Where do you start with Elliott Smith?!?

[QQ-vcwt]

Roman candle is such an underrated album

[glasnost]

Figure 8 being number 4 is criminal. That album has so many highlights and shows him as a fully matured songwriter. That topics he talks about are brilliantly discussed and written about. He doesn’t shy away from the same topics of depression and drug addiction that you find sprinkled throughout his entire discography. As albums like “either or” talk about the same topics in a more cryptic way, figure 8 is a slap in the face and in a good way.

[golden-sun]

Safest list ever. Basement is so underrated. Some of his best songwriting ever. Concerns about authenticity because his death are unwarranted, they're still his songs besides ostrich and chirping. I get why new listeners always put it at the bottom, it takes awhile to grow on you. But just look at it from a songwriting perspective. It's incredible

[wannagoaride]

he’s the father of indie, and i think figure 8 must be on the 2nd place

[ursweetsab]

My favorite musician of all time. I don't think I will ever fall in love with someones music as much as I did with him.

[Mexihoney]

I was 3 when he barely coming up — I’m 31 and still listening to him

[brotherofmelody]

Love all of them, but for me:
1. Figure 8
2. XO

[michelles]

HIS MUSIC IS SO SAD AND BEAUITFUL AND WONDERFUL

[rohiogerv]

Elliott and Bright Eyes weren't quite contemporaries. In fact, when Bright Eyes first gained popularity, they were accused of being derivative of Elliott. Those comparisons have been revealed as self-evidently overblown in retrospect, the same way people called Silversun Pickups a Smashing Pumpkins knockoff at the time, in spite of them being not that similar. Nonetheless, Elliott's kind of a generation before the Indie Folk Rock revival that most of his inspirees were a part of.

It makes sense to say singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Paul Simon, etc. were the progenitors to Elliott. Going even further back, a lot of people cite Nick Drake as the most similar preceding artist to him, and I have to agree. The unique things about Elliott's sound, especially in his first couple albums, are the way classical piano and fingerpicking inflect his part-writing, and the influence of southern culture and music on his music.

It's a pretty dense song, but I think "Condor Ave" is a really good study in what Elliott Smith does differently.

Also check out Busted Lip by Heatmiser.

[bernie.]

He was also deeply influenced by country music like Hank Williams Sr. because he grew up in Texas. He performs a beautiful rendition of Lost Highway at Largo in 1998. Putting Figure 8 that low is a good take since it was his largest departure from his lofi production, but I think Basement can rank much higher. It is definitely a more electric sound which can be disconcerting if you mainly listen to XO or Either/Or, but the songwriting is truly some of his most inspired. King’s Crossing, Shooting Star, Pretty, and Twilight just to mention my favorite cuts.

[StrawHatLucas]

Putting XO above Figure 8 and From a Basement On The Hill is wild to me

[ealo]

he also influenced beabadoobee, Mac Miller and Lil B the based god😂 . love Elliott

[ragtimegals]

Honestly the better question is where do you stop

[nickythehippy]

I never listen to his albums, I listen to all of his live acoustic shows on YouTube where he plays songs from all of them as they're all equally magic

[LeahDyson-kqbd]

I always liked either or and self titled the most also

[Mattchu]

His guitar playing is prodigy level. His lyrical ability is also top notch. The dude just knew how to craft a real song. He knew the power of harmony and vocals. He’s my favorite singer song writer since Bob Dylan. I’d put basement on a hill way higher, Strung out again, kings crossing, let’s get lost. Some of my favorite songs of his. A song I didn’t hear until I got Spotify is My New Freedom. It’s a live version but it’s an amazing song.

[harvey]

I just discovered Elliott Smith today at the tender age of 50. Puts me in mind of the first Coldplay album. 🇬🇧❤

[DeannaFaye]

Definitely was one of my huge first inspirations!!

[Oliver-ltye]

such a pedestrain ranked list, you have to listen to him more, hes been my most listened to artist 4 years in a row since i discovered him and ill never be able to rank his albums because i am constantly finding new love for a song ive heard hundreds of times

[breakfastclosed]

Listen to the lemon twigs pls I love elliott too