CLASSIC Simpsons: Ultimate Ranking List
The List, From Best to Worst
Behold. Every episode from every season I’ve reviewed so far, ranked.
If you’re curious about the method used to come to these evaluations, check it out. For overviews of each individual season, here’s your directory as it develops: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…
With my season review posts, you’ll see episode scores rounded to the nearest-hundredth decimal point. Here, I’ll be rounded up to the nearest tenth. Also, don’t be annoyed— if the highest episode ends up being 9.2 (which as of now it seems like it will, BTW), I’ll throw all the episodes on a bell curve when I’m done, and that will become a ten. Or something along those lines. I welcome suggestions.
The Simpsons, as evaluated by the CLASSIC scale, from best to worst:
“Incredible” / A+
(10-9.0)
Last Exit to Springfield (S4, E17): 9.2
Marge vs. the Monorail (S4, E12): 9.1
Cape Feare (S5, E2): 9.1
Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment (S8, E18): 9.1
Rosebud (S5, E4): 9.0
You Only Move Twice (S8, E2): 9.0
22 Short Films About Springfield (S7, E22): 9.0
Homer the Great (S6, E12): 9.0
The Mysterious Voyage of Homer (S8, E9): 9.0
Homer’s Enemy (S8, E23): 9.0
Mr. Plow (S4, E7): 9.0
Lisa the Vegetarian (S7, E5): 9.0
Treehouse of Horror V (S6, E6): 9.0
The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show: (S8, E14): 9.0
Streetcar Named Marge (S4, E2): 9.0
Bart vs. Australia (S6, E16): 9.0
Homer Goes to College (S5, E3): 9.0
“Excellent” / A
(8.9-8.5)
Homer and Apu (S5, E14): 8.9
Last Temptation of Homer (S5, E9): 8.9
A Fish Called Selma (S7, E19): 8.9
Who Shot Mr. Burns [Pt. I] (S6, E25): 8.9
Homer at the Bat (S3, E17): 8.9*
Trash of the Titans (S9, E22): 8.8
King-Size Homer (S7, E7): 8.8
Lisa on Ice (S6, E8): 8.8
The Boy Who Knew Too Much (S5, E20): 8.8
Homer’s Barbershop Quartet (S5, E1): 8.8
A Milhouse Divided (S8, E6): 8.8
Girly Edition (S9, E21): 8.8
The Springfield Files (S8, E10): 8.8
Colonel Homer (S3, E20): 8.8*
PRI 0.00%↑ ngfield (S5, E10): 8.7*
Deep Space Homer (S5, E15): 8.7
Bart Carny (S9, E12): 8.7
A Star is Burns (S6, E18): 8.7
Marge on the Lam (S5, E6): 8.7
Lisa’s Sax (S9, E3): 8.7
Das Bus (S9, E14): 8.7
This Little Wiggy (S9, E18): 8.7
The Trouble With Trillions (S9, E20): 8.7
Treehouse of Horror VII (S8, E1): 8.7
Homer Loves Flanders (S5, 16): 8.7
Bart Sells His Soul (S7, E4):8.7
Lisa The Simpson (S9, E17): 8.7
Lisa’s Wedding (S6, E19): 8.7
Fear of Flying (S6, E11): 8.7
Lemon of Troy (S6, E24): 8.7
The Old Man and the Lisa (S8, E21): 8.7
The Cartridge Family (S9, E5): 8.7
New Kid on the Block (S4, E8): 8.6
The Springfield Connection (S6, E23): 8.6
Grandpa vs. Sexual Inadequacy (S6, E10): 8.6
Homer’s Phobia (S8, E15): 8.6
Simpson Tide (S9, E19): 8.6
Two Dozen and One Greyhounds (S6, E20): 8.6
Treehouse of Horror VI (S7, E6): 8.6
Marge in Chains (S4, E21): 8.5
Bart After Dark (S8, E5): 8.5
