Having released her debut album, Let Go, when she was 17, Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne has essentially grown up alongside her fans. But by incorporating all of the most heartbreaking, thrilling and uplifting moments of her life into her music, she has created a body of work that is both nostalgic and relevant enough to reach out and grab the attention of a whole new generation of listeners.
Though Lavigne is widely considered to be the princess of pop-punk, her discography covers a wider range of genres. From her roots in alternative and post-grunge to experimenting with more electronic stylings on her self-titled record, Lavigne has spent her decades-long career growing as an artist by blending different influences into full-bodied albums. Permeating through them all has been her rich vocals and a dash of feminine rage.
Read more: Fan poll: 5 greatest pop-punk vocalists of all time
While feminine rage has historically been articulated, written and otherwise communicated by and for men, Lavigne made visible the true range of the tradition on her own terms. This led her music to define a generation and help pave the way for woman-driven and punk-influenced pop music.
Every Avril Lavigne album ranked
We ranked all of Avril Lavigne’s studio albums, from worst to best.
Epic
7. Avril Lavigne (2013)
Lavigne’s self-titled album found her making the music she wanted to, regardless of reception, and perfectly encapsulates her love for experimenting with her sound. This sentiment is best represented in the track “Hello Kitty,” an electronic fever dream. The release was also the first time Lavigne included featured artists on a project. Thus, a bold and carefree experimentation with genre defines both this record and the musician behind it.
BMG
6. Head Above Water (2019)
A gargantuan tone shift in Lavigne’s music came with Head Above Water. After being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2014, she spent two years bedridden and recovering. At the same time, Lavigne’s voice seemed to grow stronger, which she saw as a sign from God to keep making music. She explored the range of her voice and rediscovered the power of her own vulnerability with Head Above Water. The title track, featuring Lavigne’s robust vocals towering above peaceful piano and swooning strings, is one of her most monumental ballads to date.
RCA
5. The Best Damn Thing (2007)
The Best Damn Thing can best be described as the little sister to Love Sux. The album saw Lavigne dive headfirst into pop rock following the releases of the alternative Let Go and Evanescence-esque Under My Skin. Nothing exemplifies this more than “Girlfriend,” the album’s lead single and Lavigne’s first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. But The Best Damn Thing isn’t just a pop-rock album — Lavigne also managed to pepper in some passionate ballads like “Keep Holding On,” again highlighting her ability to effortlessly shift genres (and belt out a ballad) without compromising on quality.
RCA
4. Goodbye Lullaby (2011)
Lavigne’s fourth studio album, and her last release through RCA Records, took on a more melodic tone. An array of deeply introspective tracks featuring stripped-down instrumentals are cut with infectious hits like “What The Hell” and “Smile.” Lavigne’s trademark attitude in these songs lends a sense of humor and letting go (so to speak) to an album primarily devoted to the singer grappling with complicated emotions during a transitional period in both her life and career.
Elektra/DTA
3. Love Sux (2022)
After experimenting with a few genres over the years, Lavigne returned with Love Sux to remind everyone that she is still the mother-fucking (pop-punk) princess. With a little help from blink-182’s Travis Barker, Machine Gun Kelly, and blackbear, Lavigne brought her signature attitude into the modern age of pop punk. Tracks like “Bite Me,” “F.U.” and “Love It When You Hate Me” define the album: a refreshing and deeply infectious illustration of pure feminine rage.
Arista
2. Under My Skin (2004)
The dreaded “sophomore slump” was no match for Lavigne. On Under My Skin, she experimented with a darker, post-grunge sound and ended up with an album that helped define a generation. Lavigne’s musical maturity, displayed through her impressive vocals and dynamic lyricism, can be seen in tracks like “Nobody’s Home” and “Fall To Pieces.” With the album being released just two years after her debut, Under My Skin showcased how far she had come in a short amount of time, as well as how much potential she still had as an emerging artist.
Arista
1. Let Go (2002)
There is simply no other place to put Let Go than right at the top. Lavigne was just 17 when she dropped her debut album, which is impressive in its own right. As a young woman in alternative rock, she controlled her own narrative and showed her range as an artist by dropping both the unforgettable “Sk8er Boi” and the evocative ballad “I’m With You” as singles. The result is an album where Lavigne inexplicably managed to capture early 2000s-era teenage angst in a way that resonates with listeners of all ages — even two decades after its release.
