Every Drake album, ranked from worst to best
· Business Insider
Simone Joyner/Getty Images for ABA
- Drake has released 11 albums, two solo mixtapes, and three collab projects since his 2010 debut.
- BI's senior pop culture writer ranked all 16 from worst to best, excluding compilations.
- "Take Care" took the top spot, while his newest No. 1 album, "Iceman," was ranked next to last.
Ever since a young actor named Aubrey Drake Graham signed with Lil Wayne's Young Money label in 2009, he has proven to be a dominant rapper and pop star, reigning over the charts with few signs of stopping.
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Drake has racked up 15 No. 1 albums to date — tied with Taylor Swift for the second-most ever — from 2010's "Thank Me Later" to 2026's "Iceman."
Drake has also shifted the very ways in which we define and judge albums. He releases record-breaking, studio-quality projects but calls them "mixtapes" or "playlists." He drops so much music so often that it becomes difficult to keep up, let alone compare and contrast.
But let's do it anyway! For our purposes, a Drake "album" is any full-length LP released after he signed with a major label (which means "So Far Gone" is ineligible, sorry). This ranking also excludes compilation projects like "Care Package" and "Dark Lane Demo Tapes."
The remaining contenders are ranked below from worst to best.
16. "For All the Dogs"Drake's son Adonis designed the artwork for "For All the Dogs."Instagram/champagnepapi
Two decades after Drake released his debut mixtape (2006's "Room for Improvement"), he continues to spend entire albums complaining about women and haters.
As a twentysomething rapper with something to prove, Drake's petty jabs and paranoid delusions made sense. It was actually refreshing for an artist to be so open about his darkest impulses.
Now, the whole thing is no longer a novelty. "For All the Dogs" was made by a 36-year-old father, and it makes his rich-kid malaise sound an awful lot like misogyny.
As Nadine Smith wrote for The Independent, Drake's toxic masculinity has become "increasingly hard to ignore."
"'For All the Dogs' sees him step into a role that's nauseatingly patriarchal and almost abusive," Smith wrote. "He wants to handcuff them on 'Fear of Heights,' then whip and chain them like 'American slaves' on 'Slime You Out.' When he raps that he 'packs them into my phone like sardines' on 'First Person Shooter,' his outright contempt for women stares you directly in the face."
Beyond the blatantly sexist lyrics, "For All the Dogs" is an inconsistent, aggravating, and derivative album. (It's also way too long, which is a complaint you'll see a lot in this ranking.) Drake promised a return to form, but unfortunately, the charm that made him a superstar only appears in fickle bursts.
The rest of the 23-song tracklist is full of try-hard trap music and eye-roll-inducing lines: "They say love's like a BBL, you won't know if it's real until you feel one," "Feel like I'm bi 'cause you're one of the guys, girl." Drake's target audience these days seems to be exclusively frat boys, but I still have to ask: Is this your king?
15. "Iceman""Iceman" was released on May 15, 2026.OVO/Republic
Even putting aside how careless it is to release an album called "Iceman" amid the violence inflicted by Immigration and Customs & Enforcement (ICE) — a fact the White House quickly capitalized on, sharing AI-generated versions of the "Iceman" cover to push the MAGA agenda online — the music itself is almost equally careless.
"Iceman" sounds algorithmic, as if pieced together by a robot trained on Drake's recent output. As with most of his albums released in the past decade, Drake spends the bulk of "Iceman" seething over his perceived slights and enemies. This time, however, he's rapping on the back foot.
"Iceman" was much-hyped as Drake's first solo release since his feud with Kendrick Lamar, in which Lamar accused Drake of being a culture vulture. Drake attempts to mock this claim with "Ran to Atlanta," featuring Future and Molly Santana, a clear response to Lamar's "Not Like Us" ("You called Future when you didn't see the club… You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars / No, you not a colleague, you a fucking colonizer"). In this context, reuniting with Future is a decent headline-grabber, but the song proves to be exactly that: a defensive, cynical gimmick.
Drake also complains about inflated streaming numbers throughout the album; he previously sued UMG and Spotify, accusing the companies of conspiring to make Lamar's music seem more popular. (The lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge.) Given that Drake himself is one of the most-streamed artists in the world, with more No. 1 hits than Michael Jackson, these gripes scan as resentful at best. Nobody likes a sore loser, especially when the so-called "loser" is objectively rich and successful.
"Iceman" seems designed to break Billboard records, nothing more. "Fans are raving that 'Iceman' is his best album since 'Views From The 6,' which sounds like a glass-half-full way of saying Drake's formula peaked a decade ago," music journalist Andre Gee wrote on Substack. "A deeper assessment of 'Iceman' depicts a guy eroding an already withered rap persona with incessant scorn over a self-inflicted L."
