Was having this discussion with a friend earlier today

Even though MBDTF is the critically acclaimed masterpiece, it didn't have the mass appeal that 808s did. Specifically we were talking about being freshmen in college when 808s came out and we were all listening to it as well as our siblings who were in elementary school and our older relatives in college and even adults.

MBDTF didn't have nearly that effect. It didn't even have much of a strong radio presence.

Again not speaking to the quality of the album just the impact it had on the culture. 808s just seemed way more powerful than MBDTF.

If measured by radio play, Graduation.

If measured by influence on music, 808s or Yeezus.

It was a pivotal point for him as an artist, this album has defined his legacy.

Mbdtf saved his career

Mbdtf for his career 808s for his influence

It's still TCD. His execution of his debut is what laid down the platform for everything that followed.

Yeah i would say it’s definitely up there

this

Agreed. 808s created a blueprint in production style and lyrical content/delivery that has lingered over the past decade. In short, it made popular rap sad. That said I think part of MBDTF's goatness is that it can't be imitated. Who else could make a record like that? The baroque, maximalist era of rap was pushed to its limits by that with WTT as the not as good but still awesome follow up. Kind of like Sgt Pepper and MMT. And then we get the White Album and Yeezus to switch up the vibe to be more minimal.

Still waiting on Ye’s white album. Closest thing was TLOP

Ye might not have been as influential without 808s, but it's hard to imagine where he would be if Twisted Fantasy was a dud/didn't happen

im pretty sure MBDTF was actually a bigger release in the mainstream than 808s

808s had 1 big single with Heartless but as a project it was a huge drop for Ye commercially.

Love Lockdown and Amazing would like a word

neither of those songs were top 40 on Billboard

Power actually got to top 25 and Runaway almost top 10

and then ofc you had the other really big hits like Monster and AOTL

yeah 808s was no where near as big as MBDTF

Not claiming it was bigger but I know damn well amazing and love lockdown saw radio play. I vividly remember hearing both of those spinnin as much as power and runaway when they came out. Old numbers had a lot to do with physical sales and iTunes downloads

yeah but radio play ain't the only factor in how big a song is

like I said, the official chart #s for those songs were pretty weak

Heartless was the only truly huge hit on that album and to be fair it was bigger than any song on MBDTF also, but you had 3 top 20 songs on MBDTF and another 1 that was top 25. And MBDTF sold more first week (keep in mind also that 808s was the follow up to Kanye's commercial peak and for it to sell less than half of that really shows how much of a commercial failure 808s was)

808s was when I looked at Kanye as a true artist

Again not claiming 808s is bigger. Hot take, I don’t listen to it much anymore relative to his other albums.

But if we go by streams, TLOP and Ye are higher than anything else.

You can go by old numbers and you can’t go by streams.

I will go on record and say every ye album (barring maybe Ye) has been influential.

Even Sunday service is influencing dudes like KayC and Ant

Yeah which is why as I’m saying album sales and billboard charting positions are the best indicators. The value of a stream has significantly changed across history and so has radio play. But album sales/billboard never will.

I will say had TLOP gotten a proper release, it could’ve arguably had a bigger first week than MBDTF but as it is rn, MBDTF was a bigger album than 808s

easily

808s is the most important kanye west album in terms of sheer influence and impact

graduation is what he wanted to make every single time and is struggling to make right now. a perfect balance between critical and commercial success

Uh

Love Lockdown was no 3 on Billboard Hot 100

Good reference here:

billboard.com/music/kanye-west/chart-history/HSI/song/1172087

Crazy how a JIK song outperformed most MBDTF songs

lol nvm didnt see that

yeah, those 2 were huge then but Amazing was #81 on Billboard