Ranking the 20 Best Barbra Streisand Albums

Barbra Streisand is a singer, actress, and filmmaker who began her career in the late 1950s. In her acting career, she has starred in films including ‘Funny Girl,’ ‘Hello, Dolly!,’ ‘The Way We Were,’ ‘A Star Is Born,’ ‘The Prince of Tides,’ and ‘The Mirror with Two Faces.’ As a singer, Barbra Streisand has sold more than 145 million records worldwide, and she has won eight Grammy Awards. She has released 36 studio albums, 11 compilation albums, nine live albums, 15 soundtrack albums, 24 music videos, and 117 singles. Here are the 20 best Barbra Streisand albums ranked.

20. My Name Is Barbra, Two… (1965)

‘My Name Is Barbra, Two…’ is a follow-up to ‘My Name Is Barbra,’ and both albums were released in 1965. It reached number two on the Billboard 200, had sold more than a million copies within a year of its release, and was certified Platinum. The two charting singles from the album were ‘Second Hand Rose’ and ‘He Touched Me.’

19. Guilty Pleasures (2005)

‘Guilty Pleasures’ is the follow-up album for Streisand’s 1980 album ‘Guilty,’ and it was released in the UK and Ireland as ‘Guilty Too.’ It was Streisand’s thirty-first studio album, and she collaborated on its content with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees. Streisand and Gibb performed duets on two tracks, and Gibb also features as a backing vocalist on several other tracks. It was most successful in the UK, where it peaked at number three on the album charts. In the United States, it reached number five on the Billboard 200. The album cover features a photograph of Gibb and Streisand together.

18. A Love Like Ours (1999)

‘A Love Like Ours’ reached number six on the Billboard 200 and the Norwegian album charts. It was also a top 20 hit in Australia and the UK. In the United States, the album was certified Platinum. The album was Streisand’s twenty-eighth studio album and her first commercial release following her marriage to her second husband, James Brolin. It was her marriage to Brolin that inspired much of the album’s content. The disc was accompanied by a booklet with photographs of Streisand and Brolin together. Streisand released the singles ‘If You Ever Leave Me’ and ‘I’ve Dreamed of You’ from the album.

17. What Matters Most (2011)

In the United States, ‘What Matters Most’ peaked at number four on the album charts, and it reached number seven in the UK. It was Barbra Streisand’s thirty-third studio album, and it is a collection of songs by songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman, who are the singer’s long-time friends. It is a two-disc album, and the first disc contains Bergman songs that are not previously recorded by Streisand, while the second disc contains songs by the Bergman’s that Streisand has previously recorded. The only song on the album that was not co-written by Marilyn Bergman is ‘That Face,’ which Alan Bergman co-wrote with Lew Spence.

16. The Movie Album (2003)

The thirtieth studio album released by Barbra Streisand was ‘The Movie Album.’ It is a concept album that consists of 12 songs chosen by Streisand as they are her favorite songs from the movies. Her selections include films from between 1935 to 1988. Streisand’s marriage to James Brolin inspired her to choose songs about relationships and love. To make Streisand’s chosen songs fit in with these themes, Alan and Marilyn Bergman were hired to write extra lyrics for some of the songs. Some of the tracks included ‘Moon River,’ ‘Smile,’ ‘Calling You,’ and ‘The Second Time Around.’ The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

15. Superman (1977)

‘Superman’ was most successful in Canada as it topped the album charts, while it only reached number three in the United States. However, it was certified double-Platinum in both countries. It was Streisand’s nineteenth studio album, and the lead track was ‘My Heart Belongs to Me,’ which was the only single released from the album. Two of the tracks were written for the film ‘A Star Is Born,’ in which Streisand starred, although they were not used in the film. The album also features a cover of ‘Love Comes from Unexpected Places,’ which was originally recorded by singer Kim Carnes.

14. Love Is the Answer (2009)

‘Love Is the Answer’ was Barbra Streisand’s ninth number-one album in the United States and her thirty-second studio album overall. It was also a number one hit in the UK, and it reached number two on the Canadian charts. There are 13 tracks on the album and an additional 12 tracks on the deluxe edition. The album was certified Gold in the United States.

13. Higher Ground (1997)

‘Higher Ground’ was Barbra Streisand’s twenty-seventh studio album and her eighth to top the Billboard 200. Since its release, the album has sold more than five million copies worldwide. The album’s lead single was ‘Tell Him,’ a duet with Canadian singer Celine Dion. Both ‘Tell Him’ and ‘If I Could,’ another track from the album,’ had previously been recorded by jazz singers, with Nancy Wilson recording the former and Regina Belle the latter. Another track on this album is a cover of Bernard Ighner’s ‘Everything Must Change.’

12. Partners (2014)

‘Partners’ was Streisand’s thirty-fourth studio album, and it topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and the United States. The album’s name reflects the fact that all the tracks are duets with male singers. Some of the artists that feature on this album with Streisand include Andrea Bocelli, John Legend, Michael Bublé, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Ritchie, and Billy Joel. There is also a track featuring Elvis Presley singing with Barbra Streisand that was taken from an earlier recording.

11. Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway (2016)

Best Ever Albums lists the 2016 album ‘Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway’ as one of Barbra Streisand’s best. With the release of this album, Streisand proved that she could stand the test of time as she still appealed to listeners more than 50 years after the release of her debut album. The album topped the album charts in the UK, the United States, and Australia.

10. Back to Broadway (1993)

The opening track on ‘Back to Broadway’ is ‘Some Enchanted Evening,’ which is a song from the musical ‘South Pacific.’ Streisand was initially reluctant to record the song but was eventually happy with the song after she was persuaded to do the recording. Three of the songs on the album, including ‘Everybody Says Don’t’ from ‘Anyone Can Whistle,’ that was written by Stephen Sondheim. ‘Back to Broadway’ topped the Billboard 200.

9. Till I Loved You (1988)

When ‘Till I Loved you’ was released in 1988, it only reached number 10 on the Billboard 200, which means it was not initially one of the singer’s most successful albums. However, it eventually sold more than a million copies and was certified Platinum in the United States. It was Barbra Streisand’s twenty-fifth album, and it was notable for its thematic structure, as the eleven tracks on the album chronicle the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship.

8. The Second Barbra Streisand Album (1963)

Following the success of Streisand’s first album, which made her an overnight sensation, the singer quickly recorded her second album. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and sold more than a million copies worldwide within three years of its release. Streisand chose the album’s name because it said exactly what it was, and she didn’t believe in giving something a fancy title. From this album, she released the singles ‘When the Sun Comes Out,’ ‘My Coloring Book/ Lover, Come Back to Me,’ and ‘My Coloring Book.’

7. My Name is Barbra (1964)

It is one of Streisand’s earlier albums, being her second studio album, and it highlighted the versatility of her singing voice. The album was one of two that tied into a CBS television special of the same name. It peaked at number two in the United States and has sold more than a million copies worldwide. Streisand won a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Female.

6. Color Me Barbra (1966)

‘Color Me Barbra’ was Streisand’s seventh studio album, and it peaked at number three in the United States and number five in Australia. The tracks on this album include covers of songs and a selection of show material. On Side One of the album, there are six tracks, while Side Two has four tracks. The first track on the second side is a medley that consists of sections of 13 songs. Most of Streisand’s other albums feature the singer on the cover, yet the album cover for ‘Color Me Barbara’ has a child’s crayon drawing of a face against a shocking pink background.

5. The Way We Were (1974)

The title of this album comes from one of the tracks on the album, which was also the theme from the film of the same name. Streisand also starred in the film ‘The Way We Were’  opposite Robert Redford. The album topped the album charts in the United States, and it was certified double-Platinum. It was the release of this album that helped transition Streisand from a Broadway singer to a pop star. Following this album, Streisand continued to record contemporary tracks.

4. People (1964)

‘People’ was Streisand’s fourth studio album, and it topped the Billboard 200. The title track is the last song on the album, and there are eleven equally good songs that come before. It was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2017 for its cultural, historical, and artistic significance. Two years after the album’s release in the United States, it was re-released in the UK with different artwork on the album cover.

3. The Barbra Streisand Album (1963)

It contains a collection of songs that showcase Streisand’s expressive voice at its best. One of the best songs on the album is ‘Sleeping Bee,’ which Streisand first sand in a Brooklyn talent contest in her teens. It was Streisand’s debut album, and some would argue that it remains one of her best. Barbra Streisand won two Grammy Awards for this album for Best Female Vocal Performance and Album of the Year.

2. Guilty (1980)

Barbra Streisand once described this album as capturing a special but bittersweet time in her life. It was her twenty-second studio album, and it topped the album charts in the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The album sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees produced the album, sang a duet on two of the tracks, and provided backing vocals for several other songs. In addition to the title track, the other singles released from this album were ‘Woman in Love,’ ’What Kind of Fool,’ and ‘Promises.’

1. The Broadway Album (1985)

According to Return of Rock, the best Barbra Streisand album is ‘The Broadway Album,’ which was released in 1985. With this album, she made a return to the beginning of her career, as Broadway songs were predominantly what she recorded in the 1960s, before switching to pop songs during the 1970s. The album topped the charts in the United States and New Zealand. It was Streisand’s twenty-fourth studio album.