Ranking Tyler, The Creator is basically an extreme sport at this point. You’ve got the old-school fans who still want to yell the lyrics to "Yonkers" in a basement, and then there’s the newer crowd that thinks anything before Flower Boy is just unlistenable noise. Honestly? Both sides have a point. But if you’re trying to build a Tyler the Creator album tier list in 2026, you have to look at the full arc—from the gritty, couch-surfing days of Bastard to the polished, dance-floor-heavy grooves of his latest surprise drop, Don’t Tap the Glass.
Tyler isn't just a rapper anymore. He’s a world-builder. Each album is a different costume, a different wig, and a completely different tax bracket. Trying to compare Goblin to IGOR is like comparing a chainsaw to a silk scarf. They’re both tools, but they’re doing very different jobs.
The God Tier: Where History Was Made
When we talk about the S-Tier, we’re talking about the albums that didn't just change Tyler’s career—they changed the genre.
IGOR (2019)
This is the one. The magnum opus. It’s funny because when it first dropped, some people were genuinely confused. "Where are the bars, Tyler?" But that’s the beauty of it. IGOR is a heartbreak record that sounds like a vintage synth melting in the sun. It won the Grammy for Best Rap Album, which was ironic since he barely raps on it, but the composition is untouchable. Tracks like "NEW MAGIC WAND" and "ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?" show a level of production maturity that most artists never reach. It’s the definitive S-Tier pick.
CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (2021) / The Estate Sale
If IGOR was the departure, CMIYGL was the victory lap. Tyler brought back DJ Drama, embraced the "Gangsta Grillz" aesthetic, and reminded everyone that he can actually out-rap 99% of the industry when he feels like it. It’s lush. It’s expensive-sounding. It feels like driving a Rolls Royce through the French Alps. The addition of The Estate Sale tracks in 2023 only solidified its spot at the top. "DOGTOOTH" alone is a masterclass in swagger.
Flower Boy (2017)
This was the pivot point. Before 2017, Tyler was the "edgy" kid. After Flower Boy, he was a visionary. This album replaced the distorted synths with garden-warm melodies and real vulnerability. "See You Again" became a generational anthem. It’s the bridge between his two lives, and it still holds up perfectly.
The "Great But Polarizing" Tier
This is where the arguments usually start. These albums are fantastic, but they usually have a "but" attached to them depending on who you ask.
👉 See also: Jennifer Love Hewitt I Still Know: Why the Slasher Queen Still Rules
Chromakopia (2024)
Released in late 2024, Chromakopia felt like Tyler finally merging all his previous selves. It had the big, aggressive drums that reminded people of Wolf, but the orchestral arrangements were pure IGOR. Critics loved the introspection, especially on tracks like "Like Him." It’s a dense listen. It doesn't have the immediate "pop" of Flower Boy, but for the hardcore fans, it’s a Top 3 contender.
Wolf (2013)
Wolf is the best of the "Old Tyler." It’s the moment he started caring about chords and jazz. You can hear the Pharrell influence bleeding through every track. "Answer" is still one of the most emotional songs in his entire discography. The reason it’s not S-Tier for everyone? It’s a bit long. At over 70 minutes, it’s a journey, but it has a few "head-scratcher" moments that keep it from being a tight, perfect project.
Don’t Tap the Glass (2025)
The most recent surprise. Tyler basically told everyone to stop over-analyzing and just dance. It’s short—only about 30 minutes—and heavily inspired by 80s house and Detroit techno. It’s a "vibe" album. While it debuted at #1 and has absolute bangers like "Sugar on My Tongue," some fans miss the heavy storytelling of his previous work. It’s a bold experiment that’s still settling into the rankings.
The Experimental Middle Ground
Cherry Bomb (2015)
Tyler’s "ugly duckling." He loves this album. Most people hated it when it came out. The mixing is intentionally "bad"—vocals are buried under blown-out bass and screeching guitars. But looking back, you can see the seeds of everything he did later. "2SEATER" and "F***ING YOUNG / PERFECT" are gorgeous. It’s a cult classic now. If you put this in your D-Tier, you probably just don't like distortion.
The Foundation: Where It All Started
Bastard (2009)
It’s a mixtape, but Tyler counts it as his first album. It’s raw. It’s dark. It’s the sound of a 18-year-old with a lot of father issues and a pirated version of FL Studio. You can't deny the impact, but the technical quality is obviously lower than his later work. It’s a historical document of the Odd Future era.
Goblin (2011)
This is usually the lowest-ranked album on a modern Tyler the Creator album tier list, and for good reason. Tyler himself has called it "terrible" in interviews. It’s bloated and tries way too hard to be provocative. That said, "Yonkers" and "She" are legendary. Without the chaos of Goblin, we don't get the refinement of IGOR. It’s the "C-Tier" essential—it’s not great music, but it’s a great moment in culture.
How to Build Your Own Ranking
If you're making your own list, stop trying to be "objective." There’s no such thing with an artist this fluid.
- Identify your era: Do you like the "skate-park-horror" or the "le-fleur-luxury"?
- Value production over lyrics: Tyler is a producer first. If the beats don't move you, the album won't rank high.
- Respect the growth: Don't punish the early albums for being raw, but don't let nostalgia blind you to the fact that IGOR is objectively better composed than Goblin.
Check your favorite streaming stats. Often, the albums you think are "mid" are the ones you’ve actually played the most. Sometimes the "vibes" of Don’t Tap the Glass outweigh the complexity of Chromakopia on a Tuesday afternoon. Go back and listen to Cherry Bomb with good headphones—it might actually surprise you how much of his current sound started right there in 2015.