Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya
by Jon Hassell

Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya by Jon Hassell
Year: 1981
Release date: 1981-00-00
Overall rank: 3,931st   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
75/100 (from 58 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1981 (67th)
Award Top albums of the 1980s (577th)
Award Best albums of all time (3,931st)

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Jon Hassell bestography

Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya is ranked as the best album by Jon Hassell.

Jon Hassell album bestography « Higher ranked
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This album (3,931st)
Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya
Lower ranked (6,600th) »
Vernal Equinox

(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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Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya track list

  Track ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 74 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 3,931st | 1980s rank: 577th | 1981 rank: 67th
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YearSourceChartRankRank Score
2026 arthurbittencourtTop 99 Music Albums of the 1980s30/9914
2026 Patman360Top 100 Music Albums of 198186/1001
2026cicadelicTop 100 Music Albums of 198115/1004
2026 arthurbittencourtTop 100 Greatest Music Albums94/1007
2026 bertranduAmbient 1958-200059/100 -
2026pjerskeTop 100 Music Albums of the 1980s68/1007
2026 HaydenTop 100 Music Albums of 198184/1001
2026 AfterHoursTop 100 Greatest Music Albums72/10028
2026Exist-en-cielTop 100 Music Albums of 198182/1001
2025 cestuneblagueTop 100 Music Albums of 198170/1002
2025 viquelTop 100 Greatest Music Albums11/10086
2025skrapoelTop 46 Music Albums of 198125/462
2025 paologabrielTop 100 Greatest Music Albums58/10039
2025 greatsonTop 49 Music Albums of 198135/492
2024sonicdiscourseTo-Do List 198165/90 -
2024 DommeDamianScaruffi Best Albums of 19812/63 -
2024JamesMowbrayTop 100 Music Albums of 198166/1002
2024 NecharsianTop 100 Greatest Music Albums41/10046
2024 ArthurknightTop 100 Music Albums of 198133/1003
2023jdizzle123456Top 20 Music Albums of 198114/202
Total Charts: Help The total number of charts that this album has appeared in. 48
Total Rank Score: Help The total rank score. 374
You can include this album in your own chart from the My Charts page!

Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya collection

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Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya ratings

Average Rating: 
75/100 (from 58 votes)
  Ratings distribution 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 58 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
70/100
 
04/06/2026 04:33 Exist-en-ciel  Ratings distribution  9,64970/100
 
90/100
 
12/13/2025 17:00 cicadelic  Ratings distribution  12,75373/100
 
15/100
 
09/26/2025 21:30 Proto  Ratings distribution  4,15933/100
 
75/100
 
12/25/2024 11:13 platus  Ratings distribution  5,84474/100
 
70/100
 
08/21/2024 10:25 JamesMowbray  Ratings distribution  5,43869/100

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 7% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 75.3/100, a mean average of 74.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 75.8/100. The standard deviation for this album is 17.7.

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Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya favourites

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Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory In Malaya comments

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Rating:  
90/100
From 07/23/2013 01:46 | #82179
Jon Hassell cleverly combines his electronic processing of sound with tribal/environmental recordings, giving this album a real sense of strangeness and wonder. Beware! The opening track will make you think your speakers are f*cked. I used to play this album all the time when I was younger and my girlfriend used to pretend she liked it. We have three kids now and she's a bit more honest.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 10/18/2012 22:26 | #52713
This revolutionary sounding album is an extraordinary recording that uses Eno's 'environmental' concept translating it to the realms of the mystical and anthropological. The sound of electronics fused with trumpet fanfares and minimilist keyboards, conjures up primitive, mythological and eerie dreamlike atmospheres. The rainforest has never sounded as scary as this.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1981
1. Moving Pictures by Rush
2. Computerwelt by Kraftwerk
3. Discipline by King Crimson
4. Juju by Siouxsie And The Banshees
5. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by Brian Eno & David Byrne
6. Time by Electric Light Orchestra
7. Faith by The Cure
8. Damaged by Black Flag
9. Dare by The Human League
10. Deceit by This Heat