Marilyn Manson: EVERY Album Ranked Worst To Best

Since his debut album was released in 1994, Marilyn Manson has reigned as one of rock and roll's most controversial, iconic and unique figures.

Though perhaps more famous in the public eye because of his controversies, Manson has over the years released some of music's most daring and anthemic records, each one teeming with angst, rage and anti-establishment themes.

As a songwriter, he has been the voice of the downtrodden and the outcasts for nearly three decades, and though he's now in his fifties, he's still releasing albums that capture the true essence of what he and his music stands for.

Each album has a new sound, and though Marilyn Manson is really a band, it has over the years become something of a solo project, with only Manson himself being the consistent member.

With eleven albums under his belt, Manson is a true icon on the music world, blending rock with metal, synth and pop with often excellent results. Controversies aside, here are all eleven of Marilyn Manson's albums ranked worst to best, from the 90s classics to his most recent record, 2020's We Are Chaos.

Born Villain is by no means a bad album, but as far as Manson records go, it's easily the least daring and memorable of his discography. As noted in the introduction, one of the joys of listening to a new Manson album is the anticipation to see what he'll do next, and in that vain Born Villain is a bit of a let-down.

Rather than attempting a new, genre-fusing style, Manson instead leaned into the more reliable beats of his previous records, bringing solid anthems with songs like "No Reflection" and "Overneath the Path of Misery," both of which are dependable tracks that just don't stand-out, simply because we've heard it all before.

On top of that, it's also wholly disjointed, with the industrial sounds being followed up by slower, less accomplished ballads that for some reason just don't mesh. Also, there's the issue of the lyrics, somewhere Manson has rarely had a problem, but on this album (see "Pistol Whipped") he seems determined to bring out the controversy with little thought or care. Not a terrible album, but easily the weakest of Manson's discography.

Best Songs: Breaking the Same Old Ground, Hey Cruel World, No Reflection