Women & Music: Ranking the Albums of Britney Spears

Britney Spears is an icon. Try and deny it all you want, but she is a major pioneer in the pop music industry. And now that she is free to make her own choices, who knows what will happen next. After reading her memoir, The Woman in Me, it’s pretty clear that music isn’t her number one priority at the moment. And you know what, she deserves to do whatever the hell she wants! Even then, we still have 9 albums to hold us over.

If there is one thing Britney knows to do it’s make a killer pop album! So today I’m going to be ranking her albums because why the hell not! Please keep a few things in mind. I will only be ranking her 9 official albums, no repackages, greatest hits, and no remix compilations. I will however take deluxe additions into account due to a majority of those being the only versions on music streaming services. And I will be ranking this based on my own preference, so please don’t be upset if your favorite isn’t number one. Alright, lets begin!

9. Britney Jean (2013)

Ask any Britney fan, they will most likely name this as her worst album. I have to agree because holy moly this album was hard to get through! I blame will.i.am for this, mainly because he was one of the main producers and because his distinct sound was heavily used in EDM music during the 2010’s.

Prior to release, it was stated by Spears that this would be her most personal album yet. While listening, however, you can’t help but feel like she’s so distant from the music she’s making. Part of this is because Spears was incredibly busy during the recording of the album, but the music is so overproduced that it’s hard to even hear her voice.

All of the songs start to sound the same when listening to the whole piece, and most of them have beat drops instead of proper choruses. The lyrics aren’t particularly fun, catchy, or memorable, some are just bad. What even was Chillin’ With You featuring Jamie Lynn?! But it’s not all a complete failure.

After all, this is the album that gave us the iconic gym anthem, Work Bitch. Alien is a fun opening track and Perfume is a beautiful ballad that is incredibly fun to belt in your car while driving. Britney Jean is easily the weakest album of her discography. Looking back on this album now, it sounds incredibly dated, and it will continue to age poorly as the years go on.

8. Circus (2008)

Just like in my ranking of Taylor Swift’s albums, my number 8 and 7 picks can honestly be interchangeable. I went back and forth a lot on these placements, but for now I have to give this spot to Circus. Starting with the good, I love the album art and a majority of the singles are classics in the pop princesses discography. Womanizer, Circus, and the controversial If U Seek Amy, are all bangers.

I think one of my issues with this album is just how quickly it was pushed out after Britney’s personal life and struggles became the main subject in the tabloids. Also, this album is described by many to be the sister album to her critically acclaimed 2007 album (which we’ll get to). While you can definitely hear many of the influences from that album here, it just doesn’t hit the same. Many similar themes in this album as the previous, but the previous seemed to do it better. While I do have a soft spot for Circus, it can’t compete with the others that do many thing’s much better.

7. Femme Fatale (2011)

I think the reason I give this album the edge over the previous at the moment is because of nostalgia. I just remember Britney’s songs from this album being all over the radio, the music videos from this era being constantly played on my TV, and seeing her perform many of these songs on awards shows. While you can make the complaint that Femme Fatale sounds incredibly dated, and many of the songs are overproduced that it’s hard to hear her voice, you can’t help but dance when these songs come on.

Once again though, it’s mainly the singles that stand out on this one. Till the World Ends is a truly great 2010’s pop song, I Wanna Go was a personal favorite of mine as a kid, and Criminal is a fan favorite for a reason. Everything else on the album is pretty forgettable. And Big Fat Bass featuring will.i.am should have been the warning signs for Britney Jean. Looking back though, Femme Fatale is a fun one to blast in your car once in a while.

6. …Baby One More Time (1999)

Looking back, it’s truly impressive just how successful Britney’s debut was. And there is no denying that this is one of the best debut albums of all time. I mean, you know the hits: the title track, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Sometimes, Born to Make You Happy, From the Bottom of My Broken Heart, this album is pure teen bubblegum pop at it’s finest. I also like that we get to hear the singer’s natural low singing voice in elements of these tracks. Not every song is a hit, however. Soda Pop and Email My Heart, for example, are a little dated and the rest of the tracks are forgettable, except for the cover of The Beat Goes On. Overall, still a classic debut album and one of the most successful albums of all time.

