Earth, Wind, & Fire Albums Ranked

Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or simply EWF) is an American band that has spanned the musical genres of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, disco, pop, rock, dance, Latin, and Afro-pop. They have been described as one of the most innovative and commercially successful acts of all time. Rolling Stone called them “innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet galvanizing” and declared that the band “changed the sound of black pop”. VH1 has also described EWF as “one of the greatest bands” ever. The band has won six Grammys from their 17 nominations and four American Music Awards out of 12 nominations. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, and Hollywood’s Rockwall, in addition to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. With sales of over 90 million records, they are one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. The band has also received an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Soul Train Legend Award, as well as a NARAS Signature Governor’s Award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2012 Congressional Horizon Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2019, along with Sally Field, Linda Ronstadt, Sesame Street, and Michael Tilson Thomas. Here are all of Earth, Wind, & Fire albums ranked.

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10. Greatest Hits (1998)

“Earth Wind & Fire (or EWF to the cool kids) were one of the best soul & funk bands of the 1970s. Heck, they were one of the best bands of the 1970s. This perfect collection contains all their best songs, including timeless classics such as Fantasy, After The Love Has Gone, and Shining Star. Essential listening for any music lover.”

9. Spirit (1976)

“Spirit is my personal favorite Earth Wind & Fire album. The songs are all very memorably, very funky, and very well written. The incredibly dense Getaway opens the album, showcasing EWF’s musicianship at its best. On Your Face is one of my favorite tracks, telling the traditional EWF message of “be happy”.”

8. The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (1978)

“This compilation from the seminal Maurice White-helmed 70’s funk act presents a smooth and seamless combination of funk, soul, pop, and disco for the ages. There are some tracks here like “Reasons” and “Getaway” that just don’t hit quite as hard as the high-ass highs (especially “Reasons” to be honest, it’s pretty boring and non-descript), but they don’t ruin the album by any means, Honestly, there’s a pretty chance you’ll enjoy them more than me!”

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7. Faces (1980)

“Faces overflows with all that’s fine and well with EWF. Check Turn It Into Something Good, You, And Love Goes On, Sailaway, In Time, Win Or Lose, the ambitious fusion of the title track – all of those songs are perfect, and they’re not the only good songs (they are my favorites, though), there are plenty more. Maurice White was indeed a genius, and Faces is one of his best productions.”

6. Raise! (1981)

“Don’t get me wrong, Raise! is consistently enjoyable … it just doesn’t really offer anything – lead single aside – that isn’t done more penetratingly elsewhere in their catalogue. Faces was a solid resolution of all of their stylistic strands; Raise! sounds more like a caricature of their archetypal sound.”

5. Last Days And Time (1972)

“Last Days and Time catches them at the awkward place where they’re emerging from the primordial band ooze and figuring things out. Yeah that’s what you get here, one of THOSE records. Ones from start to finish defined by confusion. The same story seen this same year with Pain from the Ohio Players. But yet again it’s not the same story, because even in their confusion EW&F are showcasing significantly more talent and muscle.”

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4. All ‘N All (1977)

“The album was recorded in the summer of 1977, while the more significant movement in music was the punk breakthrough, ‘All ‘N All’ made sure there are still a lot of significance and variety in pop music. White did this by incorporating a wider array of horns into the group’s music, he is provided by string-filled backgrounds and more danceable grooves than ever, and Earth, Wind & Fire were no strangers to that in the first place, so to shift that in a way that made the band a fitting part of pop culture was quite impressive.”

3. I Am (1979)

“The first side of I AM is pure magic. Each song displays a dazzling perfection of production, and the sequencing is perfect, too. Starting with the brilliant and self-assured opener, In the Stone, and ending with the stomping and irresistible Funk of Let Your Feelings Show, this is one of the all-time best record sides from the vinyl days. However, perhaps the song Can’t Let Go best exemplifies the sheer exuberance that characterized the band at that time, and note the incredible precision of the brass section named the Phenix Horns.”

2. Gratitude (1975)

“his double album has a studio side, so its not a complete live album, but the live opening medley, ‘Africano/Power’ shows just how awesome EW&F were live. ‘Shining Star’ is a standout as well, actually, all of the live music is a standout, one of the very best live performances I have ever heard. ‘New World Symphony’, I can’t forget that jazzy track, over 9 minutes of bliss, and EW&F do a real nice job with ‘Sun Goddess’, a great Ramsey Lewis tune. Don’t think of these guys as just disco (a little bit of that shows up on the studio side of this double album, which is excellent as well), give it a listen, they are at their funkiest best here, especially live.”

1. That’s The Way Of The World (1975)

“The title track is the real highlight, though. “That’s the Way of the World” is one of the most beautiful pop masterpieces of the 70s, and I could listen to it all day. I think it’s even better than “September”. The rest of the album isn’t as good as those two, but it’s extremely consistent for a 70’s soul album. “Happy Feelin'”, “Yearnin’ Learnin”, and “See the Light” are all good finger-snappin’ funk songs, and “Africano” is a kickass world-influenced song. “All About Love” and “Reasons” are great ballads, especially “Reasons”. “Reasons” has a good Phillip Bailey vocal and a beautiful sound to it that hides a darker meaning to it. It’s the exact opposite of “That’s the Way of the World”, an unromantic song about a one night stand. So, overall, this is a great release, and a classic of 70s pop, soul, and funk.”