Nightwish albums are difficult to rank. They’re one of my favourite bands in the world of rock and metal. No matter where and how I rank my album taste it will cause a fight over the best singer. If I say Tarja is the best, they say it's just nostalgia. If I say Annette is the best, I get branded a fake metal fan. If I say Floor, they’ll say I’m a traitor for not supporting the original line-up. Most of the rivalry is created by fans.
Every music fandom and YouTube video with Nightwish involved has this. Female Fronted Metal Banned Confessions on Tumblr has a blacklist of confessions they won’t post and one About Nightwish singers and who’s the best out of the three is on there.
People spend too much time fighting over which singer is the best and forget what Nightwish is all about. It’s a movement. It's an emotion because each lyric and composition is majestic. They’re not your average symphonic metal band. They can classical, jazz and all things in between. I think all the singers they've had are fantastic and brought their own thing to Nightwish.
This list will just be the nine studio albums only. I’m not counting complications or live albums, but their live albums are worth checking out, especially End of an Era and Showtime, Storytime.
9. Angels Fall First
Favourite track: Nymphomaniac Fantasia
Least favourite track: The Carpenter
Nightwish's debut album is the most acoustic out of all of them. There are classicl elements with Tarja's vocals. This is the only album to feature leader, Tuomas singing, and since then, the duty of male vocals have been given to somebody else. The production sounds flaky, but there's some good rough gems here. A lot of the songs do what Nightwish are good at, telling stories in their songs.
8. Human. :II: Nature
Favourite track: Shoemaker
Least favourite track: Noise
I'll be honest, at first I didn't like this album but it grew on me after getting Noise and Harvest stuck in my head. I think Showmaker is a wonderful song. I really like how they've adapted to modern themes and shown admiration to scientists. It feels appropiate in the curent pandemic we're in.
7. Once
Favourite track: Romanticide
Least favourite track: Dead Gardens
Their fifth album, the last with Tarja had most of their known songs. Nemo and I Wish I Had An Angel were big hits. And Ghost Love Score was considered their magnum opus at the time. I used to hate Romanticide until it was performed in Showtime, Storytime in Wacken 2013. Not only did I love the new version, but it made me fall in love with the original song.
6. Wishmaster
Favourite track: Kinslayer
Least favourite track: Come Cover Me
After going all out in Oceanborn, Nightwish find their steps. Kinslayer was based on a school shooting that happened in America. I read online that Tuomas did spend some time in America when he was at school. I don't know if that is true or not, but it was clear that it left a personal effect on him. FantasMic is full of Disney references which I got straight away. It's a very special album.
5. Century Child
Favourite track: Phantom Of The Opera
Least favourite track: None
I don't have a least favourite song here, all the songs are equally good. It's consistent. Phantom of The Opera actually got me into watching the musical and it's still one of my favourite musicals thanks to Nightwish. Slaying the Dreamer and Ocean Soul are worth checking out for their classic Nightwish sound.
4. Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Favourite track: Yours Is An Empty Hope
Least favourite track: Élan
I had big expectations with it being the first one with Floor. I already knew Floor through After Forever and Revamp. Floor is a versatile singer who is able to do both of Anette and Tarja's song with ease whilst also adding her own style to it. The new songs on this album are great, but I think to really enjoy Floor as a vocalist, is a more superior vocalist live. I think that's why I ranked Human Nature lower. I think if I saw her on tour and heard the songs, my ranking of Human Nature would be much higher.
Greatest Show on Earth is one of the longest tracks they've ever done and it's over twenty minutes of epicness.
3. Oceanborn
Favourite track: Pharoah Sails to Orion
Least favourite track: Nightquest
After their debut, Nightwish really gave this album everything they got. As soon as Stargazers comes on you know you're in for a treat. Sleeping Sun is beautiful and I love the sinisterness in Pharoah Sails to Orion.
2. Dark Passion Play
Favourite track: The Poet and the Pendulum
Least favourite track: For the Heart I Once Had
I'd say Tarja is my favourite singer. The best Nightwish albums were done with Anette. And with Floor they have the best line-up and live shows. Dark Passion Play is considered the album that saved Tuomas's life. It's hard to think this album is over ten years old. At the time Nightwish's future was uncertain after Tarja's dismissal, and also the way it was done via an open letter. Then they hired Anette who was miles away from Tarja and they had already written most of the album. Somehow they made it work. Through the darkest times of Nightwish's career, they created this masterpiece.
Anette gets a lot of stick, but I think she's a great singer. There's a reason she was picked out of so many. It may not have worked out in the long run, but the two albums with Anette are amazing. You can feel the anger in Master Passion Greed and Bye Bye Beautiful. The Poet and the Pendulum is a song that still makes me cry when I listen to it.
1. Imaginaerum
Favourite track: Last Ride of the Day
Least favourite track: None
Imaginaerum is one of my favourite albums. I love the fact that it's got so much character. I love how the album cover is like a dark theme park because this album is a rollercoaster experience for the ears. Slow, Love Slow is an unexpected jazz filler. Scaretale is a perfect Halloween track. Last Ride of the Day is so fun. I don't hate anything about this album. I don't really hate any Nightwish song. I love how creative they are.
So I'll wrap up this ranking with a duet with Floor and Tarja.
About the Creator
Chloe Gilholy
Former healthcare worker and lab worker from Oxfordshire. Author of ten books including Drinking Poetry and Game of Mass Destruction. Travelled to over 20 countries.
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