Gorillaz albums ranked
Core studio albums only. No b-side compilations, no remix album, just the main Gorillaz canon. All of this is in my personal opinion.
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[b]8. The Fall[/b][/center]
I'm still not sure how this got released as a Gorillaz album. [i]The Fall[/i] is not Gorillaz, it's a Damon Albarn solo project he recorded on his iPad over the course of a few weeks while touring to promote[i] Plastic Beach.[/i] It's like he just didn't know what else to call it, so he slapped the Gorillaz label on it and lazily incorporated into the band's lore. This would be forgivable if the quality was at least up to Gorillaz standards, but it's frickin' boring, save for the one good song "Amarillo". It's ironic that Albarn had made the song "Superfast Jellyfish" on [i]Plastic Beach[/i] as a critique on the music industry always putting quantity over quality and then he goes and quickly dishes out [i]The Fall.[/i] What was he thinking?
Highlight: "Amarillo"
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[b]7. The Now Now[/b][/center]
Considering what you just read about [i]The Fall,[/i] when I heard Gorillaz were going to be releasing a new album one year after having released [i]Humanz,[/i] my expectations were in the gutter. But [i]The Now Now[/i] ended up being a much better record than [i]The Fall![/i] Unsurprisingly, it's not quite on par with most of their other albums, but it's not bad at all. Though with only three collaborators, I can't help but wonder it was only made in response to criticisms that [i]Humanz[/i] had too many collaborators? No matter, at least it yielded a few memorable songs even if it's not the most memorable Gorillaz record.
Highlights: "Hollywood", "Lake Zurich", "Tranz"
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[b]6. Gorillaz[/b][/center]
Now, don't get me wrong! The self-titled debut by Gorillaz is a superb record I still enjoy today. They've just gone on to make even better ones after it. But it does have some of the band's best songs, like "Tomorrow Comes Today" and "Clint Eastwood". Not to mention it established the band's signature quirky art pop style, though this is their most rock-oriented album. As important of a landmark as this album is, it also hasn't aged the best. Apart from its singles and a few other tracks, the rest of the album isn't anything remarkable in terms of quality. Even if the rest of its songs may good, they're not great. Some of the songs get a little too weird as well. Gorillaz's first is a solid debut for sure, but it was done by a band that hadn't perfected their sound just yet.
Highlights: "Tomorrow Comes Today", "Clint Eastwood", "5/4", "M1A1", "Sound Check (Gravity)", "19-2000"
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[b]5. Cracker Island[/b][/center]
The most recent album by the band. Originally planned as the "second season" of [i]Song Machine,[/i] before that idea was shelved in favor of a more straightforward studio album. Perhaps as a consequence of this, [i]Cracker Island[/i] doesn't do a whole lot to set itself apart from other Gorillaz albums style-wise, but it does deliver a good collection of great songs with that vintage Gorillaz energy. And, as always, with an ensemble lineup of guest musicians, from Tame Impala, to Beck and even Stevie Nicks. There are a couple of songs that are more on the lukewarm side and it is a step-down from its predecessor, which makes me kinda wish it was [i]Song Machine, Season Two.[/i] Oh well, it has enough bangers on it to keep this fan happy until they do get around to it.
Highlights: "Cracker Island", "Oil", "New Gold", "Baby Queen", "Tarantula", "Skinny Ape"
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[b]4. Humanz[/b][/center]
Fans are bit tough on this one, with a common complaint being it has too many collaborators and not enough singing from Damon Albarn (a.k.a. 2-D). The latter complaint is a bit odd because I think he actually sings more on this record than he did on [i]Plastic Beach.[/i] Maybe they did go slightly overboard with the guest appearances, but I also don't mind it too much. All the songs still have the quirky and diverse Gorillaz style, so at no point should one feel they're not listening to a Gorillaz album. On top of that, the songs are really good! Kinda like [i]Plastic Beach,[/i] it's strongest points are during the first half of the album and starts losing momentum during the second half when the songs get a little less exciting. It never quite reaches the same level of brilliance as [i]Plastic Beach[/i] either. Still, [i]Humanz[/i] is another impressive effort by Gorillaz that deserves more props.
Highlights: "Momentz", "Andromeda", "Strobelite", "We Got the Power", "Submission", "Ascension", "Charger"
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[b]3. Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez[/b][/center]
Now this was a very interesting experiment that, rather than the typical studio album format, the band would released singles throughout the year, each recorded with a different collaborator, all of which be compiled to form this album. It was a different formula that worked extremely well, because the album that was built from it is one of the best Gorillaz albums! [i]Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez[/i] is one of the band's most musically diverse albums, which is really saying something because they're always diverse. Every song is a fun little number that sees everyone involved putting their best forward. Maybe because it was such a fun project to do, it's a wonder why they didnt's follow up with [i]Season Two.[/i] Here's hoping they do it soon because [i]Season One[/i] leaves a lot to be yearned with this format!
