Pop icon Britney Spears has a new memoir out that has everyone talking! While her personal life has been a whirlwind, we cannot forget how incredible her career truly has been. I grew up on Britney’s music and remember when her smash debut “Baby One More Time” came out. That was just the beginning. She released quite a few albums since and has continued to leave her mark on music history.
Below, I’ll take you on a journey through every Britney Spears album—just the major studio albums—in the order in which it was released.
…Baby One More Time (1999)
Singles: “Baby One More Time,” “Sometimes,” “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” “Born to Make You Happy,” “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart
Britney burst onto the scene with one of the most memorable songs and videos of all time with her lead single from …Baby One More Time. She was just 17 years old when this album was released and it became the best-selling debut album by a female artist in history.
Oops!… I Did It Again (2000)
Singles: “Oops!… I Did It Again,” “Lucky,” “Stronger,” “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know”
The second album, Oops! …I Did It Again solidified Britney as an enduring pop star and not just a one-off. The album itself featured more varying elements, such as funk and R&B. It was an extreme success, becoming the fastest-selling album by a female artist. It also held the record for the biggest first-week sales for an album by a female for an incredible 15 years, until it was surpassed by Adele’s 25 in 2015.
Britney (2001)
Singles: “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “Overprotected,” “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Boys,” “Anticipating”
Britney was the start of the singer’s more mature era. A woman aging, who knew?! Her video for lead single “I’m a Slave 4 U” was iconic and her performance of it at the VMAs with the snake around her neck was a pop moment no one would forget. Britney wanted different generations to start listening to her music, and you hear this with classic sounds like the cover of Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
In the Zone (2003)
Singles: “Me Against the Music,” “Toxic,” “Everytime,” “Outrageous”
While the previous album was a transition for Britney, In the Zone solidified her as a pop icon and a fully formed adult woman. It was praised mostly by critics and contains what I think may be her best song ever, “Toxic.” That song won Ms. Spears her first Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
Blackout (2007)
Singles: “Gimme More,” “Piece of Me,” “Break the Ice”
Blackout was in the thick of so much of Britney’s personal struggles. Because of the drama and tabloids, it was hard for her to really promote this album properly. However, especially among us Britney fans, this album has really become a favorite! It includes a variety of underrated songs like “Freakshow” and “Get Naked (I Got a Plan).”
Circus (2008)
Singles: “Womanizer,” “Circus,” “If U Seek Amy,” “Radar”
Circus was meant to take a lighter tone. It did just that, which left many critics pleased while some saying that Britney almost seemed bored on the tracks. This isn’t one of my personal favorites but it was still a big success commercially.
Femme Fatale (2011)
Singles: “Hold It Against Me,” “Till the World Ends,” “I Wanna Go,” “Criminal”
Femme Fatale was truly a turning point in Britney’s music career. It had a very different vibe that blended some amazing new sounds for Britney, like synth-pop and dubstep. Which I truly loved! Minus “Till the World Ends,” the best songs were not even released as singles. This album is definitely a fan favorite.
Britney Jean (2013)
Singles: “Work Bitch,” “Perfume,” “Til It’s Gone,” “It Should Be Easy”
Critics weren’t the biggest fans of Britney Jean, but Britney believed it to be one of her most personal albums. She actually co-wrote all of the songs. It wasn’t as commercially successful as some of her other projects, and in the grand scheme of her long and illustrious career, may not be that memorable.
Glory (2016)
Singles: “Make Me,” “Slumber Party”
The last major album on this list is probably one of Britney’s most underrated. Glory‘s two singles didn’t become as commercially successful as some of Britney’s others. But despite that charting, critics mostly liked it, as did I. Her vocals were stronger on this one than ever before. There are some key standouts, including “Love Me Down” and the deluxe track “Better.” This album definitely showed that Spears still has more to bring to the music industry.
(featured image: Michelangelo Di Battista / Sony / RCA, via Getty Images)
