{"id":1796686,"date":"2026-02-27T10:48:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T07:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1796686"},"modified":"2026-02-27T10:48:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T07:48:00","slug":"every-gorillaz-album-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1796686","title":{"rendered":"Every Gorillaz album, ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-195-1886-1257\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439275.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/69754\/1\/every-gorillaz-album-ranked-demon-days-the-mountain-plastic-beach\" data-article-id=\"69754\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.77\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"71af405247a90f7a96b0957670a6deaef785cfdb_1888\" class=\"img\" height=\"2442\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1280\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439275.jpg\" width=\"1888\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">The Young Fool and the Sea, 2010 Album artwork for Gorillaz&#8217; Plastic Beach <span class=\"nowrap\">(Jamie Hewlett)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-27T10:48:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"27 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"27\">27,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lists\">Lists<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lists\">Lists<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Every Gorillaz <span class=\"nowrap\">album, ranked<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>As the virtual band releases their ninth studio album, The Mountain, we revisit the rest of their <span class=\"nowrap\">bonkers discography<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-27T10:48:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"27 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"27\">27,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-27T10:48:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"27 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"27\">27,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/solomonpacemccarrick\">Solomon Pace-McCarrick<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Long before <\/span><em><span>KPop Demon Hunters<\/span><\/em><span> group Huntr\/x were certified platinum, and back when Crazy Frog was but a weird tadpole, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/gorillaz\">Gorillaz<\/a> made animated bands cool. In fact, they\u2019re less of a band and more of a whole cinematic universe. Dreamed up by Blur frontman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/damonalbarn\">Damon Albarn<\/a> and illustrator Jamie Hewlett in 1998, the last 28 years have seen the group embark on an impressive range of adventures, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=p0OVD0_YJnU&amp;list=RDp0OVD0_YJnU&amp;start_radio=1\">hanging out with Snoop Dogg<\/a> on a remote Pacific island to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cLnkQAeMbIM&amp;list=RDcLnkQAeMbIM&amp;start_radio=1\">partying in the Namibian desert<\/a>. But, like a real band, Gorillaz have matured with time, and their ninth\u00a0studio album, <\/span><em><span>The Mountain<\/span><\/em><span>, released today (February 27), sees the ragtag group travel to India in search of spiritual enlightenment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Following the release of Grammy Award-winning 2005 album <\/span><em><span>Demon Days<\/span><\/em><span>, Albarn summed up Gorillaz\u2019 sound as \u201cdark pop\u201d. While this has varied over the years, with subsequent releases covering everything from ghetto tech to Syrian dabke, this deconstruction of pop culture is still the best descriptor of the band we have today. Between the cult investigations of \u201cCracker Island ft. Thundercat\u201d and the environmental activism of \u201cMelancholy Hill\u201d, what ties Gorillaz\u2019 discography together is an unflinching look at the modern world and the sounds that it makes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThat\u2019s one of the wonderful things about animation,\u201d Hewlett told Dazed in an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69260\/1\/the-unknown-is-whats-exciting-gorillaz-upcoming-album-tackles-death\"><span>interview late last year<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cThe real world gets parodied in a way that makes you feel more comfortable about society\u2019s problems.\u201d It\u2019s this that makes Gorillaz such an important presence in music today, almost 30 years on from their formation \u2013 we certainly aren\u2019t lacking for real world problems for the group to sink their chipped teeth into.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, in view of the release of <\/span><em><span>The Mountain <\/span><\/em><span>today, we rank the nine official Gorillaz albums from worst (read: less good) to best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>9. <em><span>THE NOW NOW\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2018)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"-B57lnGcMpY\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-B57lnGcMpY\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>While the rest of Gorillaz\u2019 discography is all about big collaborations and genre-diffuse production, <\/span><em><span>The Now Now <\/span><\/em><span>stays pretty rooted in Albarn\u2019s vocals over psychedelic synthpop beats. On its own, this isn\u2019t bad, but in practice, it just doesn\u2019t feel like a Gorillaz project. <\/span><em><span>The Now Now <\/span><\/em><span>is sort of like fictional frontman\u2019s 2D\u2019s solo spin-off project, and maybe it should\u2019ve been released as such.