Brilliant Corners (studio album)
by Thelonious Monk

Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk
Year: 1957
Overall rank: 585th   
Average Rating: 
81/100 (from 388 votes)
     
Accolades:
Award Top 5 albums of 1957 (2nd)
Award Top 20 albums of the 1950s (12th)
Award Top 1,000 albums of all time (585th)

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☆NEW☆ Thelonious MonkBrilliant Corners[LP]Limited EditionLP, Import
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Brilliant Corners Thelonious Monk 1957 Riverside Lp Original Mono Sonny Rollins
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Thelonious Monk bestography

Brilliant Corners is ranked as the best album by Thelonious Monk.

Thelonious Monk album bestography « Higher ranked
-
This album (585th)
Brilliant Corners
Lower ranked (1,622nd) »
Monk's Dream

(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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Brilliant Corners track list

   The tracks on this album have an average rating of 84 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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1.
Average Rating: 83 (79 votes)Comments: View 0
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3.
Average Rating: 84 (79 votes)Comments: View 2
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Average Rating: 83 (75 votes)Comments: View 1
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Track pick (850 - 77 votes)
Average Rating: 85 (77 votes)Comments: View 0
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Track pick (1000 - 100 votes) Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Brilliant Corners rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 585th | 1950s rank: 12th | 1957 rank: 2nd

Brilliant Corners collection

Brilliant Corners ratings

Average Rating: 
81/100 (from 388 votes)
   Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
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 album. | Show all 388 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
90/100
 !
11/25/2025 02:12 AAL2014   3,48175/100
 
70/100
 !
11/10/2025 18:29 Jakor   4,79669/100
 
80/100
 !
11/04/2025 01:16 MaxStorm98   3,78489/100
 
90/100
 !
10/10/2025 08:09 melisandre   14989/100
 
60/100
 !
09/11/2025 16:21 ForegroundNoise   2,90460/100

Rating metrics: Help 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 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 81.1/100, a mean average of 79.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 81.3/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.5.

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Brilliant Corners comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 11 comments |
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Rating:  
80/100
From 05/10/2022 23:36 | #285200
The piano playing on this release is simply phenomenal and Monk commands this album right from the opening track. There is a lot of high quality content for us to dive into on here which starts right from the off with the best track on the album which is Brilliant Corners. The complexity of the song and the genius performances we are treated to are exceptional. What a way to start an album and it sets an example for the rest of the cuts to follow. No song manages to top it but a few come close. One of my favourites is the softer track Pannonica, I find myself getting drawn back to hear this over and over again. The percussion goes under rated as well and dominates songs like the closing track and elevates it to another level. Overall, a recording full of outstanding musical prowess with Monk firmly at the helm as he guides on an experience of jazz greatness.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 04/24/2022 12:49 | #284570
Beautiful jazz compositions.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 11/11/2021 13:17 | #276151
Definitely less "experimental" and more approachable than other Monk, the melodies are really divine.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 10/25/2020 20:05 | #259781
Sem medo de ousar e assustando ouvintes Thelonious brilha como nunca!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
50/100
From 09/23/2020 21:00 | #258606
Aside from the title track, which on it's own is a pretty good recording, the record as a whole doesn't really speak to me. It might require another listen, but for now, it's simply a decent album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -2 votes (0 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 12/30/2018 14:47 | #228335
My favorite Monk; full of his melodic and harmonic inventiveness, yet highly listenable throughout the program.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 06/28/2016 17:45 | #170070
Probably Thelonious Monk's greatest album. Superb music and excellent performances, brilliant corners, is as good as it's title suggests.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 04/13/2016 22:35 | #163784
Brilliant is the perfect title for this record.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 03/04/2016 02:10 | #161223
The core melodies of each song are great, but the solos go a little too much off track, in my opinion, to the point where you just want the solo to stop so the main melody can play again. That being said, it was still a fun listen and Monk is definitely a very talented musician.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 01/10/2016 12:17 | #156205
A cornerstone record in any jazz collection.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1957
1. Here's Little Richard by Little Richard
2. Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk
3. The "Chirping" Crickets by The Crickets
4. Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins
5. Birth Of The Cool by Miles Davis
6. 'Round About Midnight by Miles Davis
7. With His Hot And Blue Guitar by Johnny Cash
8. After School Session by Chuck Berry
9. Ray Charles by Ray Charles
10. Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet by Miles Davis Quintet
11. Monk's Music by Thelonious Monk Septet
12. Miles Ahead by Miles Davis + 19
13. The Clown by Charles Mingus
14. Dance Album by Carl Perkins
15. After Midnight by Nat King Cole
16. Singin' The Blues by B.B. King
17. Way Out West by Sonny Rollins
18. Singin' To My Baby by Eddie Cochran With The Johnny Mann Orchestra And Chorus
19. Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps by Gene Vincent
20. Kenya by Machito
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