Tyler, The Creator Albums Ranked Worst to Best

Ranking all seven of Tyler, The Creator’s albums from worst to best

Tyler%2C+The+Creator+performing+at+the+2016+Governors+Ball.+

Wikimedia Commons

Tyler, The Creator performing at the 2016 Governor’s Ball.

Tyler, The Creator albums has produced multiple successful music over the years. Here are the main albums, ranked from worst to best in my opinion. 

7. ‘Bastard’

Bastard (2009)

“Bastard” is entirely produced by Tyler himself and it’s not that bad for him being 18 at the time. It may not be his best work, but there are some notable highlights on it.

The tape follows a storyline about Tyler talking to the fictional Dr. TC about his absent father and his outcast tendencies. It’s a dive into the mind of a teenager still figuring out himself  internally and artistically, and also shows Tyler using voice distortion which was a good addition. The tape isn’t too ambitious and for being his first one it was a solid one.


6. ‘Goblin’

Goblin (2011)

Like “Bastard,” “Goblin” is over-hated. In many ways, “Goblin” is a lot like “Bastard.” The lyricism from “Goblin” continues on the same subjects from “Bastard.” The therapy theme is continued, the album is almost entirely produced by Tyler himself, and there’s lots of the same material providing the same kind of shock value “Bastard” was built on.

The record includes many flawed tracks but there are a few great moments on it worth mentioning. The track “Yonkers” embodies the grime that came with this record without being too abrasive and in your face. The tape isn’t horrible or good, but it’s a step up from “Bastard.”    


5. ‘Cherry Bomb’

Cherry Bomb (2015)

“Cherry Bomb” indicates a further shift in sound. We see him getting closer to the more recent records that have helped skyrocket his solo career. It alternates between soothing soulful tracks and thumping hardcore tracks, and it’s a taste of what’s to come for his future projects.

The best tracks on here are “OKAGA,” “CA,” and “FIND YOUR WINGS.” This album has received much criticism over the years, but “Cherry Bomb” was a step in his creative innovation while being a step down from his previous release of “Wolf.” 


4. ‘Wolf’

Wolf (2013)

Tyler’s 2013 album features a continuous story of characters Wolf, Sam, and Salem. Therapist character Dr. TC makes his last appearance on a Tyler album on the final track “Lone.”

The story presented in “Wolf” has been said to link to Tyler’s two previous projects, with debates occurring on whether “Wolf” comes chronologically before or after “Goblin.”

“Jamba,” “Answer,” and “IFHY” are some of the highs on this tape. “Jamba” has great rap verses from Tyler and Hodgy. “Answer” is a vulnerable, spiteful track where Tylers talks about his emotions and the relationship between him and his father. “IFHY” marks the first time he had the chance to collaborate with his biggest influence, Pharrell Williams. This project was great and is the true introduction to new listeners.


3. ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’

Call Me If You Get Lost (2021)

This album is on par with “Flower Boy,” and it can be interchangeable with “IGOR.” “Call Me If You Get Lost” feels like Tyler put all of his previous albums in a blender, and kept the best aspects to fuse them into this project. He took some of the abrasive hip hop sounds from his older albums like “Goblin” and “Wolf,” and combined them with the neo-soul synth-funk sounds of “Flower Boy” and “IGOR” to great effect.

“WUSYANAME,” “HOT WIND BLOWS,” “RUNITUP,” “MANIFESTO,” “MASSA,” “JUGGERNAUT,” and “WILSHIRE” all are top-tier Tyler tracks. And then there are the features, that more often than not, reinforce the tracks rather than take away from them – even the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Ty Dolla $ign, 42 Dugg, and NBA Youngboy manage not to irritate but to actually add value.


2. ‘IGOR’

IGOR (2019)

Arguably his best work in the eyes of many, “IGOR” sees Tyler take his success from a polarizing rapper and producer with immense potential to hip hop icon. It got Tyler a grammy for Best Rap Album in 2020. It features some of his best production, sounds from R&B, soul and electro, but it still remains a rap album at heart. While having limited bars, he fuses the multitude of sounds into one of the best albums of the late 2010s. He became the first solo rapper in history to have a No. 1 album he produced and arranged by himself with no co-production. “IGOR” may be an instant classic and could be interchangeable with the top spot. 


1. ‘Flower Boy’

Flower Boy (2017)

“Flower Boy” is Tyler’s most complete, most cohesive, and most consistent album. In typical later-Tyler fashion, “Flower Boy” is an mixture of musical styles – for the most part successfully executed this time, with a minimum of messiness and not a lot of over/underproduction that was included in the album’s predecessor, “Cherry Bomb.”

Lyrically, “Flower Boy” is also different from some of Tyler’s other works, more introspective and personal this time around. Tyler’s opening up on “Flower Boy” is a culmination of what he was building up to with his previous works. There’s a song for everyone to connect to on this album and it was more enjoyable than “IGOR” for many.