Status Quo Albums Ranked

Status Quo is an English boogie rock band that formed in 1962. The group originated in The Spectres and was founded by Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster, while they were still schoolboys. After a number of lineup changes, which included the introduction of Rick Parfitt in 1967, the band became The Status Quo in 1967 and Status Quo in 1969. Status Quo appeared on the BBC’s Top of the Pops more than any other band.^[5] They have released over 100 singles and 33 albums, many of which were best-sellers. Since reaching number 5 on the UK albums chart in 1972 with Piledriver, Status Quo has gone on to achieve a career total of 25 UK top ten albums, extending all the way up to their most recent release, Backbone, in 2019. Here are all of Status Quo albums ranked.

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10. On The Level (1975)

“These guys deserve more praise than I can ever give. This album rocks from beginning to end and barely lets you catch your breath. If you’re looking for sappy ballads or navel gazing songs, go somewhere else. It’s boogie rock and has several hit singles too including the number one hit single. “down down” one of the best type of boogie rock ever written anywhere.”

9. Down The Dustpipe (2001)

“It covers the post-psychedelia pre-Piledriver period, when the band spent a lot of time in Germany taking the time out to groove with the cross-legged audiences. The songs as a result do tend more than once to move into jamming territory, and safely ensconced in the 2010’s some may find this a little self-indulgent – but there’s an innocence, an authenticity about what they were doing that really shines through on this record.”

8. The Best Of Status Quo (1973)

“This is my favorite Status Quo Compilation. A Band playing what came naturally to them, not focusing on making hit records. Great compilation of the rebellious young Quo. The tracks and running order are perfect.“

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7. Live! (1977

“This album rocks! One of the best live albums I’ve ever heard! I’d been wanting to get this for so long, and one day I decided on getting it. It has a great song selection, practically all the best ones. 1976 was the perfect year for recording a live album because Quo were at the peak of their success, and they still had the original lineup of Francis, Rick, Alan, and John.”

6. Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From The Status Quo (1968)

“”Pictures of Matchstick man”, which was one of the greatest song of the British psychedelic era. Driven by a monstrous guitar-riff, a vox organ, haunting harmonies and a distinctive phasing this was excellent and became an international hit! The rest of this album is, more or less, the same. The best tracks are: ‘Elizabeth dream’, ‘When my mind is not alive’ (both sang beautifully by Parfit) and the wonderful “Technicolour dreams” which is Quo’s best song ever.”

5. 12 Gold Bars (1980)

“All the classic Quo tracks are included on this compilation – from “Rockin’ All Over the World” at the start of the disc to “Whatever You Want” at the end, each track is a perfect showcase of the Status Quo sound. This makes this a fantastic disc to own whether you are a long time Quo fan, or want to get your teeth into the band’s classic material for the first time.”

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4. Blue For You (1976)

“With BLUE FOR YOU, Status Quo continue playing straight-ahead blues-boogie as only they and a few other bands can. The songs are, with a few exceptions, great, and the bonus tracks, especially the B-side “All Through The Night”, show that a lot of great Quo material that didn’t made the original albums should have. “Is There A Better Way”, the CD’s opening cut, explains why I’ve given up food-related functions at my old school in favor of looking good for a number of TV and movie hotties.”

3. Hello! (1973)

“With HELLO, Status Quo delivers another great album of hard-driving blues-boogie that’s equally good for dancing to or exercising to. Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt are great on guitars and vocals, singing rather than screaming, and while Rossi can’t match Paul Rodgers, Derek St. Holmes, early Sammy Hagar, or Dave Peverett for soul, at least he’s more pleasant to listen to than a guy like say, Kevin Dubrow, and has a wonderful sense of how to properly phrase a lyric.”

2. Piledriver (1972)

“PILEDRIVER was Status Quo’s first great album. Freed from a creatively stifling recording contract with Pye, the Quo gave up pop for a hard-driving blues-boogie sound that really rocked as few others could. This album proved that the band could have hit singles without really trying to, as “Paper Plane” went Top 5 in the UK.”

1. Quo (1974)

“QUO is unique among albums by Status Quo in that it’s much darker and heavier than their other 70s albums. This album, like the others features plenty of rockin’ good times, but there’s a sense of foreboding in nearly every track. The album’s overall tone seems to carry a message that even if you’re self-indulgent, you might still make it alright, but don’t bet on it.”