There's A Riot Goin' On
by Sly & The Family Stone

Overall rank: 412th | 1970s rank: 98th | 1971 rank: 19th
Calculated from aggregate positions across 60,000 charts (2 million album rankings).(Last updated: 3 hours ago)

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Year	Source	Chart	Rank	Rank Score
2026	Johnnyo	Greatest soul / funk albums of the 70’s	15/67	-
2026	JoshN125	Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s	68/100	7
2026	imimesis	Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s	39/100	12
2026	Johnnyo	Rock Albums by DDD	36/70	-
2026	bonnequestion	Top 50 Music Albums of 1971	40/50	1
2026	boyd94	Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	51/100	49
2026	Jakor	Top 95 Music Albums of 1971	3/95	5
2026	martintho	Top 74 Music Albums of 1971	63/74	1
2026	Helios	Top 50 Music Albums of 1971	39/50	1
2026	Johnnyo	Greatest albums of all time (1 - 100) by Acclaimed Music	61/100	-
		Total Charts: The total number of charts that this album has appeared in.		640
		Total Rank Score: The total rank score.		3,968

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There's A Riot Goin' On ratings

Average Rating:

81/100 (from 713 votes)

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Album ratings	Avg. album rating
70/100 !	09/08/2026 12:56	pago82	3,234	71/100
85/100 !	09/02/2026 07:49	AndyLish79	505	81/100
25/100 !	08/25/2026 17:56	RemainInLight	3,772	35/100

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).
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This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 81.0/100, a mean average of 80.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 81.1/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.8.

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There's A Riot Goin' On forum mentions

This album has been referenced 100 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.

From

BestEverAlbums 09/10/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5431): By Amirkhosro

“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Amirkhosro () 1. by (1965) 2. by (1967) 3. by by (1970) 5. (2002) 6. by (1959) 7. (1966) 8. by by (1976) 10. by by (1968) 12. by (1959) 13. by (1959) 14. (1977) 16. by (1998) 18. by by (1989) 20. by (1998) 21. by (1962) 23. by (1980) 24. by…”

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BestEverAlbums 09/01/2026 16:00 in Monthly overall chart movements

“The overall chart is ever changing, and it's difficult to keep up with the detail of what's happening. So, for those people who are interested, this post attempts to show the latest movements - biggest climbers, movers, new entries and leavers for the top 100, 250, 500 & 1000 over the past month,…”

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BestEverAlbums 08/22/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5412): By BraddlesHendo

“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by BraddlesHendo () 1. by (1986) 2. by (1987) 3. (1977) 4. (1975) 5. (1989) 6. (1989) 7. by (1979) 8. by by (1967) 10. (1982) 11. by (1988) 12. by by (1982) 14. by (1985) 15. (1994) 16. (1986) 17. by (1974) 18. by (2002) 19. by (1995) 20. by…”

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There's A Riot Goin' On comments

From ThuramThugood 02/04/2024 13:40 | #301716

TBC…

Album Rating:

01.11.1971

Sly & The Family Stone (US): There's A Riot Goin' On

1.Luv N' Haight
2.Just Like A Baby
3.Poet
4.Family Affair
5.Africa Talks To You 'The Asphalt Jungle'
6.There's A Riot Goin' On
7.Brave & Strong
8.(You Caught Me) Smilin'
9.Time
10.Spaced Cowboy
11.Runnin' Away
12.Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa (Edited)

Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 0

Rating:

70/100

From Untitled TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/02/2023 15:42 | #293511

There are some outstanding funky moments on here that are amongst some of the groups best ever tracks but it is quite an inconsistent listen in my opinion. At times the music feels unfinished and like it needs polishing up before it was released. This effect can sometimes be extremely effective but on the weaker tracks on here it makes them feel empty and bare and like they don't belong on the album. I also don't think there are as many elite songs as there was on their last release which seemed a lot more compact and cohesive as this one. Despite this, I love the vocal performances throughout and they sure are masters at making funk music as demonstrated on here. Overall, I always struggled to get into this album and I do think it feels quite incomplete but that doesn't mean there isn't still a lot of fun to be had on this release.

Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 0

Rating:

85/100

From xdavijonesx 09/06/2022 17:12 | #289374

Great record

Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 0

Rating:

100/100

From RVA101 07/26/2022 23:56 | #287867

One of the greatest albums of all time and a landmark record in funk, 'Riot' opens with the stoned refrain 'Feel so good inside myself, don't want to move', and the pace never picks up from there. Amidst a fog of drug addiction, band infighting, and troubled social landscapes, Sly Stone made this hazy masterpiece (mostly on his own, due to the aformentioned infighting) and titled it appropriately in response to Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' released six months prior. A sharp heel turn from the upbeat dance music that rocked crowds from Woodstock to Washington, this record flatly rejects all of that and settles into a languid funk that never relents. The closing track is an almost catatonic rendition of the prior year's #1 hit 'Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin)', with half of the band, and twenty times the pessimism.

Essential picks: Luv N' Haight, Just Like a Baby, Family Affair, Runnin' Away, Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa (Edited)

Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1

Rating:

85/100

From

Larcx13 04/14/2022 22:32 | #284261

Apart from Spaced Cowboy this funky ride was an interesting one. Not for everyone. You gotta dig funk first.

Score: A

Luv N' Haight, Family Affair, Runnin' Away, Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa

Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 0

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Best Albums of 1971

1. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin

2. Who's Next by The Who

3. Hunky Dory by David Bowie

4. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye

5. Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones

6. Blue by Joni Mitchell

7. Tago Mago by Can

8. Meddle by Pink Floyd

9. L.A. Woman by The Doors

10. Tapestry by Carole King