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In this decade alone, we have seen a lot of changes in the persona that is Kanye West. Tracing back to his humble beginnings as an artist, the rapper went onto achieving a slew of milestones throughout the years. Mainly, we noted an acquisition of a new skill set as the Hip Hop artist delved into the new grounds from fashion to a whole other music genre, gospel music. And today, as we take a look at Kanye's discography, it can be quite shocking to observe the drastic changes in his musical style and artistry. Interestingly enough, it appears his fanbase went along with such changes, however dramatic, and the latter was reflected in the rap star's high album sales.
To fully identify which of Kanye West's work was most well-received in this decade, let us take a look at Ye's highest-grossing albums. This list is ranked in order and will consider both solo and collaborative albums from the artist. Please note that the majority of the numbers stated herein were derived from data on Billboard.
Ye ($85K Units)
Ye was Kanye's eighth studio album and it was released via his very own label, GOOD Music, in collaboration with Def Jam Recordings. The album was recorded in the span of two weeks and shortly followed the controversy surrounding an interview with TMZ wherein Ye shared that "slavery was a choice." The tape was Kanye's least well-received album and its sales concord with the negative chatter surrounding the artist at the time. Guest appearances from a lot of different artists can be observed such as PartyNextDoor, Jeremih, Kid Cudi and Ty Dolla Sign. Hit-singles include "Yikes."
Kids See Ghost ($101K Units)
This highly anticipated collaborative album involved both Kanye West and Kid Cudi. It was also released via Ye's label of GOOD Music and was the very first collaborative album between the two artists. Many consider the project to be a result of the lengthy, yet tumultuous friendship between Cudi and Ye. The body of work featured guest contributions from fellow GOOD Music-comrade Pusha T as well as Yasiin Bey (also known as Mos Def) and Ty Dolla $ign. Following his release, the project quickly snatched the second spot on the Billboard 200 charts.
Jesus Is King (109K Units)
Jesus Is King is Kanye West's most recent album and is expected to be followed by a second part very soon. The musical style represented herein reflects Kanye's risky transition into the realm of Christian, gospel music.
The project stems from the rapper's newly formulated "Sunday Service" group, a band with whom he has been performing covers of songs from his discography along with popular songs remixed with altered Christian-related lyricism. Despite the newly adapted style, the project was well-received by both fans and music critics. Its hit-singles include "Follow God."
Yeezus ($750K Units)
Kanye's sixth studio album Yeezus is another one of the artist's most recent projects. It included collaborations with a range of different artists with varying styles. Of these, we include Travis Scott, Daft Punk, and Frank Ocean. The album was considered very experimental and dived into a lot of different musical styles like electro punk, industrial, and acid house. Much chatter surrounded the video for one of the album's pushed singles "Bound 2," as it featured a topless Kim Kardashian-West and a lot of cryptic themes. The video was reenacted by James Franco and Seth Rogen in a comical skit.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ($1.3M Units)
Many consider My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to be one of Kanye's most forward and innovative albums. To begin, the artist reportedly placed himself on a self-imposed exile in Hawaii to complete the project. And rightfully so as the result was breathtaking. Everything from the artistic positioning of the album to the development of visuals for certain tracks contributed to the body of work's immediate and widespread critical success It won the category of Best Rap Album at the 54th Grammy Awards and received much praise. Hit-tracks include "Power" and the collaborative "Monster" where female rapper Nicki Minaj delivered her iconic verse.
808s & Heartbreak ($1.7M Units)
808s & Heartbreak was Kanye West's fourth studio album, released via both Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records. It involved contributing performances from many artists and producers such as No I.D, Kid Cudi and Lil Wayne. The album was Kanye's first move into experimental music and made wide use of autotune.
The overall style of the project was electronic and made regular use of the 808s drum machine. The album immediately placed number one upon its release and started a new trend amongst youth with Kanye's iconic glasses. It was also released right after Kanye's musical hiatus which was prompted by the death of his mother Donda.
Watch The Throne ($2M Units)
Yet another highly-anticipated collaborative album, this time from Kanye West and Jay-Z, features this list of Ye's highest-grossing albums. Watch The Throne remains one of the most iconic rap collaborative albums to date and was incredibly well received by the masses. Despite their tumultuous relationship, the artists put their best foot forth in this project and the result was well-liked. The album's main hits include "N*** in Paris" and "H*A*M" amongst several others.
Graduation ($2.7M Units)
Another entry album released via Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam records, Graduation represents another one of Kanye's musical talent and versatility. In this period of his life, the rapper took inspiration from his time on tour and indie-rock to put out a project that embodied a lot of different styles without straying too far from the Hip Hop genre. While this album was not purely experimental, it can be easy to see how it perhaps did hint at a possible future into the aforementioned style for the album. Hits include "Stronger" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing."
Late Registration ($3.1M Units)
Kanye West's second studio album may bring up serious feelings of nostalgia in long-time fans. The album is considered to be one of Ye's classic albums and relies on the involvement of many artists including Jay-Z, Common, and Nas amongst many others.
The topics discussed herein included matters of race, poverty, and the blood diamond trade. To this day, it is one of Kanye's most successful albums and rightfully so. Hit tracks include the club-favourite "Gold Digger" and the socially-conscious track "Diamonds from Siera Leone."
The College Dropout ($3.5M Units)
Lastly, to top this list, we have no other than The College Dropout--an all-time and absolute Kanye West classic. This album remains one of the most-cited albums when it comes to the discussion of the most influential albums. It was Kanye West's first album and it remains a beloved gem to many. It is no wonder why the album is also Ye's highest-selling album as its content reflects creativity, versatility and what was then a breath of fresh air in Hip Hop.