Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by NickVolos

There is so much great music, it is impossible to fit it all in a 100-entry chart.

Not only that, but it is also impossible to rank your favorite 100 records too - they are your best 100 albums after all.

This is an attempt to chart my taste in strictly rock 'n' roll music as it stands today after 35+ years of actively listening to it. In this attempt I was "forced" to leave out many of my favorites in order to:

1) List one album per artist,
2) "Promote" less known but equably great (to me) albums, and
3) Produce a chart that is equally distributed from the 60's to 10's.

In the process I am using a simple ranking algorithm, for which I posted about, because I still believe that if an album has many great songs, well, that makes it a great album.

There are 61 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 84 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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Rank Score: 94.55% [First added to this chart: 10/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,268
Rank in 1967:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Rank Score: 94.44% [First added to this chart: 10/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
71,836
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The opener "Poor Old Man" is an inspired leadoff track that features a strong west coast influence, both Love & The Doors immediately come to mind, it sports a killer bass riff along with loose, John Densmore style percussion and a myriad of psychedelic effects, about midway in, the whole piece breaks down and singer Jack Bryant does this totally off the wall jazz type scat vocal that completely derails the song, luckily it doesn't last long as the group leap back into the opening riff and it's back to the races. "A Horn Playing On My Thin Wall" is next and it is a dead ringer for "Da Capo" era Love (both "Orange Skies" & "Que Vida"), this track becomes better as it rolls along, it ends with a rush of great harmony vocals. "Something You Can Hide In" is full tilt psychedelia that features every psychedelic trick in the book with fabulous results, this number reminds me a great deal of Love's underrated "Four Sail" album.

"Tell You A Story" is a brief interlude that features an out of tune acoustic guitar with a nursery rhyme type vocal, and it works like a charm. Coming next is "Silent Garden" which displays a British influence along the lines of late period Zombies and the UK Kaleidoscope. "Look To The Sun" is largely a solo acoustic outing by singer Jack Bryant, this one reminds me a great deal of the archive releases by Love guitarist Bryan MacLean "Ifyoubelievein" & "Candy's Waltz." The next number "One Of The Few Ones Left" is a beautiful melodic ballad with strings that brings to mind the Left Banke's second album "Left Banke Too."

"I Really Love My Mother" is a short, jokey novelty type number that blends the style of The Kinks with USA groups The Sopwith Camel & Lovin' Spoonful. "Look At The Wind" is once again in the Love "Four Sail" bag, this is one of the record's real highlights, everything comes together in beautiful fashion, the guitar work and drumming are fantastic, the keyboards are also exceptional. "Didn't I" is a sad, acoustic ballad that recalls a superb west coast group The Common People, it even reminds me of contemporary singer/songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. (http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1714/)

Rank Score: 94.38%
[First added to this chart: 11/01/2013]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
232
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Average Rating:
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Buy album United States
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The dirty secret behind the vast majority of Lost! Unheard! Masterpieces! is that the back story is almost always far more interesting than the music itself. Certainly that would appear to be the case with Bobb Trimble, an almost unknown singer/songwriter from blue-collar Worcester, MA, whose two albums' worth of surreal acid folk could not have been more out of step with their new wave times. Iron Curtain Innocence was originally released in a tiny vinyl pressing of between 300 and 500 copies and featured a disquieting cover image of the moon-faced Trimble sitting in front of a Sears Portrait Studio-style class photo backdrop, blankly holding both a guitar and a submachine gun, and everything about the album has an air of "that boy ain't right." Another major part of the Trimble legend -- that his live backing group, the Kidds, had an average age somewhere south of adolescence and was broken up by suspicious parents who didn't like this weird guy hanging around their children -- gives rise to darker mutterings and unsupported conjectures that have little to do with the music, and that's what it really boils down to: obscurantist cult records almost never have anything to do with the music, which almost invariably turns out to be considerably less interesting when listened to on its own merits.
Almost, that is. Because as it turns out, Iron Curtain Innocence turns out to be a really good piece of lo-fi psychedelia. In particular, the outstanding first three tracks, "Glass Menagerie Fantasies," "Night at the Asylum," and "When the Raven Calls," are an increasingly disturbing trilogy blending the druggy atmosphere of Pink Floyd's first few post-Syd Barrett albums, the gentle acoustic side of late-era Beatles, and some lo-fi synthesizers and tape loops, culminating in the disquieting climax of the epic "When the Raven Calls." Though the rest of the brief album doesn't quite live up to its outstanding first half, "Killed at the Hands of an Unknown Rock Starr" features some fine space rock guitar noodling and one of the helium-pitched Trimble's most assertive lead vocals, and "Through My Eyes (Hopeless as Hell: D.O.A.)" makes good use of backwards tapes and hand percussion. (allmusic)

