Beck: Ranking His Albums From Worst To Best

Not many albums reach the status of being virtually flawless but Odelay is one such contender. Released in '96, it is still yet to be bettered in terms of the genre melding ease on display. Although it incredibly lost out for the Album of the Year Grammy upon release, it stands as one of the most eclectic, landmark albums of the 90's.

It has a real authentic sound of Americana at its roots, whilst simultaneously carving rock, rap, hip-hop, folk and genre's probably yet to be labelled, into its foundations. The album shifts dynamics on a whim (compare the sonic bombs of the electrifying 'Novacane' to the soft meditative state of 'Jack-Ass') helping to create a spontaneous atmosphere which echoes throughout its thirteen golden musical nuggets.

The album's greatest quality is the all encompassing way it explores various strands of music like the time capsule, breakbeat hit 'The New Pollution' or the scattershot brokenness of 'Derelict', a song that defies genre definitions. 

There is a reason this album broke through in the way that it did and that is because of it's forward thinking musical innovations and paradoxically, its various nods to the history of music through the use of sampling, making Odelay a jukebox of timeless hits.

Highlights: The New Pollution, Derelict, Novacane, Sissyneck

How would you rank the albums of Beck? Let us know in the comments section below!