14. "Her Loss""Her Loss" was released on November 4, 2022.OVO/Republic
Though he never said this explicitly, "Her Loss" was Drake's attempt to course-correct after "Honestly, Nevermind" didn't receive rapturous praise from his fan base. He took the one classic rap song on the latter's tracklist, "Jimmy Cooks" featuring 21 Savage, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and tried to clone its success 16 times.
This was a disappointing decision. "Honestly, Nevermind" wasn't a flop! It was a thrilling departure from the standard Drake formula, and a No. 1 album to boot. At the time, it seemed to illustrate a newfound courage to try new things, to take creative risks, to create true albums instead of glorified playlists.
"Her Loss" erased that progress. The album is sloppy and scatterbrained, especially compared to the cohesive club vibe of its precursor. It's peppered with unnecessary jabs at famous women (Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice, Serena Williams) that serve only to spark Twitter discourse. It lacks any sense of gravity.
"It's yet more evidence that Drake's art is suffering under the strain of his obsession with churning out as much music as is physically possible," Fred Garratt-Stanley wrote for NME, while Rolling Stone's Mosi Reeves put it even more bluntly: "Drake's error is that he unintentionally reveals himself as a self-centered jerk who refuses to grow up."
13. "Certified Lover Boy"The cover art for "Certified Lover Boy."OVO Records
Like the majority of Drake's albums, "Certified Lover Boy" would have benefited from an editorial eye.
Unlike "Scorpion" and "Views," however, it doesn't have the standout cuts and certified bops to justify its obscene length. It's swollen, boring, and the only memorable moments are the cringey ones: the Right Said Fred sample on "Way 2 Sexy," for example, or the entirety of "Girls Want Girls." Don't even get me started on "F*****g Fans."
If Drake was aiming for Susan Sontag's famed concept of "camp" — frivolity, artifice, irony — he failed. He's not self-aware enough to pull it off, and instead was left with a watered-down collection of Drake tropes.
12. "Habibti""Habibti" was released on May 15, 2026.OVO/Republic
"Habibti" was released as one-third of a surprise trilogy, arriving alongside "Iceman" and "Maid of Honour."
"Habibti" is the moodiest of the three albums, with the strongest R&B influence. It's OK. The album mostly floats by, never quite crystallizing into something sincere or tangible, but it doesn't offend, either.
Blessedly, the tracklist only lasts for 36 minutes, an almost unheard-of level of restraint for Drake — or it would be, at least, if "Habibti" didn't come part and parcel with two other albums. Ultimately, it's a forgettable pawn in Drake's quantity-over-quality strategy.
11. "Maid of Honour""Maid of Honour" was released on May 15, 2026.OVO/Republic
"Maid of Honour" is easily the best chapter in Drake's 2026 album trilogy, though it also had the lowest sales in its first week (110,000 equivalent album copies compared to 114,000 for "Habibti" and 463,000 for "Iceman"), so he'll probably learn the wrong lesson from this release.
"Maid of Honour" echoes the sexy, danceable vibe of "Honestly, Nevermind," putting Drake back where he belongs: the club.
However, it lacks the immersive effect of "Honestly, Nevermind," which puts the music first and Drake's ego second. Listening to "Maid of Honour" tracks like "Hoe Phase" and "Cheetah Print," I can't help but remember the indelible Lamar barb, "When I see you stand by Sexyy Red, I believe you see two bad bitches." It doesn't help that Sexyy Red herself is featured on the latter track (in addition to "Hurr Not Thurr" on "Habibti" — does this woman have incriminating information on Drake or what?).
In his Pitchfork review of "Iceman," Jayson Greene wrote, "Drake's music — his rap music, at least — hasn't made prolonged contact with fun in a decade." I would argue "Honestly, Nevermind" is the exception to that rule, and "Maid of Honour" does come close, partially thanks to assists from Stunna Sandy and Central Cee.
Still, "prolonged contact" is the key phrase here. There are glimpses of the old, impish Drake on this tracklist, but glimpses are all we get.
10. "$ome $exy $ongs 4 U""$ome $exy $ongs 4 U" was released on February 14, 2025.OVO Sound
Drake's long-rumored collaborative album with PartyNextDoor, who is signed to Drake's boutique label, OVO Sound, is thankfully more R&B-forward than much of his recent work. In the immortal words of Lamar, "I like Drake with the melodies, I don't like Drake when he act tough."
Speaking of Lamar, how could we not? It's impossible to divorce this album from the insults and drama that were swirling around its release.
"$ome $exy $ongs 4 U" dropped just one week after Lamar's Super Bowl hate parade. Lamar took a risk at the big game by performing "Not Like Us," a hit song full of unsavory claims about his nemesis — most notably that Drake "likes 'em young" and hangs out with accused sexual predators, among others.
