Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by TheSmiths82-87 
A maximum of four albums per artist
- Chart updated: 01/18/2022 22:45
- (Created: 03/25/2013 15:38).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 74 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 86 out of 100 (from 154 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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The greatest album ever released! How else can the first on the list be introduced? This truly is the peak of Morrissey and Johnny Marr's careers, both a genius in their own field; Morrissey's words and original vocal delivery and Johnny Marr's endless supply of melodies and great guitar hooks.
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is as chilling in its sadness as it is uplifting in its romanticism.
Cemetry Gates makes it all seem so easy and natural.
Frankly Mr Shankly has one of the funniest lyrics I have ever heard without making the song novelty.
And with Vicar In A Tutu proving that even the very greatest albums still have at least one filler track, this still blows everything else out of the water. This is art.
Best Tracks:
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
I Know It's Over
Cemetry Gates
Frankly Mr Shankly
The Queen Is Dead [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is as chilling in its sadness as it is uplifting in its romanticism.
Cemetry Gates makes it all seem so easy and natural.
Frankly Mr Shankly has one of the funniest lyrics I have ever heard without making the song novelty.
And with Vicar In A Tutu proving that even the very greatest albums still have at least one filler track, this still blows everything else out of the water. This is art.
Best Tracks:
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
I Know It's Over
Cemetry Gates
Frankly Mr Shankly
The Queen Is Dead [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,166
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
264
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And this was a debut album?! An incredible collection of people involved - Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Mo Tucker, Nico and Andy Warhol.
There's such a varied palette here of light and shade, in fact at times the shade here is positively as black as the void. On one hand we have the beautiful and touching love song I'll Be Your Mirror and on the other we have the desperate apocalyptic howl of Heroin.
Sterling Morrison once said he was most proud of Venus In Furs as there was nothing that sounded like it either before or since, he was right of course but he could've said that about the whole album.
Best Tracks:
Venus In Furs
Heroin
Waiting For The Man
Sunday Morning
Run Run Run [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
There's such a varied palette here of light and shade, in fact at times the shade here is positively as black as the void. On one hand we have the beautiful and touching love song I'll Be Your Mirror and on the other we have the desperate apocalyptic howl of Heroin.
Sterling Morrison once said he was most proud of Venus In Furs as there was nothing that sounded like it either before or since, he was right of course but he could've said that about the whole album.
Best Tracks:
Venus In Furs
Heroin
Waiting For The Man
Sunday Morning
Run Run Run [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
46,105
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Dylan’s best album? Well, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde and Blood On The Tracks are all pretty much interchangeable for the podium, all three are masterpieces in songwriting and delivery.
But Highway 61 Revisited has always been my particular favourite; some great songs in the middle, bookended by Like A Rolling Stone and Desolation Row. Both these tracks are over 6 minutes and both are on another level completely. The imagery that flows from the verses of Desolation Row is a delight to the senses and just think of the audacity to put out a 6 minute single in 1965 and then be proved right by having a top ten hit with it.
Best Tracks:
Desolation Row
Like A Rolling Stone
Just Like Tom Thumb Blues
Queen Jane Approximately
Ballad Of A Thin Man [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
But Highway 61 Revisited has always been my particular favourite; some great songs in the middle, bookended by Like A Rolling Stone and Desolation Row. Both these tracks are over 6 minutes and both are on another level completely. The imagery that flows from the verses of Desolation Row is a delight to the senses and just think of the audacity to put out a 6 minute single in 1965 and then be proved right by having a top ten hit with it.
Best Tracks:
Desolation Row
Like A Rolling Stone
Just Like Tom Thumb Blues
Queen Jane Approximately
Ballad Of A Thin Man [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
31,104
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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The Clash were one of the greatest bands; they looked the part, they evolved and Joe Strummer could always be relied upon to write some great words, often, words to live your life by.
Songs like Lost In The Supermarket and Clampdown you can really empathise with, whether you were 18 in 1979 or not.
The variety here is staggering, how could a supposed punk band come up with this? Here there is a song and a style for all weathers.
This album still has many elements in common with Sandinista, but where Sandinista was brilliant and shit in almost equal measures, London Calling is just brilliant.
Best Tracks:
London Calling
Spanish Bombs
Death Or Glory
Clampdown
Lost In The Supernarket [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Songs like Lost In The Supermarket and Clampdown you can really empathise with, whether you were 18 in 1979 or not.
The variety here is staggering, how could a supposed punk band come up with this? Here there is a song and a style for all weathers.
This album still has many elements in common with Sandinista, but where Sandinista was brilliant and shit in almost equal measures, London Calling is just brilliant.
Best Tracks:
London Calling
Spanish Bombs
Death Or Glory
Clampdown
Lost In The Supernarket [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
36,236
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Astral Weeks is a bit like the Velvet Underground & Nico album in the sense that nothing else before or after really sounds anything like it, but whereas the Velvet Underground have been heavily imitated, nothing has really come close to Astral Weeks, and how could it really?
