Ranking Every Twenty One Pilots Album!

Hello people of Earth!!!

Welcome to another album ranking! This time, I will rank every album from another one of my favorite bands: Twenty One Pilots.

Disclaimer: I will NOT be ranking Regional at Best because half of the songs were re-recorded for Vessel anyway, but I may eventually rank it later.

Another disclaimer: this ranking is just my opinion, and I'm not trying to offend anyone here! Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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7. Scaled and Icy (2021)

Please HEAR ME OUT. This is by no means a bad album. You have some really good tracks like Saturday, Mulberry Street, and Shy Away. However, my main issue with this album is not necessarily the major shift in sound. The album felt a bit uninspired to me compared to their other work. Almost every track on here feels like something you would hear at your local Walmart or in a TV commercial, which especially shows in Bounce Man. Perhaps this album may grow on me in the future, but for now, I consider it to be the lowest album in their catalog.

Favorite Song: Shy Away

6. Twenty One Pilots Self-Titled (2009)

This is the only album to not feature Josh Dun, back when the band only consisted of Tyler, Nick, and Chris. In my opinion, this is their most unique-sounding record, and you can hear a lot more piano melodies and intimate poetry in the tracks compared to their later work. Trapdoor, Johnny Boy, Implicit Demand for Proof, Taxi Cab, and the other tracks all feel very poetic and Shakespeare-esque. Each song on here feels very unique in its own way, just pure raw experimentation. Self-titled was a starting point for what Twenty One Pilots would eventually sound like, but I believe most of their future work far exceeds what this record started.

Favorite Song: Addict With a Pen

5. Blurryface (2015)

This was the record that helped Twenty One Pilots break into the mainstream. Most of the songs are insanely popular, for good reason. The album feels raw and authentic, and the tracks blend different genres very well (hip-hop on Stressed Out and rock on We Don't Believe What's on TV). Tyler and Josh truly outdid themselves with this record.

My only issue is that, over time, the songs begin to sound overly trendy. In my experience, I have heard these songs nearly everywhere, and even though they're not bad songs per se, it makes the record feel overplayed, but that's just my opinion.

This is NOT a bad record; in fact, this is a GREAT record, but I feel like their other records outclass this one slightly.

Favorite Song: Ride (but I personally love Hometown and Doubt so I'll link them here too)

4. Breach (2025)

As their latest album, this was a nice conclusion to the Dema storyline that had been going on since Blurryface. Josh really showcases his drumming in these tracks (Drum Show cough cough), which really elevates the record as a whole. 

It was difficult deciding where to rank Blurryface and Breach, but I believe Breach has the edge. The songs here blend genres like Blurryface, but to me, it feels smoother and fits the emotional narrative the tracks are trying to tell. I may change my mind later when I relisten to these albums, but for now, I prefer Breach slightly.

My only critique is that the album starts off really strong with City Walls, RAWFEAR, Drum Show, Garbage, and The Contract, but to me, it loses a bit of steam in the latter half. Every song on here is pretty solid, but I just think the first half really outperforms the second half. 

Overall, this album holds up very well!

Favorite Song: Days Lie Dormant (it's very catchy)

3. Vessel (2013)

In simple terms: this album slaps. This record proved how versatile Tyler's vocals are, and the effortless blending of genres really shines here too. Here, you have some of Tyler's best, emotional songwriting in Car Radio and Ode to Sleep, and then you have more upbeat tracks like Guns for Hands and The Run and Go. There is literally something special about every song here. This record is one of many examples of 21 Pilots at their very best. Here, it really feels like the band is just being themselves, which is exactly why Twenty One Pilots is so loved.

Favorite Song: The Run and Go (fun to play on ukulele too)

2. Clancy (2024)

What can I say here?

The album has absolute BANGERS. Overcompensate, Next Semester, Backslide, Midwest Indigo, etc. This record has some of my favorite songs the band has ever produced. 

Every song on here is so diverse, thanks to the really great production. It bridges together their Scaled and Icy formula with their Trench formula (the album literally opens with "welcome back to trench"). The lyrics are as great as ever, and it continues to develop the worldbuilding from Trench (more on that album later).

In short, Clancy is still an absolute joyride to listen to!

Favorite Song: Midwest Indigo (still one of my fav songs ever and 2nd most-listened-to song on spotify :D)

1. Trench (2018)

This album is a MASTERPIECE. It has an atmosphere like no other that separates it from the rest of TOP's albums. The band is known for genre-blending, but this has some of the best I've ever heard, and the pop/rock/hip-hop elements fit with every song. 

Everything here feels intentional, from the instrumentation, the lyrics, and the worldbuilding of Dema. This album was a major step up from Blurryface and took the band to the next level. Trench is just its own thing at this point, which proves how excellent this record is altogether. I am out of words to describe how awesome Trench is!

Favorite Song: Nico and the Niners

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And there you have it! Thanks for reading :D