Top 98 Greatest Music Albums by camsh 
No EPs or live albums will be included. This is list will always remain incomplete, as I could listen to a new album any day that could enter my top 10.
I love each and every one of these albums with all my heart. Just some more than others.
Favourite lyric and favourite tracks are included.
Gimme recs please :)
- Chart updated: 01/10/2015 23:45
- (Created: 05/09/2013 22:52).
- Chart size: 98 albums.
There are 49 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 98 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 52 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1980s. (Remove this filter)
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"I don't have to sell my soul, he's already in me."
A sublime album from start to finish. This album, perhaps more than any on this list, truly defines the era it came from. The jangly guitar playing, hushed vocals and 10 minute jams are all superior to everything else during the Madchester years. It's an incredibly fun album to listen to with sing-alongs like I Wanna Be Adored and This is the One, whereas there are more complicated approaches to the album with I Am The Resurrection and Don't Stop. The combination of Ian Brown and John Squire's songwriting talents is at a peak on this album. It remains very 80's, but at the same time seems before it's time which remains the true magic of this album.
Favourite tracks- She Bangs the Drums, This is the One, I Am the Resurrection [First added to this chart: 05/09/2013]
A sublime album from start to finish. This album, perhaps more than any on this list, truly defines the era it came from. The jangly guitar playing, hushed vocals and 10 minute jams are all superior to everything else during the Madchester years. It's an incredibly fun album to listen to with sing-alongs like I Wanna Be Adored and This is the One, whereas there are more complicated approaches to the album with I Am The Resurrection and Don't Stop. The combination of Ian Brown and John Squire's songwriting talents is at a peak on this album. It remains very 80's, but at the same time seems before it's time which remains the true magic of this album.
Favourite tracks- She Bangs the Drums, This is the One, I Am the Resurrection [First added to this chart: 05/09/2013]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,499
Rank in 1989:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
203
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"If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change"
This album has been with me for a long long time. It was the catalyst of my addiction to music. I'm also in a minority that think this album is miles ahead of Thriller. Not a single bad track on this album and it all flows together really well.
Favourite tracks- Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal [First added to this chart: 05/12/2013]
Take a look at yourself and then make a change"
This album has been with me for a long long time. It was the catalyst of my addiction to music. I'm also in a minority that think this album is miles ahead of Thriller. Not a single bad track on this album and it all flows together really well.
Favourite tracks- Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal [First added to this chart: 05/12/2013]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,305
Rank in 1987:
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"I hid my yo-yo
In the garden
I can't hide you
From the government"
This album is a spectacle. Kate Bush is the latest on my list of 'geniuses' because this album all came from the mind of her. All the intense musical arrangements, The Ninth Wave and the beautiful lyrical poetry- all came from her mind. And you can tell how each and every little detail of the album has been so carefully thought out. I am awestruck.
Favourite tracks- Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), The Big Sky, Cloudbusting [First added to this chart: 03/30/2014]
In the garden
I can't hide you
From the government"
This album is a spectacle. Kate Bush is the latest on my list of 'geniuses' because this album all came from the mind of her. All the intense musical arrangements, The Ninth Wave and the beautiful lyrical poetry- all came from her mind. And you can tell how each and every little detail of the album has been so carefully thought out. I am awestruck.
Favourite tracks- Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), The Big Sky, Cloudbusting [First added to this chart: 03/30/2014]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,558
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Loud, loutish lover, treat her kindly,
Although she needs you more than she loves you"
So much has been said about this album. Don't wanna repeat too much. Just that I love it and it grows on me with every listen. NME voted this as the number one album of all time. It's close.
Favourite tracks- I Know It's Over, Bigmouth Strikes Again, There is a Light That Never Goes Out [First added to this chart: 06/11/2013]
Although she needs you more than she loves you"
So much has been said about this album. Don't wanna repeat too much. Just that I love it and it grows on me with every listen. NME voted this as the number one album of all time. It's close.
Favourite tracks- I Know It's Over, Bigmouth Strikes Again, There is a Light That Never Goes Out [First added to this chart: 06/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
34,792
Rank in 1986:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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"Don't know about you, but I am un chien andalusia."
