Ye, formerly Kanye West’s sonic spellbinding has had fans hanging onto every beat, every bar, every perfectly miscalculated controversy. Those who pledged allegiance from day one could recite his discography like a scripture. But the maestro of music and mayhem has long swapped strategic album rollouts for inflammatory tirades on X, leaving the world debating whether his genius still outshines the chaos. Yet, no matter how turbulent his trajectory is, when Ye speaks, the culture listens, and when he drops, the arguments ignite. His elusive albums remain in limbo but one question refuses to fade, does ‘Ye’ eclipse ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’? 

For those seeking the ultimate ranking of Ye’s sonic legacy, here is a rundown of every album.

The more ‘Vultures 2’ lingers in conversation, the more it echoes the heartbreak of an unfinished saga, conjuring the ghosts of what could have been. What should have marked a triumphant return for Ye instead unraveled into a storm of leaks, stripping the project of its edge before it could even take flight.

To make matters worse, Ye’s flirtation with AI has only deepened the album’s controversy, blurring the line between artistic ingenuity and creative dilution. While critics already branded it the worst album of 2024, the real wound lies in its failure to capture the untamed, era-defining essence that fans had been waiting for.

Though ‘Donda 2’ never made it to the DSPs, it sparked anticipation with its limited STEM release. However, despite boasting hip-hop heavyweights on the record, the album’s chaotic incoming earned far from the reception expected.

From lackluster hooks to the absence of phonetic caliber, the record’s anthems were not close to its prequel. Sure, there were highlights like ‘Eazy’ and ‘City of Gods’ that immortalized themselves on people’s playlists, just as many tracks fell off the grid like ‘Security.’

When the news broke out about Ye going behind the jukebox for a Christian album, ‘Jesus is King,’ even the fans feared the worst, let alone critics. Although fans expected nothing less than a firestorm of expletives, when the album finally dropped, it eclipsed expectations with tracks like ‘Follow God’ and ‘God Is.’

The musical backdrop was purely eccentric but ultimately, the record fell short of his lyrical prowess. Although it is definitely not the worst on his plate, it is more personal and less about Jesus, who he tries to focus on.

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While Ye has a knack for treating his music individually, this record was exempted from the formidable reception the others found.

‘Vultures 1’ was the first album Ye joined forces with Ty Dolla $ign for after his creative hiatus, pledging a comeback for the books. However, controversy followed his coattails since the album came hot on the heels of his antisemitic burst out and erratic attitude. When the album dropped after multiple delays, the record was abuzz on every possible playlist, drawing even A-listers to his listening experiences.

‘Carnival’ became a Billboard topper while North West made her debut with ‘Talking,’ turning a new page to Ye’s legacy. Yet, what was also abundant was the lowlights of the record with tracks like ‘Hoodrat’ and ‘Do It’ falling out of his signature symphonic virtue. 

Every Ye entry has been filled with drama and ‘Ye,’ his eighth studio album was honestly no exception. The record was reportedly entirely reworked after the rapper’s infamous run-in with TMZ, and upon its release, the rush was visible. Although there has been debate about whether it eclipses ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,’ it is safe to say that it really does not. ‘

Ye’ was way rawer than polished but delivered a meteoric hit, ‘Ghost Town.’ However, his induction of alienated real-life references made the record lack the beats and flow usually abundant in his other records, revealing a thematic void of connectivity, rendering something more haphazard than concrete.

‘Cruel Summer,’ like plenty of Ye’s records, boasts superhit tracks still instilled in pop culture’s consciousness. The G.O.O.D. Music album has had its fair share of critics but smash hits like ‘Mercy, ‘Cold,’ and ‘New God Flow,’ speak otherwise.

Although it is not considered among the top 10 of Ye’s albums, citing the absence of aim and distinction, it is one of the select few albums whose tracks retain a permanent place in his fandom’s collective memory. 

‘Kids See Ghosts’ saw one of the most highlighted collaborations of the hip-hop kingdom, the first ever between Kid Cudi and Ye. Clocked at 24 minutes. The album flexes the creative conjunction of the two at peaks. Ye did not only leverage star power and Cudi’s rapping skills with his own, but made a finished piece of critical acclaim, capitalizing on the emotionally charged Kurt Cobain sample.

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The record reeked of vintage Ye, something the fans are still scratching their heads searching for. 