I Love Lisa (S4, E16): 8.5
Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie (S4, E6): 8.5
Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk (S3, E11): 8.5*
Homer the Heretic (S4, E3): 8.5
Itchy & Scratchy Land (S6, E4): 8.5
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield (S7, E14): 8.5
Mountain of Madness (S8, E12): 8.5
Brother From Another Series (S8, E16): 8.5
Stark Raving Dad (S3, E1): 8.5
Joy of Sect (S9, E13): 8.5
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons (S9, E7): 8.5
The Day the Violence Died (S7, E18): 8.5
Bart Gets an Elephant (S5, E17): 8.5
“Great” / A-
(8.4-8.0)
Two Bad Neighbours (S7, E13): 8.4
The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase (S8, E24): 8.4
Bart’s Comet (S6, E14): 8.4
Duffless (S4, E16): 8.4
Lisa’s Date With Density (S8, E7): 8.4
In Marge We Trust (S8, E22):8.4
Natural Born Kissers (S9, E25): 8.4
Homer Bad Man (S6, E9): 8.4
Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily (S7, E3): 8.4
Flaming Moe’s (S3, E10): 8.4
Homer’s Triple Bypass (S4, E11): 8.4
Homer the Smithers (S7, E17): 8.4
Treehouse of Horror VIII (S9, E4): 8.4
Bart on the Road (S7, E21): 8.3
Much Apu About Nothing (S7, E23): 8.3
Homie the Clown (S6, E15): 8.3
Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy (S5, E14): 8.3
Marge Be Not Proud (S7, E11): 8.3
The Twisted World of Marge Simpsons (S8, E11): 8.3
Team Homer (S7, E12): 8.3
Mother Simpson (S7, E7): 8.3
Lisa the Iconoclast (S7, E16): 8.3
Bart of Darkness (S6, E1): 8.3
Lisa’s Rival (S6, E2): 8.2
Realty Bites (S9, E9): 8.2
Seymour Skinner’s Badasssss Song (S5, E19): 8.2
PTA Disbands (S6, E21): 8.2
Who Shot Mr Burns [Pt. 2] (S7, E1): 8.2
Grade School Confidential (S8, E19): 8.2
Radioactive Man (S7, E2): 8.2
Bart the Fink (S7, E15): 8.2
The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson (S9, E1): 8.2
Bart Star (S9, E6): 8.2
Sideshow Bob Rob (S6, E5): 8.2
Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish' (S7, E22): 8.2
Homerpalooza (S7, E20): 8.2
Marge Gets a Job (S4, E9): 8.2
Treehouse of Horror (S2, E3): 8.2
Lisa’s Pony (S3, E8): 8.2*
Treehouse of Horror IV (S5, E5): 8.2
Bart Gets Famous (S5, E12): 8.2
And Maggie Makes 3 (S6, E13): 8.2
Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious (S8, E13): 8.2
My Sister, My Sitter (S8, E17): 8.2
Bart’s Friend Falls in Love (S3, E23): 8.2
Lisa the Skeptic (S9, E8): 8.1
The Last Temptation of Krust (S9, E15):8.1
Bart the Lover (S3, E11): 8.1
Krusty Gets Kancelled (S4, E22): 8.1
Whacking Day (S4, E20): 8.1
Summer of 4’2 (S7, E25): 8.1
Homer vs. Patty and Selma (S6, E17): 8.1
O Brother Where Art Thou (S2, E15): 8.1
Secrets of a Successful Marriage (S5, E22): 8.1
Separate Vocations (S3, E18): 8.1
Homer the Vigilante (S5, E11): 8.1
I Married Marge (S3, E12): 8.0
Lady Bouvier’s Lover (S5, E21): 8.0
Bart’s Girlfriend (S6, E7): 8.0
Lost Our Lisa (S9, E24): 8.0
Lisa’s First Word (S4, E10): 8.0