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>8. <em><span>SONG MACHINE, SEASON ONE: STRANGE TIMES\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2020)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"G-7U-FDql1A\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G-7U-FDql1A\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Built around Gorillaz\u2019 2020 music video web series of the same name, in which the band collaborate with a different artist each episode, <\/span><em><span>Song Machine <\/span><\/em><span>is absolutely brimming with character. The lineup is mental: UK grime legend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/kano\">Kano<\/a>, Octavian\u2019s crooning alt-rap, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/slow-thai\">Slowthai<\/a> featuring Soft Play, 6lack and bloody Elton John on the same song; the list goes on. But this impressive diversity is also what holds <\/span><em><span>Song Machine <\/span><\/em><span>back relative to the rest of Gorillaz\u2019 discography \u2013 while it\u2019s cool to hear 2D adlib Elton John and Kano on the same record, it would be nice to hear more effort to tie it all together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>7.<em><span> THE FALL\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2010)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"ePoSILQJeOg\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ePoSILQJeOg\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><em><span>The Fall<\/span><\/em><em><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>is actually somewhat of a parallel to <\/span><em><span>The Now Now <\/span><\/em><span>above \u2013 both were recorded and released in less than a year, and have markedly fewer features than usual. However, <\/span><em><span>The Fall <\/span><\/em><span>is more interesting for arguably being Gorillaz\u2019 darkest record to date. An unsettling sinking feeling follows 2D\u2019s travels across a dystopian American wasteland on the project, from being imprisoned in Arizona to running into hillbillies and snakes in Dallas, and beyond.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Indeed, the entire project was produced on an iPad by Albarn alone while travelling across North America on the <em>Escape to Plastic Beach<\/em> Tour in 2010. <\/span><em><span>The Fall<\/span><\/em><span> was (ironically) considered a fall-off for the group when it was released, and it is certainly one of Gorillaz\u2019 least ambitious records, but it is definitely still worth a listen. There\u2019s a rough gem to be found in these barren iPad vignettes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>6. <em><span>CRACKER ISLAND\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2023)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"kO8Nj09525U\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kO8Nj09525U\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/bad-bunny\">Bad Bunny<\/a> and MC Bin Laden on a Gorillaz album? This might sound like a departure from their comfort zone, but if anything, the biggest issue with <\/span><em><span>Cracker Island<\/span><\/em><em><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>is that it plays it too safe. The choice to include both of these Latin American stars in an album about far-right radicalisation online \u2013 and, in particular, white supremacy in America \u2013 is an inspired one, but ultimately, <\/span><em><span>Cracker Island<\/span><\/em><span> seems to value concept over execution. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Awash with neon-coloured synths, <em>Cracker Island <\/em>feels like a return to the sonic palette of <em>Plastic Beach<\/em>, this time with an added elegiac quality to evoke sanity being eroded in internet rabbit holes. It\u2019s bookended by some incredible Gorillaz tracks: the title track opener featuring Thundercat, and the closer remix of \u201cNew Gold feat. Tame Impala and Bootie Brown\u201d, but everything in between feels slightly less memorable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>5. <em><span>HUMANZ\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2017)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"hBA0PUQCvIA\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hBA0PUQCvIA\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Breaking Gorillaz\u2019 longest hiatus to date, running between 2010\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Plastic Beach <\/span><\/em><span>and 2017, <\/span><em><span>Humanz <\/span><\/em><span>is perhaps the band\u2019s most underrated record. Even held against the rest of Gorillaz\u2019 bonkers discography, <em>Humanz <\/em>somehow manages to catch listeners by surprise, opening with the bombastic ghetto tech cut \u201cAscension feat. Vince Staples\u201d and later featuring left-<\/span><span>field contributions from Popcaan, Pusha T and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/kelela\">Kelela<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Indeed, despite being set in a \u201cdark fantasy\u201d world in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/donald-trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> won the 2017 US General Election (imagine that, eh?), <\/span><em><span>Humanz<\/span><\/em><span> actually sits on the more lighthearted end of the Gorillaz spectrum. It\u2019s all about partying at the end of the world, and the liveliness of these soundscapes is partly due