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All Dave Albums Ranked Best to Worst (2026)

Dave has released three studio albums, and this page ranks all three, from Psychodrama (2019) to The Boy Who Played the Harp (2025). His EPs are not included: Six Paths, Game Over and Split Decision, his 2023 collaborative EP with Central Cee, sit outside the album catalog, as do his many standalone singles.

Dave3 albums6 min readUpdated October 2026UK Hip-Hop

Quick Take

Consensus PeakPsychodramaMercury Prize winner built like a therapy sessionCritics' Top ScoreWe're All Alone in This TogetherHis highest Metacritic score, wider social lensMost AmbitiousThe Boy Who Played the HarpSelf-produced, slow-burning, built around history and faith

Why it ranks here

Psychodrama is structured as a series of therapy sessions, an idea Dave took from the treatment his brother receives in prison, and it moves from the raw self-examination of "Psycho" to the social commentary of "Black" and the eleven-minute story song "Lesley", which follows a woman in an abusive relationship. The hits are just as sharp: "Location" with Burna Boy and "Disaster" with J Hus were top 10 singles. It averaged 90 on Metacritic and won both the 2019 Mercury Prize and Album of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards.

Context

Released March 8, 2019 on Neighbourhood, executive produced by Dave and Fraser T. Smith, who had worked with him since his early EPs.

Highlights

  • Psycho
  • Streatham
  • Black
  • Location
  • Lesley

Weak Spots

  • The therapy framing interrupts the flow on repeat listens
  • A couple of mid-album tracks feel slight next to "Lesley" and "Black"

Production

Fraser T. Smith · Dave · Kyle Evans · Jae5 · Nana Rogues

Read our full Psychodrama review →

Influence

Debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, the first British rap album to top the chart since Stormzy's Gang Signs & Prayer, and set a UK first-week streaming record for a British rap album.

Replay Value

Very high — it plays best front to back.

Why it ranks here

Dave turns outward on his second album, writing about migration, family and survivor's guilt over production led by Kyle Evans, with James Blake and P2J adding texture. "Three Rivers" traces several waves of migration to Britain, "Clash" with Stormzy is a pure victory lap, and the closing "Survivor's Guilt" is as personal as anything on Psychodrama. At an hour long it sprawls a little more, which is the only reason it ranks second. It averaged 92 on Metacritic, his highest score.

Context

Released July 23, 2021 on Neighbourhood, executive produced by Dave and Kyle Evans, two years after Psychodrama.

Highlights

  • We're All Alone
  • Verdansk
  • Clash
  • Three Rivers
  • Survivor's Guilt

Weak Spots

  • Runs past an hour and loses pace in the middle
  • "System" with Wizkid is pleasant but light next to the rest

Production

Kyle Evans · Dave · James Blake · P2J · Jae5

Influence

Debuted at No. 1 in the UK with 74,000 units, the biggest first week for a UK rap album since 2010, and won Album of the Year at the 2021 MOBO Awards.

Replay Value

High — the long songs keep opening up.

Why it ranks here

Dave produced much of his third album himself under the name Santan, working with Jo Caleb and Jonny Leslie, and it is his most musically restrained record: sparse arrangements and gentle piano under verses that test his own morality against history, from the Second World War to the Battle of Karbala. "Raindance" with Tems became a No. 1 single, and James Blake and Kano add weight elsewhere. It ranks last only because the patience it asks for makes it less immediate than the first two. Metacritic averaged 87.

Context

Released October 24, 2025 on Neighbourhood, recorded at studios including Abbey Road in London; the title nods to the biblical David, who played the harp for King Saul, and the title track samples the Beatles' "And I Love Her".

Highlights

  • History
  • 175 Months
  • Chapter 16
  • Raindance
  • My 27th Birthday

Weak Spots

  • The slow tempos can blur together
  • Fewer standout moments than Psychodrama

Production

Dave (as Santan) · Jo Caleb · Jonny Leslie · James Blake · Fraser T. Smith

Influence

Debuted at No. 1 in the UK, making Dave the first UK rap artist to send three albums to the top, and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2026 Brit Awards.

Replay Value

High for patient listeners.

Essay

The Complete Picture

Dave's three albums form a clear arc. Psychodrama is the tightest and most original of them, a debut framed as a therapy session that won the Mercury Prize; We're All Alone in This Together widens the lens to migration and community and is almost as strong; The Boy Who Played the Harp is the most ambitious and the most patient, with Dave producing much of it himself.

Start with Psychodrama, then go straight to We're All Alone in This Together. Come to The Boy Who Played the Harp once you are ready for slower, sparser songs that reward close listening; at 47 minutes it is his shortest album.

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Dave Albums in Order

  1. 2019PsychodramaRanked #1
  2. 2021We're All Alone in This TogetherRanked #2
  3. 2025The Boy Who Played the HarpRanked #3

Dave Albums: Common Questions

What is the best Dave album?
We rank Psychodrama (2019) as the best Dave album, with a score of 9.2/10: A debut framed as therapy, and a modern UK classic.
How many Dave albums are ranked here?
This ranking covers 3 Dave projects, released between 2019 and 2025.
What is the earliest Dave album in this ranking?
Psychodrama (2019) is the earliest release in this list. We rank it #1.
What is the most recent Dave album in this ranking?
The Boy Who Played the Harp (2025) is the most recent release in this list. We rank it #3.
Which Dave album is ranked lowest?
The Boy Who Played the Harp (2025) sits at #3 with a score of 8.4/10.