Every Avril Lavigne Album Ranked, Worst to Best

For more than 20 years, Avril Lavigne has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. She created some huge pop music hits, including “Sk8er Boi,” which is regarded as an iconic pop-punk song. She’s been so successful that, in 2024, she embarked on her Greatest Hits Tour. Much like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, Lavigne has written most of the music in her discography. Over the years, Lavigne has had to navigate a challenging career while the world watches. Fortunately, she continues to adapt, overcoming the obstacles and releasing more music along the way.

Lavigne’s career began when she was a teenager, releasing her first album in 2002. Since then, she has put out six more studio albums. While these contain more of her signature punk-rock-inspired songwriting, Lavigne has also given fans incredible covers like “Basket Case” by Green Day and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan. Nevertheless, like any great artist, it’s her main discography that captures fans’ attention. She certainly didn’t make it easy on herself by releasing one of the great pop-punk albums on her first try, but she has dedicated herself to producing more exceptional work along the way.

7

Head Above Water

BGM (2019)

Head Above Water is arguably Lavigne’s most emotional album to date. The record was released five years after 2013’s Avril Lavigne and draws inspiration from her battle with Lyme disease. The singer was diagnosed with it in 2014, and spent years trying to educate people. For fans, it was a relief just to know that Lavigne was doing okay. It had been a scary few years as they anxiously awaited what would come next. Seeing new music was a bonus, and it was welcomed since it marked the longest gap between albums since her debut.

The single was the title track, “Head Above Water,” which Lavigne had written alongside Travis Clark of We The Kings. It was an empowering hit that crossed over into the Christian rock space, finding its way onto many charts. The album also featured a memorable appearance from Nicki Minaj on the song “Dumb Blonde.” Other tracks like “I Fell in Love with the Devil” and “Tell Me It’s Over” rounded out this record. Everything Lavigne endured prior to the album was unfortunate, but it seemed to help her heal, which is all fans could ask for.

6

Avril Lavigne

Epic Records (2013)

The self-titled Avril Lavigne seems to represent a good time, and the tracks support the theme. From “Here’s to Never Growing Up” to “Bitchin’ Summer” to “Rock N Roll,” the album takes you on a journey of being young during simpler days. In a lot of ways, this is the kind of vibe fans have always enjoyed from Lavigne, so it’s no surprise that the album resonated well. Some critics felt that the rebellious nature of certain tracks seemed forced, but others cited it as Avril being Avril, as the singer is known for living life to the fullest.

The album featured a couple of notable appearances as well, one from the controversial Marilyn Manson and another from Lavigne’s then-significant other, Chad Kroeger of Nickelback. The album did go gold in the United States, and the track, “Here’s to Never Growing Up,” is ranked by Lavigne as one of her greatest hits. Fans seem to agree, as that song alone has over 200 million streams on Spotify. This album may not be filled with her biggest songs, but to have one that is remembered like that is a monumental achievement.

5

Love Sux

Elektra Records – DTA Records (2022)

Since Love Sux has only been out a few years, it’s hard to predict its long-term impact on Lavigne’s career, but all signs point to something very positive. This album is a true return to the pop-punk genre and a lot of songs feel like a callback to the feelings of twenty years prior when she first started. To strengthen the album even further, there are features from Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, MGK, and blackbear.

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One of the best songs that captures the “Avril nostalgia” on the record is “Bite Me.” It’s a fierce track that’s under three minutes and reminds listeners why they fell in love with her initially. The album was well-received, ranking number two on Billboard’s “Top Alternative Albums” and “Top Rock Albums” of 2022. Time will tell if Lavigne continues down this path or attempts to switch things up as before, but there is no doubt that this style is her strong suit.

4

Goodbye Lullaby

RCA Records (2011)

While Avril ventured further into the pop-rock sphere with Goodbye Lullaby, the change of pace paid off, creating three of her legendary tracks: “What the Hell,” “Wish You Were Here” and “Smile.” The album overall features gentler acoustic guitar sounds, yet the songs contain plenty of her personality to them. Of course, this album also represents another period in her life, as it was heavily influenced by her past relationship with Sum 41’s singer, Deryck Whibley.

