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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When this came out, there was nothing to remotely parallel the transition of Mark Hollis from a generic pop singer with a voice totally unsuited thereto. Critics initially were bewildered by this and 1986’s preceding ‘The Colour of Spring’, but ‘Spirit of Eden’ was actually something entirely new. The complicated textures of underground progressive bands from the 1970s was here reduced to something skeletal yet even more varied, intense and despairing. Hollis’ spartan yet memorable lyrics perfectly match the music on ‘The Rainbow’ and ‘Desire’, but the second half is sadder, more beautiful, more abstract, and much more difficult: a wordless commentary upon the despair felt by so many in the late 1980s. As the template for redefining rock music in the 1990s, ‘Spirit of Eden’ is permanently essential.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,225
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
67
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If ‘Spirit of Eden’ created a new template, Damn McCarthy here re-invigorates an old one for a time when it was much more countercultural than traditional folk ever was during the 1960s and early 1970s — in the process predating the “freak folk” movement of the middle 2000s without being heard. The dark fairytales of ‘Mother Twilight’ are accompanied by a stark production and gymnastic voice that is far from older exponents of folk song: even Kate Bush could never match what Dawn does on ‘Hela’ or ‘Catch Me’, and the a cappella ‘Beautiful Blade’ shows the eclecticism that would make freak folk what it was with its wordless whistling amidst mystical mantras and plainchant-like backing.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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In the field of electrified jazz, or of hard funk, there is nothing to match what Miles Davis matches on this live album — record in 1972 but not actually released until after his “retirement” in 1977. Whilst Miles was becoming harder-hitting than before with almost every release during since ‘In a Silent Way’, the grooves managed on ‘Dark Magus’ are a totally new sound that was not hinted at within jazz or jazz-rock before: tight, dense, dark, and brooding as no other music of the time was. Essentially a single long piece (actually four divided into two), ‘Dark Magus’ cannot be separated into parts, but never loses energy for a second.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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Speaking of grooves, Germany’s Can were always the master of this music form and it is on this work — their last with Demo Suzuki before he became a Jehovah’s Witness — that they turn the form into yet another new soundscape. Described in the 1990s “Rough Guide to Rock” as “glacial and undulating”, the soundscapes created here are a radical step from the less unconventional rhythms Can had produced on their first four (or five if you count the posthumous ‘Delay 1968’) releases. Jaki Leibzeit and Holger Czukay do retain all their mastery of rhythm demonstrated there, but turn it in a completely different directing from the beginning of the title tune, whose repeating mantra sucks one in even when it feels alien (and Can were always much less uninviting than almost any other experimental rock group). The samples of Kate Bush’s ‘Babooshka’ are almost completely copied from this song, while Stewart Copeland and Lou Ciccotelli undoubtedly learned a lot from Leibzeit’s work on the single ‘Moonshake’. Then, there are the two slower pieces ‘Spray’ and ‘Bel Air’, whose stately atmosphere was the true prototype of ambient music, yet retain the beautiful, repetitive mantras (in this case “spare a light”). One of the first rock masterpieces outside the Anglosphere to gain acclaim, but deserving of it.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,341
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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As a reinvention of what Motown soul could do, this album constituted a key turning point. Marvin Gaye and Issac Hayes had already gained control over their recorded output before this, but it was this album which first moved soul music onto a completely new sound that would pre-date many innovations in electronic music. Stevie would never make so consistent an album as this one, nor would he write such an engaging collection of songs. The synthesiser in opener ‘Love Having You Around’ is eerily akin to what experimentalists like Laika and Birdsongs would aim for many years later, as is the groove in ‘Keep On Running’. At the same time, Wonder was well attuned to the potential for radically different electronic textures, as seen to great effect on such songs as ‘I Love Every Little Thing About You’, ‘Seems So Long’ and ‘Girl Blue’. For the landmark it marks in soul music’s sound, as well as its consistent quality, ‘Music of My Mind’ has to be on here.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
608
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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As an out-of-time singer/songwriter work, this album stands unequalled. Lo-fi singer/songwriters had become a dime a dozen as early as the 1990s, but none were ever remotely so unique in mood or sound as what Sarah June managed here. Dark, single-note guitar lines make what we might call a more atmospheric Shaggs sound on ‘We Lurk Late’, ‘The Illustrated Man’ and the particularly intense ‘My Red Shoes’. This creates a mood that reflects the emptiness of modern culture as no other album can, and even on ‘Charlotte’, ‘Radio Waves’ and ‘Jungfrau Maria’ (“Virgin Mary”) the sense of emptiness is made into a sound completely like no other. June’s second and marginally less unknown album ‘In Black Robes’ is also excellent, but the atmosphere and simple vocal-and-electric sound on ‘This Is My Letter to the World’ was never so fully captured.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Total albums: 100. Page 8 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 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Laura Nyro | 2 | 2% | |
| Van Morrison | 2 | 2% | |
| Steely Dan | 2 | 2% | |
| Sky Cries Mary | 2 | 2% | |
| Talk Talk | 2 | 2% | |
| Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic | 2 | 2% | |
| Julia Holter | 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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