As we’ve all come to know, Britney Spears' mark on pop culture is quite remarkable. And while she’s had her share of misfortune where her personal life is concerned, no one can deny that her albums have done their best to adapt with the changing times. She may not have the best voice in the business, but she certainly leaves her mark on some of the most memorable moments in music alone. From the worst to best, here are the albums of Ms. Britney Spears...
9.) The Singles Collection
It was a great effort putting her singles in order of their release, but what puts this album at the bottom of the list was its odd choice of singles to select. Was “Born To Make You Happy” even released here in the US? Where was “Sometimes”? And as much as “Lucky” annoys me, it was one of her more memorable singles, compared to this album including “Radar”.
FAVORITE SONG: "3"
8.) Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Of course I have to get the greatest hits collections out of the way before the really good stuff. What makes this one better than “The Singles Collection” was its inclusion of new material and a mix of some of her REAL greatest hits.
FAVORITE SONG: "Do Somethin'"
7.) Baby One More Time
It was the first release that introduced her to the world, but when its compared to all her other work, it lacks a lot of depth. It was pure bubblegum pop at its finest: it includes a pop cover, an attempt at reggae, and a corny metaphor involving e-mail of all things.
FAVORITE SONG: "Sometimes"
6.) In The Zone
This is one of her most under appreciated albums to date. Maybe it was just all of the drama with her breakup from JT, followed by her quickie marriage and annulment, not to mention the beginning of the downward spiral with K-Fed. But it was here that Britney proved she was all grown-up. From having Madonna as a featured guest, to mixing banjo music into a Hip-Hop song, even singing about pleasuring herself, it was the start of the electro-Britney that we know and love today
FAVORITE SONG: "Toxic"
5.) Britney
Here is when we realized Britney wasn’t a little girl anymore, and she was willing to get away from her bubblegum pop image, at least for a little while. It’s the hip-hop contributions from The Neptunes and Darkchild that make this album a standout for me.The pop princess does go back to her roots with songs like “Cinderella”, but she strives for a darker, sexier side with tracks like “Boys”.
FAVORITE SONG: "I'm a Slave 4 U"
4.) Circus
This one delivered a great comeback for Britney after all of her hard times in the public eye. The singles “Womanizer”, “Circus”, and “If U Seek Amy” may be the most memorable things from this album, which also includes duds like “Mmm Papi” or “Out From Under”.
FAVORITE SONG: "Unusual You"
3.) Oops!...I Did It Again
This was a far better effort than her debut, and one that I consider my guilty pleasure. From a pop cover of The Rolling Stones, to the infectious first single, the hits just keep coming from this album. And let’s not forget the maturity of songwriting from having someone e-mail her heart in the first disc to writing in her diary on this one with the cheesiest lyrics to date (“Dear Diary, today I saw a boy and I wondered if he noticed me. He took my breath away”). I've forgiven you Britney, don't you worry!
FAVORITE SONG: "One Kiss From You"
2.) Femme Fatale
Britney continues her reign as the pop princess with her most recent release. What makes it the second best is the fact that she truly has outdone herself with outstanding club tracks, and one of her best start-to-finish albums ever. Dr. Luke and Max Martin lead the way with terrific production (not to mention other great contributions from Stargate, Darkchild, & will.i.am).
FAVORITE SONG: "Up N' Down"
1.) Blackout
Although people consider Circus to be her big comeback album, Blackout is the real comeback in my eyes. From start to finish, she offers a dark look into her personal problems living in the public eye. And let’s not forget her atrocious performance of “Gimme More” at the VMA’s where it seemed like she had finally lost it all. But even with that performance in mind, the song still stands out as one of her best to date. Who can forget her opening of “It’s Britney, bitch”? Danja and Bloodshy & Avant (not to mention my favorite contribution from Sean Garrett) did a terrific job helping to turn Britney’s image around and offer some of the best production quality in Britney’s career.
FAVORITE SONG: "Toy Soldier"
