Discovery
by Electric Light Orchestra

Discovery by Electric Light Orchestra
Year: 1979
Release date: 1979-06-01
Overall rank: 1,539th   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 329 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1979 (26th)
Award Top albums of the 1970s (295th)
Award Best albums of all time (1,539th)

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Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery [New CD]
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Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery - Music Vinyl Record
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Discovery by Electric Light Orchestra: Used
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Electric Light Orchestra bestography

Discovery is ranked 5th best out of 42 albums by Electric Light Orchestra on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Electric Light Orchestra is Out Of The Blue which is ranked number 516 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 3,363.

Electric Light Orchestra album bestography « Higher ranked (1,264th)
Eldorado, A Symphony By The Electric Light Orchestra
This album (1,539th)
Discovery
Lower ranked (2,169th) »
Face The Music

(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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Discovery rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 1,539th | 1970s rank: 295th | 1979 rank: 26th

Discovery collection

Discovery ratings

Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 329 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 329 ratings for this album.

Sort Sort by
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
75/100
 
01/20/2026 16:01 Exist-en-ciel  Ratings distribution  7,69370/100
 
70/100
 
12/29/2025 16:50 jlsfourth  Ratings distribution  1,20171/100
 
75/100
 
11/19/2025 15:39 BurndenAce  Ratings distribution  1,11476/100
 
80/100
 
11/13/2025 00:07 NYAndreas  Ratings distribution  1,43344/100
 
70/100
 
11/08/2025 09:53 Imaybeparanoid  Ratings distribution  7,34271/100

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 15% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 74.2/100, a mean average of 73.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 74.2/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.7.

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Discovery comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 21 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)

Rating:  
75/100
From 10/29/2025 21:12 | #311510
ELO sound as only ELO can. An original and unique sounding band. Some of their best songs are on this, but for me not their best album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 05/04/2022 16:18 | #284951
Disco time
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 08/08/2020 06:01 | #256805
Very disco, great collection of tunes and more influential than is recognised.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 05/17/2020 01:14 | #251604
This is a disco album through and through released pretty closely to Jeff Lynne's Xanadu soundtrack. Either you like disco music on it's own merits or you don't-in fairness to the E.L.O. this isn't watered down pop-rock, this isn't "disco music for pretentious people who don't like disco music", it just is what it is. I happen to be a big fan of disco, as I think that Shine A Little Love and Last Train To London are two of the best songs that the band ever recorded. The ballads that make up the middle of each side are all pretty decent (Midnight Blue is the best of them IMO) but oddly enough Don't Bring Me Down is kind of a problem. It's a phenomenal song, but also it completely doesn't go with anything else on this album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 01/04/2019 02:40 | #228795
ELO goes full on disco/pop on this one, but they still make it work. There are some genuine classics on this album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 02/22/2018 21:08 | #209275
The ballads are love em or hate em, but Horace Wimp, Shine, and Don’t Bring Me Down are 3 absolute classics.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 06/30/2016 12:01 | #170180
This comment is beneath your viewing threshold.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -3 votes (0 helpful | 3 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 06/01/2016 17:51 | #167536
Favoritas: Need Her Love, Confusion, Don't Bring Me Down, Last Train To London
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 04/23/2016 17:19 | #164351
HORACE WIMP, THIS IS YOUR LIFE!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
60/100
From 11/27/2015 15:23 | #153574
Disco? Very.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1979
1. London Calling by The Clash
2. The Wall by Pink Floyd
3. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
4. Fear Of Music by Talking Heads
5. Off The Wall by Michael Jackson
6. Entertainment! by Gang Of Four
7. Breakfast In America by Supertramp
8. Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
9. Highway To Hell by AC/DC
10. Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
11. Reggatta De Blanc by The Police
12. Damn The Torpedoes by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
13. Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno
14. Metal Box by Public Image Ltd.
15. The B-52's by The B-52's
16. Armed Forces by Elvis Costello And The Attractions
17. Specials by The Specials
18. 154 by Wire
19. Singles Going Steady by Buzzcocks
20. Setting Sons by The Jam
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