Ranked: Neil Young Studio Albums

The Godfather of Grunge ranked: Neil Young’s studio albums.

Everything starting with his solo album after departing the Buffalo Springfield, the creation and continuation of Crazy Horse, his trips down to Nashville, albums recorded in barns, the Ditch trilogy, albums backed by Pearl Jam, Booker T & the MG’s, a full blown orchestra, or Willie Nelson’s sons. Even the “non-Neil Young sounding” ones that led to his label suing him are here, including the Kraftwerk inspired “Trans.” Everything from solo electric stuff with sonics produced by Daniel Lanois, albums with longtime pedal steel accompaniment by Ben Keith, albums recorded with lyrics written on the car drive over, the Monsanto diss record, and the one recorded in a 1940s recording booth with Jack White. All the David Briggs albums, the Rick Rubin one, and everything produced with the Volume Dealers (Neil + Niko Bolas). Including long-lost records like 2001’s “Toast,” “Chrome Dreams” from the 70’s, and the “too bare sounding,” thus rejected by label, “Hitchhiker.”

From the fruitful 70s, the turbulent 80s, grungy resurgence in the 90s, stream-of-consciousness releases in the 00s, to his “still weird” 2010s output.

Note: Does not include live albums unless the songs were unreleased up to that point.