Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by aidanstickyguin 
- Chart updated: 03/24/2020 13:15
- (Created: 06/12/2014 20:30).
- Chart size: 50 albums.
There are 14 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 50 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 23 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
Buy album 
- #Sponsored
All four of the Velvets records are superb. Some may argue that White Light/ White Heat is more of a showcase of what they were all about, away from the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, Warhol and Nico. However here they showcase both sides of their genius, the simple touching ballads like Femme Fatale and I'll Be Your Mirror, and the dirty loud distorted animal found on White Light/White Heat, on songs such as Heroin, Venus in Furs and European Son to name a few. Then to have Nico's unique vocals is a superb addition to the few songs she features on. And once again behind it all Reed's stunningly direct, observational lyrics are pure genius.
Favourite Track (so difficult but...): All Tomorrow's Parties [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Favourite Track (so difficult but...): All Tomorrow's Parties [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
45,908
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
350
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Dylan at his poetic best, as simple as that.
FT: Tangled Up in Blue [First added to this chart: 03/15/2015]
FT: Tangled Up in Blue [First added to this chart: 03/15/2015]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,469
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Some would fairly argue that Lou Reed has had many more impressive achievements than Transformer. However the quality of the songwriting, particularly the melodies, are unrivaled in his illustrious career. Top that off with a nice glam polish thanks to Ronson and Bowie, and you have one of the finest, most enjoyable records of the century. At the heart of it remains Lou Reeds honesty and genius.
Favourite Track: Walk on the Wild Side [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Favourite Track: Walk on the Wild Side [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,102
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
The best guitar album ever made in my opinion. The way that Verlaine and Lloyd play off each other is incredible. Marque Moon the title track has a solo that can send you into a trance. Whilst Verlaine was versed in jazz, blues and the Velvets, Lloyd channeled the pop-rock of the Rolling Stones and the combination works like a dream. Topped off with Verlaine's unique warbled vocals and poetic lyrics.
Favourite Track: Marque Moon [First added to this chart: 10/13/2014]
Favourite Track: Marque Moon [First added to this chart: 10/13/2014]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21,658
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Just a damn good batch of songs. Not much more can be said. That is the thing with Petty, he's just the absolute master of writing catchy rock/pop tunes, and this is his finest batch of songs.
FT: Free Fallin' [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
FT: Free Fallin' [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,451
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
The Stones' best music in my opinion was made with Mick Taylor. The superb bluesly licks that filled Sticky Fingers and others are unrivaled. However Jagger and Richards were at a songwriting peak with Let it Bleed, putting down incredibly dark and rocking tracks such as Midnight Rambler and Gimme' Shelter. Whilst they were on the road to becoming better musicians, they have never challenged the superb songs of Let it Bleed.
FT: Midnight Rambler [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
FT: Midnight Rambler [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,794
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Mike Scott like no other is able to channel the wild spirit and inspiration he gets and put it onto record. This is serviced best for him with the background of his native Celtic styled music. The meeting of fidel player Scott Wickham was crucial. After making a superb but pop orientated record, Scott embraced his roots and soared to new heights as a lyricist with superb wit it places; And a Bang on the Ear, and incredible spirituality in others; Fishermans' Blues.
FT: Fishermans' Blues [First added to this chart: 03/07/2016]
FT: Fishermans' Blues [First added to this chart: 03/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,273
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
JJ Cale created some of the best music. The chances are with his albums, if you like one of them, you'll like all of them. No one has ever quite sounded like him, as much as Clapton tries, and his unique style of guitar playing is devastatingly appealing. This is his strongest collection of songs.
FT: Magnolia [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
FT: Magnolia [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
747
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Before Ziggy reared his head, came this slightly more self conscious release. Dripping with Bowie's influences such as Dylan, The Velvet Underground and many more, Bowie dressed his best ever batch of songs with a touch of America. The main reason this is his best is there isn't a weak song right through from Changes to The Belway Brothers.
FT: Kooks [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
FT: Kooks [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21,999
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
10. (=)
Safe Mode: On Certain images on this site may contain adult content and are flagged as 'unsafe'. BestEverAlbums.com does not display these images by default, but you may choose to show or hide these images from your profile page. If you choose to hide these images, you'll see an image with a warning message instead of the actual image. If you choose to show them, you'll see these images no differently than regular (safe) images.
