Iggy Pop Albums Ranked
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), better known as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor. Designated the “Godfather of Punk”, he was the vocalist and lyricist of influential proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited multiple times since.
Although Pop has had limited commercial success, he has remained both a cultural icon and a significant influence on a wide range of musicians in numerous genres. The Stooges’ album Raw Power has proved an influence on artists such as Sex Pistols, the Smiths, the Sisters of Mercy, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Nirvana. His solo album The Idiot has been cited as a major influence on a number of post-punk, electronic and industrial artists including Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, and Joy Division, and was described by Siouxsie Sioux as a “re-affirmation that our suspicions were true: the man is a genius.” He was inducted as part of the Stooges into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. In January 2020, Pop received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Here are all of Iggy Pop’s albums ranked.
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10. Instinct (1988)
“Iggy tried to get some metal cred on this album, crooning along to an uninspired and undistinguished set of riffs. Unfortunately, the whole package doesn’t quite work. With little of actual excitement to metalheads in the musical backing, and both the punkier and poppier sides of Iggy’s music deliberately played down, the music on here isn’t going to be very interesting to fans of Iggy’s earlier work (regardless of whether you have a sneaking appreciation of his pop side or prefer his raw punk power), and isn’t going to win over any metalheads either. The only thing which could save the album is a great performance from Iggy himself, but instead he botches his vocals trying to sing in a vaguely metal-y style, at points sounding like he’s trying to impersonate Alice Cooper.”
9. Blah-Blah-Blah (1986)
“Iggy Pop’s closest brush with the commercial mainstream isn’t actually as far from efforts like New Values or Party as it’s made out to be. The deft hand of David Bowie once again brings Pop back from the brink, but it’s Pop’s musical partnership with ex-Pistol Steve Jones that is the secret ingredient here, ensuring that there’s an air of danger lurking underneath cuts like Cry For Love or Fire Girl. Iggy even quotes from Stooges-era rarity Scene of the Crime in the lyrics to Winners & Losers, underscoring how this isn’t so much a radical departure so much as a natural evolution of Iggy’s sound. It took me a while to love this album, but it really is a tasty pop music sensation, and you wouldn’t have had classics like Living On the Edge of the Night without the foundation laid here.”
8. Zombie Birdhouse (1982)
“Before “Avenue B”, there was “Zombie Birdhouse”. Actually, this isn’t as much of a departure as “AveB” considering the album that came before it: “Party”. There is more of an emphasis on his poetry reading (I’ve heard that the Doors wanted him to replace Morrison 30 years ago) & concepts rather than attempts at hit songs. The side openers “Run Like a Villain” & “Eat or be Eaten” sure are catchy though & “Bulldozer” is hard enough it sounds like he should have kept it for “Instinct” (which for me is a good thing). He has more to say here. Even though some of the later songs don’t work very well, “Villain” especially seems to equate the jogging craze that started in the eighties with running away from responsibility for the greed & corruption of that decade. “
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7. Soldier (1980)
“What do you get when you put Iggy Pop together with Glenn Matlock of the Sex Pistols? A bat-sh*t crazy album of Iggy Pop attitude and ball-busting business, no nonsense rock splatter. If you like the more laid back Iggy, this album is not for you. You can tell Iggy is on something here, as the music stays aggressive throughout, whether the subject matter is ridiculous or depressing. It’s worth the price alone for the tracks “Loco Mosquito” and “Dog Food”. If you like Stooges era Iggy, this will take you back.”
6. American Caesar (1993)
“This is considered one of Iggy Pop’s greatest solo albums, and while initially I shy away from that claim, the more I think about it “they” might be right. Certainly this is Iggy’s most successful balls-out rock and roll record since SOLDIER, if not LUST FOR LIFE. Most of his other albums in between have been either experimental pieces (THE IDIOT, ZOMBIE BIRDHOUSE), failed attempts at rocking out (SOLDIER, INSTINCT), and even weirder failed attempts at a pop crossover (PARTY, BLAH BLAH BLAH). Even his critical comeback album BRICK BY BRICK wasn’t a straightforward rocker, but rather an “event album” with lots of guest stars and studied performances, the kind of thing Clive Davis at Arista Records specialized in during the late 90’s. This album was something that Iggy hadn’t done in a very long time: walked into a studio with a great band and a great set of songs, and bashed them out quickly and simply.”
5. Brick by Brick (1990)
“After a period of quiet, Iggy Pop returned to harass mainstream rock and roll will more of his energy and original lyrics to both ridicule and laud America’s youth as well as the corporate mentality of older Americans. Make no mistake, this is Iggy to the core. Opening with the rousing “Home,” Iggy gets your heart pumping and the blood flowing with such a tightly orchestrated song that the guitar licks nearly slice through you. If this opener doesn’t get you jumping right off the bat, then you’ve overdosed. And Who but Iggy could sing a love song of devotion with a refrain proclaiming his sincerity and loyalty with the words “I Won’t Crap Out.””
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4. Kill City (w/ James Williamson) (1977)
‘ considered myself a fairly serious Iggy fan (both solo and in the Stooges) over the years, but until I heard this title track about five or six years ago, I had no knowledge of this lost classic. The story behind the album is legendary, and I suggest you read Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed by Paul Trynka for a terrific recounting of how this it all came together. Once I finally heard this album, I couldn’t believe it was not more widely known. It contains some very catchy songs–Kill City and Consolation Prizes, especially–that really should have been hits. They rock your face off, just like the best Iggy material does, but they also contain some insights into the man’s state of mind at the time, as he was struggling with life after the Stooges, when the music world had seemingly moved on without him and he was fighting for a chance to crawl his way back up from the depths of addiction.”
3. New Values (1979)
“Quite possibly my favorite album of Jimmy’s. Many of the chord progressions “Tell me a Story”, “Don’t Look Down”, “Angel” with that minor chord thing are just achingly beautiful to my ear, and bring me back to play and replay the disc. You need to resolve those kind of chords correctly if you’re gonna use them, and Singer and Band do it seemingly effortlessly. Kudos boys. If you have any taste at all, and you like Iggy in general, buy yourself this disc. I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Some of these songs make my bucket list. Thanks for reading my drivel.”
2. The Idiot (1977)
‘This Virgin release is superior to the pricier 4 Men With Beards version. Although the latter comes in 180 gram vinyl, this is a quieter pressing and seems to come from a better source. This version sounds as good as any, and it may be as good as we’ll ever get: this music just wasn’t very well-recorded in the first place. In addition, the label on side two has a reproduction of the cover photo. The 4 Men With Beards release just gives you their dumb hipster logo on both sides.”
1. Lust for Life (1977)
“After The Stooges albums and The Idiot, Iggy Pop sounds strangely commercialized on his classic Lust for Life album. David Bowie helped out by co-writing almost all of the songs. David also played piano and helped out with the recording and production of the album. It is indeed one of the most essential Iggy Pop albums, yet not his best. This album is filled with songs that are either rock oriented and ones that are more poppy. “The Passenger” is one of my favorite Iggy Pop songs. “Some Weird Sin” and “Neighborhood Threat” are two fine rock songs on here. Lust for Life is a monumental album and it’s a great place to start if you’re new to Iggy Pop.”
