Ranked: Every Drake Album

The discography of one of the decade’s most innovative artists

7. Thank Me Later

Drake followed up his 2009 breakout mixtape with a 2010’s Thank Me Later. Everything previous to this project from Drake was quite conservative and reserved. On Thank Me Later, Drake introduced himself as a huge name in the Rap/R&B scene. Before the album was released, singles like “Best I Ever Had” and “Find Your Love” showcased his soft and sentimental side, something which Drake has battled with ever since. There is a lot of this type of music on the project, but he does start to break out of his shell with tracks like “Over” and “Up All Night.” Overall, Thank Me Later was a solid jumping-off point for Drake in his career. 

6. Scorpion

Scorpion is by far Drake’s most disappointing album to date. It’s astonishing how many misses there are on this project. The 2018 album contains 25 songs and clocks in at exactly an hour and a half, but sadly only around 10 songs are worth anyone’s time. Scorpion feels like a bunch of extras that Drake decided to throw on the album just because he thought he could. “Blue Tint,” “Sandra’s Rose,” and all the singles distinctly stand out from the rest because they are actually stimulating, while almost everything else sounds almost comatose. 

5. More Life

When Drake came out with More Life in 2017, I was originally very critical of it, but it has really grown on me ever since. Like in most of his albums, Drake tries to wear a lot of hats on More Life. However, unlike his other albums, this one lacks any sort of underlying vibe. Each song offers something completely different from the last one. For example, “4422” is a beautiful song that Drake doesn’t even appear on. It is just Sampha gliding over a laid-back piano tune, which transitions into the next track, “Gyalchester” where it is only Drake delivering his most clean-cut rap song on the album. Other highlights include “Teenage Fever”, “Nothings into Somethings,” and “Ice Melts.” Young Thug also delivers one of his greatest verses ever on “Sacrifices.”

4. Views

Views gets a bad rap. Sure, it could have been a more concise record, but some of Drake’s most reflective lyrics come from this project. A great example of Drake taking a step back is the track “Weston Road Flows.” Here, he reminisces about his younger days and compares them to the busy life enormous amounts of fame can bring. While we all might not be international superstars, we can all relate to thinking about our youth and the lack of responsibility that came with it. “Used to have secret handshakes to confirm my friendships, now they just shaking my hand just to hide the tension,” raps the Canadian, showing how fame changes everybody’s view of you. “Faithful” is another great moment from the album. Drake melds both of his styles perfectly and produces an impressive track, I would say one of his most underrated. 

3. Nothing Was the Same

Drake’s follow up to his Grammy-winning performance on Take Care reaches some of the same heights. With this project, Drake announced himself as one of the biggest crossover stars the music scene has ever seen. The album gets off to a hot start with “Tuscan Leather,” one of Drake’s best intros of his career. The track does not feature a chorus, which allows Drake to showcase his rapping chops, which stack up with his signing finesse. He gains a new level of confidence throughout the album that would only grow for years to come, but the birth of this confidence was truly something to behold. 

2. Take Care

Without a doubt, Take Care is Drake’s most celebrated album. It is known as one of the greatest albums of the decade and took home the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2013. He puts it all out there on Take Care, with tear-jerking tracks like “Shot for Me” and “Marvins Room” while also relishing in his brand new lifestyle on “Headlines,” “HYFR,” and “The Motto.” This blend makes for one of the most intricate albums of this generation. While Drake may have still been trying to find his footing with lyricism at the time, the music speaks for itself. Drake is helped with some great features from Rihanna, The Weeknd, and Lil Wayne, who all add something Drake couldn’t too the album.  

1. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

It’s a little odd that Drake’s best album to date isn’t even an album. Although If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is actually a mixtape, it is easily his best project. I counted one miss on the record: “Madonna.” Every other track is alluring in some way. Many of Drake’s more unappreciated songs come from the 2015 mixtape. For example, “Star67” stands as one of my favorite Drake songs to this day. His collected yet violent delivery is steady throughout the track despite a beat switch nearly halfway through. “Jungle” is another song that fits in with Drake’s moody temperament on “Marvin’s Room,” but is improved by an outstanding sample and expert production from Noah “40” Shebib. Overall, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is Drake’s most comprehensive album in his stacked discography.