Every Rihanna album, ranked

As Rihanna's second studio album, "A Girl Like Me" is a drastic downgrade from her debut; the only shining moments on this 13-track album are "SOS," "Unfaithful," "We Ride," and "Break It Off."

"Unfaithful" is so good that it acts as a detriment to "Final Goodbye," "P.S. (I'm Still Not Over You)," and "A Million Miles Away." When listening to these more underwhelming ballads on the same tracklist, you're just left questioning why they don't meet the superior song's caliber. 

The peeled-back production adds to this album's demise as it magnifies the singer's (understandably) immature vocals, which are not reflective of her true talent and power. This being said, there's not much need to revisit "A Girl Like Me" when Rihanna has so many more evolved hit songs on her later projects.

"Music Of The Sun" was an impressive debut from a 17-year-old Rihanna that exuded summery vibes and refreshingly embraced her Barbadian roots via pleasurable reggae sounds.

"Here I Go Again" and "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" are nicely hypnotic, and "If It's Lovin' That You Want" is beyond catchy. "Pon De Replay" was also a perfect lead single. 

However, the album loses its appeal when it comes to the relatively bland ballads "Willing To Wait" and "Now I Know," and the unsatisfactory, not quite polished, deep cuts "Let Me" and "There's A Thug In My Life."

Rihanna takes a dark and edgy turn on this album, but there isn't much on this album worth revisiting besides the five singles and one burning deep cut "Fire Bomb."

The electric "Hard," lustfully unrestrained "Rude Boy," alluring romantic number "Te Amo," and shuddering performance that is "Russian Roulette" truly bolster "Rated R."

With gut-wrenching lyrics like "As my life flashes before my eyes / I'm wondering will I, ever see another sunrise? / So many won't get the chance to say goodbye / But it's too late to think of the value of my life more," it's even more difficult not to give at least portions of the album credit where it's due. 

But, overall, "Rated R" doesn't shine as bright as "Unapologetic" or "Talk That Talk," and is instrumentally uninspired, which consequently makes it one of Rihanna's more forgettable projects. 

"Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded," is the superior reissue of Rihanna's third studio album "Good Girl Gone Bad."

The 2007 project carries so many hit songs, from the favorably punchy "Umbrella," to the dynamite "Shut Up and Drive," to the boomy ballad "Rehab."

It also includes the prominent additions that are "Disturbia" and "Take A Bow," which, to this day, are standouts within Rihanna's extensive discography, as well as the general pop landscape.

Even the Maroon 5-assisted closer "If I Never See Your Face Again" is an unexpectedly pleasant bonus serving extra rock flare on the album. 

However, the album still contains the very arbitrary track "Question Existing," and a bunch of notable misses like the subpar title track, "Push Up On Me," "Breakin' Dishes," and "Lemme Get That."

While "Unapologetic" could have certainly done without a few tracks like the Chris Brown-assisted "Nobody's Business" and pronounced filler track "Get It Over With," there are a bunch of excellent pop moments on the 2012 project.

"Phresh Out The Runway," "Pour It Up," and "Right Now" are upbeat dance-floor tracks, while "Diamonds," "What Now"," and "Half Of Me" are some of the most beautiful balladic-EDM-hybrid pieces to ever exist. 

Then there's the ever-so-moving top-tier duet "Stay," featuring Mikky Ekko, which is a timeless number that deserves all the repeat plays it's gotten and continues to get. 

Rihanna's continued collaborative efforts with Eminem are surprisingly welcome on this album, too. "Numb," while simple, is an earworm, thanks to Rihanna's transfixing repetition of the titular word and Eminem's eccentricity.

"Talk That Talk" evokes an enticing, befouled club scene, consisting of raunchy bangers like "Cockiness (Love It)," "Birthday Cake," and the title track. "You Da One," "Where Have You Been" and "We Found Love" are equally exhilarating. 

And, even on a project full of club hits, "We All Want Love" manages to shine as a spirited balladic track. 

"Loud" is one of Rihanna's more restrained projects, lacking rowdy bangers, but it is certainly her most euphonious and organized. 

All but one track ("Raining Men") on this album retain their listenability, especially the massive radio hits "What's My Name?" and "Only Girl (In The World)." But really, all the singles off the album are stellar, from the sweetly acoustic "California King Bed" to the snappy reggae-infused "Man Down."

"Anti" is consistent with the rest of the singer's discography in regards to its sensually cheeky "Kiss It Better" and "Yeah, I Said It," its "Stay"-like piano-powered ballad "Close To You," and instrumentally overwrought "Woo" and "Needed Me," which serve the same badassery as "Bitch Better Have My Money."

But Rihanna verges into left-field territory with the psychedelic "Same Ol' Mistakes" (a cover of Tame Impala's "New Person, Same Old Mistakes"), the off-kilter Wild West-esque "Desperado," and the brilliantly saucy patois-driven "Work."

If "Anti" proves anything, it's that no other artist (besides maybe Taylor Swift) can produce a decidedly anti-pop project and still manage to "inhabit a pop career with more ease or aplomb," as Amanda Petrusich of Pitchfork puts it.