Drake alludes to Lamar in "$ome $exy $ongs 4 U," but for the most part, he conducts his business as usual. It's framed as an album "for the girls," not the beef-obsessed rap bros. This strategy makes logical sense, even if it's unsatisfying. Drake decided to lean on lawsuits to save his reputation rather than his artistry.
At this point, I would consider Drake's artistry to be missing in action. With the exception of "Honestly, Nevermind," it feels like Drake has been releasing the same album over and over since 2021, ever-confident that people will listen, whatever the content or caliber. (Alas, he's been right so far. "$ome $exy $ongs 4 U" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.)
"$ome $exy $ongs 4 U" isn't bad in the same way "For All the Dogs" is. But the album is persistently uninspired — yet another hour-plus slog that lacks enough intrigue or emotion to justify its existence. At least "Nokia" is a banger.
9. "What a Time To Be Alive""What A Time To Be Alive" was released on September 20, 2015.Cash Money Records
There's a reason Drake is a commercial titan. He tosses out hit songs and record-breaking collections with staggering informality.
"What a Time To Be Alive" is one such example. Drake's 2015 collaborative mixtape with Future was famously written and recorded in just six days. Unfortunately, it shows.
These songs don't quite suit him. Drake takes a backseat throughout the 11 tracks, on which much of the production and many of the lyrics are undercooked.
8. "Thank Me Later""Thank Me Later" was released on June 15, 2010.Cash Money Records
"Thank Me Later" satisfied both critics and fans at the time of its release. It served its purpose as a hype-fulfilling studio debut. That being said, it falters when compared to many of Drake's subsequent projects (even though "Find Your Love" is one of his best songs).
At least no one can accuse Drake of coming out of the gate too strong and never living up to his potential.
7. "If You're Reading This It's Too Late""If You're Reading This It's Too Late" was released on February 13, 2015.Cash Money Records
For those who worship Drake as a rapper, rather than a pop star, "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" is the holy grail. It's Drake at his most forceful, his most boastful, rapping over minimal beats and industrial sounds for 17 straight tracks.
But Drake didn't become Drake because he's a great rapper. I mean, this is a man who actually said, "Got so many chains, I feel like chain-ing Tatum."
Drake is capable of delivering strong bars, to be sure, but he's at his best when he blends his bars with moody R&B, decadent production, and melodic vocals — when he blends his narcissism with his jealousy, longing, melancholy, and regret, confronting many moods in a way that feels universal.
"If You're Reading This," by contrast, is unceasingly paranoid, aggressive, and single-minded. Save for "Know Yourself" and perhaps "Jungle," it lacks that intimate translation of memories and emotions that make people feel connected to Drake as an artist, rather than Drake as a brand.
6. "More Life""More Life" was released on March 18, 2017.Cash Money Records
Drake continues to insist that "More Life" is a "playlist," not an album — perhaps as an attempt to exempt it from lists like this one, since it's so difficult to compare to his other works.
The triumph of "More Life" is its ability to synthesize diverse sounds. With its rich production and impressive array of collaborators, the tracklist has plenty of bright spots, particularly "Passionfruit," "Get It Together," "Portland," and "Fake Love."
But if Drake's most consistent critique is that his albums are too bloated, too sprawling, and too uneven to be worthwhile, then "More Life" fails spectacularly.
It doesn't even feel like a Drake album because it's 80 minutes of other artists showing him up, from Jorja Smith to Young Thug — 80 minutes of genres and styles that only work with him as a feature. It lacks a central genius.
5. "Honestly, Nevermind""Honestly, Nevermind" was released on June 17, 2022.OVO/Republic Records
I was primed to enjoy "Honestly, Nevermind" firstly because its release was announced mere hours in advance. This reduced the risk of New Drake Hype eclipsing the album itself, a curse that many of its predecessors had fallen victim to.
Secondly, with 14 songs spanning just 52 minutes, this is Drake's shortest album since "What a Time To Be Alive." After the absolute slog of "Certified Lover Boy," the world deserved that.
Most importantly, "Honestly, Nevermind" is fun to listen to — a cohesive, focused package of tropical beats and atmospheric production.
Especially as a surprise drop, this made for a fascinating change of pace. There aren't any Drake-isms, quippy lyrics, or unfortunate outliers. This is an album for feral summer nights at the coolest club in town.
Mankaprr Conteh, a staff writer at Rolling Stone, described this effect as "More Life" on drugs. Another popular tweet compared it to the groovy jellyfish music from "SpongeBob SquarePants." Both are compliments, and both are accurate.
