke the gangsta-rap mould with soul samples, humour and middle-class anxiety. Warm and witty, it announced a major new voice in production and persona. Still his most likeable record.
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3Late RegistrationKanye WestClassic
Late Registration
A lush, orchestral leap forward with Jon Brion's strings behind soul-sample beats. Ambitious and warm. A peak of his early run.
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4GraduationKanye WestClassic
Graduation
A bright, stadium-sized pivot toward synths and anthems, home to 'Stronger'. Polished and huge. A turning point in mainstream rap.
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5My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyKanye WestClassic
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
A maximalist, operatic statement that reassembled Kanye's career after public disgrace, stacking lush production, A-list guests and raw confession. Ambitious to the point of excess and almost flawless. Frequently named the best album of its decade.
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6YeezusKanye WestDeep cut
Yeezus
A jarring, industrial-leaning art-rap statement of minimalist aggression. Bold and divisive. A creative swerve.
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7The Life of PabloKanye WestDeep cut
The Life of Pablo
A sprawling, gospel-tinged collage of a record. Messy and acclaimed. A divisive peak.
- Jesus Walks from The College Dropout · on Best 2000s Hip-Hop Songs
- Stronger from Graduation · on Best Hip-Hop Songs of All Time
Tracks we've featured in our best-of lists — tap a title to find it on Amazon Music.