What Is the Best Wilco Album?

Wilco’s albums have garnered consistent praise over the last three decades, their sound criss-crossing genres,with the band pointedly avoiding falling into any one category. Their subtle, chilled approach to guitar-driven rock has won them legions of fans, but there are many people who are unaware of Wilco, or at least unfamiliar with their work. This list of the best Wilco albums, and indeed the best Wilco album, should give you some pointers on what you need to listen to if you want to discover some of the finest American music of the last twenty years.

4. Being There

In many ways, Being There was the album which saw Wilco become the super indie-group we know today. The 1996 record launched to huge critical acclaim, the mix of psychedelia and pop being particularly noted. It’s mix of surrealist lyrics and vaguely country sound make it an extremely interesting record. Moreover, the brave decision to launch it as a double-album, despite the lack of record-label support, is especially endearing. It shouldn’t matter, but it really makes this record feel like a record born out of love of craft.

3. Summerteeth

Summerteeth was something of a commercial failure upon release in 1998, and it’s really hard to know why. The album was well received by critics, and its beautiful, vivid pop-sound is in many ways more arresting than Being There, combining a sweet sound with an experimental flair. That the album did so poorly is just one of those mysteries, but it shouldn’t put you off giving it a listen – it’s gorgeous.

2. A Ghost Is Born

In terms of feel, A Ghost Is Born marked a slight departure for Wilco. It’s an unsettled and unsettling record, but purposefully so – the dynamics are deliberately strange, and some tracks, notably ‘Less Than You Think’, are experimental in the extreme. Yet despite all this, A Ghost Is Born is possibly the Wilco album you are most likely to be intrigued by. It can be a difficult record, but it also rewards repeated listening. Turn the lights out, and play it in the dark.

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

After their second Woodie Guthrie interlude (Mermaid Avenue Vol. II), Wilco returned to the studio. The recording of the album was clearly fraught with tension, as Jay Bennett was forced out of the band when recording finished. However, the results were remarkable, as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot exhibits some of Bennett’s finest work, with layers of instrumentation combining to create a beautiful sound scape. If you only listen to one Wilco album, this should probably be it.