‘Donda’s’ rollout was the peak of hip-hop and an unforgettable highlight season for his fandom. Despite curating a release party in Atlanta, Ye kept reworking the album, fueled with close attention to feedback from the fans worldwide.

He then followed three back-to-back listening parties before the release, delivering absolute standouts like ‘Hurricane,’ ‘Off the Grid,’ and ‘Believe What I Say.’ However, the only place the record probably lacked was in editing when the rapper refused to cut down the album to a concise tracklist.

Ye’s ‘Yeezus’ may not be the most popular album from his discography, but it received rave reviews, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 and making similar chart success across 31 countries. Although the album received two nominations at the Grammy Awards in 2014, it was designed for defamiliarization, and it delivered.

Confrontational, divisive, and purely a departure from the hip-hop mold of contemporary times, ‘Yeezus’ was a welcomed exception on every front.

From here onwards, Ye’s legacy only goes up and onwards. The rapper joined forces with Kid Cudi, Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, and Kirk Franklin, resulting in a milestone product of the absolute dream team. Although rendered a messy album, ‘The Life of Pablo,’ was a force to reckon with.

It was cathartically constructed with an ambition that delivered. The record appeared on several year-end lists of the best albums of the year. It is also more successful in terms of Grammy nominations than ‘Yeezus,’ ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,’ and ‘808s & Heartbreak.’

‘Watch the Throne’ was a collaborative album between Ye and Jay-Z that reiterated a solid comeback narrative. With innovation at its forefront, the titans brushed genius and brilliance with the culmination of their brotherhood and artistic caliber.

The record was almost everything the fans wanted and hip-hop needed to keep the revolution going. Its ‘Otis’ track earned them a Grammy, while delivering electrifying songs like ‘Ni---s in Paris,’ ‘Primetime,’ and ‘Lift Off.’

Credited as one of the most influential Ye records of all time, ‘808s & Heartbreak’ has often joined debates whether it could sit on the throne for good. The record was an emotional rollercoaster, not just for the rapper but for the intended audience who found themselves resonating strongly with it.

It debuted atop the Billboard 200, received quite the honors including platinum certifications, and garnered critical acclaim. Some of the most popular tracks include ‘Heartless,’ and ‘See you in My Nightmares,’ but through this album, Ye revolutionized the scope of auto-tune—something he has failed with his endorsement of AI. 

Ye’s ‘Late Registration’ was a milestone record, debuting on #1 on the US Billboard 200. The album received five-times platinum certification from the RIAA and earned 8 whopping nominations at the 48th Grammy Awards, winning the Best Rap Album.

Tracks like ‘Diamonds From Sierra Leone,’ ‘Touch the Sky, and ‘Hey Mama,’ flexed his brilliant hooks, and the best part is the record became a timeless piece of his extravagant discography.

From the Grammy Awards to commercial success, Ye’s ‘The College Dropout’ saw it all. The record won three Grammies, witnessed penultimate Billboard success, and sold over 3.4 million copies by the decade’s compilation.

The rapper did not just hit the bullseye with its commercial appeal but also its unique thematic approach, rendering it as one of the greatest albums of all time by Time and Rolling Stone.

It was the latter half of the decade, meaning Ye had already warmed up to the ways of the spotlight. ‘Graduation’ debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, and has been certified a septuple platinum by RIAA. Tracks like ‘Stronger,’ ‘Good Life,’ and ‘Homecoming’ landed on the apex of the US Billboard Hot 100.

The highlight, however, was how it got Ye his third Grammy for Best Rap Album alongside his third nomination for Album of the Year. The record was a mix inspiration of stadium tours, house music and indie-rock, marking quite a defamiliarization from his previous compositions.

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It may have been experimental but it was one of the standout albums the fans still celebrate today.

‘Graduation’ may have felt like Ye was living in his own era-defining moment but ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ changed it all. Nowhere close to ‘Ye’s’ mixed reception, the album witnessed Ye’s artistic zenith unlike any other, earning him the Best Rap Album at the Grammys that year.

While its chart performance needs no mention, Ye rolled out back-to-back hits from Áll of the Lights’ to ‘Monster’ through ‘So Appalled,’ ‘Runaway,’ and so on. Although critics have observed voids within flow, creativity, editing, and performance throughout the rapper’s discography, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ was an all-rounder in all aspects.

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Do you think 'Ye' is better than 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'? Let us know in the comments below!