The Weeknd Albums Ranked: Every LP From Worst to Best
The Weeknd's catalog runs from murky, drug-haunted mixtapes to arena-sized pop and back again, and somehow it all still sounds like the same guy. We went through all ten studio albums (counting the mixtape trilogy, because fans do) and ranked them based on what critics and longtime fans generally agree on, with our own take where the arguments get heated.
This is a discography with real debates baked in: Starboy versus Beauty Behind the Madness, whether Kiss Land is underrated or just unfinished, whether Dawn FM or After Hours is the better "late Weeknd" album. We picked sides. Disagree? That's what the comments are for.
The tier list
The community’s tier list fills in as members vote. It appears once 5 members have ranked or voted on these.
Think you can rank them better?
Make your own tier listFree account. Your ranking stays private unless you share it, and it counts toward the community tier list.Vote
SS Tier: The untouchables
House of Balloons
This is the one that invented a sound. Dark, druggy R&B over sampled indie tracks like Siouxsie and the Banshees, all wrapped around a 21-year-old who sounded like he'd already seen everything. Still the reference point for 'what does The Weeknd sound like' a decade and a half later.
About House of Balloons
The debut mixtape released in 2011, later included in the Trilogy compilation. It introduced his signature blend of R&B vocals over dark, sample-heavy production.
- Released
- 2011
- Type
- Mixtape
Beauty Behind the Madness
The album where the mixtape kid became a pop star without losing the menace. Can't Feel My Face is a Michael Jackson homage about addiction that somehow became a wedding song, and The Hills is just as bleak and twice as huge. Front to back, it's his most complete major-label record.
About Beauty Behind the Madness
His second studio album, released in 2015, featuring the hits Can't Feel My Face and The Hills. It marked his crossover into mainstream pop success.
- Released
- 2015
Dawn FM
A concept album about being dead, narrated by Jim Carrey, that somehow bangs. The 80s synth-pop palette could've been a gimmick but the songwriting (Take My Breath, Out of Time) is some of his sharpest. Critics mostly agree this is the best thing he's done since the Trilogy era.
About Dawn FM
His fifth studio album, released in 2022, built around a radio-station concept narrated by Jim Carrey.
- Released
- 2022
AA Tier: Just short of perfect
After Hours
Blinding Lights alone would make this album a landmark, but Hardest to Love and the title track show he can still do slow-burn dread as well as anyone. Some fans call this his masterpiece outright; we'd put it just below the very top, mostly because the back half sags a little next to the singles.
About After Hours
His fourth studio album, released in 2020, featuring the record-breaking single Blinding Lights.
- Released
- 2020
Thursday
The middle child of the Trilogy gets overlooked, which is a mistake. Rolling Stone and The Zone are as good as anything on House of Balloons, just with a little more polish and a little less shock value. If you only know the first mixtape, this one's the real deep cut worth chasing down.
About Thursday
The second mixtape in the Trilogy, released in 2011, continuing the moody, lo-fi sound of House of Balloons.
- Released
- 2011
- Type
- Mixtape
BB Tier: Great, with an asterisk
Starboy
A genuinely split-decision album among fans: half think it's bloated at 18 tracks, half think the highs (the title track with Daft Punk, I Feel It Coming) justify the sprawl. We land closer to the bloated side. There's a great 12-song album buried in here.
About Starboy
His third studio album, released in 2016, including the Daft Punk-assisted title track.
- Released
- 2016
Echoes of Silence
The darkest and coldest entry in the Trilogy, closing it out with a Michael Jackson cover (Dirty Diana) that tells you exactly where his head was at. Less immediate than House of Balloons, but patient listeners usually come around on it.
About Echoes of Silence
The third and final mixtape of the Trilogy, released in 2011, closing out the original run before his major-label debut.
- Released
- 2011
- Type
- Mixtape
My Dear Melancholy,
A short, nasty breakup record that feels like a return to the mixtape mindset after the pop sheen of Starboy. Call Out My Name is as good as any single he's made. It's brief enough that it never overstays its welcome, which honestly works in its favor.
About My Dear Melancholy,
A short, emotionally raw EP-length release from 2018, dealing with heartbreak and following his more pop-leaning work.
- Released
- 2018
CC Tier: Fine, but skippable
Hurry Up Tomorrow
Billed as the closing chapter of his whole character arc, and it's got moments that justify that weight, but as a listen it's long and uneven next to the tighter albums around it.
About Hurry Up Tomorrow
Positioned as the closing chapter of his recent album arc [CHECK exact release year].
- Type
- Studio album
Kiss Land
The one true transition album, caught between mixtape grime and pop ambition and not quite landing on either. Wanderlust and Pretty are fine songs, but this is the record even Weeknd diehards tend to skip on a replay.
About Kiss Land
His first official studio album, released in 2013, marking a shift toward a bigger, more cinematic sound.
- Released
- 2013
- Label
- XO / Republic
How we ranked them
We weighed critical reception, how each album holds up on replay, its influence on the sound of the era, and where fans and critics land in the long-running debates around his catalog. Mixtapes-turned-albums were judged the same way as his major label releases. When the consensus was split, we said so and made a call.
Think we got it wrong?
Drag all 10 the weeknd albums into your own tier list, then download the image or share a link.
Rank these yourselfFAQ
What is The Weeknd's best album?
Critics and fans most often point to Beauty Behind the Madness or Dawn FM, though the Trilogy mixtape House of Balloons has the strongest claim as his most influential work.
Is House of Balloons a mixtape or an album?
It was released as a free mixtape in 2011 but later packaged into the Trilogy compilation, so it's commonly counted alongside his studio albums.
What order should I listen to The Weeknd's albums in?
Release order works well since his sound evolves clearly: House of Balloons, Thursday, Echoes of Silence, Kiss Land, Beauty Behind the Madness, Starboy, My Dear Melancholy,, After Hours, Dawn FM, Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Is Dawn FM a sequel to After Hours?
The Weeknd has described Dawn FM as a continuation of the After Hours character's story, set after death, narrated by a radio host voiced by Jim Carrey.
What is The Weeknd's most underrated album?
Thursday and Echoes of Silence, the two lesser-known entries in the Trilogy, tend to get named most often by fans as deserving more attention.
More rankings
Image credits
- House of BalloonsCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Beauty Behind the MadnessCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Dawn FMCover: Wikipedia · Source
- After HoursCover: Wikipedia · Source
- ThursdayCover: Wikipedia · Source
- StarboyCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Echoes of SilenceCover: Wikipedia · Source
- My Dear Melancholy,Cover: Wikipedia · Source
- Hurry Up TomorrowCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Kiss LandCover: Wikipedia · Source