Can't Buy A Thrill
by Steely Dan
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Steely Dan bestography
Can't Buy A Thrill is ranked 2nd best out of 21 albums by Steely Dan on BestEverAlbums.com.
The best album by Steely Dan is Aja which is ranked number 150 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 8,923.
(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).
Listen to Can't Buy A Thrill on YouTube
Can't Buy A Thrill track list
The tracks on this album have an average rating of 83 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).
Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.
Can't Buy A Thrill rankings
Calculated from aggregate positions across 60,000 charts (2 million album rankings). Click to see how the rankings are calculated (Last updated: 2 hours ago)
| Year | Source | Chart | Rank | Rank Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |  AAL2014 | Top 100 Music Albums of 1972 | 65/100 | 2 |
| 2026 | AledJames | Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | 17/100 | 17 |
| 2026 |  spigelwii | Top 11 Music Albums of 1972 | 6/11 | 3 |
| 2026 | blueandthemoon | Top 40 Music Albums of 1972 | 3/40 | 5 |
| 2026 | mianfei | Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | 59/100 | 39 |
| 2026 | tim0505 | Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | 72/100 | 6 |
| 2026 | Johnnyo | Most listenedin 2020 - deleting | 45/85 | - |
| 2026 | stangetzaway | Top 50 Music Albums of 1972 | 3/50 | 5 |
| 2026 |  Robert Anton Wilson | Top 25 Music Albums of 1972 | 20/25 | 1 |
| 2026 |  JoaoMoreira | Top 76 Music Albums of the 1970s | 72/76 | 1 |
| Total Charts: The total number of charts that this album has appeared in. | 530 | |||
| Total Rank Score: The total rank score. | 3,352 | |||
Can't Buy A Thrill collection
Showing latest 20 members who have this album in their collection | Show all 363 members
Can't Buy A Thrill 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 3 ratings for this album. | Show all 653 ratings for this album.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Album ratings | Avg. album rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/16/2026 19:30 | adbrack1988 | 1,129 | 83/100 |
| ! | 09/01/2026 15:21 | AndyLish79 | 505 | 81/100 |
| ! | 08/17/2026 17:21 | pago82 | 3,234 | 71/100 |
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 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 81.6/100, a mean average of 81.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 81.8/100. The standard deviation for this album is 12.8.
Can't Buy A Thrill favourites
Showing latest 10 members who have added this album as a favourite | Show all 122 members
Can't Buy A Thrill forum mentions
BestEverAlbums 10 hours ago in Chart of the day (#5447): By adbrack1988 BestEverAlbums 09/01/2026 16:00 in Monthly overall chart movements
baystateoftheart 08/23/2026 22:58 in You must listen to the album below you: canon editionCan't Buy A Thrill comments
Top Comments First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
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First up, one of my favourite albums of the 70’s and one of the great debut albums. A pop / soft rock and jazz rock classic (with some Latin beats thrown in for good measure) although the first side is far stronger than side two.
I’d also have to say that, when compared to Aja for example, it’s less jazzy than most of their later albums but still great.
Critics have said that the album is "distinguished by three top-level cuts and scattered moments of inspiration," but felt the band occasionally sounded "limp". That’s a pretty fair assessment
In another review it was described as having "A hit single with a good album attached", and that the lyrics were "oblique, even philosophical [...] as befit a band named after a dildo in a William Burroughs novel." I think that’s on the harsh side.
I think a more accurate review is "fully-formed [...] that you would scarcely believe that it's their debut", and contains "tightly constructed songs with dazzling hooks, clever, cryptic lyrics, and vocals that offer teasing critiques for those that want them." Take your pick
It’s not as great as Aja but few albums are. It’s still got quality oozing throughout the album. (Edited)
Amazing album. The most pop rock of all the Dan.
So much nuance. Every song is excellent and I often pick up some new piece on repeat listens.
(Edited)
Un premier album solide. (Edited)
The Reference Of thinking moderate in recording situation Can't really Buy A Thrill enough (Edited)
Opening track Do it Again, the 1972 Dan song - not to be confused with the other classic song with the same title by the Beach Boys in 1968- is a Pop classic, in every sense of the word. The guitar work by Denny Dioas is exceptional. The rest of the release will not let you off the hook. An excellent work of very good Pop songs. (Edited)
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