Cat Stevens Albums Ranked

Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; 21 July 1948), commonly known by his stage name Cat Stevens, and later Yusuf, is a British-Cypriot singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, in his later career, Islamic music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
His 1967 debut album reached the top 10 in the UK, and its title song “Matthew and Son” reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Stevens’ albums Tea for the Tillerman (1970) and Teaser and the Firecat (1971) were certified triple platinum in the US by the RIAA. His 1972 album Catch Bull at Four spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 and fifteen weeks at number one in the Australian ARIA Charts. He earned two ASCAP songwriting awards in 2005 and 2006 for “The First Cut Is the Deepest”, and the song has been a hit for four artists. His other hit songs include “Father and Son”, “Wild World”, “Moonshadow”, “Peace Train”, and “Morning Has Broken”. In 2007, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.
In 2006, he returned to pop music – releasing his first new studio album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup. With that release and subsequent ones, he dropped the surname “Islam” from the album cover art – using the stage name Yusuf as a mononym. In 2009, he released the album Roadsinger, and, in 2014, he released the album Tell ‘Em I’m Gone and began his first US tour since 1978. His second North American tour since his resurgence, featuring 12 shows in intimate venues, ran from 12 September to 7 October 2016. In 2017, he released the album The Laughing Apple. Here are all of Cat Stevens’ albums ranked.

Don’t miss out on the CLASSIC hits of Cat Stevens! Click and enjoy the songs of this very talented artist!

10. The Very Best Of Cat Stevens (1990)

“This is a great album of music – featuring 24 songs by Cat Stevens. It covers the period of his career from 1967 (with the release of the LP “Matthew and Son”) through to 1978 (and his “Back to Earth” album). As such, it draws on Cat’s material from his first 11 studio albums. This body of work presents an amazing and varied songbook – and Cat Steven’s represented one the defining contributors to 1970’s folk-rock and pop music. His work during this period was both critically and commercially successful – and, at times, artistically inspirational (especially the tracks on “Tea for the Tillerman” and “Teaser and the Firecat”). With so many wonderful songs to select from, compiling this ‘very best of’ Cat Stevens must have been a challenge.”

9. Harold And Maude (1972)

“A lot of these classic tunes are familiar ones, not just because I’ve seen the movie, but because Cat Stevens is such a recognizable singer and his songs are pretty much a part the world’s subconscious in general. It’s such a pleasant thing to listen to, Cat Stevens. There’s something really rockin’ about his music sometimes too even though it’s not something that I’d call rock exactly. It’s light pop rock really. Classy though.”

8. Matthew & Son (1967)

‘Lyrically there’s a slightly incongruous mix between whimsy and profundity (as there would be throughout his career), but his emerging pop-craft in creating winning backing tunes sees most of the songs home. Yes it is easy to imagine the studio musicians playing with musical charts in front of them, there being no warmth or feel in their playing, never mind that the arrangements themselves are too cold and fussy, in particular the guy on the xylophone sounds as if he’s paid by the note. Stevens of course must have realised this himself as within three years he’d stripped back his sound to concentrate on mainly acoustic instrumentation and a warm ambience which found its apogee on his “Teaser And The Firecat” and “Tea For The Tillerman” albums.”

See more: Slipknot Albums Ranked

7. Greatest Hits (1975)

“There are several classic songs here. I think the only one that is shared songwriting credits is “Morning Has Broken,” a wonderful song and one that is embraced by many of a religious persuasion. The songs showcase this artist’s songwriting talents. The songs aren’t just catchy, but sometimes have a pithy bite to them. “Father and Son” and “Peace Train” come to mind. And who in the working world and young didn’t feel the need to break loose with “Another Saturday Night”? There are probably better and/or more erudite collections of his songs, but I liked this one because when I was young, I had the vinyl album, and when I was homeless, had to part with it (along with many other precious musical memories), and this album brings back a bit of that past.”

6. Foreigner (1973)

‘Cat should perhaps be congratulated for a change in style, where it really works in the first track, but the tracks next up feel fairly uninspired and aren’t very exciting. The Hurt and How many times are a bit painful, and later and 100 I dream are only alright, making this below par cat. No matter how many times I listen I can’t get into this album. I just listen to the first track, which doesn’t make for much of an album. The album lacks cohesion, and there is too much musical confusion, compared to the winning simplicity of his other works. I don’t really get what he is singing about either most of the time.”

5. Buddha And The Chocolate Box (1974)

“I loved Cat Stevens when I was young and loose and running free. This album always takes me back to the thoughts and feelings I had as a liberated teen living on a ranch and at the So Cal beaches. Through the years the quality of his music remains enjoyable and easily pulls me in through his simple arrangements and that one of a kind voice. Many times I have felt as though he is nearby joining me in this experience of life…”

See more: Judas Priest Albums Ranked

4. Catch Bull At Four (1972)

“One of Cat Stevens best albums, delivered just before he walked away from it all. “Sitting” is a terrific song that has played over and over again in my head all these years. Not the commercial success that the two prior albums brought, but finely written songs as Yusuf/Cat Stevens was dialing in to the public changes in his life that would soon follow.”

3. Mona Bone Jakon (1970)

“For all his later foolishness about fatwas against Salman Rushdie, or the easy-listening pop he churned out after hitting the big time, people may forget that Stevens was once considered an extraordinary songwriter, and one who could craft perfect tunes for his distinctive little-old-man voice. Most of the pieces on this album lack the commercial polish of, say, “Wild World,” but in fact may be stronger for that very reason. There are moments of, without exaggeration, unutterable loveliness (try “Lilywhite”), as well as whimsy (the title track, which may be about the singer’s John Thomas).”

2. Teaser And The Firecat (1971)

“‘Basic principle of the second classic: the layout is the same, the music more advanced, the lyrics less so. “The Wind” doesn’t have a seamless segue into the Greek-flavoured joy of “Rubylove” but the transfer is handled so well that it seems like it; making the opening of the album the most gripping and memorable section. If there’s anything I dislike, it’s the Eastern bounce of the two rockers, “Changes IV” and “Bitterblue”, padded with Stevens’ “whoa whoa” and “yeah yeah” every second measure. Although not an aesthetic step above Tillerman, and oppositely balanced, it is in some ways a more accomplished record”

1. Tea For The Tillerman (1970)

“Tea for the Tillerman is the must have cat stevens. Once you get it and get a taste of his music you will want to get some others as well. I own only Tea for the Tillerman,Best of and Greatest Hits and I feel like that is about all the Cat Stevens that is strictly neccesary. If you have cash to sling around then pick up Mona Bone Jacon and Teaser and the Firecat and you will really be in Cat Stevens heaven. Bhudda and the Chocolate Box and some of his releases as Yusuf Islam are also OK, but I would deem them unneccesary if you own the above three albums. They will provide tons of listening pleasure and are an essential addition to a varied collecion of Pop music. Stevens was unique but not in an annoying enya/bjork kind of way.”