Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.
But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.
Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.
We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.
DIANA ROSS
Studio Albums: Diana Ross (1970) | Everything Is Everything (1970) | Surrender (1971) | Touch Me in the Morning (1973) | Diana & Marvin (with Marvin Gaye) (1973) | Last Time I Saw Him (1973) | Diana Ross (1976) | Baby It's Me (1977) | Ross (1978) | The Boss (1979) | Diana (1980) | Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1981) | Silk Electric (1982) | Ross (1983) | Swept Away (1984) | Eaten Alive (1985) | Red Hot Rhythm & Blues (1987) | Workin' Overtime (1989) | The Force Behind the Power (1991) | A Very Special Season (1994) | Take Me Higher (1995) | Every Day Is a New Day (1999) | Blue (2006) | I Love You (2006) | Thank You (2021) | Readers’ Poll Results
The moment Diana Ross exited The Supremes at the top of 1970, it was game on. Beginning with her self-titled debut set, Ross opted to put the emphasis on “the album” versus “the single”—the latter artform she had perfected as a Supreme in the 1960s. With that first record, Ross learned how to achieve the right creative alchemy to balance deep cuts and radio smashes on one album.
The Boss (1979) remains my perennial favorite from her, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other long players in Ross’ repertoire that I’m not fond of too, including Surrender (1971), Baby It’s Me (1977), Ross (1983), Red Hot Rhythm & Blues (1987), Take Me Higher (1995), Every Day Is a New Day (1999) and Blue (2006). Each of these projects showcases Ross’ peerless skill at intertwining emotive charm and interpretive flair as a singer. In short, no one does it like Ms. Ross and nothing exemplifies that better than her recorded output.
Quentin’s 3 Favorite Diana Ross Albums of All Time:
1. The Boss (1979)
2. Diana Ross (1970)
3. Ross (1983)
VISIT Diana Ross’ Official Store
LISTEN & WATCH: