Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by mianfei 
This is a rough guide to the 100 greatest albums I have listened to.
Two albums only per artist – with artists related by personnel counted as one – and with the classical recordings one recording per composition.
Especially the lower-ranked albums on the list will be subject to revision as I have a very large backlog of recordings to listen (and re-listen) to.
- Chart updated: 11/21/2023 12:15
- (Created: 05/13/2019 10:35).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 22 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 86 out of 100 (from 42 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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A remarkable case of an artist rediscovering herself, and at the same time the most remarkable look at modern urban life since Nyro’s ‘Tendaberry’, ‘Aviary’ stands as the most seamless synthesis of dream electronics and dance rhythms. Whereas on her previous two albums Holter had moved towards a more mainstream sound, ‘Aviary’ sees her surpass the dense electronic dance-scapes of ‘Ekstasis’ with much greater tonal variety from the post-funk choral soundscapes of opener ‘Turn the Light On’ to the unaccompanied yet beautiful bagpipes of ‘Every Day Is an Emergency’ to the locked orchestral groove of ‘Whether’. The eight-minute chant of ‘Chatius’, the Sapphic lyrics of ‘I Would Rather See’ and the Eastern ‘Kyema Mimin’ adaptation ‘Why Sad Song’ add the the mysterious sense of depression amidst unity that no other album has matched.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,361
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17
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For one-off albums, this is simultaneously both the (nearly) most famous, most difficult and most rewarding. I recall as a first-year university student finding no content in ‘Miss America’ during a first-up listen, yet when I listened again a second time seven years later it dawned on me that this is a remarkable work of vocal gymnastics from a woman as crazy as her vocal tones. ‘Miss America’ is so raw it cannot qualify as “folk” or even “anti-folk” but this adds to the tension that never lets go over the whole record. ‘Year in Song’ with its crescendos repeating “joy” and “blow you up” manages the amazing feat of being the nastiest confession and most virtuosic vocal performance ever, and the whole record surpasses even Patti Smith as a shamanic invocation to love. Yet on ‘Body’s in Trouble’, ‘When You Know Why You’re Happy’ and the sublime ‘Anew Day’, O'Hara shows that behind the craziness there was real compassion and love. Absolutely essential after fifteen and after thirty years.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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George Clinton’s magnum opus, and the finest work of studio jamming, this album was the last before soul music began to splinter into rap and pop/soul, and its essential artiness would be carried on only by New Wave artists like Talking Heads and Rip, Rig + Panic – none of whom ever made a record this good. On ‘Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome’, Clinton tightens up the often aimless jamming of early Funkadelic albums into a record that is simultaneously a call to arms and a nightmarish child dream. ‘Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk’ epitomises these feats to produce one of the great epics of the seventies alongside ‘Riders on the Storm’, ‘Birdland’, ‘Mother Russia’, ‘Song for Sharon’, ‘Future Days’ and ‘Kitty’s Back’ – and harsher than any of those. The second side is equally despairing yet wistful, like an affectionate lament to a lost past freedom.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
565
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Long misunderstood, this album more than established Laura’s greatness, but showed her to be much more far-sighted than anyone else – even biographer Michele Kort – realised at the time. Whereas ‘New York Tendaberry’ had been full of odd catchy dynamics that pushed it into the Billboard Top 40, ‘Christmas and the Beads of Sweat’ released a year later was a completely counter-trend turn towards soft textures that no one else was creating at the time. The joyful tone of the first three songs gives way to something scary and inaccessible for the rest of the record – apart from her cover of ‘Up on the Roof’. ‘Been on a Train’ and ‘Christmas in My Soul’ show the hidden side of the 1960s dream like nothing else, and the Native American mystical rites described on ‘Beads of Sweat’ are equally dark. The actual sound of 4AD is closer to this album than it is ‘Future Days’ – play this with synthesisers and you have the Cocteau Twins; play it with electric guitars and you have My Bloody Valentine. A record much more formative, deep, and beautiful than most critics realise, ‘Christmas and the Beads of Sweat’ is an album that truly rewards the patient like few others.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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The purest example of a traditional art, Anne Briggs’ a capella singing on ‘A Collection’ reveals a genuine bard(ess) at her most touching. Whilst folk singing and the songs here have been around for centuries, the way in which Anne Briggs places her person in the form of her jazzy voice into these traditional songs is something everybody should hear. The simple beauty of ‘The Doffing Mistress’, ‘Lowlands’, ‘The Whirly Whorl’ and ‘The Stonecutter Boy’ goes to the deepest roots of English culture. Then in the second half – recorded eight years after Anne’s first A.L. Lloyd-inspired recordings – there is ‘Living by the Water’ the most beautiful and simplest statement of profound solitude in nature ever put into song, and the equally beautiful and simple traditional songs ‘The Snow It Melts the Soonest’ and ‘Thorneymoor Woods’ which evoke a lost beauty that modernity cannot quench the desire for.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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A male Nico, or male Laura Nyro? The first post-rock record, inasmuch as it was the first to play rock without (prominent) guitars or synthesisers? Either way, Van der Graaf Generator stripped back the instrumental bounds and made possible the post-rock experimentation of the 1990s and 2000s. The preceding ‘The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other’ had hinted at their capacities, but it was on ‘H to He Who Am the Only One’ that Hugh Banton’s organ, Dave Jackson’s expansive saxophone and Guy Evans’ drums provided a pulse that surpasses the electric guitar men of the era, whilst Hamill’s lyrics tackled dark depths of the sea seldom described, and remote reaches of space equally rarely expressed so well. The horrors of ‘Killer’ and the fantasy of ‘Pioneers Over C’ are particular highlights of a unique record.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
576
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Speaking of the instrumental bounds of rock, this album is the greatest example of jazz influences being synthesised into pure pop, besides being the rare example of funny and truly literate lyricism. On ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’ the Dan streamlined their sound from their debut masterpiece ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’ and in doing so created their rockiest and most brilliant work. Whereas most satire is silly or an invitation to condone what is supposedly satirised, on ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’ Fagen and Becker unmask the low-lifes of Nixon-era America to remarkable effect on ‘Show Biz Kids’, ‘Razor Boy’, ‘The Boston Rag’ and ‘Your Gold Teeth’. The dark depiction of poverty on ‘Show Biz Kids’ with its ominous background chant “you go to Los Wages” reveals more about American poverty than any punk or metal band. Then, ‘King of the World’ is history’s greatest apocalyptic song, while ‘Bodhisattva’ and ‘My Old School’ – both lyrically and musically – prophesy with eerie yet personal effect the future cultural “salad bowl”. Undeniably essential.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,240
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The greatest punk album of all time. Whereas most punk “thugs” (as Robert Palmer called them) were simply childish ranters playing tuneless and unlistenable noise, Jeffrey Lee Pierce was able to expose the depths of the depraved with a frankness and bluntness beyond Nyro, Fagen or even Hamill. The cries for redemption surpass anything in the gospel field and are only beaten by ‘Ascension Day’, and ‘Preaching the Blues’, ‘Sex Beat’ ‘Fire Spirit’ and ‘Cool Drink of Water’ return to rock’s deepest blues and gospel roots yet far surpasses them in ferocity. Unsurpassed as a revelation from a “tortured soul”.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,882
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Speaking of “tortured souls”, Kristin Hersh’s bipolarity is quintessential and this debut Throwing Muses release stands as the most technically virtuosic performance by any female rocker. The first American band signed by Ivo Watts-Russell’s 4AD label, Throwing Muses were thought of as hardcore punk influence yet the rapidly shifting tempos and time signatures of Hersh’s songs here are much more challenging and complex than most progressive rock. The way ‘Hate My Way’’s hellish visions become sweet melodies is remarkable, and ‘Vicky’s Box’ is unequalled as a horror tale of being imprisoned alone – yet finding joy. Even on the less violent ‘Rabbit’s Dying’, ‘Soul Soldier’ and ‘Delicate Cutters’, Hersh expresses complex emotions in tight songs – credit going to the underrated rhythm section of Lesley Langston and Dave Narcizo. As the sound of a soul “touched with fire”, this has never been beaten.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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A landmark like no other in 1960s rock, what makes ‘The Doors’ so outstanding is that – unlike others like the Velvets, the Beatles or even Hendrix – no one has coming close to emulating this sound. ‘Break on Through (to the Other Side‘ has more claims to the title of “first punk song” than anything on ‘The Velvet Underground and Nico’, and the band even surpasses this on the electrified blues of ‘Back Door Man’ and ‘Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)’. Then, there is the inimitable organ epic of ‘Light My Fire’, and the creepy, goth depths of ‘Twentieth Century Fox’ and ‘Soul Kitchen’ that expand the sound of “rock” in a manner no other band was doing in 1966 (when these songs were recorded). A vision of darkness within the sunshine of Los Angeles that was to be a template expanded on in some ways, but never, ever copied, ‘The Doors’ is essential like no other “canonical” Sixties rock album.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29,199
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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 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1970s | 31 | 31% | |
| 1980s | 16 | 16% | |
| 1990s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2000s | 10 | 10% | |
| 2010s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2020s | 1 | 1% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic | 2 | 2% | |
| Julia Holter | 2 | 2% | |
| Roxy Music | 2 | 2% | |
| Joanna Newsom | 2 | 2% | |
| Laura Nyro | 2 | 2% | |
| Van Morrison | 2 | 2% | |
| Steely Dan | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
53 | 53% | |
 |
28 | 28% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 8 from 56th to 48th La Grande Folie by San Salvador |
| Up 2 from 96th to 94th Ekstasis by Julia Holter |
| Up 1 from 76th to 75th Music Of My Mind by Stevie Wonder |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 8 from 75th to 83rd The Power Of The True Love Knot by Shirley Collins |
| Down 5 from 90th to 95th Magnetic Flip by Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic |
| Down 2 from 74th to 76th This Is My Letter To The World by Sarah June |
| New entries |
|---|
 Faultlineby Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Livoniaby His Name Is Alive |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
86/100 (from 42 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 42 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100/100  | 01/14/2024 06:23 | shanelovesyou111 | | 82/100 |
 100/100 | 10/25/2023 17:49 |  sageamagoo | | 92/100 |
| 100/100 | 03/25/2023 12:27 |  LedZep | | 84/100 |
| 95/100 | 03/25/2023 11:40 | zrommeke | | 83/100 |
| 85/100 | 03/25/2023 11:09 |  Tamthebam | | 85/100 |
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 has a Bayesian average rating of 86.2/100, a mean average of 84.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.2/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 20.4.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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100/100
From sageamagoo 01/15/2024 19:59
sageamagoo 01/15/2024 19:59
Hejira blew my mind, clearly a landmark work of fusion and poetry! This is exactly the kind of music I've spent my life searching for. Hearing the essential contributions women have made to music could not be more important to me, and your chart is full of exactly that.