"Honestly, Nevermind" is so smooth that it runs the risk of passive vibing and mindless head-bobbing. Thankfully, highlights like "Sticky" and "Overdrive" serve to pull the listener back into their body. When 21 Savage arrives to deliver closing statements on "Jimmy Cooks," I never quite feel ready to leave the dance floor.
4. "Scorpion""Scorpion" was released on June 29, 2018.Cash Money Records
Drake is infamously unable to refine a tracklist. But at the time "Scorpion" was released, that routine hadn't gotten old yet. As Rob Sheffield wrote in his review for Rolling Stone, "With this guy, way too much is the point."
It would be fair to assume most people don't commit to a front-to-back listen of "Scorpion." At 89 minutes, it's Drake's longest project to date (excluding the deluxe edition of "For All The Dogs," dubbed the "Scary Hours Edition," which runs for a whopping hour and 48 minutes).
Many album traditionalists would argue that you can't judge a tracklist by cherry-picking its highlights. "Scorpion" has so many ripe cherries to relish that I don't care.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a fan who doesn't have at least one or two "Scorpion" songs on repeat, even now. The album boasts some of Drake's most beloved songs ever, whether it's his genius Mariah Carey homage "Emotionless," his meme-able "In My Feelings," his emo-synth jam "Summer Games," or the ultimate summer bop "Nice For What." Remember when listening to Drake was fun?
Concluding with "March 14," an open-heart rumination on being thrust into fatherhood, is the icing on the cake. You're left feeling like you understand Drake better than before, a feat that many of his newer albums lack.
Plus, there's something to be said for a man who has remodeled the system in his own image and broken multiple Beatles records in the process. With "Scorpion," he makes sheer magnitude work in a uniquely Drake-y way.
3. "Views""Views" was released on April 29, 2016.Cash Money Records
In 2016, many fans and critics found "Views" underwhelming, largely due to the feverish anticipation that preceded its release.
In retrospect, it may be the best representation of Drake as we know him now: the eclectic, confident, irritated, unabashedly corny, taste-making icon.
In the words of The Ringer's Virali Dave, Drake spends the entire album "reveling in all his absurdist, quippy glory" — and that's exactly why so many of us fell in love with him.
The 80-minute tracklist has something for everyone. Drake's purist rap fans have "Hype" and "Still Here." His "Marvin's Room" die-hards got a new crying-in-the-club anthem with "Feel No Ways." And everyone should be thankful for the album's string of undeniable hits: "Hotline Bling," "One Dance," "Pop Style," and "Controlla." In short, "Views" holds up.
All these years later, it remains Drake's most divisive project. Nevertheless, for all the ways critics slandered "Views" as a flop, everyone has sure streamed the hell out of it — and not just in the days or weeks following its release, whether out of sheer curiosity or trend capitulation. "Views" not only dominated the summer of 2016, earning Drake's longest streak at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (13 weeks), but as of 2025, the album has spent over 500 weeks on the all-genre album chart. It's one of the biggest hip-hop albums of all time.
2. "Nothing Was The Same""Nothing Was The Same" was released on September 24, 2013.Cash Money Records
Only Drake could build a tracklist that includes a timelessly seductive love song ("Hold On We're Going Home"), career-defining hype anthems ("Worst Behavior," "Started From the Bottom"), emo slow jams ("Own It," "Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2"), and an audacious six-minute intro ("Tuscan Leather") and somehow turn it into his most solid, coherent album ever.
"Nothing Was The Same" is a true standout in Drake's catalog because, as Andrew Unterberger wrote for Billboard, "The LP in its entirety is stronger than just its highlights in isolation: It's the Drake album with the most consistent vibe throughout, the one where the songs most feel like they're all stemming from the same moment."
1. "Take Care""Take Care" was released on November 15, 2011.Cash Money Records
"Take Care" is Drake's masterpiece. It saw him step into his role as the High Priest of Generational Oversharing; he's processing his memories in real time, collapsing a myriad of modern experiences and complex emotions into his most immersive listening experience.
It can be difficult to remember how risky "Take Care" was for Drake at the time — to release such a self-conscious, gothic record when everyone wanted classic rap songs for the radio.
"Making an album this outré demonstrates a perverse sense of confidence, and also ignores the received wisdom about consistency and incremental change," Jon Caramanica wrote for The New York Times in his review.
"'Take Care' isn't a hip-hop album or an R&B album so much as an album of eccentric black pop that takes those genres as starting points, asks what they can do but haven't been doing, then attempts those things," Carmanica continued. "In the future an album like this will be commonplace; today, it's radical."
He was right. "Take Care" was criticized by Drake's peers, who said it wasn't "real rap." Now, it's what you'd put in a time capsule for future generations to understand why rap hasn't been the same since 2011.
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