Overall Chart

Listed below are the overall rankings for the best albums in history as determined by their aggregate positions in over 59,000 different greatest album charts on BestEverAlbums.com! (Chart last updated: 3 hours ago).

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501.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

"Their best album. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. On this one Simon has finally reached his peak as an arranger and composer (maybe not as a lyricist, but not a big problem) and Garfunkel and him sing these songs with pastoral youthful emotion. There's an emotional arc to almost every song, and the..." [+] Reply

- Lacobra | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1966

Appears in:

586 charts

Rank Score:

3,429

Rank in 1966:

Rank in 1960s:

Overall Rank:

501

Average Rating:

80 (662 votes)

Comments:

502.

Avalon

Roxy Music

"It took me a bit to get into this sound, but this really grew on me. Even though I didn't love it at first, this is undoubtedly one of the prettiest collection of songs I've ever heard." Reply

HoldenM | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

501 charts

Rank Score:

3,426

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

502

Average Rating:

79 (654 votes)

Comments:

503.

Computerwelt

Kraftwerk

"There's a brilliant hook in every track with the most famous one being the one in "Computer Love" thanks to Coldplay. Ironic how an album aiming for something very futuristic ends up sounding this nostalgic. A compliment, not a complaint!" Reply

Mother Nature's Son | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

493 charts

Rank Score:

3,425

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

503

Average Rating:

80 (555 votes)

Comments:

504.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Bob Dylan

"1964 was a turbulent year for the United States of America. Injustice violated the air with a stench that, at its best, resembled cigar smoke caked into waterlogged, whiskey-stained clothing. At its worst, it conjured the fragrance of rotting corpses piled into black plague mass graves. A societa...""1964 was a turbulent year for the United States of America. Injustice violated the air with a stench that, at its best, resembled cigar smoke caked into waterlogged, whiskey-stained clothing. At its worst, it conjured the fragrance of rotting corpses piled into black plague mass graves. A societal powder keg was ready to burst, sending shrapnel in the form of violence and revolution across the land. Chronicles of this time in history are aplenty, but Bob Dylan's 'The Times They are A-Changin' occupies a place of poignance and societal relevance as our newest decade commences. The greatest art tends to come rocket-strapped with perennial staying power and universal application. Bob Dylan's third LP effort slides comfortably into those categories and classifications. It touches upon righteous, homely, American ethnocentrism, the painful ineffectiveness of the justice system and selective poverty. Despite Dylan rejecting the label of "Protest Songs", journalists flocked to confine his writing to an ideological box that they could present to the curious and quick-to-judge public. Dylan coyly sat on the fence during interviews which felt more like police interrogations, never confirming or denying anything. Still, the lyricism said more than Dylan ever could, surely illuminating the fact that the poet staunchly sympathized with the plight of the racially suppressed and disenfranchised. The inner shade of Dylan's heart was never in doubt with his position usually reserved for artists of color, those with intentions of questioning the status quo when it came to inequality in the United States. To hear a mid-western, white youth comment on the hypocrisy of American military conquest, the hideousness of white nationalism and imbalanced nature of wealth distribution was refreshing to millions and for thousands more fortunate, feather ruffling. 'The Times They are A-Changin' is concurrently a pinpoint, flaming arrow aimed at the controversial topics of the 1960's and a philosophical thought cloud of ideas and wisdom. All this from a scrawny, Minnesota-born New Yorker who could seemingly wear both hats and walk in all kinds of shoes. The record greets us with the eternal strums of an acoustic guitar as Dylan's voice, strained and imperfect, a survivor of house fire, arrives with its own visage. The seminal opener chugs along at a fixed tempo, adorned with harmonica bursts that enliven the docile guitar tones. The harmonica, a humble and inexpensive instrument that acted as a trusted companion for many, was Dylan's weapon of choice during his early years. He declares, "Come mothers and fathers throughout the land and don't criticize what you can't understand." His prophetic and anthemic rallying cry has endured for nearly 60 years since it first graced ears. The album turns to a significantly grimmer beast with the introduction of second track, 'Ballad of Hollis Brown', a look at a poverty-stricken farmer in rural South Dakota. Dylan takes his tale of desperation and uses it as an allegory for those struggling with destitution. The metaphors are intentionally fatalistic, but many could view them as exaggerated. Here, Dylan's goal is to establish perspective, not provide a factual retelling. It's merely a painting of despair to be learned from. Dylan sings, "Your brain is a-bleedin' and your legs can’t seem to stand; Your eyes fix on the shotgun that you’re holding in your hand." The expanding wage distribution, in Dylan's estimation, provides a slow death with one alternative. One of Dylan's darkest, yet powerful statements. Next, he confronts an extremely prevalent bias during the middle of the 20th century in the United States. 'With God on Our Side' creates an image of an elitist America, one that can do no wrong and is justified, no matter the bloodshed. Dylan sees toxic patriotism acting as a slow, indoctrinating cancer (another contemporary issue). He wails, "The First World War, boys, it came and it went; The reason for fightin' I never did get but I learned to accept it, accept it with pride; For you don’t count the dead when God’s on your side." The arrogance needed to assume God identifies with a specific country's crusade is elephantine, however, it's a belief typified by the Pledge of Allegiance and by swearing upon a bible. Dylan's character comes to the realization that God's love is reserved for people and not places and that a country is just a plot of land and nothing more. Sadly, it's usually the prize for which fighting is done. The Vietnam War enveloped the decade and Dylan's parable is forever an unheeded warning. The second half of the record begins with 'Only a Pawn in Their Game', another narration confronting hatred and prejudice, this time by way of propaganda and inculcation. The track examines lower-income, white southerners who are brainwashed into hating their black neighbors with an end goal of sustained oppression. Dylan illustrates this with syntax, "A South politician preaches to the poor white man “You got more than the blacks, don’t complain; You’re better than them, you been born with white skin." The simple instrumentation of 'Pawn' and the stressed rhyme repetition make sure that the message doesn't get clouded beneath the music. However, Dylan doesn't refuse the chance to include a romantic ballad on the LP. 'Boots of Spanish Leather' is a letter-exchanged anecdote of longing and gradual realization. The song is tinted by delicately plucked strings and alternating perspectives that create a gloomy overtone that comes to fruition when the narrator surmises the final fate of his crumbling union across a vast ocean. "I’m sure your mind is a-roamin'; I’m sure your thoughts are not with me but with the country to where you’re goin." The record arrives at an uptick in morale with 'When the Ship Comes In', an affirmative, inspirational testification that the future holds brighter days and that those who engage in tyranny and bigotry will eventually be overcome. Finally, LP centerpiece, 'The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll', draws inspiration from the murder of an African-American barmaid by the wealthy William Zantzinger. The track directs scrutiny at the murderer for devaluing the life of a woman he deemed "lesser than" and the justice system for (mostly) turning a blind eye. Dylan delivers the verdict, "And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance, William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence." The track is a microcosm of the record's major themes and an unsettling reminder that justice remains imbalanced. Dylan was just 23 years of age when 'Times' was first pressed, but his incredible perception was decades his senior. The clairvoyance of his prose is even parts astonishing and tragic given that little has changed since his pen first hit the paper. The poetry of these 10 tracks easily sit amongst the scribe's most visceral compositions. The album presents Dylan at perhaps his most uncompromising and forthright, functioning as his final, unabashed protest record. Oddly, the LP is often shunned from the 1960's landmark music rolodex with albums such as 'Highway 61 Revisited', 'Bringing It All Back Home' and even 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' achieving a higher sense of reverence. Strangely enough, its content makes it a contender for his most topical, underrated and pertinent enterprise, both in 1964 and 2021. Dylan's uncanny ability to find the pulse of the given zeitgeist has never been in doubt, as he's strung together lyrical encapsulations at will for 60 years. Here, he weaves sorrow and hope into a homogeneous, digestible whole the likes of which none could reproduce. The power of 'Times' does not lie in division, but in a belief that human morality will win out. It's a beautiful sentiment and an eternal principle. In some ways, we're still waiting. "And we’ll shout from the bow your days are numbered And like Pharoah’s tribe they’ll be drowdned in the tide and like Goliath, they’ll be conquered." -When the Ship Comes In Standout Tracks: 1. The Times They are A-Changin' 2. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll 3. When the Ship Comes In 94.4" [+] Reply

