Every Tame Impala Studio Album, Ranked

Tame Impala is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist Kevin Parker. The two-time Grammy-winning outfit started out as an indie psychedelic rock group in Western Australia and has morphed into a global sensation, selling out arenas around the world. Parker single-handedly created a bridge between psych-rock and electronic dance music for the masses.

Tame Impala has released five albums since releasing its debut Innerspeaker in 2010 and is known for the iconic songs “The Less I Know the Better,” “Elephant,” “New Person, Same Old Mistake,” “Borderline” and “Dracula.” Parker’s unique style and hypnotic beats have led to collaborations with the likes of Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Gorillaz, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, and Justice on the Grammy-winning “Neverender.” His music has also been remixed by a trove of incredible DJs including Mau P, Soulwax and Zhu. From Innerspeaker to Deadbeat, here are Tame Impala’s studio albums, ranked.

5

‘The Slow Rush’ (2020)

The Slow Rush is a surreal dance album that blends aspects of 90s techno with soft rock vibes for a uniquely ethereal sound. Kevin Parker is the sole musician and vocalist on the effort, which was created with dance clubs in mind. The synth-heavy record contains a lot less guitar than previous Tame Impala albums. It is a full shift into electronic dance music with dense instrumentation and layers of vocals.

The Slow Rush is Parker’s most pop-sounding album to date, featuring dance funk tracks like “Borderline,” “Lost in Yesterday,” “Is It True,” and the 70s R&B-infused “Breathe Deeper.” The atmospheric and moody LP won five awards at the 2020 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Music Awards, including Album of the Year, Best Group, Engineer and Producer of the Year. It was also nominated for two Grammy Awards.

4

‘Innerspeaker’ (2010)

Innerspeaker is Tame Impala’s raw and cinematic debut album. The heady effort was recorded at a beach house in remote Western Australia and is stacked with layers of fuzzy effects-laden guitars, hypnotic rhythms and distinctive bass lines. Propelled by the psychedelic “It’s Not Meant to Be,” and “Alter Ego,” Innerspeaker was named Album of the Year by Australian Rolling Stone.

It has gritty rock energy with tracks like “Desire Be Desire Go,” “Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind,” “Solitude is Bliss,” as well as the powerful instrumental “Jeremy’s Storm.” Each song reflects a kaleidoscope of 60s influences breaking through, clearly including Pink Floyd and The Beatles. The epic seven-plus minute “Runaway Houses City Clouds” is a memorable track on Tame Impala’s debut, which genuinely blends the psychedelic 60s with a futuristic and adventurous rock sound.

3

‘Deadbeat’ (2025)

Deadbeat is deeply influenced by Australia’s rave culture. The dance-heavy album contains more tinges of the group’s psych-rock beginnings than Parker’s previous effort, The Slow Rush. Like all Tame Impala albums, it’s produced masterfully and expands on the sounds and vibes from the earlier records.

Deadbeat features two seven-plus minute club bangers: the energetic “Etherial Connection” and the Best Dance/Electronic Recording Grammy winner “End of Summer.” Parker’s fifth album also features the riff-rocker “Loser,” and “Dracula,” both of which blend his psych-rock past with his EDM future. “My Old Ways,” “Oblivion” and “Afterthought” are standout vibey dance tracks that will get you out of your seat.

2

‘Currents’ (2015)

Currents marks a change in direction for Tame Impala. Along with performing all the instrumentation and the vocals, Kevin Parker also produced and mixed the effort. The album, which introduces elements of electronic dance music, features more synthesizers than guitars yet strikes a balance of great riffs with an ambient and immersive sound.

The seven-minute-plus opening track “Let it Happen” showcases the new sonic terrain featuring incredible production with drastic equalization changes, synthesizers, loops, modulation, and many other trippy bells and whistles. The effort is full of incredibly rich sounds and hypnotic textures with layers upon layers of instrumentation and vocals. “Eventually,” “The Moment,” “New Person, Same Old Mistake,” and “The Less I Know the Better,” are fan favorites and concert staples. Currents brilliantly captures Tame Impala’s transition from its psychedelic indie rock roots to a global electronic music powerhouse.

1

‘Lonerism’ (2012)

Lonerism is a psychedelic rock tour de force that takes you on a musical journey through lush and transcendent musical soundscapes. The trippy opening track, “Be Above It,” is a headphone masterpiece and transports the listener to an unchartered territory that is not for the faint of heart. It features mind-bending production and beautifully fuzzy and cosmic guitar sounds on “Enders Toi,” “Apocalypse Dreams,” “Mind Mischief,” “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.”

It’s Tame Impala’s most dreamlike effort to date and is an ambitious no-skip album that won Album of the Year at the ARIA Music Awards and scored Parker a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album. “Elephant” is one of the band’s greatest songs and features thunderous riffs and exceptionally mesmerizing production. Parker recorded the album himself, minus “Apocalypse Dreams” and “Mind Mischeif,” which feature Jay Watson, who is a member of Tame Impala’s live band on keys. Lonerism is a masterpiece that is only getting better with age.