Ghost albums in order: all six, plus where to start

Ghost has six studio albums. In release order: Opus Eponymous (2010), Infestissumam (2013), Meliora (2015), Prequelle (2018), Impera (2022), and Skeletá (2025). Release order follows the band's Papa storyline; if you just want the strongest starting point, most fans point new listeners to Meliora or Prequelle.

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Ghost albums in order

• Release order: Opus Eponymous (2010) → Infestissumam (2013) → Meliora (2015) → Prequelle (2018) → Impera (2022) → Skeletá (2025). Listening in release order also follows the band's storyline, since each album introduces a new frontman character. If you'd rather start with the best-regarded entry point, go with Meliora (the Grammy-era classic) or Prequelle (the most accessible).

The six studio albums

Every album is a new era with its own frontman character.

#	Album	Year	Era character	Known for
1	Opus Eponymous	2010	Papa Emeritus I	The cult debut — raw occult rock ('Ritual')
2	Infestissumam	2013	Papa Emeritus II	Bigger, campier — 'Year Zero'
3	Meliora	2015	Papa Emeritus III	The Grammy era — 'Cirice', 'He Is', 'Square Hammer' (on the Popestar EP)
4	Prequelle	2018	Cardinal Copia	The breakout — 'Rats', 'Dance Macabre'
5	Impera	2022	Papa Emeritus IV	Arena-rock era — 'Spillways', 'Mary on a Cross' went viral in this period
6	Skeletá	2025	Papa V Perpetua	First US No. 1 album — 'Satanized', 'Lachryma', 'Peacefield'

Where to start

• Start with Meliora if you want the classic. — Meliora (2015) is the critical favorite and home of 'Cirice', which won Ghost the 2016 Grammy for Best Metal Performance.
• Start with Prequelle if you want hooks. — Prequelle (2018) is the most radio-friendly — 'Rats' and 'Dance Macabre' are the easiest on-ramp for pop and classic-rock ears.
• Start with Skeletá if you want the current era. — Skeletá (2025) is where the band is now — Papa V Perpetua's era, and the album that gave Ghost their first US No. 1.
• Go release order if you care about the lore. — The Papa succession storyline runs through the albums and the band's webisodes, so Opus Eponymous → Skeletá is the canonical path.

EPs worth knowing (and the trick answers)

• 'Mary on a Cross' isn't on an album. — The viral hit is from the 2019 EP Seven Inches of Satanic Panic.
• 'Square Hammer' isn't either. — It's on the 2016 Popestar EP, released just after Meliora.
• There's also a covers EP. — If You Have Ghost (2013) collects covers including 'If You Have Ghosts' (Roky Erickson).

Bottom line

Six albums, six eras: Opus Eponymous, Infestissumam, Meliora, Prequelle, Impera, Skeletá. Release order tells the story; Meliora or Prequelle is the friendliest first listen; and the two songs everyone asks about — 'Mary on a Cross' and 'Square Hammer' — live on EPs, not albums.

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