to the inclusion of producer (and the voice of virtual bandmember Russell Hobbs) Remi Kabaka Jr as the first new Gorillaz member since the group\u2019s formation. We only wish that Donald Trump\u2019s real-world election win was as fun as <\/span><em><span>Humanz <\/span><\/em><span>sounds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>4. <em><span>GORILLAZ\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2001)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"A9q7XAcdUfA\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A9q7XAcdUfA\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>This one comes with a disclaimer: I think \u201cClint Eastwood\u201d, and especially the Ed Case remix featuring Sweetie Irie, is <\/span><em><span>the <\/span><\/em><span>single best track Gorillaz have ever released. Every good party I\u2019ve been to \u2013 every single Notting Hill Carnival I\u2019ve been to, even \u2013 has played this tune at least once. Both the original and the remix are jewels in the history of UK music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The catch is that the rest of the project just doesn\u2019t live up to this peak. Partly recorded in Jamaica, and heavily influenced by dub in its spacey, reverb-drenched production, <\/span><em><span>Gorillaz <\/span><\/em><span>is a brilliant album in a vacuum. But held against the dark pop highs of <\/span><em><span>Demon Days<\/span><\/em><span>, the visual distinctiveness of <\/span><em><span>Plastic Beach<\/span><\/em><span>, or even the narrative richness of <\/span><em><span>The Mountain<\/span><\/em><span>, it just doesn\u2019t quite hold up \u2013 it\u2019s just slightly less polished.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>3. <em><span>THE MOUNTAIN\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2026)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"6JIv1l96zN0\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6JIv1l96zN0\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Yes, we truly think that <\/span><em><span>The Mountain<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0is up there with the best that Gorillaz has to offer. Its central concept of death and the afterlife, executed with posthumous contributions from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/eminem\">Eminem<\/a> collaborator Proof, Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen and De La Soul\u2019s David Jolicoeur, and illustrations set in India (based on Albarn and Hewlett\u2019s own travels across the country in 2024), all combine to form a musical story that only Gorillaz could tell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s also partly due to these posthumous contributions that <\/span><em><span>The Mountain <\/span><\/em><span>ties with <\/span><em><span>Song Machine <\/span><\/em><span>for<\/span><span>\u00a0best features on a Gorillaz project to date \u2013 elsewhere including Idles\u2019 frontman Joe Talbot, Argentinian hip hop legends Trueno and Bizarrap, and some especially standout features from The Roots rapper Black Thought. We\u2019re calling it now \u2013 <\/span><em><span>The Mountain <\/span><\/em><span>is on Gorillaz\u2019 own Mount Rushmore. (And before you complain that the album only came out today, we\u2019ve had the project in our headphones for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69260\/1\/the-unknown-is-whats-exciting-gorillaz-upcoming-album-tackles-death\">few months now<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>2. <em><span>PLASTIC BEACH\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2010)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"04mfKJWDSzI\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/04mfKJWDSzI\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>This is how to make eco-conscious music that is actually <\/span><em><span>good <\/span><\/em><span>(*cough* Lil Dicky\u2019s \u201cEarth\u201d *cough*). Gorillaz\u2019 third studio album, which landed a full five years after <\/span><em><span>Demon Days<\/span><\/em><span>\u2019 breakout success, <\/span><em><span>Plastic Beach<\/span><\/em><em><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>is notable for being the band\u2019s first true concept album \u2013 a trend which continued throughout the remainder of their discography, but never quite reached the peaks of this one. Set on a fictional, Great Pacific Garbage Patch-type island and even featuring vocal samples from Sir David Attenborough himself, <\/span><em><span>Plastic Beach <\/span><\/em>has<span>\u00a0two of Gorillaz\u2019 most recognisable songs: \u201cStylo feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack\u201d and \u201cMelancholy Hill\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Full of expressive synths, funky guitar trills and plodding electronic percussion, the project is awash with a nostalgic, sepia tone that speaks directly to its central message of protecting natural beauty before it\u2019s gone. It\u2019s a strong sonic identity that is also reflected in what is perhaps the most visually recognisable era in Gorillaz career, with most of the project\u2019s music videos featuring golden hour depictions of the titular Plastic Beach Island.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>1.