Ranking All Six Drake Studio Albums
Canadian rapper Drake is one of the most successful artists in his genre. He’s known for bringing some of the best talents in the industry together. His latest album drop happened in 2021, but surprisingly, some of his oldest works are his very best. The wildly successful artist has released six studio albums as of October of 2021. It’s not okay to say that he’s ever released a bad album, it’s just that some of them are better than others. Drake is one of the most widely respected professionals in his nick of the woods. He is a global star with an army of fans who are only too happy to offer their input on ranking their favorite albums. We tapped into their thoughts and opinions about Drake’s studio album releases to find out what they think, and which are their favorites. Here are all six of Drake’s studio albums ranked from worst to best.
6. Scorpion
According to The National News, the 2018 release of Scorpion brought about a new wave of respect for the artist, if that is even possible. Scorpion came about when streaming platforms were becoming the rage and the more songs you release, the richer you get. Scorpion was the equivalent of a double album with 90 minutes of recording time that features 25 tracks. It wasn’t his most beloved album due to multiple seemingly rambling tracks, but the shining star of this release was the hit song “God’s Plan,” which went high on the charts the year of its release. The simple song resonated with a wide variety of people in its simplicity and straightforward message. It didn’t reflect the darkness we’ve seen in some of his works. Drake is a multi-faceted professional and he’s quite capable of showing us aspects of his personality through his music. He is a master at sharing simple philosophies that make you stop and listen.
5. Certified Lover Boy
This is the most recent album released by Drake, emerging in 2021. It’s not the lowest-rated release, but it’s getting close. It comes in next to last place, scoring a bit higher with fans than the 2018 Scorpion. Certified Lover Boy features 21 tracks with a nice infusion of ten guest artists on some of the verses. It’s always nice when Jay-Z is in the mix as he performs “Love All.” Drake allowed a little too much monotony in this album but there are a few redeeming qualities including Jay Z, and the popular title song “Certified Lover,” which hauled in the hits on streaming platforms. Even though the album didn’t get the highest rankings, Drake is still a legend.
4. Views
The Views album is the 2016 studio album that was one of the most well-received albums of yesteryear. It was released at a time when Drake was in his heyday. He’s still popular but we all know that rap and other music artists tend to crest and fall like the tides of the ocean. 2016 was a year when Drake was at a high point in his creativity and the appeal he had with audiences. This album was diverse and featured Mary J Blige singing “Weston Road Flowers” to add a little soul to the overall personality of the album. Drake was having fun experimenting and it worked out to his advantage with rave reviews and high album sales.
3. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Complex lists this album produced by the Cash Money label as the third greatest album of his career so far. Some of the high points of this release include Travi$ Scott and Lil Wayne. there was something about this album that reached out to the primal side of Drake’s fans including the titular song “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late,” that lit up the airwaves. This album was different than his previous albums and it had a darker side that seemed to have appeal to a wider audience. This album was released in 2015 when Drake was cresting an impressively high peak in his career.
2. Nothing Was the Same
The second-best album of Drake’s career is Nothing Was the Same. It was a 2013 release under the OVO Sound, Yung Money, Cash Money, and Repulic able with numerous producers backing the drop. Some of the most notable features guests on the album include Detail, Sampha, Jay Z, Majid Jordan, and Jhene Aiko. This album featured the single “Started From the Bottom,” which was an automatic fame inducer. The album came out in September after the single had time to draw in the crowds. This is Drake’s third studio album and it features some of his best intros of all time. It’s pure content without the fillers we’ve heard in some of his later albums. Drake was on point and he was playing his best game in the rap scene.
1. Take Care
Fans overwhelmingly voted that Take Care is Drake’s best studio album release so far. The 2011 release features some of the biggest names in the business including Andre 3000, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Birdman, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, and The Weeknd. With that kind of lineup, fans that supported Drake back in 2011 feel like it’s a family reunion when they think about Take Care. It became the quintessential Drake classic. It’s one of the best mixes of his raps and simping. It’s one of the most exciting and dynamic works that he’s ever produced. Drake set the bar high when he released Take Care. That’s the danger of being a little too good. Then you’re expected to do the same thing over and over again, or maybe even take it to the next level. Honestly, where could he go from here? He represented Canada well and made them all proud.