5. Glory (2016)

If this is the last album we get from Britney Spears (for a while at the very least) then my goodness what a way to go out. This is the first album in a long time where Britney actually sounds into the music. And that’s because with this album she got to be more involved, something that you could feel was absent in her last two works.

While I’m sure many of us could have done without the G-Eazy feature, Make Me is a good lead single, and I often find myself humming Slumber Party when I least expect it. Mood Ring (By Demand), my personal favorite, is a dreamy track. The production overall feels stronger too than her last two projects. Instead of mostly heavy EDM beats, there’s a variety of genres from dance pop, R&B, pop, with elements a hip-hop sprinkled in. You can tell Britney wanted to have fun making an album again and it shows when you listen. Highly recommend listening to Glory with headphones.

4. Oops!…I Did It Again (2000)

Here we have another sequel album that I actually think does better than its predecessor. Britney’s sophomore album had high expectations and it delivered. Once again, you know the big hits: the title track, Stronger, Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know, her cover of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, and Lucky are all quintessential pop classics. While many of the other tracks aren’t as memorable, they don’t ruin the overall vibes. This is the debut album dialed up to 100. The vocals are crisper, the production tighter, it’s a truly great early 2000’s pop album.

3. Blackout (2007)

Before you yell at me in the comments, let me explain. Both fans and critics agree that this is Britney’s best album, and for a long time I never understood why. Sure there are some well known songs (Gimme More and Piece of Me) but I never really connected with Blackout….maybe I was too young upon its release. But after reading about her experience making the album in her memoir, I finally started to understand why it’s so beloved. Blackout was truly ahead of it’s time. It’s heavy use of techno and electropop might be more common now, but it was newer to the mainstream back in 2007.

The album is one of the last times Britney was ahead of the musical trends and she really experimented with this one. As a whole, the album sounds truly unique. Artists like Sam Smith and Charlie XCX have praised the album and sighted it as influential. Britney was in a truly dark time in her life while making this album, and she was still able to make something truly special. You really have to listen to this album as a whole, but I’ll give my favorite track Break the Ice a special shoutout. Yet another album to blast in your car or listen to with headphones. While I can agree it’s one of her best, there are two albums I just love a tiny bit more.

2. Britney (2001)

I’m A Slave 4 U, Overprotected, I’m Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman, Boys, I Love Rock ’n’ Roll, Anticipating, the list goes on! Britney knew what she was doing with this album. Not wanting to be stuck with the same sound, she decided to bring in elements of hip-hop and R&B to make something (in her words) “nastier and funkier.” And my goodness did it work!

While many producers and writers worked on this record, Max Martin and Darkchild to name a few, it’s the work from The Neptunes that is most remembered. As a whole, I love this album. The production is fantastic and many of these songs I can’t help but belt at the top of my lungs. Really, no notes, it’s just fantastic. Britney is an album that proves our princess of pop always knew what was best to push herself as an artist. And yes, how can you talk about the albums without mentioning the ICONIC VMA’s performance?! While it might not have been well received upon initial release, it has aged so, so well.

1. In the Zone (2003)

No skips. Dance heavy hip-hop tracks. Theme’s of sexuality, being a single woman, and heartbreak. To me, this will always be Britney’s best and most cohesive album. You go on a journey while listening to In the Zone, from the first track with the queen of pop Madonna, the hypnotic Toxic, the sultry Breathe on Me, and the vulnerable finale, Everytime. I could go on and on, but just know that this entire album is Britney at her best. In the Zone is unique, sleek, sexy, honest, and it remains my favorite Britney Spears album.

What’s your favorite album from Britney Spears? Let me know in the comments! Feel free to share and follow for more works from me!