<em><span> DEMON DAYS\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2005)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"HyHNuVaZJ-k\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HyHNuVaZJ-k\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>It really couldn\u2019t be anything else, could it? <\/span><em><span>Demon Days<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<span>isn\u2019t just the best Gorillaz album, it\u2019s one of the best albums of all time. 2001\u2019s self-titled release<\/span><span>might have been their debut, but it was with <\/span><em><span>Demon Days <\/span><\/em><span>that Gorillaz truly became the group they are today. It\u2019s a sonic leap ahead of this previous release: it was the first to truly articulate the group\u2019s dystopian \u2018dark pop\u2019 sound, it was the first to weave real-world commentary into their virtual setting, and it was the first to propel them to international recognition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The concentration of bangers on this release is overwhelming: melancholic grunge track \u201cFeel Good Inc.\u201d, post-apocalyptic pop cut \u201cDare\u201d, dusty funk-hip-hop crossover \u201cDirty Harry\u201d; the list goes on. Painting soundscapes as vivid and distinctive as its illustrations, <em>Demon Days <\/em>really does sound like a comic strip brought to life. While later records might have had more ambitious concepts or more impressive features, <\/span><em><span>Demon Days <\/span><\/em><span>remains the definitive Gorillaz project. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<div class=\"article-series\">\n<h4 class=\"heading\">More on these topics<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-series\"><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lists\">Lists<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/gorillaz\">Gorillaz<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/damonalbarn\">Damon Albarn<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<div class=\"grid\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp-text-container\">\n<h3 class=\"lava-lamp-subheading\">Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid section-header\">\n<div class=\"section-header__link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69754\/1\/music\"><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-header__title\">READ MORE<\/h2>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid tag-article-list\">\n<div class=\"swiper swiper-latest\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69762\/1\/do-cats-like-mitski-new-album-find-out-in-this-new-video\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Screenshot 2026-02-26 at 16.32.19\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1180-785\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439191.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What do cats think of Mitski\u2019s new album? Find out in this new video<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69751\/1\/thug-metal-band-empty-shell-casing-texan-diy-scene\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Empty Shell Casing\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-2048-1362\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439026.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">\u2018Thug metal\u2019 band Empty Shell Casing are the nu kids on the block<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69562\/1\/reeboks-classics-garment-leather-new-karol-g\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\"> Reebok <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SS26_T2-Classics_NYC_Photo-Library-024\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-2822-1877\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436935.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Your favourite Reeboks are getting a makeover<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69748\/1\/rio-carnival-photography-yushy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"YUSHY - BRAZIL CARINVAL -39\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1051-1996-1327\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438817.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">These evocative photos depict the in-between moments at Rio Carnival <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69724\/1\/deviation-benji-b-judah-afriyie-these-are-the-levels-photography\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"251022_BENJ_Deviation_Interior_353-400_4-4_Colour_\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-432-1652-1099\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438462.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">These photos straddle \u2018pre and post-iPhone\u2019 London nightlife<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69738\/1\/dazed-mix-evissimax-milan-blade-black-vampy-sexy-dj\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lead Image 16x9 \u2013 10\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-0-1624-1080\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438661.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Listen to Evissimax\u2019s \u2018Black, vampy and sexy\u2019 Dazed mix<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69722\/1\/soft-pop-spanish-gabriela-richardson-internet-obsessions-isola\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Gabriela Richardson\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438512.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Pop dreamer Gabriela Richardson shares her internet obsessions<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36726\/0\/what-s-poppin-two-shell-meet-jack-harlow-at-phonox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"two shell jack harlow phonox\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-2600-1729\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438399.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">What\u2019s poppin\u2019? 