Every Season of ‘American Horror Story’, Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes

American Horror Story revolutionized what was possible in the world of TV horror. Before AHS, horror was mainly considered a genre fit for the big and not the small screen due to its reliance on building and releasing tension. Maintaining that tension with an episodic structure is hard, but Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk cracked the code.

Everyone has their favorite season of AHS, thanks to its season-long anthology format and its rotating troupe of iconic actors, including the likes of Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, and Angela Bassett. It’s undeniable that American Horror Story has claimed a place in pop culture history as one of the defining shows of the modern TV era.

11

‘American Horror Story: Hotel’

Season 5 (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%

Hotel is a good season, but for the most part, it’s by the book AHS. The most memorable part of the season is the presence of singer-turned-actor Lady Gaga in her first lead performance. American Horror Story is already a very LGBTQ+ friendly show, but featuring the ultimate gay icon took the show to a whole new level. There’s a reason her role as The Countess won Gaga her first acting award at the 2016 Golden Globes.

Set at the Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles – loosely inspired by the real-life Cecil Hotel – the season revolves around Gaga’s Countess. It centers around a murder investigation that brings to light a decades-long history of violence and murder at the Cortez. With twists and turns and plenty of spooky moments, AHS: Hotel may be the lowest-rated season, but it’s still a hell of a good time.

10

‘American Horror Story: NYC’

Season 11 (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%

The latest entry into the AHS lore stars two newcomers to the franchise – Joe Mantello and Russell Tovey – and some familiar faces not seen in years – Zachary Quinto, Patti LuPone, and Denis O’Hare. As the title suggests, AHS uses 1980s New York as the setting to explore the complicated and eclectic culture at a pivotal time for the LGBTQ+ community.

Although AHS has always been overt about its camp and LGBTQ+ sensibilities, NYC revolves entirely around the community. It thrives on its sociocultural issues, using erotica and taboo subjects to explore deeper issues of identity, nostalgia, and unrest. NYC is salacious and uncompromising, AHS at its most daring and challenging. The result is a season that takes the horror out of the story, but not the American. As thought-provoking as it’s provocative, NYC is the most interesting NYC has been in ages.

9

‘American Horror Story: Murder House’

Season 1 (2011)

Image via FX

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72%

Murder House started it all. The concept for the inaugural season has proven so popular that it has returned on numerous occasions, including the franchise’s spin-off, American Horror Stories, and within the main show’s ongoing narrative.

The season takes place in a suburban house in Los Angeles that has been home to many murders throughout history. The twist is that the people who died in the house can never leave. They’re forced to haunt the house for the rest of their afterlives. When a new family moves in, their relationships are tested by the presence of vindictive spirits. Every part of this season lives forever in the minds of AHS fans.

8

‘American Horror Story: Cult’

Season 7 (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

With several seasons that are period pieces, American Horror Story has never really strived to capture the modern world; the major exception is Cult. The season is a direct response to the 2016 election, specifically the chaos Donald Trump has brought to the American political culture.

The season follows two primary characters, Ally and Kai. Ally, in one of Sarah Paulson’s best AHS performances, collapses after Trump’s victory, becoming paranoid and fearful. On the contrary, Kai, played by a never-better Evan Peters, becomes empowered by Trump and follows in his footsteps by starting a cult of murderous clowns. The season will ruffle some feathers depending on the audiences’ political beliefs, but its effectiveness is indisputable.

7

‘American Horror Story: Roanoke’

Season 6 (2016)

Image via FX Studios.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%

Roanoke was a weird season. In this season, AHS adapted quite a few different formats to look at how tragedy becomes myth and myth becomes entertainment. The polarizing shifts in tone and format could be a lot, but it made for a truly unforgettable season.

Roanoke began as a take on I Survived… style documentary shows on the Discovery Channel called My Roanoke Nightmare. It featured characters explaining their horrific supernatural experience in North Carolina and then re-enactments of their story played by a second set of actors. Then, halfway through, the show shifts to a found footage style, as characters attempt to film a sequel to the original documentary, only to be haunted by the evil spirits of the Roanoke colony.