Highlights: "The Valley of the Pagans", "Pac-Man", "The Pink Phantom", "Dead Butterflies", "Désolé", "Momentary Bliss", "Strange Timez"
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[b]2. Plastic Beach[/b][/center]
I first listened to this album around the time it was released and I remember not caring for it much at all at first. It just didn't leave an impression on me and I forgot all about it until I wound up listening to it again years later. Now I wish I could go back and kick myself for not having appreciated the album upon first hearing it, because it is absolutely one of the very best by Gorillaz! [i]Plastic Beach[/i] sees Damon Albarn/2-D take a backseat and let's the remarkable talents of his guest collaborators be the main driving force of this record. It's one of the band's most consistent albums with every song being excellent. It does wind down a little bit toward the end, but there's not a bad song on it. Many fans consider [i]Plastic Beach[/i] to be the band's best album. It certainly has a strong case for that position, but I say there's one other album that's better. Even if only by a thin margin...
Highlights: "Superfast Jellyfish", "Rhinestone Eyes", "Stylo", "Some Kind of Nature", "On Melancholy Hill", "Empire Ants", "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach"
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[b]1. Demon Days[/b][/center]
Despite receiving mainly positive reception since the beginning, Gorillaz did have its critics who didn't take the band seriously, believing it to be just a novel gimmick that wouldn't last. When [i]Demon Days[/i] was released, you can bet those critics were eating their words. This made-up group of cartoon characters suddenly became realized for the project of creative genius it was and still is -- a force to be reckoned with for sure! [i]Demon Days[/i] is considerably darker musically and thematically, but that's part of its appeal, by being the most mature album they've done. It may start of with a introductory filler track (which is about the one thing [i]Plastic Beach[/i] has over it) but apart from that, the rest of the album is consistently solid throughout. So much, that I don't usually find myself listening to individual tracks and just playing the whole album, because that's how well the whole thing meshes together! Whether one considers it their best or not, there's no denying it's one of their strongest.
Highlights: "El Mañana", "Feel Good inc.", "Kids With Guns", "O Green World", "Dare", "Demon Days", "Dirty Harry"
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[b]8. The Fall[/b][/center]I'm still not sure how this got released as a Gorillaz album. [i]The Fall[/i] is not Gorillaz, it's a Damon Albarn solo project he recorded on his iPad over the course of a few weeks while touring to promote[i] Plastic Beach.[/i] It's like he just didn't know what else to call it, so he slapped the Gorillaz label on it and lazily incorporated into the band's lore. This would be forgivable if the quality was at least up to Gorillaz standards, but it's frickin' boring, save for the one good song "Amarillo". It's ironic that Albarn had made the song "Superfast Jellyfish" on [i]Plastic Beach[/i] as a critique on the music industry always putting quantity over quality and then he goes and quickly dishes out [i]The Fall.[/i] What was he thinking?
Highlight: "Amarillo"
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[b]7. The Now Now[/b][/center]Considering what you just read about [i]The Fall,[/i] when I heard Gorillaz were going to be releasing a new album one year after having released [i]Humanz,[/i] my expectations were in the gutter. But [i]The Now Now[/i] ended up being a much better record than [i]The Fall![/i] Unsurprisingly, it's not quite on par with most of their other albums, but it's not bad at all. Though with only three collaborators, I can't help but wonder it was only made in response to criticisms that [i]Humanz[/i] had too many collaborators? No matter, at least it yielded a few memorable songs even if it's not the most memorable Gorillaz record.
Highlights: "Hollywood", "Lake Zurich", "Tranz"
[center]
[b]6. Gorillaz[/b][/center]Now, don't get me wrong! The self-titled debut by Gorillaz is a superb record I still enjoy today. They've just gone on to make even better ones after it. But it does have some of the band's best songs, like "Tomorrow Comes Today" and "Clint Eastwood". Not to mention it established the band's signature quirky art pop style, though this is their most rock-oriented album. As important of a landmark as this album is, it also hasn't aged the best. Apart from its singles and a few other tracks, the rest of the album isn't anything remarkable in terms of quality. Even if the rest of its songs may good, they're not great. Some of the songs get a little too weird as well. Gorillaz's first is a solid debut for sure, but it was done by a band that hadn't perfected their sound just yet.
