Since the age of 10, I have been a die-hard Lana Del Rey fan. I first started listening to her music when I came across her song “Summertime Sadness,” from her debut major-label album Born to Die, released in 2012. Now, Lana has released an additional seven studio albums, dozens of singles, movie scores, and has been featured on several tracks from other well-known artists. Lana has also released music under other names, including her first “official” album, Lana Del Ray, recorded under Lizzy Grant in 2010. However, this album can no longer be found across streaming platforms and is essentially removed from Lana’s listed publications. Because of this, I have opted to exclude Lana Del Ray from my ranking of Lana’s albums below.
In January 2024, Lana Del Rey announced that she plans to release her 10th studio album, Lasso, in September 2024. At the Billboard x NMPA Songwriter Awards, she told fans that she was planning on going in a country direction, a trend that several other artists have followed this year, including Beyonce with her album COWBOY CARTER and Post Malone with F-1 Trillion (Long Bed). In anticipation of this shift in aesthetic, Lana has released two singles; “Tough” featuring Quavo, and a cover of John Denver’s iconic “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Lana has also told Billboard Magazine that she plans on releasing two more singles before the full release of Lasso. When asked about the album’s aesthetic in a Vogue interview, Lana assured fans that she wouldn’t be drifting too far from her original sound and plans to showcase the gothic, Americana aesthetic she’s become well-known for.
As a decade-long fan of Lana Del Rey, I’ve taken it upon myself to create a personal ranking of her studio albums, from my least favourite to my number-one pick.
8. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean BLVD?
Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean BLVD? is Lana Del Rey’s newest studio album, which was released only last year in 2023. The album contains 16 tracks, including two interludes and features several artists, such as SYML, Bleachers, and Jon Batiste. The album’s aesthetic features Americana elements and references and has a dark, lyrical quality overall. Lana references her family and friends throughout the album, which is apparent from the first track, “The Grants.” Additionally, the song “Margaret” feat. Bleachers tells the story of how her friend and producer, Jack Antonoff, met his now wife, Margaret Qualley. My top three songs from this album are “Kintsugi,” “Paris, Texas,” and “Margaret.”
7. Blue bannisters
Released in 2021, Blue Bannisters is a true alternative musical collection. Written partially during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the album references events that changed our world, with loneliness and self-isolation taking centre stage. With 15 tracks, and just one interlude, the album is slow, sorrowful, and haunting. My favourite songs from this album are “Nectar of the Gods,” “Thunder,” and “Black Bathing Suit.”
6. honeymoon
Released in 2015, Honeymoon has 14 tracks and is filled with jazz-inspired sound and sultry lyrics. I’ve placed Honeymoon in sixth place because I listen to fewer songs from this album than the five ranked above it. However, its lower ranking should not be held against it as it is an excellent, well-rounded album. Romance is a theme featured heavily across the album and the focus is on toxic relationships, much like Ultraviolence, Lana Del Rey’s second major-label record. My favorite songs from Honeymoon are: “Art Deco,” “Religion,” and “Freak.”
5. Chemtrails Over the Country Club
Arguably, Lana Del Rey’s most underrated album, Chemtrails Over the Country Club, was released during the pandemic’s height in 2021. However, Chemtrails, unlike Blue Bannisters, doesn’t touch on themes surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and instead takes on a softer, more intimate, nostalgic vibe. This album is what I believe Lasso will be the most like. The haunting melodies reference Midwest Americana elements that can be heard in songs such as “Wild at Heart” and “Yosemite.” Chemtrails is Lana’s shortest album, with just 11 songs, which may be one of the reasons it’s less popular than her other albums. My favorite songs from Chemtrails Over the Country Club are “Breaking Up Slowly,” “Wild at Heart, “ and lastly, the album’s namesake, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club.”
4. ultraviolence
Ultraviolence is Lana Del Rey’s second major studio album and undoubtedly one of her most popular albums. Released in 2014, it contains 14 songs, with the deluxe version having one extra song, “Is This Happiness.” This album has been criticized over the years and remains controversial to this day. The album contains several songs that detail toxic and abusive relationships and even goes so far as to romanticize them. The famed lyrics, “He hit me and it felt like a kiss,” from the album’s namesake song “Ultraviolence,” details Lana’s assumed relationship with an older, abusive man. Several other songs on the album follow this trend and feature topics such as drugs, sex, and power. Despite the controversy surrounding the album, Ultraviolence remains popular and heavily streamed. My top songs from the album are “Brooklyn Baby, “West Coast,” and “Money Power Glory.”
3. Norman F*cking Rockwell!
Norman F*cking Rockwell! was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2020 Grammy’s and had fans (including myself) very disappointed when it lost to Billie Eilish’s album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. Released in 2019, the album contains 14 songs that work to create a cohesive theme. Despite the Grammy snub, the album has continued to be loved and celebrated, with many tracks becoming famous through TikTok and being included in Apple Music’s list of 100 Best Albums. Famous American painter and illustrator, Normal Rockwell, is evidently a huge inspiration for Lana Del Rey in creating the album. The album uses Rockwell as a figurehead to detail an artist’s nostalgic and obsessive nature. The songs are slow, sad, and deeply reflective. My favorite songs include “How to disappear, “Cinnamon Girl, and “Love song.”
2. born to die
Now, Born to Die is easily interchangeable with my number one choice, as there is not a single song on this album that I don’t love. The release of Born to Die in 2012 was groundbreaking in the music industry. Lana introduced a new take on pop music, seeming to blend it with alternative vocals and sound. Born to Die was an overnight success and launched Lana into the spotlight. The album has maintained popularity and has been re-released five times to include additional tracks. The original album contains 12 songs, while the newer Born to Die: The Paradise Edition contains double that at 24 tracks in total. Born to Die is nostalgic and meant to introduce Lana into the Hollywood music industry. It was my favourite album for the longest time and remains one of the best collections of music I’ve ever heard. My favourite songs on the album have been hard to narrow down, but they are as follows: “Dark Paradise,” “Summertime Sadness,” and “Radio.”
1. Lust For Life
Lust for Life is my all-time favourite album ever created. Released after Chemtrails Over the Country Club in 2017, Lust for Life is Lana Del Rey’s next most underrated album. Containing 16 songs, the album echoes the themes and sound of Born to Die, with several of the tracks featuring sorrowful lyrics accompanied by dramatic and iconic melodies. Lana also paired with several established musicians to create a handful of songs for the album, such as The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, and Stevie Nicks. Romance and toxic relationships continue to be a key focus for Lana as ballads such as “Love” and darker songs like “White Mustang” and “Groupie Love” are featured on the album. Every song on the album is a masterpiece in its own right, but my top three songs have to be “Coachella – Woodstock In My Mind,” “Lust for Life,” and “Heroin.”