Rank Score: 94.38%
[First added to this chart: 04/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
126
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This group started as one of those early 70's folk rock prog groups along with Barrock, Ougenweide, Wittheuser & Westrupp (a guest on this album) etc. and produced one of the best and most stunning folk prog album ever, then disappeared for a while due to their label bankruptcy, before resurfacing as a symphonic prog band and a slightly differently-spelled name. Named after the poet, (there is another German group who did this with Novalis), the least we can say is that this album is pure poetry
This absolutely delightful record is an incredibly successful mix of medieval ambiances, stunning 60's folk rock, slight Indian music influences, the whole thing sprinkled with a tad of hippy idealism and great progressive arrangements including the odd Mellotron. From the opening Waren Wir to the closing Traum (dream), the album is invitation fly out of our realm and head for Nirvana, paradise, Eden, Babylon, with flaunts of flutes, loads of Hamonds, Trons of Mello, guitars strings by the dozens and superb vocals both male and female. If you cannot find a suitable album to get comfy and shag the partner, try this one and do not forget to put the repeat (the album is fairly short), and the trick is half-done. To name a highlight would be quite difficult, as you'd be doing injustice to the other non-mentioned tracks. Not a weak note on this album. Nanny de Ruyg's voice is right up with the cannons of the genre and the German lyrics are simply heavenly music for the mind. (progarchives)

Rank Score: 94.29%
[First added to this chart: 01/20/2014]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
161
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Comments:
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Hoodoo Man Blues is one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s, and one of the first to fully document, in the superior acoustics of a recording studio, the smoky ambience of a night at a West Side nightspot. Junior Wells just set up with his usual cohorts -- guitarist Buddy Guy, bassist Jack Myers, and drummer Billy Warren -- and proceeded to blow up a storm, bringing an immediacy to "Snatch It Back and Hold It," "You Don't Love Me, Baby," "Chitlins con Carne," and the rest of the tracks that is absolutely mesmerizing. Widely regarded as one of Wells' finest achievements, it also became Delmark's best-selling release of all time. Producer Bob Koester vividly captures the type of grit that Wells brought to the stage. When Wells and his colleagues dig into "Good Morning, Schoolgirl," "Yonder Wall," or "We're Ready," they sound raw, gutsy, and uninhibited. And while Guy leaves the singing to Wells, he really shines on guitar. Guy, it should be noted, was listed as "Friendly Chap" on Delmark's original LP version of Hoodoo Man Blues; Delmark thought Guy was under contract to Chess, so they gave him a pseudonym. But by the early '70s, Guy's real name was being listed on pressings. This is essential listening for lovers of electric Chicago blues. (allmusic.com)

Rank Score: 94.17%
[First added to this chart: 05/24/2014]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
464
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Rank Score: 94.00% [First added to this chart: 11/24/2013]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
51,533
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Of all the many albums heralding the arrival of roots, and driving it to ascendency in the Jamaican and international reggae market, few were as uncompromising in vision as Ras Michael's Dadawah -- Peace & Love. The singing drummer had led aggregations of devout Rastafarian musicians for nearly a decade, releasing grounation flavored, nyahbinghi driven records on his own Zion Disc label. Dadawa now brought Ras Michael together with veteran studio hands -- bassist Lloyd Parks, drummer Paul Williams, guitarist Willie Lindo, and pianist/organist Lloyd Charmers, who trebled as producer. The resulting album was a work of faith, but equally it was a leap of faith for the singles orientated Trojan label, whose full-length records had previously tended towards hits round-ups. Dadawa, in contrast, spread a mere four tracks across two sides of vinyl, and while certainly accessible to a wider audience, it was never going to appeal to pop fans. Although not a concept album in the strict sense of the term, it thematically evokes the Biblical final days. "Run Come Rally" calls together the world's righteous in preparation for the upcoming battle with evil. Having gathered together the brethren from "Seventy Two Nations," all bow before Jah in a celebration of His greatness, then give voice to their desire to return to "Zion Land." The set concludes with "Know How You Stand"'s call for freedom, and with it the ability to fulfill Jah's plan. The extraordinary power of the set's themes is echoed by the equally phenomenal backings, all conjuring up the most haunting of atmospheres. While the hand drums give the album a grounation feel, Parks and Williams simultaneously ground the numbers deep in roots. Intriguingly, though, there's no reggae guitar, just Lindo's sublime riffs and licks that flick into the rock realm, while constantly sliding back into blues. Charmers' piano and organ occasionally take over the reggae guitar role, but mostly his keys intertwine around Lindo's leads, accentuating melodies, scattering elegant flourishes here and there, and subtly building up the atmospheres. Even during the most elongated tracks, there's no sense of repetition or self-indulgent meanderings, every note and bar furthers the musical and thematic journey. Charmers' production is superb, the musicians inspired, and Ras Michael's power undeniable. An astounding album that's lost none of its potency over the years. (allmusic)

