4 Essential Lorde Vinyl Records, Ranked
Lorde has released four studio albums over eleven years, and Viking stocks every one of them. It's a smaller discography than most artist guides cover, but it's also one of the most consistent and most collectable bodies of pop work in recent memory — and the catalogue is small enough to listen to in a single afternoon.
Each of her four albums has a clear identity and a slightly different group of fans. Pure Heroine is the record that introduced her in 2013, Melodrama is the one most fans and critics consider her masterpiece, Solar Power is the quieter, more reflective record that surprised people on release in 2021, and Virgin is the 2024 return that's had a strong critical response. If you're starting a Lorde collection, the question of where to begin depends on what you're after.
Below, you'll find each album ranked and discussed in turn, with notes on the pressing, what to look for, and which release works best as a first purchase. If you're completely new to building a vinyl collection, our starter guide for new collectors is a good companion read.
→ Shop the full Lorde vinyl collection at Viking Records
4. Solar Power (2021)
Solar Power surprised a lot of fans on release, and it's a record that's grown in reputation since. After the big-pop scale of Melodrama, Lorde shifted to acoustic guitars, gentle beach harmonies, and a quieter, sun-soaked palette. Some listeners wanted another Melodrama; what they got was something more reflective and unhurried.
Heard on its own terms, it's a beautifully made album — particularly on vinyl, where the warm acoustic production really comes through. The pressing is unfussy: standard black wax, gatefold sleeve, original artwork. "Stoned at the Nail Salon" is one of the saddest songs Lorde has written, and the album's second half builds toward it gradually.
This one rewards patience. If you've heard it once and weren't sold, give it a few more spins on the turntable. Many listeners come round to Solar Power on later listens.
Key track: Stoned at the Nail Salon
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Lorde — Solar Power (2021, Vinyl LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
3. Pure Heroine (2013)
Pure Heroine is best known for "Royals," but anyone who's lived with the record will tell you the back half is where it really sits. "Ribs," "Buzzcut Season," "Team," and "A World Alone" are the songs that fans keep coming back to a decade after release. Lorde was sixteen when she wrote them, and the album's calm confidence still impresses on every listen.
"Pure Heroine is best known for Royals, but Ribs is the song fans keep coming back to a decade on."
This gatefold pressing presents the album as it was originally laid out, with the lyric insert and original artwork intact. The production is sparse by pop standards — synth pads, light percussion, very little ornament — so the LP gets out of the way of the songs and lets the vocal sit forward.
A great starting point for anyone new to Lorde, and a record that continues to find new listeners year on year.
Key track: Ribs
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Lorde — Pure Heroine (2013, Gatefold Vinyl LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
2. Virgin (2024)
After three years between albums, Lorde returned in 2024 with Virgin — the most electronic record in her catalogue. The production is denser than Solar Power, with vocal manipulations and rhythm work that take a few listens to fully sit with you. The critical response has been strong, and it's already being talked about as her best work since Melodrama.
Viking stocks the red indie exclusive pressing, which has been selling out across UK retailers since release. The cover photography reads particularly well on coloured vinyl, and indie exclusive runs are pressed at lower volumes than the standard editions, so this one is worth picking up while it's still around.
If you're a collector who likes to track an artist's evolution, this is the record that shows where Lorde's writing is heading next. If you're new to her work, Pure Heroine or Melodrama is a friendlier first listen.
Key track: Hammer
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Lorde — Virgin (2024, Red Indie Exclusive LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
1. Melodrama (2017)
Melodrama is widely regarded as Lorde's best record — a more ambitious and emotionally focused album than her debut. The songs are loosely connected by a single-house-party setting, with each track exploring a different stage of the night and the emotions that come with it. "Green Light" is the album's biggest hit, and the back half (from "Liability" through "Sober II" to "Writer in the Dark") is where most fans say the album really lands.
"Melodrama is the album most fans and critics agree is her best — and on vinyl the dynamic range really comes through."
Jack Antonoff's production is unusually well preserved on this vinyl pressing, with much more dynamic range than the streaming version. The pianos punch through with real weight, and the quieter passages have room to breathe. If you've only heard the album on a phone or laptop, the LP is a genuinely different experience — and if you're curious about how heavyweight pressings preserve detail, our guide to half-speed mastered vinyl explains the technique many of the best modern pop pressings use.
If you only buy one Lorde record, this is the one most fans would recommend. A beautiful pressing of a modern pop classic — best heard on a good system (our guide to the best record players for 2026 is a useful starting point if you're building out your setup).
Key track: Liability
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Lorde — Melodrama (2017, Vinyl LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
Honourable mentions and deep cuts
Lorde's studio catalogue is the main story, but a few peripheral records and tracks are worth knowing about if you're building a complete picture.
The Mockingjay: Part 1 soundtrack (2014). Lorde curated the soundtrack to the third Hunger Games film and contributed "Yellow Flicker Beat," a single that bridges the Pure Heroine and Melodrama eras. The vinyl pressing has been out of print for a while, but it's worth a listen on streaming if you're enjoying the rest of the catalogue.
Disclosure — "Magnets" (2015). Lorde guested on Disclosure's Caracal album in the gap between her first two records. It's unlike anything else in her catalogue — full dance-pop, four-to-the-floor — and one of her most enjoyable vocal performances.
Pure Heroine Extended Edition (2013). Adds four bonus tracks including "No Better" and "Million Dollar Bills." Worth knowing about even if you're buying the standard gatefold for the main record — the bonus material is genuinely strong. Mostly available on the streaming services and the original CD release.
Solar Power era B-sides. "Mood Ring (Alternate)" and an acoustic "Stoned at the Nail Salon" appeared across the Solar Power Deluxe digital release and various promo channels. Not on the standard vinyl, so completists will need to track them down digitally.
Where to start
If you're new to Lorde and you're not sure where to begin, the order most fans would recommend is Melodrama first (for the song writing and the pressing quality), Pure Heroine second (for the foundation), Virgin third (for where she's heading next), and Solar Power last (for the quieter side of her catalogue).
Lorde's music sits at the crossroads of pop and alternative — if you enjoy her work, our Pop vinyl collection and Alternative / Indie vinyl collection are both worth a browse for related artists. For a longer read on Melodrama specifically, the Pitchfork review from the album's release is a thoughtful look at why it landed when it did.
→ Shop the full Lorde vinyl collection at Viking Records
Keith runs Viking Records — a UK online vinyl shop curating new releases, deluxe pressings, and standout records across genre and era. New posts every week.