Doolittle is gripping. It grips you from THAT opening bassline and it flings you into a weird, weird world. It's maniacal and crazy, perhaps the most on this album. It's not like The Holy Bible or In Utero as they have meaning and reasoning. As far as I'm concerned, a lot of this has no real reasoning behind it. The one underlying reason is this fucked up slice-of-eyeballs of brilliance needed to exist. To be the trendsetter.
Favourite tracks- Debaser, Here Comes Your Man, Wave of Mutilation [First added to this chart: 05/11/2013]
Doolittle is gripping. It grips you from THAT opening bassline and it flings you into a weird, weird world. It's maniacal and crazy, perhaps the most on this album. It's not like The Holy Bible or In Utero as they have meaning and reasoning. As far as I'm concerned, a lot of this has no real reasoning behind it. The one underlying reason is this fucked up slice-of-eyeballs of brilliance needed to exist. To be the trendsetter.
Favourite tracks- Debaser, Here Comes Your Man, Wave of Mutilation [First added to this chart: 05/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
32,502
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Pumpin the music I keep the music like pumpin
Coz Ren ain't in here for nuthin, I keep the average crowd jumpin
Yo, you know the color, the villain's in black
Always down to make noise, and attack"
Oh hai hip-hop. This album manages to be both exciting and energetic, with the great lyricism and incredible production courtesy of Dr Dre. Not felt this rush listening to an album in a while. Wow. More stuff like this, please.
Favourite tracks- Fuck Tha Police, If it Ain't Ruff, Parental Discretion Iz Advised [First added to this chart: 09/21/2014]
Coz Ren ain't in here for nuthin, I keep the average crowd jumpin
Yo, you know the color, the villain's in black
Always down to make noise, and attack"
Oh hai hip-hop. This album manages to be both exciting and energetic, with the great lyricism and incredible production courtesy of Dr Dre. Not felt this rush listening to an album in a while. Wow. More stuff like this, please.
Favourite tracks- Fuck Tha Police, If it Ain't Ruff, Parental Discretion Iz Advised [First added to this chart: 09/21/2014]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,336
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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"Mister state trooper, please don't stop me.
Maybe you got a kid, maybe you got a pretty wife, the only thing that I got's been botherin' me, my whole life"
Springsteen's decision to keep the acoustic versions of these songs rather than the full band versions may have been the best decision he's ever made. This album is a beauty. Once you take away the sax solos and jaunty band arrangements, Springsteen is a very tender performer, and this album fully showcases that aspect of him.
Favourite tracks- Nebraska, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper [First added to this chart: 06/04/2014]
Maybe you got a kid, maybe you got a pretty wife, the only thing that I got's been botherin' me, my whole life"
Springsteen's decision to keep the acoustic versions of these songs rather than the full band versions may have been the best decision he's ever made. This album is a beauty. Once you take away the sax solos and jaunty band arrangements, Springsteen is a very tender performer, and this album fully showcases that aspect of him.
Favourite tracks- Nebraska, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper [First added to this chart: 06/04/2014]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,674
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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"Show me round your fruitcage
Cause I will be your honey bee
Open up your fruitcage
Where the fruit is as sweet as can be"
Well, it has returned. It was inevitable, as this album is a stroke of genius. Masterful pop such as Sledgehammer perfectly blends in with ballads such as In Your Eyes and Don't Give Up. It's just something epic that Gabriel hasn't topped in his solo career.
Favourite tracks- Red Rain, Don't Give Up, In Your Eyes [First added to this chart: 06/15/2013]
Cause I will be your honey bee
Open up your fruitcage
Where the fruit is as sweet as can be"
Well, it has returned. It was inevitable, as this album is a stroke of genius. Masterful pop such as Sledgehammer perfectly blends in with ballads such as In Your Eyes and Don't Give Up. It's just something epic that Gabriel hasn't topped in his solo career.
Favourite tracks- Red Rain, Don't Give Up, In Your Eyes [First added to this chart: 06/15/2013]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,126
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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"I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour,
But heaven knows I'm miserable now."