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Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Long before <\/span><em><span>KPop Demon Hunters<\/span><\/em><span> group Huntr\/x were certified platinum, and back when Crazy Frog was but a weird tadpole, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/gorillaz\">Gorillaz<\/a> made animated bands cool. In fact, they\u2019re less of a band and more of a whole cinematic universe. Dreamed up by Blur frontman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/damonalbarn\">Damon Albarn<\/a> and illustrator Jamie Hewlett in 1998, the last 28 years have seen the group embark on an impressive range of adventures, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=p0OVD0_YJnU&amp;list=RDp0OVD0_YJnU&amp;start_radio=1\">hanging out with Snoop Dogg<\/a> on a remote Pacific island to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cLnkQAeMbIM&amp;list=RDcLnkQAeMbIM&amp;start_radio=1\">partying in the Namibian desert<\/a>. But, like a real band, Gorillaz have matured with time, and their ninth\u00a0studio album, <\/span><em><span>The Mountain<\/span><\/em><span>, released today (February 27), sees the ragtag group travel to India in search of spiritual enlightenment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Following the release of Grammy Award-winning 2005 album <\/span><em><span>Demon Days<\/span><\/em><span>, Albarn summed up Gorillaz\u2019 sound as \u201cdark pop\u201d. While this has varied over the years, with subsequent releases covering everything from ghetto tech to Syrian dabke, this deconstruction of pop culture is still the best descriptor of the band we have today. Between the cult investigations of \u201cCracker Island ft. Thundercat\u201d and the environmental activism of \u201cMelancholy Hill\u201d, what ties Gorillaz\u2019 discography together is an unflinching look at the modern world and the sounds that it makes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThat\u2019s one of the wonderful things about animation,\u201d Hewlett told Dazed in an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69260\/1\/the-unknown-is-whats-exciting-gorillaz-upcoming-album-tackles-death\"><span>interview late last year<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cThe real world gets parodied in a way that makes you feel more comfortable about society\u2019s problems.\u201d It\u2019s this that makes Gorillaz such an important presence in music today, almost 30 years on from their formation \u2013 we certainly aren\u2019t lacking for real world problems for the group to sink their chipped teeth into.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, in view of the release of <\/span><em><span>The Mountain <\/span><\/em><span>today, we rank the nine official Gorillaz albums from worst (read: less good) to best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>9. <em><span>THE NOW NOW\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2018)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"-B57lnGcMpY\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-B57lnGcMpY\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>While the rest of Gorillaz\u2019 discography is all about big collaborations and genre-diffuse production, <\/span><em><span>The Now Now <\/span><\/em><span>stays pretty rooted in Albarn\u2019s vocals over psychedelic synthpop beats. On its own, this isn\u2019t bad, but in practice, it just doesn\u2019t feel like a Gorillaz project. <\/span><em><span>The Now Now <\/span><\/em><span>is sort of like fictional frontman\u2019s 2D\u2019s solo spin-off project, and maybe it should\u2019ve been released as such.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>8. <em><span>SONG MACHINE, SEASON ONE: STRANGE TIMES\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2020)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"G-7U-FDql1A\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G-7U-FDql1A\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Built around Gorillaz\u2019 2020 music video web series of the same name, in which the band collaborate with a different artist each episode, <\/span><em><span>Song Machine <\/span><\/em><span>is absolutely brimming with character. The lineup is mental: UK grime legend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/kano\">Kano<\/a>, Octavian\u2019s crooning alt-rap, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/slow-thai\">Slowthai<\/a> featuring Soft Play, 6lack and bloody Elton John on the same song; the list goes on. But this impressive diversity is also what holds <\/span><em><span>Song Machine <\/span><\/em><span>back relative to the rest of Gorillaz\u2019 discography \u2013 while it\u2019s cool to hear 2D adlib Elton John and Kano on the same record, it would be nice to hear more effort to tie it all together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>7.<em><span> THE FALL\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2010)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"ePoSILQJeOg\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ePoSILQJeOg\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><em><span>The Fall<\/span><\/em><em><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>is actually somewhat of a parallel to <\/span><em><span>The Now Now <\/span><\/em><span>above \u2013 both were recorded and released in less than a year, and have markedly fewer features than usual. However, <\/span><em><span>The Fall <\/span><\/em><span>is more interesting for arguably being Gorillaz\u2019 darkest record to date. An unsettling sinking feeling follows 2D\u2019s travels across a dystopian American wasteland on the project, from being imprisoned in Arizona to running into hillbillies and snakes in Dallas, and beyond.