The Firstborn Is Dead
by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds bestography
The Firstborn Is Dead is ranked 16th best out of 30 albums by Nick Cave on BestEverAlbums.com.
The best album by Nick Cave is Skeleton Tree which is ranked number 382 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 4,338.
(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).
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The Firstborn Is Dead track list
The tracks on this album have an average rating of 78 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).
The Firstborn Is Dead rankings
(Calculated from aggregate positions across 60,000 charts (2 million album rankings). (Last updated: 2 hours ago).
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The Firstborn Is Dead ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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 album. | Show all 191 ratings for this album.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Album ratings | Avg. album rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 06/26/2026 18:50 |  HoldenM | 1,834 | 84/100 |
| ! | 03/24/2026 08:11 | Leginlists | 3,708 | 83/100 |
| ! | 03/19/2026 22:40 | Exist-en-ciel | 15,111 | 70/100 |
| ! | 12/05/2025 16:29 | Araldo | 1,472 | 80/100 |
| ! | 10/30/2025 11:58 | JamesMowbray | 5,570 | 69/100 |
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 albums can have several thousand ratings)
This album is rated in the top 22% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 73.7/100, a mean average of 72.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 73.8/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.6.
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The Firstborn Is Dead comments
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HoldenM 06/26/2026 18:54 | #315076 | TOP COMMENT
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Pares down the gnarlier edges of From Her to Eternity but continues its exploration of American traditions in music and lyrics. The Firstborn Is Dead may not be as visceral as its predecessor, but it's no less colorful and absorbing. What it ultimately proves is that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have a sustainable and malleable sensibility whose potency has not diminished one bit.
Jboy56 09/09/2024 08:40 | #305199
Too depressing and dark,, many consider this a masterpiece, it might be, b ut not for me,,
I think this album is the most underrated and not appreciated of Nick Cave. It is not only an attempt to play blues music. All songs have that much space and quietness to succumb the ominous violence. And even the Dylan cover of Wanted Man breathes heavenly under the impression of The Birthday Party. By the way: all musicians on this record are absolutely great and worth to watch their career
The follow up to, from her to eternity, the firstborn is dead, is Nick Cave's blues album. It's full of blues imagery, especially on opener, tupelo, about the stormy night when Elvis and Jesse Presley were born. Elsewhere, there's the brilliant, black crow king, the superb, say goodbye to the little girl tree, and closing track, blind lemon Jefferson. Knockin' on Joe, is also a great brooding number. The only weak moment is the slightly boring Dylan cover, wanted man. All in all, another essential Nick Cave record.
badseed 04/13/2015 03:21 | #139404 | TOP COMMENT
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A haunting, underrated album. "Tupelo" is definitely the standout track but everything is worth a listen.
Favorite tracks: "Tupelo", "Knockin' On Joe"
Decurso 08/11/2014 16:43 | #119227 | TOP COMMENT
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Exceedingly dark and haunting. Tupelo might well be Cave's single best song.
lancashirearab 06/23/2012 06:30 | #45099 | TOP COMMENT
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I remember buying a black jumper just before getting the Stagecoach bus down to London to see him for this album's tour.
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