Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
Purplepash 
This is a combination of my favourite albums that I have been obsessed with at some stage and will still happily listen to at any time and recent albums that I love right now.
I have been listening to albums for over 35 years now so nostalgia plays a large part in this list but I love new fresh music as well. For a more accurate representation of my current varied musical tastes please check out my recent yearly charts.
I usually don't have a lot to say - the music does the talking, but I will endeavour to slowly add comments as time goes on.
- Chart updated: 11/21/2021 05:45
- (Created: 12/02/2016 06:18).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 34 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 84 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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"And now I'm lying here I've had too much booze
I've been shat on and spat on and raped and abused"
How can an album be so sad yet so much fun at the same time? Great traditional inspired music, meaningful lyrics, and passionate vocals. 30 years I've been loving this album for now and I'm still not sick of it. And The Band Played Waltzing Mathilda, written by a Scot, from the first person viewpoint of an Australian, sung by an Irishman, is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard that has brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions.
10/10 songs: And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda, The Old Main Drag, Dirty Old Town, and The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
I've been shat on and spat on and raped and abused"
How can an album be so sad yet so much fun at the same time? Great traditional inspired music, meaningful lyrics, and passionate vocals. 30 years I've been loving this album for now and I'm still not sick of it. And The Band Played Waltzing Mathilda, written by a Scot, from the first person viewpoint of an Australian, sung by an Irishman, is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard that has brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions.
10/10 songs: And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda, The Old Main Drag, Dirty Old Town, and The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,003
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
26
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[First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
555
Rank in 2002:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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[First added to this chart: 05/18/2017]
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[First added to this chart: 05/18/2017]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,005
Rank in 1993:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 05/16/2018]
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,361
Rank in 2018:
Rank in 2010s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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"I am slowing down
As the years go by
I am sinking
So I trick myself
Like everybody else"
I am not sure what this album would be like hearing it now for the first time but this was one of the first albums I ever owned. I am sure I got it after hearing In Between Days but before Close To Me. I had the cassette with the lyrics and I learnt every word to every song.
10/10 songs: Close To Me, A Night Like This, Screw [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
As the years go by
I am sinking
So I trick myself
Like everybody else"
I am not sure what this album would be like hearing it now for the first time but this was one of the first albums I ever owned. I am sure I got it after hearing In Between Days but before Close To Me. I had the cassette with the lyrics and I learnt every word to every song.
10/10 songs: Close To Me, A Night Like This, Screw [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,673
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Does 'fuck you' sound simple enough?"
I was in my late teens and had heard a bit of Sonic Youth but when I first Teenage Riot, and then Daydream Nation, they blew my mind.
10/10 tracks: Teenage Riot, Silver Rocket, Total Trash, Trilogy [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
I was in my late teens and had heard a bit of Sonic Youth but when I first Teenage Riot, and then Daydream Nation, they blew my mind.
10/10 tracks: Teenage Riot, Silver Rocket, Total Trash, Trilogy [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,674
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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"The beautiful ones, they hurt u everytime"
I was 15 when this album came out and it is probably the first album I became obsessed with. Looking back it probably started off my appreciation of falsettos, musical screaming, and passionate emotional vocals.
10/10 tracks: When Doves Cry, The Beautiful Ones, Purple Rain, and Let's Go Crazy. [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
I was 15 when this album came out and it is probably the first album I became obsessed with. Looking back it probably started off my appreciation of falsettos, musical screaming, and passionate emotional vocals.
10/10 tracks: When Doves Cry, The Beautiful Ones, Purple Rain, and Let's Go Crazy. [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,423
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
29. (=)
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"My big brother held on to my hands
Then he made me slap my own face
I looked up to him then, and still do
He was trying to teach me something
Now I know what it was!
Now I know what he meant!
Now I know how it is!"
A favourite at the time that I never really stopped listening to throughout the 90's. Another shared favourite of my wife and I. I love listening to her singalong to every word of Of Course. When the song you like the least on an album is of the quality of Been Caught Stealing, you know it's an amazing album.
1010 songs: Classic Girl, Of Course, Stop, Three Days. [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
Then he made me slap my own face
I looked up to him then, and still do
He was trying to teach me something
Now I know what it was!
Now I know what he meant!
Now I know how it is!"
A favourite at the time that I never really stopped listening to throughout the 90's. Another shared favourite of my wife and I. I love listening to her singalong to every word of Of Course. When the song you like the least on an album is of the quality of Been Caught Stealing, you know it's an amazing album.
1010 songs: Classic Girl, Of Course, Stop, Three Days. [First added to this chart: 03/29/2017]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,082
Rank in 1990:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"You're not alone
Just turn on with me, and you're not alone"
When you became a fan of Bowie with his Let's Dance and Never Let Me Down albums, imagine how good going back and hearing all his earlier albums was. One of my favourite artists.