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Indeed, the entire project was produced on an iPad by Albarn alone while travelling across North America on the <em>Escape to Plastic Beach<\/em> Tour in 2010. <\/span><em><span>The Fall<\/span><\/em><span> was (ironically) considered a fall-off for the group when it was released, and it is certainly one of Gorillaz\u2019 least ambitious records, but it is definitely still worth a listen. There\u2019s a rough gem to be found in these barren iPad vignettes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>6. <em><span>CRACKER ISLAND\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2023)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"kO8Nj09525U\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kO8Nj09525U\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/bad-bunny\">Bad Bunny<\/a> and MC Bin Laden on a Gorillaz album? This might sound like a departure from their comfort zone, but if anything, the biggest issue with <\/span><em><span>Cracker Island<\/span><\/em><em><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>is that it plays it too safe. The choice to include both of these Latin American stars in an album about far-right radicalisation online \u2013 and, in particular, white supremacy in America \u2013 is an inspired one, but ultimately, <\/span><em><span>Cracker Island<\/span><\/em><span> seems to value concept over execution. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Awash with neon-coloured synths, <em>Cracker Island <\/em>feels like a return to the sonic palette of <em>Plastic Beach<\/em>, this time with an added elegiac quality to evoke sanity being eroded in internet rabbit holes. It\u2019s bookended by some incredible Gorillaz tracks: the title track opener featuring Thundercat, and the closer remix of \u201cNew Gold feat. Tame Impala and Bootie Brown\u201d, but everything in between feels slightly less memorable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>5. <em><span>HUMANZ\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2017)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"hBA0PUQCvIA\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hBA0PUQCvIA\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Breaking Gorillaz\u2019 longest hiatus to date, running between 2010\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Plastic Beach <\/span><\/em><span>and 2017, <\/span><em><span>Humanz <\/span><\/em><span>is perhaps the band\u2019s most underrated record. Even held against the rest of Gorillaz\u2019 bonkers discography, <em>Humanz <\/em>somehow manages to catch listeners by surprise, opening with the bombastic ghetto tech cut \u201cAscension feat. Vince Staples\u201d and later featuring left-<\/span><span>field contributions from Popcaan, Pusha T and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/kelela\">Kelela<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Indeed, despite being set in a \u201cdark fantasy\u201d world in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/donald-trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> won the 2017 US General Election (imagine that, eh?), <\/span><em><span>Humanz<\/span><\/em><span> actually sits on the more lighthearted end of the Gorillaz spectrum. It\u2019s all about partying at the end of the world, and the liveliness of these soundscapes is partly due to the inclusion of producer (and the voice of virtual bandmember Russell Hobbs) Remi Kabaka Jr as the first new Gorillaz member since the group\u2019s formation. We only wish that Donald Trump\u2019s real-world election win was as fun as <\/span><em><span>Humanz <\/span><\/em><span>sounds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>4. <em><span>GORILLAZ\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2001)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"A9q7XAcdUfA\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A9q7XAcdUfA\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>This one comes with a disclaimer: I think \u201cClint Eastwood\u201d, and especially the Ed Case remix featuring Sweetie Irie, is <\/span><em><span>the <\/span><\/em><span>single best track Gorillaz have ever released. Every good party I\u2019ve been to \u2013 every single Notting Hill Carnival I\u2019ve been to, even \u2013 has played this tune at least once. Both the original and the remix are jewels in the history of UK music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The catch is that the rest of the project just doesn\u2019t live up to this peak. Partly recorded in Jamaica, and heavily influenced by dub in its spacey, reverb-drenched production, <\/span><em><span>Gorillaz <\/span><\/em><span>is a brilliant album in a vacuum. But held against the dark pop highs of <\/span><em><span>Demon Days<\/span><\/em><span>, the visual distinctiveness of <\/span><em><span>Plastic Beach<\/span><\/em><span>, or even the narrative richness of <\/span><em><span>The Mountain<\/span><\/em><span>, it just doesn\u2019t quite hold up \u2013 it\u2019s just slightly less polished.