Not hard to tell when someone's true passion lies in exploring the depths of this world's music. Your chart is learned with a lifetime of research and I will happily reference it for my own pursuits.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From zrommeke 03/25/2023 11:41
Impressive, interesting, inspiring!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From uphill 01/05/2023 15:26
Laika, Linda Perhacs, Joanna Newsom... lots of stuff that i would also rate high...
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
70/100
From Santiago 08/26/2021 04:57
I have discovered some artists that seem interesting and I am looking forward to listen to their records. On the other hand there are some artists that I know, but I think they are just OK and not good enough to be considered for the top positions of a "Greatest Music Album" chart. Thanks for posting this chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From Moondance 07/06/2021 00:28
A thought provoking chart and your commentary on the first 50 albums reveals the deepest reflection in your music journey and should be applauded. I was a little disappointed not to see a single Australian artist/album make the top 100 grade.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
seb7 07/05/2021 21:34
seb7 07/05/2021 21:34
Not my picks, but a diverse chart nonetheless. Love seeing Hejira getting love.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 07/05/2021 21:23
DommeDamian 07/05/2021 21:23
Oh my god this is great work buddy!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Johnnyo 07/05/2021 15:54
Really nice and unique chart. I like it a lot
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
ExTeaSea 03/27/2021 15:22
ExTeaSea 03/27/2021 15:22
Quite the original chart, love that. I'll definitely check out Annette Peacock, thanks for the suggestion. Tons of other artists on here I need to check out as well. Laika are underappreciated, own all their albums.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
KitchenSink 02/10/2021 23:07
KitchenSink 02/10/2021 23:07
thanks for checking out the chart. appreciate the criticism. regarding notes, I fully agree and I've been planning on adding proper notes for ages (and I regard the chart as inherently incomplete until I've done so, just haven't gotten around to it yet). Hopefully I'll adequately clarify some stuff about those various artists albums when I do write notes, because while I understand your concerns there I do think with a little context it'll be clear that the "various artist" designation for most of them is really only a matter of technicality and doesn't really reflect the music contained therein or how it was assembled. Will be sure to make some post in the chart talk thread once I've finally thrown some notes up there, fingers crossed I can bring myself to finally sit down and do that before too long
re: Messiaen, I am very familiar with Carl-Axel Dominique's interpretations, and quite like what he does with the pieces. Would probably put him on par with Austbø and maybe Loriod's original 50s recording of the Catalogue for Vega, although my personal holy grail of Messiaen's bird music remains Loriod's 70s recording for Erato. That said I still need to listen to Kim's, as I've heard nothing but immensely high praise (much of it from Loriod herself, which of course is probably the highest praise one can receive when interpreting Messiaen).
Now regarding your chart, fabulous work all around. First of all I never thought I'd see another chart that has both Messiaen and Joni Mitchell in the top 10 (not to mention Hejira is a very close second favorite just behind Hissing of Summer Lawns for me) as well as many other favorites represented (love seeing Gubaidulina -I've noticed a trend with Messiaen fanatics also being very partial to Gubaidulina as well, although that might just be good taste in action haha). But happy as I am to see a great many favorites represented, am far happier to see plenty that I haven't heard that catches my interest, and that I'll be sure to check out in the near future; have a feeling I'll be having a lot of fun combing through the bits here that are unfamiliar to me (and I very much appreciate the notes giving me a sense of what lies behind the album cover, again hopefully I'll be following suit soon enough)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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