Rank Score: 93.75%
[First added to this chart: 07/06/2014]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
294
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Comments:
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Rank Score: 93.75% [First added to this chart: 10/07/2013]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,676
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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For those who have not heard this masterpiece of prog literature you have missed out. "Remember The Future" is built around 2 epic space tracks as NEKTAR take you into a new world. Vocal harmonies and medleys are in particular strong here and are well built into the songs. I love both part 1 and part 2 and only wish there was a second album as this is just too perfect to stop really! Some folks have made noise about the poor sound quality on this CD transfer, but it sounds just fine to me and offers very good sound reproduction. NEKTAR's musicianship is once again very high on this release and the guitar and bass playing is very memorable. (progarchives)

This is the all time winner of the NEKTAR studio releases and should have a high rated position in every prog rock collection. 'Remember the future' is a concept album about an alien called Bluebird who comes to mother earth. The production is brillant because it rrrrocks, has also psychedelic and jamming parts. And it never gets monotonous because it has a complex well organized structure. Albrightons guitar is not so dominant as in other NEKTAR productions and therefore the keyboard (Hammond) gets a better role. (progarchives)

Rank Score: 93.75%
[First added to this chart: 11/03/2013]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
352
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade Albums %


1930s 0 0%
1940s 0 0%
1950s 0 0%
1960s 20 20%
1970s 20 20%
1980s 18 18%
1990s 20 20%
2000s 18 18%
2010s 4 4%
2020s 0 0%
Artist Albums %


King Crimson 1 1%
Slowdive 1 1%
Marvin Gaye 1 1%
Bloc Party 1 1%
Bobb Trimble 1 1%
The Music Emporium 1 1%
Wipers 1 1%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 59 59%
United Kingdom 25 25%
Canada 5 5%
Mixed Nationality 3 3%
Germany 3 3%
Australia 2 2%
Iceland 1 1%
Show all

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest fallers
Faller Down 1 from 72nd to 73rd
On The Beach
by Neil Young
Faller Down 1 from 73rd to 74th
Phantasmagoria
by Curved Air
Faller Down 1 from 74th to 75th
Perfect From Now On
by Built To Spill

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
91/100 (from 84 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
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n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
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01/27/2022 11:42 IlMala  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 17795/100
 
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09/11/2021 17:10 DommeDamian  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 97090/100
 
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02/17/2021 05:43 pjohnsongolf  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 27389/100
 
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05/19/2020 01:33 HotZappsBoogaloo  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 7981/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
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This chart is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 91.4/100, a mean average of 92.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.0/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.3.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

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Rating:  
90/100
From 01/06/2021 11:26
Nice chart.

Do you like nothing from the 50s?
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 04/18/2020 11:08
Wow! This can be the most interesting chart on this site. Thanks for sharing it.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 06/24/2019 14:20
Great Job! Very diverse chart!
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Rating:  
100/100
From 06/02/2019 08:45
Awesome chart for people like me who like to expand their music horizon. Great great work!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 10/12/2018 12:58
Never heard of a lot of these artists, must take a look
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Rating:  
90/100
From 04/03/2018 21:01
Listen this is one of a number of impressive charts from you. You really have been putting the effort and listening in. Whereas I don't recognise many of the artists, let alone the albums, I am intrigued about many of your choices. More comments please against your choices.
I've only been getting into this over the last two years having switched off since the early 90s.
I only have 6 albums or your albums in my top 100 for now. I saw the Verve in there and agree it is a cracking album but surprised it scored so highly. I also got your number 1 by Love to listen to just last year and it is infectious. The bit in Red Telephone when he voices over with "We're all normal and we want our freedom" could be a parody from Flight of the Conchords ("New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo")
Also like your thought process behind this top 100 and I'll come back and review my rating after I've tested out a few of your choices, but you are doing great work here and making it easier for guys like me trying to catch up
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Rating:  
75/100
From 07/19/2017 21:17
Bobb Trimble. Never heard of before. Thanks for that.
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Rating:  
95/100
From 05/23/2017 14:56
Extremely interesting, try Rush if you like classic rock and prog and also Godspeed You Black Emperor and Iron Maiden. They're both crucial bands in their respective genres, and neither of these genres is represented here so you might be interested in them :)
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Rating:  
90/100
From 08/15/2015 01:11
Very nice chart man, take a look at mines.
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Rating:  
100/100
From 08/04/2015 21:05
oh this is a thing of beauty - a wonderful chart that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading! Lovely! :)
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Best Artists of the 1980s
1. The Smiths
2. Prince
3. Pixies
4. The Cure
5. Talking Heads
6. U2
7. Metallica
8. Kate Bush
9. R.E.M.
10. The Stone Roses
11. Sonic Youth
12. Michael Jackson
13. Bruce Springsteen
14. Tom Waits
15. Iron Maiden
16. Prince And The Revolution
17. Joy Division
18. New Order
19. Talk Talk
20. Rush
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