I don’t really know where to begin with this one, it feels like it comes from another world, and yet it still strikes a chord with our everyday life. Van Morrison quickly moved on from this and never got close to it again although he has done some fine work of course.
Just listen to it from start to finish and that is all you need to know about it.
Best Tracks:
Madame George
Beside You
Astral Weeks
Ballerina
Sweet Thing [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
I don’t really know where to begin with this one, it feels like it comes from another world, and yet it still strikes a chord with our everyday life. Van Morrison quickly moved on from this and never got close to it again although he has done some fine work of course.
Just listen to it from start to finish and that is all you need to know about it.
Best Tracks:
Madame George
Beside You
Astral Weeks
Ballerina
Sweet Thing [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,771
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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An immaculate album, where it has been said many times that every song here could’ve been a single, and indeed a lot of them were singles in the wilderness years between this release and the spectacularly average Second Coming in 1994 as the record company tried to squeeze this masterpiece dry.
The reissue always seems to include Elephant Stone and Fools Gold which are both great songs but for me, don’t really belong here.
From the unmistakable bass intro of I Wanna Be Adored to the closing epic jam of I Am The Resurrection, this is one hell of a ride which in turn has spawned a thousand crap bands in flares and Beatles haircuts. But we forgive them. The Roses I mean, not the crap bands.
Best Tracks:
Made Of Stone
Waterfall
I Wanna Be Adored
I Am The Resurrection
She Bangs The Drums [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
The reissue always seems to include Elephant Stone and Fools Gold which are both great songs but for me, don’t really belong here.
From the unmistakable bass intro of I Wanna Be Adored to the closing epic jam of I Am The Resurrection, this is one hell of a ride which in turn has spawned a thousand crap bands in flares and Beatles haircuts. But we forgive them. The Roses I mean, not the crap bands.
Best Tracks:
Made Of Stone
Waterfall
I Wanna Be Adored
I Am The Resurrection
She Bangs The Drums [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,890
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Like any other double album you care to mention, this could probably have been streamlined into something even more magical than it already is, but there is a certain charm this – it feels quite rough and ragged and almost thrown together, but in a good way of course and it is the antithesis to something like Abbey Road, but for me, this has better songs than Abbey Road or Sgt Peppers.
It is the most balanced Beatles album for individual greatness too, Lennon’s Sexy Sadie, Dear Prudence, Julia, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Revolution etc while McCartney gave us Blackbird and Helter Skelter, and then George delivered While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
Best Track:
Sexy Sadie
Dear Prudence
Julia
Revolution
Happiness Is A Warm Gun [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
It is the most balanced Beatles album for individual greatness too, Lennon’s Sexy Sadie, Dear Prudence, Julia, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Revolution etc while McCartney gave us Blackbird and Helter Skelter, and then George delivered While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
Best Track:
Sexy Sadie
Dear Prudence
Julia
Revolution
Happiness Is A Warm Gun [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
43,272
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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For years this was my favourite David Bowie album and there are plenty of choices for that accolade, at the moment Ziggy just pips it. But Hunky Dory is an incredible collection of tracks, almost like an early greatest hits collection.
The big single with the big Bowie chorus here is Life On Mars, and the other hits are Changes and the Peter Noone covered Oh You Pretty Things, we also have the Velvet Underground inspired Queen Bitch and the wonderfully dark Bewlay Brothers.
Best Tracks:
Life On Mars
Bewlay Brothers
Kooks
Changes
Quicksand [First added to this chart: 03/27/2013]
The big single with the big Bowie chorus here is Life On Mars, and the other hits are Changes and the Peter Noone covered Oh You Pretty Things, we also have the Velvet Underground inspired Queen Bitch and the wonderfully dark Bewlay Brothers.
Best Tracks:
Life On Mars
Bewlay Brothers
Kooks
Changes
Quicksand [First added to this chart: 03/27/2013]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22,121
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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I know Paul Morley could review this album a lot better than I ever could; he has been discussing it for the last 35 years though. But there is a reason why people like Paul Morley are still so obsessed with Unknown Pleasures, it is a monumental work of epic proportions which came from four northern working class lads inspired to form a band by the Sex Pistols, that in turn should inspire anyone.
Things are pretty bleak here, in just under a year, Ian Curtis will be dead, and in hindsight, there is plenty of evidence pointing to the way he chose. There is certainly no humour to be found here at all, but it is still a captivating listen, more or less from start to finish. For me the last three tracks are a bit of a let down after what has gone before, unlike Closer where the last three are the best.
Best Tracks:
New Dawn Fades
Disorder
She's Lost Control
Insight
Shadowplay [First added to this chart: 03/26/2013]
Things are pretty bleak here, in just under a year, Ian Curtis will be dead, and in hindsight, there is plenty of evidence pointing to the way he chose. There is certainly no humour to be found here at all, but it is still a captivating listen, more or less from start to finish. For me the last three tracks are a bit of a let down after what has gone before, unlike Closer where the last three are the best.
