Throughout Miley Cyrus’ career, we’ve watched her go from a Disney star singing about teenage crushes to a mega pop icon who has tried pretty much everything, from hip-hop and psychedelia to country, disco and rock. And now, nearly two decades into her career, Miley is back with another new era and her tenth studio album, Bass Persuades.
From the early days of Meet Miley Cyrus and Breakout to the wildness of Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, the huge pop moments of Bangerz and the rockstar energy of Plastic Hearts, Miley has never really stayed in one lane for too long. Some albums have aged better than others for me, but every release has given us something different.
So, which Miley Cyrus albums come out on top? Here’s my ranking of Miley Cyrus’ studio albums from worst to first, from Meet Miley Cyrus all the way to Bass Persuades…
10. Meet Miley Cyrus (2007)
Miley’s debut is best known for its biggest hit, See You Again, but the rest of the album shows a young artist still finding her identity outside Hannah Montana. Released as part of a double album alongside the Hannah Montana 2 soundtrack, Meet Miley Cyrus leans heavily into glossy teen pop and pop-rock. Songs like G.N.O. (Girl’s Night Out) are fun, but compared with the more adventurous records that followed, for me, it still sounds very much like the Miley I knew from Hannah Montana, rather than the artist who would eventually become much more adventurous with her music.
9. Younger Now (2017)
After the madness of Bangerz and Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, Younger Now feels like the singer taking things way down a notch. Malibu is still a really sweet pop song, reminiscent of Miley’s relationship with Liam Hemsworth and having Dolly Parton show up on Rainbowland is a fun touch. Miley sounds great throughout, but for me, the album plays things pretty safe, and a lot of the songs don’t hit as hard as what came before. It’s a nice listen, but I just can’t consider it one of Miley’s most exciting releases.
8. Bass Persuades (2026)
Miley’s latest era starts with a fun twist as she drops the “Cyrus” and goes simply by Miley, but Bass Persuades itself is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Different Religion and Aftermath show off the darker, weirder side of Miley that I know she can pull off, while Orbit and Let’s Get Married lean into the softer love-song side of the album, dedicated to her fiancé Maxx Morando. The problem is that these different moods don’t always fit together, and some of the sweeter tracks feel a little too safe. Still, Miley’s voice carries the record, and there are enough fun moments here to make it an interesting, if uneven, addition to her discography.
7. Can’t Be Tamed (2010)
Coming right after the Hannah Montana days, Can’t Be Tamed feels like Miley finally trying to break away from her Disney image. The title track, Liberty Walk and Robot have that very 2010 electro-pop sound, but there’s something fun about watching her test out a much edgier persona. Every Rose Has Its Thorn also hints at the rock direction she would explore much more seriously later. It’s a little dated and uneven, but I think this awkward transition period has plenty of charm.
6. Breakout (2008)
Breakout is one of those albums that immediately takes me back to my teenage years. 7 Things is still such a fun pop-rock song, and I love how much attitude Miley has in it, while Fly on the Wall gives the album a slightly edgier side. Even the softer songs like The Driveway and Goodbye show a more personal side that wasn’t as obvious in her Disney-era music. It’s definitely still very 2008, but I think that’s also what makes Breakout so nostalgic and fun.
5. Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz (2015)
This might be Miley’s strangest album, but that’s exactly what makes it so fab for me. From Dooo It! and Space Boots to the completely bizarre Milky Milky Milk, Dead Petz sounds like Miley stopped worrying about making a normal pop album. It’s definitely way too long and all over the place, but songs like Lighter, The Floyd Song (about her sweet dog) and Twinkle Song show there’s a surprisingly sweet side underneath all the chaos. For an album that basically came out of nowhere for free, I find it hard not to respect how completely Miley did her own thing.
4. Endless Summer Vacation (2023)
Endless Summer Vacation has Flowers (aka my best Miley song), so obviously it was going to be a huge moment for her. The song spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. But beyond the massive hit, Jaded, Rose Colored Lenses and Used to Be Young give the album a more personal side that I really enjoy. And after years of nominations, Flowers finally earned Miley her first two Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. It’s polished, catchy and probably one of my easiest Miley albums to replay.
3. Bangerz (2013)
Bangerz feels like Miley finally letting herself go completely wild. We Can’t Stop and Wrecking Ball became defining Miley songs, but I think the album is even more joyful when digging into tracks like Adore You, Somebody Else and the Britney Spears collab SMS (Bangerz). The whole release was loud, wild and impossible to ignore, although the criticism around Miley and her use of Black culture and the 2013 VMAs is an important part of its story. It even earned Miley her first-ever Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, showing that underneath all the controversy was a genuinely ambitious pop record.
2. Something Beautiful (2025)
Something Beautiful feels like Miley finally putting all her different musical styles into one album. Walk of Fame brings back the rock energy of Plastic Hearts, Pretend You’re God has that weird Dead Petz side, while More to Lose could almost belong to her softer Disney-era days. End of the World, Easy Lover and Walk of Fame give the album a much bigger, more dramatic feel. I also love that Miley turned the album into a whole visual project with her “pop opera” film, because it makes Something Beautiful feel like more than just another album release.
1. Plastic Hearts (2020)
Plastic Hearts, Miley’s best album, is one that feels the most completely her to me. After jumping between pop, hip-hop, psychedelia and country, Plastic Hearts finally brings all those sides together through rock, ’80s synths and huge vocals. Midnight Sky, Prisoner, WTF Do I Know and Night Crawling are all ridiculously fun, while Angels Like You and High show off her softer side. The Joan Jett and Billy Idol collaborations also fit surprisingly well instead of feeling like random celebrity features. After going from Hannah Montana to Bangerz, Dead Petz and all the experiments in between, this feels like every version of Miley finally coming together. That’s exactly why I think it’s easily the one at the top.
From Hannah Montana nostalgia to all those pop bangers and rock-star vibes, our girl has pretty much done it all. Some albums hit harder than others, but I think there’s something to love in every chapter of Miley’s career. Which Miley album is your #1? And which one would you rank last? Let me know in the comments!
READ NEXT:
24 Best Demi Lovato Songs Ever, Ranked
