Miranda Lambert Albums - Ranked

Four the Record

Her weakest record to date ironically has some of her strongest songs. Four the Record might come in dead last, yet songs like ‘All Kinds of Kinds’, ‘Mama’s Broken Heart' and ‘Dear Diamond’ keep it afloat, with raw messaging about embracing uniqueness, heartbreak and the weight of the past.

Hell of a Holiday (Pistol Annies)

The trio of Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe got into the holiday spirit in 2021 with their first-ever Christmas record.

Hell of a Holiday follows in the tradition of their previous work, with brazen lyrics and musical adeptness. It’s not your standard holiday record, far from it. It also might not be the group’s strongest, but it does carry a particular bite.

Wildcard

The thing about Lambert is you can always expect a few gems, even if there sometimes is a lack of cohesion in her work.

Wildcard again isn't her finest record, but she still manages to delight with such cuts as ‘Settling Down', ‘Holy Water’, and the smash hit, ‘Bluebird’. On these in particular, her songwriting is top-notch.

Hell on Heels (Pistol Annies)

Pistol Annies made quite a statement with their 2011 collaborative debut.

Hell on Heels feels like a spiritual companion piece to Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt’s Trio records, both adhering to the past and pushing the envelope in the present.

Essentials like ‘Housewife’s Prayer,’ ‘Takin’ Pills,’ and ‘Trailer for Rent’ fortified the record as one of the greatest country debuts.

Kerosene

Much like in the video for the title-track, Lambert pours on the gasoline and lights a match across her second studio album.

Kerosene is explosive, kinetic, and emotionally gutting. As far as major label debuts go, it’s a solid foray into glossy, rock-soaked contemporary country, with just enough venom and a pinch of vulnerability to quench your thirst.

Platinum

Platinum might be rather uneven, but it’s among Lambert’s most musically ambitious sets.

From the propulsive rocker ‘Little Red Wagon’ to the meditative ‘Hard Staying Sober’, the album piles on various textures and styles.

Lambert zigs and zags when you least expect it. Even ‘Somethin’ Bad’, the misguided duet with Carrie Underwood, has its charms.

Annie Up (Pistol Annies)

While our list may suggest otherwise, Pistol Annies don’t really have a bad record. Annie Up falls somewhere in the middle of Lambert’s work, but there is plenty to like.

‘I Feel a Sin Comin’ On’, ‘Unhappily Married', ‘Hush Hush’, ‘Dear Sobriety’ – in another artists' career career a list of their best songs - all appear here. It falls square in the middle of Lambert's best work because, believe it or not, she's personally managed even better.

Palomino

Palomino came hot off the heels of The Marfa Tapes, so there’s a sense of creative renewal across her latest studio album.

From ‘Actin’ Up’ to ‘In His Arms', ‘If I Was a Cowboy’ to ‘Geraldine, Lambert has clearly found a new muse, channelled not only through her lyrical gumption but her musical playfulness.

Revolution

Songs like ‘Sin for Sin', ‘Maintain the Pain' and ‘Time to Get a Gun’ demonstrate Lambert’s abilities as a vocal storyteller across her fourth album.

Of course, there are the radio singles, like ‘The House That Built Me’ and ‘White Liar,’ too. Revolution lived up its name; it was Lambert’s way of bucking the Nashville system and making the music she wanted to make. Gotta admire her for that.

Interstate Gospel (Pistol Annies)

Interstate Gospel fine-tunes what the group does best. “We’re on fire, I think,” the band sings on ‘Stop Drop and Roll One', and they are most certainly are on fire with the 14-track project.

While ‘Got My Name Changed Back,’ the divorce song, and ‘Best Years of My Life’ are their finest performances on the record, the whole shebang is worth a repeat listen.

The Marfa Tapes

Recorded in Texas, The Marfa Tapes acts almost as a field recording, with a campfire, bits of conversation and the desert accompanying the music.

A collaborative set made with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, the 15-track disc features original vocal takes, with each crack and melodic tick present in the recordings. It makes for quite an experience.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

With her third album, it became clear how serious Lambert was as an artist.

She could stand up to her abuser (‘Gunpowder and Lead’) and rip your heart out (‘Love Letters’) on the same record. What was most evident was that she was never going to stick to country radio fodder.

Miranda showed she had something deep and probing to say, whether about life, love, heartache, or all of the above.

The Weight of These Wings

With 'Vice' as its lead single, Lambert’s double-decker divorce record stands as her magnum opus. 24 songs are split in two – the halves named The Nerve and The Heart.

She exposes every scar, inviting the listener to experience the pain and heartache in real-time. From ‘Pushin’ Time’ to ‘Tin Man’, Lambert digs deep into her soul to deliver a truly transcendent album.