Overall Chart

Explore the overall rankings of the best albums in history, based on over 2 million album rankings across 60,000 charts.
Last updated: 3 hours ago

You can customise how this chart is generated, browse the individual charts constituting the overall rankings from The Charts page, or submit your own chart from the My Charts page!

View chart at point in time

Share this chart

Collector's summary (top 1,000) Log in or create an account to discover the great albums that are missing from your music collection!

Sort by

71.

Purple Rain
Soundtrack

Prince And The Revolution

"The most stunningly varied, eclectic, and just plain GOOD album I have ever owned. Had the same copy since I was 10, and nothing has ever beaten it. The songs managed to be brilliant and obtuse, yet still managed to appeal to a massive audience. "The Beautiful Ones" and "Take Me With You" are so ..." [+] Reply

- jjstraka | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

1,463 charts

Rank Score:

15,381

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

72.

"Wow, I didn't think this album was ging to be this good. I wasn't too sure if sufjan could pull the whole "stripped down acoustic" style off, since the best part of sufjan's music has always been his intricate arrangements in my opinion. But man, does he pull it off. Carrie & Lowell is filled wit..." [+] Reply

goeie-oko | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (11 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2015

Appears in:

1,273 charts

Rank Score:

15,365

Rank in 2015:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

86 (1,498 votes)

Comments:

163

73.

Illmatic

Nas

"These things are true: The sun is hot, the sky is blue, and Illmatic is the greatest hip-hop album of all time. This is Sergeant Pepper. This is Highway 61. This is hip hop's answer to an industry that screamed "you are not real art". There is no slip in lyric. There is no fault in beat. The haun..." [+] Reply

- Nineburg | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +12 votes (12 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

1,387 charts

Rank Score:

15,362

Rank in 1994:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

74.

"I thought rock n roll was a certain way, that there were established patterns and timbres to draw from. When I heard Sonic Youth, new vistas suddenly came into view. This album is mind-blowingly good." Reply

Mr. Shankly | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (11 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

1,593 charts

Rank Score:

14,916

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

84 (1,887 votes)

Comments:

147

75.

Forever Changes

Love

"What can you say about the greatest Rock album ever made? Arthur Lee said it best: "We're all normal and we want our freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom... I want my freedom. All of God's children gotta have their freedom."" Reply

NickVolos | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

1,513 charts

Rank Score:

14,914

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

76.

"I said the exact same thing to my friend last night." Reply

joannajewsom | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1965

Appears in:

1,332 charts

Rank Score:

14,734

Rank in 1965:

Rank in 1960s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

87 (1,517 votes)

Comments:

102

77.

Magical Mystery Tour
Soundtrack

The Beatles

"The final stop on the LSD train for the Beatles. Though thrown together for the release of the MMT film, Magical Mystery Tour is probably the most underrated Beatles albums. Many classics are on here. Highlights: The Fool on the Hill, Strawberry Fields Forever" Reply

- codymacc8 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

1,519 charts

Rank Score:

14,720

Rank in 1967:

Rank in 1960s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

86 (2,593 votes)

Comments:

182

78.

Closer

Joy Division

"I just get lost in this album. A giant cloud hangs over the entire experience, coating every moment with beautiful sorrow and a barely restrained mania just dying to burst apart into madness. Closer may be the most cohesive piece of artwork ever recorded." Reply

btener11 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

1,520 charts

Rank Score:

14,489

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

85 (1,932 votes)

Comments:

127

79.

Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

"This is a daunting one. Taking up a spot in the top 20 most renowned albums of the 90's is this huge beast of the night. The first thing I like about this album is that it feels like a world onto itself. The packaging is superbly decorated and sets the tone well for the music to come. Half the al...""This is a daunting one. Taking up a spot in the top 20 most renowned albums of the 90's is this huge beast of the night. The first thing I like about this album is that it feels like a world onto itself. The packaging is superbly decorated and sets the tone well for the music to come. Half the album is called 'Dawn To Dusk' the half 'Twilight To Starlight'. Does give the impression that the night will be sung of a lot doesn't it? Well... we are half way there. It does for the most part but the concept is not entirely stuck to. Half concept album are you madam? Let's begin! Right at the start you have an instrumental which would fit easily on Classic.fm. Grandiose aims ahead indeed! Despite the size, this isn't a slap it on your iPod and hit shuffle. From the connections between the title track and 'Tonight, Tonight' and 'Jelly Belly' into 'Zero' it is clear they wanted you to listen from start to finish. So what are we give n in this album? Violent music coupled with sweet serenades. That's right. Serial killer music. 'Lily' the tender ballad and possible highlight of the second half reeks of it. He almost caught her smile? Almost? I do hope it is because she can smile. I hope she smells nice. I know this album doesn't. Don't smell bad either. Well there is like this faint smell. I got it from a market in Keswick what... 5 years ago now? Yes, the album has a faint smell of damp books I suppose, the inside not the plastic. Other highlights on the album you say? '1979' the ghostly whispers of an arcade burned to the ground with a fantastic bass riff. 'Jelly Belly' comes charging like the cavalry, full on distortion. It is one of the heavy ones here alongside the bile spitting 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', the rabid 'X.Y.U.' and Stone Temple Pilots esque 'Bodies'. When they turn it down they perform just as well. Ditties such as 'Thirty Three' and 'Lily (My One and Only)' will prove that. Massive collection containing almost every All the twilight dwellers and ghouls between. "We only come out at night, the days are much too bright' indeed." [+] Reply

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

Year of Release:

1995

Appears in:

1,520 charts

Rank Score:

14,440

Rank in 1995:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

80.

"Thunder Road and Jungleland are the best opener/closer combo of all time" Reply

- quadrophenia17 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (11 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

1,621 charts

Rank Score:

14,423

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

83 (1,999 votes)

Comments:

134

« prev
1
...
7
8
9
...
1,000
next »
Goto Page:

Total albums: 10,000. Page 8 of 1,000

Overall Chart composition

Decade	Albums	%

1930s	2	0%
1940s	35	0%
1950s	300	3%
1960s	707	7%
1970s	1,418	14%
1980s	1,396	14%
1990s	1,596	16%
2000s	1,748	17%
2010s	1,974	20%
2020s	824	8%

Artist	Albums	%

Neil Young	43	0%
Bob Dylan	37	0%
The Rolling Stones	35	0%
Miles Davis	33	0%
David Bowie	32	0%
The Beatles	29	0%
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard	25	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	5,020	50%
	2,652	27%
	428	4%
	336	3%
	219	2%
	154	2%
	137	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	9,734	97%
Yes	266	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	9,739	97%
Yes	261	3%

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

Overall Chart chart changes

Biggest climbers Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month
Up 4 from 97th to 93rd ★ [Blackstar] by David Bowie
Up 2 from 81st to 79th Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins
Up 2 from 69th to 67th Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder
Up 1 from 101st to 100th All Things Must Pass by George Harrison
Up 1 from 96th to 95th Violator by Depeche Mode

Biggest fallers Biggest fallers in top 100 since last month
Down 3 from 94th to 97th Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Down 2 from 71st to 73rd Illmatic by Nas
Down 2 from 92nd to 94th The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground
Down 1 from 7th to 8th In Rainbows by Radiohead
Down 1 from 11th to 12th Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin

New entries New entries in top 100 since last month
Up 1 from 101st to 100th All Things Must Pass by George Harrison

Leavers Leavers from top 100 since last month
Down 1 from 100th to 101st Surfer Rosa by Pixies

Best Ever Albums

1. OK Computer by Radiohead

2. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd

3. Abbey Road by The Beatles

4. Revolver by The Beatles

5. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

6. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie

7. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles

8. In Rainbows by Radiohead

9. Kid A by Radiohead

10. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico