Steely Dan Albums Ranked (rated from worst to best)
Steely Dan were founded in New York, USA in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). They stopped performing live shows in 1974 and relied on session musicians in the studio to produce their albums.
The band split in 1981 and Becker and Fagen worked on solo projects before reuniting in 1993. They have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001.
Table of Contents
Best Steely Dan Albums Of All Time
Steely Dan have released 9 studio albums and as always we will rank them as we see them from the rest to the best.
9. Everything Must Go (2003)
This was Steely Dan’s 9th studio album which was released on June 10th 2003. It is their most recent album and their last with Walter Becker who died in 2017.
The album peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US and number 21 in the UK.
8. Gaucho (1980)
Released on November 21st 1980, this was Steely Dan’s 7th studio album. This album took more than a year in the studio and more than 42 musicians and cost far more in production costs than the record label budgeted for.
It won a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording.
They released 3 singles from this album which were; “Hey Nineteen”, “Time Out of Mind” and “Babylon Sisters”.
The album peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US and number 27 in the UK.
SEE ALSO: Time Out Of Mind Lyrics & Chords
7. Two Against Nature (2000)
This was Steely Dan’s 8th studio album which was released on February 29th 2000. It was their first album for 20 years and took 2 years to record. It won a total of 4 Grammy Awards and was a hit with many music critics.
They released 3 singles from this album which were; “Cousin Dupree”, “Jack Of Speed” and “Janie Runaway”.
The album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US and number 11 on the UK album charts.
6. Can’t Buy A Thrill (1972)
Released in November 1972, this was Steely Dan’s debut album. The album did well in the US peaking at number 17 on the Billboards album charts.
It was met with many positive reviews by music journalists and the odd mediocre review. One journalist said that it was a hit single with a good album attached.
While another said the album was so fully formed that it was hard to believe it was their debut.
They released 2 singles from the album which were “Do It Again” and “Reelin’ In The Years”.
SEE ALSO: Do It Again Chords by Steely Dan
5. Katy Lied (1975)
“Katy Lied” is the 4th studio album released in March 1975 by Steely Dan. This was the first Steely Dan album to feature singer Michael McDonald.
They released 2 singles from this album which were “Black Friday” and “Bad Sneakers”.
The album peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape and the UK album charts.
4. Countdown To Ecstasy (1973)
This was Steely Dan’s 2nd studio album which was released in July 1973. After David Palmer (vocals) left the band, Donald Fagen took over singing duties for every track of this album.
They released 2 singles from this album which were; “Show Biz Kids” and “My Old School”. Neither single reached the top 50 which left the album struggling, eventually reaching number 35 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart.
3. The Royal Scam (1976)
This was the band’s 5th studio album which was released on May 31st 1976. There is far more guitar work on this album than on their previous album “Katy Lied”
They released 3 singles from this album which were; “Kid Charlemagne”, “Haitian Divorce” and “The Fez”.
The track “The Fez” is the only Steely Dan song with an additional writer credited apart from Becker and Fagen, Paul Griffin (keyboards) is credited as co-writer.
The album peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard 200 chart and number 11 on the UK album chart.
2. Pretzel Logic (1974)
Released on February 20th 1974, this was the band’s 3rd studio album. It was the last album they made whilst still being an active touring band.
They released 2 singles from this album which were; “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and “Pretzel Logic”.
Due mainly to the success of lead single “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” which helped to restore their presence on radio, the album did well on the charts. Peaking at number 8 on the US Top LPs & Tapes chart.
SEE ALSO: Rikki Don’t Lose That Number Chords by Steely Dan
1. Aja (1977)
Released on September 23rd 1977, “Aja” (pronounced “Asia”) is Steely Dan’s 6th studio album. They used almost 40 session artists to produce this album which turned out to be their most successful album.
They released 3 singles from this album which were; “Peg”, “Deacon Blues” and “Josie”.
The album won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Recording Non-Classical.
It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US and number 5 on the UK album chart.
SEE ALSO: The Best 70s Rock Songs (you’ll wish you heard earlier)
All Steely Dan Albums In Chronological Order
| Album | Date |
|---|---|
| Can’t Buy a Thrill | 1972 |
| Countdown to Ecstasy | 1973 |
| Pretzel Logic | 1974 |
| Katy Lied | 1975 |
| The Royal Scam | 1976 |
| Aja | 1977 |
| Gaucho | 1980 |
| Two Against Nature | 2000 |
| Everything Must Go | 2003 |
Frequently Asked Questions
The best selling Steely Dan album is “Aja” which has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.
The newest Steely Dan album is “Everything Must Go” which was released on June 10th 2003.
The first Steely Dan album is “Can’t Buy a Thrill” which was released in November 1972.
Steely Dan’s most famous song is “Do It Again” which is taken from the album “Can’t Buy A Thrill”.
Steely Dan were formed in 1971 in New York, USA.
The genres ascribed to Steely Dan are; jazz rock, jazz fusion, soft rock and pop.
The only member of Steely Dan now is Donald Fagen. Past members are; Walter Becker, Jeff Baxter, Denny Dias, Jim Hodder, David Palmer, Michael McDonald, Royce Jones and Jeff Porcaro.