6

‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’

Season 4 (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%

Freak Show is the most AHS season of AHS. It has the core actors playing a bunch of carnival freaks, tragic backstories, ghosts, and even a few musical numbers. It also features Jessica Lange in one of her best AHS roles, Elsa Mars, the leader of a carnival of misfits who dreams of being a star.

The season takes place in Florida during the 1950s and follows the residents of one of the nation’s last freak shows as they struggle to survive in the changing world. The characters are some of the most lovable of the franchise, real underdogs audiences will want to root for. It also features some of the show’s most horrifying sequences, mainly thanks to the iconic Twisty The Clown.

5

‘American Horror Story: Apocalypse’

Season 8 (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%

Apocalypse stands out in the franchise because it’s the first time a season of the show continued the story from a previous season. Apocalypse is the sequel/crossover to Murder House, Coven and Hotel. It’s so different from any other season that it didn’t even qualify for the Limited Series category at the Emmys and instead had to submit as a Drama Series.

After the events of previous seasons, the antichrist has been born, and the apocalypse begins. After a nuclear attack, the world has changed, and it’s more horrific than ever. There are witches, psychopaths, and demons; it’s a lot, especially for franchise newcomers. While it may not be the best season for new viewers, it’s a celebration of American Horror Story, perfect for the hardcore fan.

4

‘American Horror Story: Double Feature’

Season 10 (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Double Feature has double everything. Double the locations, double the twists, double the horror. The season tells two stories: Red Tide and Death Valley; one takes place by the sea, the other on land. What’s interesting about the season is how the two stories thematically interact.

Red Tide centers on a writer and his family as they move to a small beach town for the winter. Once there, the townspeople begin to show their true, horrifying nature. It feels like a story Stephen King would write. Death Valley tells the story of a group of college students on a camping trip who get caught up in a conspiracy beyond their wildest nightmares. Both stories are about people going somewhere in hope, only to regret their choices. Double Feature was a risk, but it definitely paid off.

3

‘American Horror Story: Asylum’

Season 2 (2012)

Image via FX Studios.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

Asylum was the first time the anthology aspect of American Horror Story was put to the test. After the success of Murder House, the show revamped itself for season two, telling a completely different story. Thankfully, it more than lived up to the expectations of the first season.

Set in the 1960s, Asylum follows the residents of Briarcliff Manor, a mental institution run by people who would rather keep their secrets than help those in need. The story kicks off when a reporter is forcibly instituted for being a lesbian after trying to write an exposé. She then gets a front-row seat to the demented horrors of this place, which has been the death of many people. Asylum is where AHS came into form, featuring Jessica Lange’s best performance in AHS and a storyline so ballsy that the show has never topped.

2

‘American Horror Story: Coven’

Season 3 (2013)

Image via FX Studios.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

Early seasons of AHS are a brilliant showcase for its veteran actors, and Coven is the best example. This season is many fans’ favorite because of this very reason. The world and culture of witches and American Horror Story is a match made in horror Heaven.

One of the best seasons of American Horror Story, Coven explores the history of a coven of witches living in New Orleans, primarily in 2013, but features flashbacks as far back as the Salem Witch Trials. Coven has one of the best casts of the entire series, featuring the likes of AHS mainstays Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Taissa Farmiga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, and Emma Roberts. This is one of the ultimate AHS seasons and a delight for any fan, new or old.

1

‘American Horror Story: 1984’

Season 9 (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

One thing that’s impressive about American Horror Story is that, for a show that has helped define modern horror, it never falls into the traditional horror tropes and sub-genres fans often see. It normally carves its own path in the horror genre, but 1984 is the big exception. 1984 is the best American Horror Story season and an homage to the beloved world of 1980s slasher movies, particularly Friday The 13th.

Set in the summer of 1984, the show deals with five friends working as counselors at Camp Redwood. However, when the camp becomes the hunting ground for two serial killers, including the real-life Night Stalker Richard Ramirez, their summer vacation becomes a nightmare. This season is one of the most fun AHS has ever made, leaning hard into the campy tropes the slasher genre and the 1980s are known for.

NEXT: American Horror Story Actors, Ranked By How Many Stories They’ve Done