DriftingOrpheus | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1964

Appears in:

596 charts

Rank Score:

3,424

Rank in 1964:

Rank in 1960s:

Overall Rank:

504

Average Rating:

81 (953 votes)

Comments:

505.

Songs Of Love And Hate

Leonard Cohen

"More hate than love, so that we can love it better..." Reply

apeiron | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

537 charts

Rank Score:

3,410

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

111

Overall Rank:

505

Average Rating:

83 (626 votes)

Comments:

506.

We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service

A Tribe Called Quest

"One could argue that this is A Tribe's best record. I'd still put The Low End Theory first but this is undoubtedly a powerful, emotional, and worthy final outing from one of the greatest rap groups of all time. Highlights for me are Whateva Will Be, Space Program, We The People..., and Dis Genera..." [+] Reply

- mjp11 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

526 charts

Rank Score:

3,409

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

506

Average Rating:

82 (573 votes)

Comments:

507.

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

"So many amazing songs and not a few irritating experiments. You can't help but pick through, revisit your favorites and overlook all the terrible moments. Sorta like love?" Reply

jeraffe | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +16 votes (16 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1999

Appears in:

530 charts

Rank Score:

3,404

Rank in 1999:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

507

Average Rating:

80 (627 votes)

Comments:

508.

Person Pitch

Panda Bear

"The Beach Boys smoke a water bong before the big surfing competition. Mike Love drowns." Reply

meccalecca | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +21 votes (22 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2007

Appears in:

537 charts

Rank Score:

3,403

Rank in 2007:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

508

Average Rating:

81 (658 votes)

Comments:

509.

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

"Glam-art-rockers were up and coming, full of talent, and sure of it. FYP feels a little too self-consciously charismatic to provide the effortlessly classy pop they became known for, but is interesting enough to fool around with from time to time." Reply

swhaze | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (7 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

536 charts

Rank Score:

3,398

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

112

Overall Rank:

509

Average Rating:

80 (671 votes)

Comments:

510.

Geogaddi

Boards Of Canada

"Scariest listen of my life. Ending with Magic Window was the most nerve-racking couple minutes ever, even after multiple listens. This album is the epitome of an underrated masterpiece" Reply

imnotanotter | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (9 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

407 charts

Rank Score:

3,392

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

510

Average Rating:

80 (473 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 10,000. Page 51 of 1,000

Overall Chart composition

Decade	Albums	%

1930s	2	0%
1940s	34	0%
1950s	302	3%
1960s	709	7%
1970s	1,424	14%
1980s	1,415	14%
1990s	1,601	16%
2000s	1,725	17%
2010s	1,964	20%
2020s	824	8%

Artist	Albums	%

Bob Dylan	37	0%
The Rolling Stones	35	0%
David Bowie	32	0%
The Beatles	29	0%
Miles Davis	27	0%
Neil Young	26	0%
Various Artists	25	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	5,002	50%
	2,654	27%
	431	4%
	336	3%
	221	2%
	157	2%
	134	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	9,729	97%
Yes	271	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	9,737	97%
Yes	263	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	9,885	99%
Yes	115	1%

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