Best Tracks:
New Dawn Fades
Disorder
She's Lost Control
Insight
Shadowplay [First added to this chart: 03/26/2013]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
24,984
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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At this moment in time Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands is my favourite Dylan track, I would normally prefer a song to say everything it possibly can in under 3 minutes but I have to make an exception for this one as it just never lets up and delivers line after line of wonderful poetry.
I suppose this album is a little more accessible than Highway 61 Revisited, as where the epic tracks from Highway 61 like Desolation Row and Like A Rolling Stone were still more or less protest songs, Blonde On Blonde is more concerned with matters of the heart. Songs like Just Like A Woman and I Want You were quite commercial in sound but still distinctively Dylan.
Best Tracks:
Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
Visions Of Johanna
Just Like A Woman
I Want You
One Of Us Must Know Sooner Or Later [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
I suppose this album is a little more accessible than Highway 61 Revisited, as where the epic tracks from Highway 61 like Desolation Row and Like A Rolling Stone were still more or less protest songs, Blonde On Blonde is more concerned with matters of the heart. Songs like Just Like A Woman and I Want You were quite commercial in sound but still distinctively Dylan.
Best Tracks:
Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
Visions Of Johanna
Just Like A Woman
I Want You
One Of Us Must Know Sooner Or Later [First added to this chart: 03/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,839
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 21 | 21% | |
| 1970s | 36 | 36% | |
| 1980s | 22 | 22% | |
| 1990s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2000s | 4 | 4% | |
| 2010s | 1 | 1% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
| David Bowie | 4 | 4% | |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4% | |
| The Doors | 4 | 4% | |
| Leonard Cohen | 4 | 4% | |
| The Smiths | 4 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 9 from 60th to 51st Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse |
| Up 7 from 87th to 80th After The Gold Rush by Neil Young |
| Up 2 from 81st to 79th Lifes Rich Pageant by R.E.M. |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 6 from 90th to 96th I'm Your Man by Leonard Cohen |
| Down 3 from 78th to 81st Sweet Baby James by James Taylor |
| Down 3 from 79th to 82nd Funeral by Arcade Fire |
| New entries |
|---|
 Moondanceby Van Morrison |
| Harvest by Neil Young |
| Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison |
| On The Beach by Neil Young |
| Saint Dominic's Preview by Van Morrison |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Is This Itby The Strokes |
| Get Happy!! by Elvis Costello And The Attractions |
| Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon by James Taylor |
| Happy Sad by Tim Buckley |
| Forever Breathes The Lonely Word by Felt |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
86/100 (from 154 votes)
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 chart. | Show all 154 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
90/100  | 08/30/2022 10:53 | Thearei30ee | | 88/100 |
 95/100 | 08/14/2021 00:25 | stangetzaway | | 89/100 |
| 70/100 | 06/14/2021 16:14 |  seb7 | | 91/100 |
| 90/100 | 11/29/2020 10:32 |  Goliath | | 86/100 |
| 90/100 | 11/11/2020 23:16 | leniad | | 85/100 |
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 charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 86.5/100, a mean average of 86.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.0.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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70/100
From seb7 06/11/2021 17:03
seb7 06/11/2021 17:03
wow, a whole 10/10 of the top ten of the overall chart, and your own top ten has nothing under the top 100! so original! And, you feature a whole 88 albums sitting within the top 1000.
It did surprise me that you favor the 70s like I do, but it's the same 70s albums that every basic user puts into their chart.
edit: discovered that it's actually 20/20 of the overall chart. Good job, Morrisey Simp
Honestly, I am just salty that you left the 75/100 and left no explanation or comment.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
90/100
From leniad 11/11/2020 23:16
like
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
90/100
From WillyMac 05/04/2020 17:05
I really like your chart and your commentaries. There are 19 albums the same as my chart. It's not just the usual suspects though but things like King of America and The Life Pursuit. Many of your other albums are bubbling under my top 100. Good to see Leonard Cohen getting some love...
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Strattonfox 07/31/2019 20:10
A truly excellent chart with some interesting views
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Globe02 07/05/2019 22:29
I really enjoyed your write ups for your chart, especially Dark Side.
Cheers!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
gidgidi 06/11/2019 22:23
gidgidi 06/11/2019 22:23
Nice rock picks, cool chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From hailey 01/28/2019 15:51
Pretty great chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From 
Julelios 11/09/2018 13:25
Julelios 11/09/2018 13:25
Nice chart !
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
Medelsvensson 10/29/2018 18:41
Medelsvensson 10/29/2018 18:41
Where is the hip hop? And the jazz?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From jeffrey-hodgson 10/12/2018 13:06
Don't completely agree but interesting choices
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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