Hurricane Neddy (S8, E8): 8.0
Bart the Daredevil (S2, E8): 8.0
Saturdays of Thunder (S3, E9): 8.0
Dog of Death (S3, E19): 8.0
Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes? (S3, E24):8.0
Treehouse of Horror III (S4, E5): 8.0
Selma’s Choice (S4, E13): 8.0
Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood (S5, E8): 8.0
‘Round Springfield (S6, E22): 8.0
Kamp Krusty (S4, E1): 8.0
The Secret War of Lisa Simpson (S8, E25): 8.0
Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment (S2, E13): 8.0
Homer Alone (S3, E15): 8.0
Brother From the Same Planet (S4, E14): 8.0
“Very Good” / B+
(7.9-7.7)
Lisa the Beauty Queen (S4, E4): 7.9
The Crepes of Wrath (S1, E11): 7.9
Lisa Goes to Washington (S3, E2): 7.9
The Front (S4, E19): 7.9
Krusty Gets Busted (S1, E12): 7.9
Homer Defined (S3, E5): 7.9
Black Widower (S3, E21): 7.9
Lisa’s Substitute (S2, E19): 7.9*
Bart’s Dog Gets an ‘F’ (S2, E16): 7.8
When Flanders Failed (S3, E3): 7.8
Radio Bart (S3, E13): 7.8
Burns Baby Burns (S8, E4): 7.8
Bart the General (S1, E5): 7.8
Bart’s Inner Child (S5, E7): 7.8
King of the Hill (S9, E23): 7.8
The Homer They Fall (S8, E3): 7.7
Blood Feud (S2, E22): 7.7
Bart the Murderer (S3, E4): 7.7
Lisa the Greek (S3, E14): 7.7
“Good” / B
(7.6-7.3)
The Canine Mutiny (S8, E20): 7.6
Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming (S7, E9): 7.6
Principal Charming (S2, E14): 7.6
Three Men and a Comic Book (S2, E21): 7.5
Treehouse of Horror II (S3, E7): 7.5
Itchy and Scratchy and Marge (S2, E10): 7.5
Dancin’ Homer (S2, E5): 7.5
Burns’ Heir (S5, E18): 7.4
The Otto Show (S3, E22): 7.4
Like Father, Like Clown (S3, E6): 7.4
War of the Simpsons (S2, E20): 7.3
The Way We Was (S2, E12): 7.3
Moaning Lisa (S1, E6): 7.3
Dumbbell Indemnity (S9, E16): 7.3
“Pretty Good” / B-
(7.2-7.0)
Life on the Fast Lane (S1, E9): 7.1
Brush With Greatness (S2, E18): 7.1
Bart Gets an F (S2, E1): 7.1
Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish (S2, E4): 7.0
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (S1, E1): 7.0
Dead Putting Society (S2, E6): 7.0
138th Episode Spectacular (S7, E9): 7.0
One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish (S2, E11): 7.0
“Almost Good” / C+
(6.70-6.99)
The Telltale Head (S1, E8): 6.9
Old Money (S2, E17): 6.9
Miracle On Evergreen Terrace: (S9, E10): 6.9
So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show (S4, E18): 6.8
Simpson and Delilah (S2, E2): 6.8
Bart the Genius (S1, E2): 6.8
Bart Gets Hit By A Car (S2, E10): 6.8
Bart Ruins Thanksgiving (S2, E7): 6.8
Call of the Simpsons (S1, E7): 6.7
“Adequate” / C
(6.6-6.63)
Homer’s Odyssey (S1, E3): 6.6
Homer’s Night Out (S1, E10): 6.4
All Singing, All Dancing: (S9, E11): 6.3
Another Simpson’s Clip Show (S6, E3): 6.3
“Marginal” (5.9-5.7) / D+
The Principal and the Pauper (S9, E2): 5.9
“Almost Bad” (5.3-5.0) / D-
Some Enchanted Evening (S1, E13): 5.3
There’s No Disgrace Like Home: (S1, E4): 5.25