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Ok I know this ranking is going to be controversial. Everybody's going to say, "Dude, Suffer is number one!" or whatever. But admit, these guys have improved over the years, albeit with some hilarious, lame, or boring missteps along the way. That said, the Top 12 listed here are all fantastic albums. Special kudos to Hetson and Bentley for sticking with it all these years. And to Bobby Schayer for drumming on the records that first got me into BR, and for looking like he was 15 when the rest of the band was like 30.
------------------------------ 1. New Maps Of Hell: This is the album that rocks me the most. So fucking fierce and creative. Every single song scorches. Brooks Wackerman is their best drummer yet. And he has a great drummer name.
-------------------------------2. Stranger Than Fiction: I got into them with Recipe For Hate, but this album blew my fucking mind! This has always been my favorite but Christ it needs a remaster. So until that happens, it's number 2.
-------------------------------3. Against The Grain: This record is the first, in my opinion, to really set the template for a great Bad Religion album. Amazing lyrics with great interplay between the Greg songs and the Brett songs, and here is where they decide to stretch out and experiment, risking a punker backlash but saying, fuck it anyway. Awesome remaster, and Pete Finestone is my 2nd favorite drummer for them.
-------------------------4. Recipe For Hate: This was their best album to date, with amazing guest players and an adventurous spirit. Plus it has "American Jesus".
-----------------------------5. 30 Years Live: Normally I don't give a shit about live albums, but damn! This one has it all. The song selection is perfect, and the live version of "Won't Somebody" is 10 times better than the album mix. I wish I was at FunFunFun Fest already. Fuck!
---------------------------------6. The Empire Strikes First: Even though Process Of Belief is their return to form with Mr. Brett back in the band, I consider this to be their true comeback album. Almost every song is awesome. Even the one I don't like so much has a cool Orwellian title. And the production set the standard for what a BR album can sound like in the 21st century.
-------------------------------------7. The Dissent Of Man: Mr. Brett at his best- "Only Rain," "Cyanide," "I Won't Say Anything" (and occasionally his worst- "Where The Fun Is"?) and Greg holdin down the fort with some SOLID shit. Bonus track "Finite" is fucking amazing; check it out if you haven't heard it yet, worth an extra 99 cents on iTunes. Also, I ranked this album highly because it is new and therefore I am listening to it all the time.
-----------------------------------8. No Control: My favorite of their earliest albums. It's the bleakest roller coaster you'll ever want to get back in line for.
------------------------------9. Generator: This one is GREAT, but too short. Adding two bonus tracks that were already on the album didn't help, guys. That kinda just made it shorter.
-------------------------------10. The Gray Race: My old ass was listening to the shit out of this album back in freshman year at FSU. Even my techno-head dorm roommate started to get into it. Greg Graffin proved he was a true badass by writing so many great songs. Brian Baker stepped in on guitar and rocked it. Ric Ocasek is a cool, weird looking little dude who used to be in The Cars and did a bang-up job spit-shining this one. At this point I did not miss Mr. Brett much. Little did I know...
--------------------------------11. Suffer: This is the first melodic Bad Religion record. It fucking kicks ass.
-----------------------------12. The Process Of Belief: After the mediocrity of No Substance and the downright lameness of The New America, Brett Gurewitz returned to the band, with inspired songcraft that spurred a renaissance in Greg Graffin's writing as well. The first three songs are like, hell yeah! Bad Religion is back. "Sorrow" is also on this album, and that is a very interesting song. But in hindsight, The Process Of Belief does not stand up to its predecessors or the brilliance that was to follow.
---------------------------------13. All Ages: Epitaph years compilation. All good, but completely unnecessary.
----------------------------------14.No Substance: All Greg, but you can tell he's missing the songwriters' rapport that made him and Brett so great all along. Weak enough that when The New America came out, I didn't notice. I didn't even care anymore.
-----------------------------15. How Can Hell Be Any Worse/ 80-85: Everybody's gotta start somewhere, but I just can't listen to this kind of punk rock.
-----------------------------16. Into The Unknown: I just heard this album today for the first time, thanks to the torrents. Glad I didn't pay $1000 or whatever for a vinyl copy. But you know what? Some of the songs aren't that bad at all. Speed it up and take away those GODAWFUL keyboards and you have yourself a Bad Religion album. Just for the record, I love keyboards. Just not those ones.
----------------------------17. The New America: Naw dude.