The main release of the album featured 14 tracks, but for those who obtained the deluxe edition, this is where things became more exciting. “What the Hell,” “Push” and “Wish You Were Here” were performed acoustically, highlighting the beautiful essence of each song. Additionally, Lavigne treated fans to a cover of the 1980 classic “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett. Considering the amount of emotion Lavigne poured into this album, and the effort that went into creating the 14 tracks, plus bonus ones, it’s hard not to appreciate it.

3

The Best Damn Thing

RCA Records (2007)

The year was 2007. Avril Lavigne released The Best Damn Thing, which was a phenomenal piece of work that got everyone in their feelings. First, fans couldn’t get the lyrics “Hey, hey, you, you, I don’t like your girlfriend” out of their heads after hearing “Girlfriend.” The music video is very memorable too, as Lavigne plays multiple roles, offering a hilarious take on relationship satire. The song became one of her best known hits, with over 500 million streams on Spotify, and nearly 700 million views on YouTube.

The success of “Girlfriend” alone was enough to praise the album, but it didn’t stop there. The songs “Hot,” “Keep Holding On” and “When You’re Gone” are also on the record, with each achieving significant success as well. “When You’re Gone” is her second most-watched YouTube video, with almost 700 million views. Beyond the success, there were a few legal battles Lavigne had to fight over plagiarism, but the singer proved her innocence, and apologies were issued. The record is certified 2x platinum in the United States and has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. It was a major success for Lavigne, who was stepping out of the grunge-shadowed themes she had previously displayed in her first two albums.

2

Under My Skin

Arista Records – RCA Records (2004)

Following up her debut album was not an easy task for Avril Lavigne. There were high expectations, but the singer managed to meet them. Some even compared Lavigne to the lead singer of Evanescence, Amy Lee, which was a huge compliment considering the success of their 2003 album, Fallen. The world seemed to embrace not only the sound of Lavigne’s voice but the stories her songs conveyed. Now that this was her second album, a genuine connection was being established with her.

Songs like “Nobody’s Home,” “My Happy Ending,” and “Don’t Tell Me,” became massive hits. These songs truly endeared fans to Lavigne and demonstrated that the singer would always perform with honesty and vulnerability. The fact that multiple songs on the album have hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify speaks to their enduring legacy. The album itself has been certified 3x platinum in the United States. Worldwide, it has reached the coveted 10 million sales mark, which is incredible and places it in conversation with some of the best albums of all time.

1

Let Go

Arista Records (2002)

A debut album can’t go much better than Let Go did for Avril Lavigne. The world was introduced to a teenage singer who was only 17 at the time of the record’s release. She made an immediate impact on the pop-punk genre, and fans knew one of the great up-and-coming artists had arrived. Lavigne embraced everything that grunge and skate culture represented, and she truly fit into the time period well. Beyond the look was her voice, which proved it could hold up in the rock world.

Three of Lavigne’s biggest songs ever come from this album: “Complicated,” “I’m with You,” and “Sk8er Boi.” For “Complicated,” it’s Lavigne’s third most-watched YouTube video of all time with over 500 million views, and it’s her most streamed song on Spotify with over one billion listens. “I’m with You” also sits on top of Spotify with over 300 million streams. For “Sk8er Boi,” it may not be her most successful song by the numbers, but it’s very close, and it’s arguably the song Lavigne is best known for. So much so, she has pushed to make a movie revolving around it since 2022.

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Let Go is now certified 7x platinum in the United States, with 16 million sales worldwide. It’s an astonishing number, especially for a debut album, but it certainly places Lavigne among those artists who have some of the best debut records of all time. Perhaps, someday, Lavigne will surpass the album’s astonishing success. She undoubtedly has the talent to, but she left herself with high expectations to meet. Fortunately, when you start a career off like this, you quickly ascend to the greatness category, and position yourself among the legends of music.