Ranking The 10 Best Diana Ross Studio Albums

Diana Ross

Diana Ross is one of the greatest female vocalists of all time and her discography which features 25 albums is proof of how prolific she was in her career. In this article, we will attempt to rank ten of the best Diana Ross studio albums ever since her time with her former group, The Supremes. Diana Ross gained fame as the lead singer of the group which remains to be America’s best-selling girl group of all time. In 2007, she received the Kennedy Center Honors and in 2012, she received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Here are ten of the best Diana Ross studio albums ranked.

10. Take Me Higher (1995)

 

Starting us off in tenth position is the 1995 album, Take Me Higher. The album opens up with a danceable beat before Diana Ross’ spoken vocals take over. Diana Ross’s vocals in the verses of the album’s title track are quite strong but you can feel that she clearly struggles in the chorus of the song. Despite this, the song was a huge fan favorite that dominated dance charts in the UK and US. The album peaked at #10 on the UK Albums Chart and was Diana Ross’s first album since Diana Ross (1976) to achieve a similar feat.

9. Diana Ross 1976 (1976)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo7k7p3-_hU&list=PLptGNkywmgD5-kbbB9Sjluq4KA4Wa4RZK

 

By the time she was releasing this album, Diana Ross’s stature as one of the biggest music stars was cooling down considerably. However, this album removed any doubts that people had about her talent. The album peaked at #5 on the US Billboard 200 and was Diana Ross’s biggest album since the 1973 album, Touch Me in the Morning. The album had some great hits such as the album’s lead single “I Thought It Took A Little Time” and “Love Hangover,” which earned Diana Ross a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance.

8. Thank You (2021)

 

“Thank You” marked Diana Ross’s first album since the 2006 release titled, I Love You which clearly wasn’t an appropriate way for an icon of her stature to bow out. The album was produced by a group of talented individuals including Jack Antonoff and Rodney Kendrick. Her great songwriting abilities are clear through this album and every song in the album is catchy and well polished. The best songs in the album are “I Still Believe” and “Tomorrow.”

7. Eaten Alive (1985)

 

This album was primarily written and produced by Barry Gibb of Bee Gees and featured a contribution from Diana Ross’s friend, Michael Jackson. Despite this, the album was not a commercial success in the US, peaking at #45 on the US Billboard 200 and selling less than 300,000 copies in the US. The album’s title track was a top ten R&B hit largely due to Michael Jackson’s presence in the song.

6. Baby It’s Me (1977)

 

Coming in at number six in our ranking of the greatest Diana Ross albums is the 1977 album, Baby It’s Me which yielded the famous top 40 hit, “Gettin’ Ready for Love.” The album also had a couple of cover songs written by Stevie Wonder and the likes of Melissa Macnhester. The album also featured the Grammy Award nominated song, “Your Love Is So Good For Me,” and was driven to success by the Adult Contemporary airplay. Despite the album never making it to the UK Charts, it was certified silver in the country for sales exceeding 60,000.

5. Surrender (1971)

 

This 1971 album saw Diana Ross reuniting with Ashford & Simpson who oversaw the release of her self-titled album from 1970. As with her earlier album, most of the tracks had been recorded and released by other Motown artists. The album peaked at #56 on the US Billboard 200 and sold over 200,000 copies. The track “I’m Still Waiting” was a massive success in the UK, and hence the album was reissued under the title of the song in that country.

4. The Boss (1979)

 

Released in 1979, The Boss was a critical and commercial hit with Billboard calling it Diana Ross’s best album in years. The album was produced by Ashford & Simpson again, largely due to the success that the pair has heard in the 1971 album, Surrender. The album also marked Diana Ross’s freedom from the shackles of Motown Records and the influence that Berry Gordy had on her career.

3. Red Hot Rhythm And Blues (1987)

 

This 1987 release marked the last of six albums by Diana Ross to be released by RCA Records and EMI Records during the 80s decade. The album opens with the song, “Dirty Looks” where we get to hear Diana’s beautiful vocals which feature some breathy lines and a smoulder in the mic. The album’s third track is “Summertime” which is a little similar to Madonna’s material from the album, I’m Breathless. The penultimate track in the album is the song, “It’s Hard for Me to Say” which was co-written by the late Luther Vandross. From an 80s point of view, this album was one of Diana Ross’s most underrated albums.

2. Diana Ross (1970)

 

Released in 1970, this album had a well thought out album cover of Diana Ross eating an apple while seated, wearing tye-die and shorts. Most of the tracks in the album were written by Ashford & Simpson, apart from the last track. The standout tracks from the album were You’re All I Need To Get By” and “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand),” which became powerful anthems. The album peaked at #19 on the US Billboard 200 and #13 on the Canada Top Albums/CDs chart.

1. Diana (1980)

 

Following the success of her 1979 album, The Boss Diana Ross wanted a more fresher modern sound. Her eleventh studio album, Diana (1980) remains to be her best selling album of all time and definately takes the top spot in our ranking of the top ten Diana Ross albums. The album had three international hit songs including the number one song, “Upside Down.” The album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

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