Ranking Switchfoot's Albums
So, getting my bias out of the way up front, Switchfoot is my favorite band. As such, here's my ranking of their discography. |
| 8 |  | Switchfoot
Learning to Breathe
Learning to Breathe is a good album, but it is uneven. The title track is a beautiful pop rock anthem and Living is Simple is a great rock song that points to where Switchfoot was heading. It's hard to say this is their worst record because all of their music is good, but many of the songs sound the same. |
| 7 |  | Switchfoot
Oh! Gravity.
There are some great tracks on Oh! Gravity. such as the title track, Dirty Second Hands, and Faust Midas and Myself. However, the rest of the album is lackluster by Switchfoot standards. It's not a bad album by any stretch, but when the rest of their work is so good it's easy to lose in the shuffle. |
| 6 |  | Switchfoot
Legend of Chin
Quite the debut album. Dark at times yet hopeful and uplifting. The 1-2 punch of Bomb and Chem 6A starts the album off well. It's a little disjointed at times but that's natural in a debut. Solid from beginning to end. |
| 5 |  | Switchfoot
New Way to be Human
New Way to be Human is the most complete of Switchfoot's early albums. Not a weak track in the bunch. It is a fun record that holds many overlooked gems like Sooner or Later and I Turn Everything Over. It's a fairly standard pop rock album but holds a quirkiness and consistency that gives it a leg up over their other early work. |
| 4 |  | Switchfoot
The Beautiful Letdown
This is the album that put these guys on the map. Meant to Live and Dare You to Move are modern rock classics. However, Letdown lacks some of the punch and emotional intensity of the remaining albums thus landing it and its 2.5 million copies sold at number 4. |
| 3 |  | Switchfoot
Hello Hurricane
Hurricane ushered in a new era for Switchfoot. This album hosts several of my favorite songs including The Sound, Free, and the title track. There is a fresh energy and a renewed sense of identity after the creatively lackluster Oh! Gravity. It is solid from front to back ranging from the hard-hitting Mess of Me to the tender ballad Yet. |
| 2 |  | Switchfoot
Vice Verses
From the aggressive opening of Afterlife to the soaring climax of album closer Where I Belong, Vice Verses is arguably the most complete album Switchfoot has recorded. The rock tracks are louder and edgier and the slow songs pack an emotional punch. However, a few weak tracks like Blinding Light and Rise Above It keep Vice Verses out of the number 1 slot. |
| 1 |  | Switchfoot
Nothing is Sound
Lyrically and musically this album is Switchfoot's masterpiece thus far. It's the closest to perfection that they have gotten. The front half is near bullet-proof with the first 6 songs being the strongest set of songs they have created. The guitar riff for Stars is easily one of the best riffs these guys have written and Daisy is a gorgeous ballad that builds to probably the best rock moment on the entire record. Golden is the only misstep but the other eleven tracks are Switchfoot at their absolute best. |
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