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Only album of this century to feature in the top 10. With such an incredible energy the Strokes were able to channel the rock music that they had grown up on and bring it into the modern world, without sounding old-fashioned, but instead super-modern. While the Strokes have released much good music, they have never come close to the rawness and genius of their debut.
FT: Soma [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
FT: Soma [First added to this chart: 06/12/2014]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
33,032
Rank in 2001:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 50. Page 1 of 5
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 10 | 20% | |
| 1970s | 26 | 52% | |
| 1980s | 9 | 18% | |
| 1990s | 3 | 6% | |
| 2000s | 2 | 4% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Lou Reed | 6 | 12% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 8% | |
| The Velvet Underground | 3 | 6% | |
| The Waterboys | 2 | 4% | |
| The Beatles | 2 | 4% | |
| J.J. Cale | 2 | 4% | |
| Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers | 2 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 9th to 8th Naturally by J.J. Cale |
| Up 1 from 7th to 6th Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 6th to 7th Fisherman's Blues by The Waterboys |
| Down 1 from 8th to 9th Hunky Dory by David Bowie |
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by lillabubben (2010)
- Top 40 Greatest Music Albums by Alexodonnell2321 (2019)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by
Mandro (2011) - Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by TariguMusic (2023)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by chriped (2011)
- Top 40 Greatest Music Albums by bsquare (2012)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by ImaDouche (2010)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by sentient (2010)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by lh182 (2022)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by
Steff3n (2013)
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums ratings
89/100 (from 23 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
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).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 23 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
95/100  | 06/13/2020 18:00 | treefingers | | 95/100 |
 100/100 | 09/03/2019 17:28 |  Rhyner | | 99/100 |
| 85/100 | 09/03/2019 10:11 |  ForegroundNoise | | 87/100 |
| 100/100 | 09/03/2019 09:59 |  DommeDamian | | 90/100 |
| 95/100 | 04/14/2018 08:14 | Ulf | | 80/100 |
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).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 6% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.6/100, a mean average of 89.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.0.
Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 2 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 14 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
85/100
From ForegroundNoise 09/03/2019 10:15
ForegroundNoise 09/03/2019 10:15
Really like the way you put forward your opinions on these albums, the detail for each entry is a nice touch!
I think maybe the only thing this chart is lacking (and partly why 50% of the entries are from the 70s) is more diversity in terms of genre; under Marquee Moon you mention Verlaine's appreciation for jazz whilst no jazz picks crack your top 50, whilst could the lack of albums from this century be possibly down to the absence of more modern forms of electronic music and hip hop? Overall a lovely chart, seems like it hasn't been touched in a while, would be very interested to see if your thoughts on it has changed!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From DommeDamian 09/03/2019 09:59
DommeDamian 09/03/2019 09:59
Not my taste, but descriptions are no exception to greatness.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Ulf 04/14/2018 08:14
Very nice chart and great comments
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
sssvnnn 11/06/2017 02:37
sssvnnn 11/06/2017 02:37
love the chart - go on.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From vancevisuals 11/05/2017 13:15
I actually listened to 33 & 1/3 the other day.
Had not listened to that album in a long time.
forgot how good is is. great pick!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
HoldenM 03/26/2017 02:00
HoldenM 03/26/2017 02:00
Huh. Would you describe yourself as... much of a Lou Reed fan, by chance?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From bluesbrew82 03/12/2017 22:21
Great chart. Love Lou Reed but maybe too much Lou for a top 50. Fisherman's Blues in the top ten is great. A beautiful album! Good job
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Lgk21 03/10/2017 03:48
Great comments and choices.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Drzozzy 02/15/2017 19:01
Any chart with Naturally in it is alright with me
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
bobbyb5 01/14/2017 15:19
bobbyb5 01/14/2017 15:19
I love Transformer and Berlin too, but why after those ones do people always choose his crapola 80s stuff and not the great Rock n Roll Heart or Sally Can't Dance? Bad reputations I guess. But its a shame.Those are good albums.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment
Your feedback for Top 50 Greatest Music Albums
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
If you enjoy our site, please consider supporting us by sparing a few seconds to disable your ad blocker.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.