10/10 songs: Ziggy Stardust, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide, Starman, Suffragette City [First added to this chart: 05/04/2017]
Just turn on with me, and you're not alone"
When you became a fan of Bowie with his Let's Dance and Never Let Me Down albums, imagine how good going back and hearing all his earlier albums was. One of my favourite artists.
10/10 songs: Ziggy Stardust, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide, Starman, Suffragette City [First added to this chart: 05/04/2017]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
50,158
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 3 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 5 | 5% | |
| 1970s | 10 | 10% | |
| 1980s | 29 | 29% | |
| 1990s | 35 | 35% | |
| 2000s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2010s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Smiths | 5 | 5% | |
| Pixies | 4 | 4% | |
| Nirvana | 4 | 4% | |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4% | |
| Sonic Youth | 3 | 3% | |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 3% | |
| Modest Mouse | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 82nd to 83rd Toxicity by System Of A Down |
| Down 1 from 83rd to 84th Hatful Of Hollow by The Smiths |
| Down 1 from 84th to 85th Without You I'm Nothing by Placebo |
| New entries |
|---|
 Around The World In A Dayby Prince And The Revolution |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Raiseby Swervedriver |
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HigherThanTheSun (2014) - Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Kettwig (2014)
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
90/100 (from 84 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 84 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
95/100  | 08/11/2023 09:11 | KineticEchoes02 | | 88/100 |
100/100 | 06/10/2023 09:06 | ThuramThugood | | 87/100 |
85/100 | 05/15/2023 14:51 |  RevolverCB72 | | 84/100 |
90/100 | 05/23/2022 12:17 |  CharlieBarley | | 94/100 |
95/100 | 02/18/2022 20:13 |  neilgee | | 94/100 |
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 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.3/100, a mean average of 90.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.3.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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90/100
From CharlieBarley 05/23/2022 12:18
CharlieBarley 05/23/2022 12:18
Great chart
Similar 80s/90s influences
Like your notes
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
Strangel 10/16/2021 09:29
Strangel 10/16/2021 09:29
Pleasantly surprised to see Jebediah (in a slightly odd way). Leading the pack for the Aussie connection. Love your write-ups. Not a fan of The Smiths so that holds me back a bit from gushing over your chart 😁.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From cronadigallina 03/08/2021 17:19
That's an awesome list with surprisingly high ranked Ought and The The. Nice to see Stiff Little Fingers or a few australian bands which I do not know. Great!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
EyeKanFly 09/10/2020 22:44
EyeKanFly 09/10/2020 22:44
Awesome chart, a little heavy on the 90s for my taste but the music you have from the 2010s (KG&tLW, Car Seat Headrest, Parquet Courts) are favorites of mine.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From BraddlesHendo 09/10/2020 11:48
This is great I really love The The Infected as well.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 05/20/2020 19:29
DommeDamian 05/20/2020 19:29
Nothing but love for your fascinating chart!
ICU digging that alternative/noisy sound. Absolute recommend you check out The Replacements and early Captain Beefheart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Purplepash 12/16/2019 10:45
Purplepash 12/16/2019 10:45
@doubleA: Thanks for the well considered recs. Sound Of Silver, and all of the LCD Soundsystem albums, are already favourites. Ege Bamyasi was great. Loved Feels and Strawberry Jam...not so much Sung Tongs. Still got to get around to Dungen and Ghost but I'm sure I will sometime.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
kynes 12/06/2019 10:31
kynes 12/06/2019 10:31
Solid, if a bit devoid of genre diversity. It's always nice to see CSH appreciated.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
Jameth 09/27/2019 18:54
Jameth 09/27/2019 18:54
I love you're chart Purple, even if it leans heavily on 80's and 90's alternative and punk. You've gone further down that path than I've been down any. You introduced me to some very good albums that might have taken me years to try, otherwise. I'll be back for more; I need to carry on with Spacemen 3, for sure.
I have to disagree with Nevermind over In Utero, though, even if that is the first CD I ever bought for myself. : P
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From LankyLen 09/26/2019 13:18
Great chart! Putting the Pixies on top is a good call!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Ever Artists | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Beatles | |
| 2. Radiohead | |
| 3. Pink Floyd | |
| 4. David Bowie | |
| 5. Bob Dylan | |
| 6. Led Zeppelin | |
| 7. The Rolling Stones | |
| 8. Arcade Fire | |
| 9. The Velvet Underground | |
| 10. Nirvana | |
| 11. Kendrick Lamar | |
| 12. Neil Young | |
| 13. The Smiths | |
| 14. Miles Davis | |
| 15. The Beach Boys | |
| 16. Kanye West | |
| 17. Pixies | |
| 18. R.E.M. | |
| 19. Jimi Hendrix | |
| 20. Bruce Springsteen |