Highlights: "Tomorrow Comes Today", "Clint Eastwood", "5/4", "M1A1", "Sound Check (Gravity)", "19-2000"
[center]
[b]5. Cracker Island[/b][/center]The most recent album by the band. Originally planned as the "second season" of [i]Song Machine,[/i] before that idea was shelved in favor of a more straightforward studio album. Perhaps as a consequence of this, [i]Cracker Island[/i] doesn't do a whole lot to set itself apart from other Gorillaz albums style-wise, but it does deliver a good collection of great songs with that vintage Gorillaz energy. And, as always, with an ensemble lineup of guest musicians, from Tame Impala, to Beck and even Stevie Nicks. There are a couple of songs that are more on the lukewarm side and it is a step-down from its predecessor, which makes me kinda wish it was [i]Song Machine, Season Two.[/i] Oh well, it has enough bangers on it to keep this fan happy until they do get around to it.
Highlights: "Cracker Island", "Oil", "New Gold", "Baby Queen", "Tarantula", "Skinny Ape"
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[b]4. Humanz[/b][/center]Fans are bit tough on this one, with a common complaint being it has too many collaborators and not enough singing from Damon Albarn (a.k.a. 2-D). The latter complaint is a bit odd because I think he actually sings more on this record than he did on [i]Plastic Beach.[/i] Maybe they did go slightly overboard with the guest appearances, but I also don't mind it too much. All the songs still have the quirky and diverse Gorillaz style, so at no point should one feel they're not listening to a Gorillaz album. On top of that, the songs are really good! Kinda like [i]Plastic Beach,[/i] it's strongest points are during the first half of the album and starts losing momentum during the second half when the songs get a little less exciting. It never quite reaches the same level of brilliance as [i]Plastic Beach[/i] either. Still, [i]Humanz[/i] is another impressive effort by Gorillaz that deserves more props.
Highlights: "Momentz", "Andromeda", "Strobelite", "We Got the Power", "Submission", "Ascension", "Charger"
[center]
[b]3. Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez[/b][/center]Now this was a very interesting experiment that, rather than the typical studio album format, the band would released singles throughout the year, each recorded with a different collaborator, all of which be compiled to form this album. It was a different formula that worked extremely well, because the album that was built from it is one of the best Gorillaz albums! [i]Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez[/i] is one of the band's most musically diverse albums, which is really saying something because they're always diverse. Every song is a fun little number that sees everyone involved putting their best forward. Maybe because it was such a fun project to do, it's a wonder why they didnt's follow up with [i]Season Two.[/i] Here's hoping they do it soon because [i]Season One[/i] leaves a lot to be yearned with this format!
Highlights: "The Valley of the Pagans", "Pac-Man", "The Pink Phantom", "Dead Butterflies", "Désolé", "Momentary Bliss", "Strange Timez"
[center]
[b]2. Plastic Beach[/b][/center]I first listened to this album around the time it was released and I remember not caring for it much at all at first. It just didn't leave an impression on me and I forgot all about it until I wound up listening to it again years later. Now I wish I could go back and kick myself for not having appreciated the album upon first hearing it, because it is absolutely one of the very best by Gorillaz! [i]Plastic Beach[/i] sees Damon Albarn/2-D take a backseat and let's the remarkable talents of his guest collaborators be the main driving force of this record. It's one of the band's most consistent albums with every song being excellent. It does wind down a little bit toward the end, but there's not a bad song on it. Many fans consider [i]Plastic Beach[/i] to be the band's best album. It certainly has a strong case for that position, but I say there's one other album that's better. Even if only by a thin margin...
Highlights: "Superfast Jellyfish", "Rhinestone Eyes", "Stylo", "Some Kind of Nature", "On Melancholy Hill", "Empire Ants", "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach"
[center]
[b]1. Demon Days[/b][/center]Despite receiving mainly positive reception since the beginning, Gorillaz did have its critics who didn't take the band seriously, believing it to be just a novel gimmick that wouldn't last. When [i]Demon Days[/i] was released, you can bet those critics were eating their words. This made-up group of cartoon characters suddenly became realized for the project of creative genius it was and still is -- a force to be reckoned with for sure! [i]Demon Days[/i] is considerably darker musically and thematically, but that's part of its appeal, by being the most mature album they've done. It may start of with a introductory filler track (which is about the one thing [i]Plastic Beach[/i] has over it) but apart from that, the rest of the album is consistently solid throughout. So much, that I don't usually find myself listening to individual tracks and just playing the whole album, because that's how well the whole thing meshes together! Whether one considers it their best or not, there's no denying it's one of their strongest.
Highlights: "El Mañana", "Feel Good inc.", "Kids With Guns", "O Green World", "Dare", "Demon Days", "Dirty Harry"
31-35, F