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>3. <em><span>THE MOUNTAIN\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2026)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"6JIv1l96zN0\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6JIv1l96zN0\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Yes, we truly think that <\/span><em><span>The Mountain<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0is up there with the best that Gorillaz has to offer. Its central concept of death and the afterlife, executed with posthumous contributions from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/eminem\">Eminem<\/a> collaborator Proof, Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen and De La Soul\u2019s David Jolicoeur, and illustrations set in India (based on Albarn and Hewlett\u2019s own travels across the country in 2024), all combine to form a musical story that only Gorillaz could tell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s also partly due to these posthumous contributions that <\/span><em><span>The Mountain <\/span><\/em><span>ties with <\/span><em><span>Song Machine <\/span><\/em><span>for<\/span><span>\u00a0best features on a Gorillaz project to date \u2013 elsewhere including Idles\u2019 frontman Joe Talbot, Argentinian hip hop legends Trueno and Bizarrap, and some especially standout features from The Roots rapper Black Thought. We\u2019re calling it now \u2013 <\/span><em><span>The Mountain <\/span><\/em><span>is on Gorillaz\u2019 own Mount Rushmore. (And before you complain that the album only came out today, we\u2019ve had the project in our headphones for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69260\/1\/the-unknown-is-whats-exciting-gorillaz-upcoming-album-tackles-death\">few months now<\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>2. <em><span>PLASTIC BEACH\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2010)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"04mfKJWDSzI\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/04mfKJWDSzI\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>This is how to make eco-conscious music that is actually <\/span><em><span>good <\/span><\/em><span>(*cough* Lil Dicky\u2019s \u201cEarth\u201d *cough*). Gorillaz\u2019 third studio album, which landed a full five years after <\/span><em><span>Demon Days<\/span><\/em><span>\u2019 breakout success, <\/span><em><span>Plastic Beach<\/span><\/em><em><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>is notable for being the band\u2019s first true concept album \u2013 a trend which continued throughout the remainder of their discography, but never quite reached the peaks of this one. Set on a fictional, Great Pacific Garbage Patch-type island and even featuring vocal samples from Sir David Attenborough himself, <\/span><em><span>Plastic Beach <\/span><\/em>has<span>\u00a0two of Gorillaz\u2019 most recognisable songs: \u201cStylo feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack\u201d and \u201cMelancholy Hill\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Full of expressive synths, funky guitar trills and plodding electronic percussion, the project is awash with a nostalgic, sepia tone that speaks directly to its central message of protecting natural beauty before it\u2019s gone. It\u2019s a strong sonic identity that is also reflected in what is perhaps the most visually recognisable era in Gorillaz career, with most of the project\u2019s music videos featuring golden hour depictions of the titular Plastic Beach Island.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>1.<em><span> DEMON DAYS\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>(2005)<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"HyHNuVaZJ-k\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HyHNuVaZJ-k\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>It really couldn\u2019t be anything else, could it? <\/span><em><span>Demon Days<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<span>isn\u2019t just the best Gorillaz album, it\u2019s one of the best albums of all time. 2001\u2019s self-titled release<\/span><span>might have been their debut, but it was with <\/span><em><span>Demon Days <\/span><\/em><span>that Gorillaz truly became the group they are today. It\u2019s a sonic leap ahead of this previous release: it was the first to truly articulate the group\u2019s dystopian \u2018dark pop\u2019 sound, it was the first to weave real-world commentary into their virtual setting, and it was the first to propel them to international recognition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The concentration of bangers on this release is overwhelming: melancholic grunge track \u201cFeel Good Inc.\u201d, post-apocalyptic pop cut \u201cDare\u201d, dusty funk-hip-hop crossover \u201cDirty Harry\u201d; the list goes on. Painting soundscapes as vivid and distinctive as its illustrations, <em>Demon Days <\/em>really does sound like a comic strip brought to life. While later records might have had more ambitious concepts or more impressive features, <\/span><em><span>Demon Days <\/span><\/em><span>remains the definitive Gorillaz project. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69754\/1\/every-gorillaz-album-ranked-demon-days-the-mountain-plastic-beach&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-195-1886-1257\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/9\/1439275.jpg&#8221;] The Young Fool and the Sea, 2010 Album artwork for Gorillaz&#8217; Plastic Beach (Jamie Hewlett) February\u00a0 27,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Lists Music \/ Lists Every Gorillaz album, ranked As the virtual band releases their ninth studio album, The Mountain, we revisit the rest of their bonkers discography February\u00a0 27,\u00a0 2026 February\u00a0 27,\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1796686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1796686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1796686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1796686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1796686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}