Favourite tracks- Sweet and Tender Hooligan, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Asleep [First added to this chart: 12/10/2014]
But heaven knows I'm miserable now."
Favourite tracks- Sweet and Tender Hooligan, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Asleep [First added to this chart: 12/10/2014]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,464
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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"Soon to fill our lungs, the hot winds of death
The gods are laughing, so take your last breath"
Favourite tracks- Fight Fire With Fire, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade to Black [First added to this chart: 12/10/2014]
The gods are laughing, so take your last breath"
Favourite tracks- Fight Fire With Fire, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade to Black [First added to this chart: 12/10/2014]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,372
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 12. Page 1 of 2
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Top 98 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 11 | 11% | |
| 1970s | 16 | 16% | |
| 1980s | 12 | 12% | |
| 1990s | 26 | 27% | |
| 2000s | 20 | 20% | |
| 2010s | 13 | 13% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Beatles | 5 | 5% | |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4% | |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 3% | |
| The Smiths | 3 | 3% | |
| The Who | 3 | 3% | |
| Blur | 3 | 3% | |
| Genesis | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 98 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 88th to 89th What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? by The Vaccines |
| Down 1 from 89th to 90th Love Ire & Song by Frank Turner |
| Down 1 from 90th to 91st Rewind The Film by Manic Street Preachers |
| New entries |
|---|
 LoveBloodby King Charles |
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Top 98 Greatest Music Albums ratings
88/100 (from 52 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 52 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
90/100  | 09/24/2025 08:08 | Johnnyo | | 80/100 |
85/100 | 03/20/2025 17:28 |  SomethingSpecial | | 85/100 |
85/100 | 05/30/2018 21:52 | vruslov | | 89/100 |
95/100 | 03/07/2017 16:50 |  hereforashortime | | 84/100 |
85/100 | 05/15/2016 23:24 |  buzzdainer | | 90/100 |
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 is rated in the top 6% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.4/100, a mean average of 88.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.9/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.0.
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Top 98 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 98 Greatest Music Albums comments
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90/100
From Johnnyo 09/24/2025 08:09
Excellent chart. Particularly like the write ups. Great job
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From buzzdainer 05/15/2016 23:24
buzzdainer 05/15/2016 23:24
Very strong chart. I appreciate the enthusiastic rankings for Funeral and OK Computer, which I agree are wonderful albums.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From eyal91 06/15/2015 22:33
Seems that you like concept albums, nice chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From manurock 01/10/2015 22:27
It may contain too many well known albums (mainly classics or indie rock) for my taste but still I found some nice suprises like Elbow or Pulp (I'll have to listen to This is Hardcore) and we both admire many other british bands, starting with our beloved Pink Floyd. Plus your comments are great so well done for your chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
AMEIER 12/22/2014 04:24
AMEIER 12/22/2014 04:24
Really loved your chart, even so I do not know a bunch of things, witch I will for sure, get to know. But what I liked the most is how you describe with your words these masterpieces and your notably sensitivity. Thanks!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Nykeaula 10/07/2014 18:58
Impressive work.
I just got nothing to say about this impressive chart, Just Respect.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
70/100
From 
Martinborras 09/22/2014 19:08
Martinborras 09/22/2014 19:08
There are many things that are ok for me, but The Wall second and especially American Idiot Third, are ideas that i dont share at all. Cool descriptions by the way.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From bluenose 09/14/2014 11:26
A cracking chart...most I have listened too but will now go looking for Captain Dangerous. Would have got more albeit for 1 or 2 blips in my personal choice. Don't want to say as I feel I could get lynched for voicing this opinion. But still a above average chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
SuedeSwede 06/26/2014 21:49
SuedeSwede 06/26/2014 21:49
This comment is beneath your viewing threshold.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -3 votes (5 helpful | 8 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
JMGL95 06/21/2014 12:33
JMGL95 06/21/2014 12:33
Great taste! Love the chart. Great artists, and great albums. I'll take note of some albums I haven't listened yet.
Also, the idea of adding your favourite tracks and lyrics is so interesting. I should do the same in my chart someday.
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We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.