Ranking the discography of a seasoned band you have followed from the beginning is always tough. It’s hard not to lean heavy on nostalgia factor and bump their newer work further down the list. I can say with confidence that I don’t think Switchfoot has ever made a bad record, just ones I appreciated more than others. There are quality songs to be found, maybe just not an entire cohesive album of them. So without further ado, here’s how I would rank their studio albums from twelve to one—for now…

#12: Native Tongue (2019)

Simply a return to form after two good, but not great albums. An important album for me in a very transitional year. Timely. After Interrobang released this year (2021) I realized that this one was good, but not nearly top tier Switchfoot.

#11: Where the Light Shines Through (2016)

I really enjoyed this album, specifically “Float,” “Where the Light Shines Through,” “If the House Burns Down Tonight, “Bull in a China Shop,” “Live it Well,” and “Hope is the Anthem.” Other than those songs that first grabbed me the rest of the album had to grow on me, which a year in the car stereo helped. 

#10: Fading West (2014)

Definitely not a bad album, but certainly the most pop sounding of any they’ve ever done. Originally conceived as the soundtrack to their surf doc, they ultimately decided to release it as an album. I’m glad they did. I didn’t love it a first but grew to really appreciate it. Songs I still revisit are “Love Alone is Worth the Fight,” “Ba55,” “Slipping Away,” and “Let it Out.”

#9: Learning to Breathe (2000)

A worthy album in their canon I just don’t revisit this one much. “Learning to Breathe” is my favorite track overall, but I also enjoy “Love is the Movememt,” “Poparazzi,” “Innocence Again,” and “The Loser.” Song “Living is Simple” is also a great closing song and worth a listen if you’ve never heard it.

#8: Legend of Chin (1997)

High nostalgia factor here. This was their charmingly garage band sounding debut that had a raw independent feel. “Chem 6A” is still a perfect car window down rocker, and the song that first introduced me to the band. Songs “Underwater,” “Might Have Ben-Hur,” “Concrete Girl,” and “You” are still some of my favorite by the band to this day. 

#7: Oh! Gravity (2006)

Many fans and critics didn’t care for Oh! Gravity because it was their attempt to sound more indie and try a few new things, but I dig it. The times I feel it worked best were “Oh! Gravity,” “Dirty Second Hands,” “Circles,” “Faust, Midas, & Myself,” and “Head Over Heels (In this Life).”

#6: New Way to be Human (1999)

Next to Beautiful Letdown I’ve listened to this one most, partly because it’s always in my car cd binder and partly because it just has so many awesome tunes on it. “New Way to Be Human,” “Sooner or Later (Soren’s Song),” “Company Car,” “Let That Be Enough,” “Only Hope,” and “Under the Floor” would make my list of top 40 Switchfoot songs. This album is heavy on great ballads and I am ever a sucker for ballads.

#5: Interrobang (2021)

Vocal-centric, warm, and inviting in its messaging of interpersonal unity. The use of harmony to further drive this point home is exquisite and a true career highlight. “Beloved,” “Fluorescent,” “If I Were You,” “Bones of Us,” “Backwards in Time” and “Electricity” all make a play for Switchfoot Top 50 song status. This one has a chance to crack my top 3 Switchfoot albums all-time.

My full album review here: Switchfoot – Interrobang Album Review

#4: Hello Hurricane (2009)

Now we start getting to the Switchfoot albums that are the most complete without need of skipping many tracks. “Needle In Haystack Life,” “Mess of Me,” “Your Love is a Song,” and “The Sound (John M. Perkin’s Blues)” make for a killer quartet to open the set of songs. Others of note to me are “Free,” “Hello Hurricane,” “Sing it Out,” and “Red Eyes.” Great album in a time in my life when I needed it most.

#3: Nothing is Sound (2005)

Nothing is Sound has the difficulty of being the follow up to Switchfoot biggest selling/most known album The Beautiful Letdown…no easy task and I can’t imagine the pressure to hit big again from the label. What we get is a mixed bag of some really great tunes “Lonely Nation,” “Stars,” “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine” and some that are just okay. “Daisy” is another one I liked and though it was the big radio single “We Are One Tonight” never did much for me. “Happy is A Yuppie Word” is another one I liked but overall I revisit Nothing is Sound very infrequently which I need to change.

#2: Vice Verses (2011)

This is a record I was totally into at the time and would have made it lower on the list the three to five years ago, but its landed back in my favor more recently. I still rock out to “Afterlife” and I like the spoken word feel of “Selling the News.” I think the strongest portion of the album is in the last five songs with “Dark Horses,” Rise Above It,” “Vice Verses,” and Where I Belong” making up my most listened to. 

#1: The Beautiful Letdown (2003)

“Meant to Live” and “Dare You to Move” are the two most well known from this one and rightfully so as they are both amazing. In fact, I’d say “Dare You To Move” is probably my favorite overall Switchfoot track of all time. I think the only song that I ever skip , and rarely at that is track “Adding to the Noise.” Other than that I sing loud and proud to tracks “This is Your Life,” “More Then Fine,” “Redemption,” “Gone,” and “Twenty-Four.” This is the five star album of their catalogue of great albums! 

So there you have it! Did I get it right? How would you rank their catalogue? I’d love to hear from you!

I need to update this one but I ranked their songs thru the Native Tongue album here: Every Switchfoot Song Ranked