Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
RockyRaccoon 
I was raised on classic rock (read as: I was a total dadrocker for a lot of my life) and many of these albums (if not all of them) carry a personal attachment to me. Whether it reminds me of something, or it was something I listened to a lot growing up, whatever it is, I assign a lot of personal meaning to these albums, and being that much of the traditional rock canon was part of my formative years in music listening, many of those albums carry a lot of meaning to me.
That being said, I'm always listening to new music and this chart may (and likely will) change every now and then. I also might just re-arrange it based on how I'm feeling. In all honesty, the order of the albums on this chart doesn't matter too much, as on any one day, one could be interchanged with another.
I'll be slowly adding notes as I get the chance.
- Chart updated: 12/20/2024 02:15
- (Created: 07/10/2013 21:42).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 61 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 95 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This is life-changing stuff. It's hard for me to accurately articulate in words what Blood On The Tracks actually means to me personally. It was the first album that really got me into Dylan, and it's been a major part of my life since then. I've personally covered just about half this album at different shows I've played here and there, it's an incredibly important album to me personally.
But what is it about this album? What makes this different from any other Dylan album? It's the intimacy, it's how deeply personal this album feels. He may deny it up and down forever, but there's no way this album isn't at least somewhat influenced by Dylan's estrangement from his wife. This album is somber, but at the same time, it's peaceful, like someone who has come to grips with where their life is at and has accepted it for what it is, good or bad. The album is wrapped in allegories and metaphors, as is per usual for Dylan, but it's about as close as we've ever come to seeing the deepest, darkest parts of Dylan's mind (perhaps the only closer is when he did "Not Dark Yet" on Time Out Of Mind) and as such, it's an incredible masterpiece.
It also contains one of my absolute favorite Dylan tunes in "Simple Twist of Fate". While lyrically the song is beautiful, the chord progression fascinates me:
E | Emaj7 | E7 | A | Am| E B/D#| A | E | B11 | A
That progression is fantastic, and from a music-theory standpoint, is a little wonky. Not to say it's impossible, as anything in a post-20th century world is possible in music theory, but it's unconventional. The use of the major seven, to the minor seven and the use of Am in the key of E, it's all so weird, but it turns out perfect for the song
This is easily my favorite Dylan album and probably my favorite album ever (or at least, one of). Dylan's always been a storyteller, and these are his best stories. [First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
But what is it about this album? What makes this different from any other Dylan album? It's the intimacy, it's how deeply personal this album feels. He may deny it up and down forever, but there's no way this album isn't at least somewhat influenced by Dylan's estrangement from his wife. This album is somber, but at the same time, it's peaceful, like someone who has come to grips with where their life is at and has accepted it for what it is, good or bad. The album is wrapped in allegories and metaphors, as is per usual for Dylan, but it's about as close as we've ever come to seeing the deepest, darkest parts of Dylan's mind (perhaps the only closer is when he did "Not Dark Yet" on Time Out Of Mind) and as such, it's an incredible masterpiece.
It also contains one of my absolute favorite Dylan tunes in "Simple Twist of Fate". While lyrically the song is beautiful, the chord progression fascinates me:
E | Emaj7 | E7 | A | Am| E B/D#| A | E | B11 | A
That progression is fantastic, and from a music-theory standpoint, is a little wonky. Not to say it's impossible, as anything in a post-20th century world is possible in music theory, but it's unconventional. The use of the major seven, to the minor seven and the use of Am in the key of E, it's all so weird, but it turns out perfect for the song
This is easily my favorite Dylan album and probably my favorite album ever (or at least, one of). Dylan's always been a storyteller, and these are his best stories. [First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,443
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
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Comments:
David Gilmour has always been one of my favorite guitarists. The way he makes his guitar wail and sing, the way he utilizes the "less is more" approach of guitar playing, through bends and long-held notes, makes his playing some of the most beautiful work out there. In my opinion, Animals is Gilmour at his best.
I have a lot of great memories of when I first got into this album. I was a senior in high school and spent all of my time in the music department. One of my friends hooked up his iPod to the sound system we had in the band room and started blasting Animals. He'd do this every now and then, Pink Floyd was one of his favorite bands, and I'd just sit in the room (the acoustics were pretty decent) and just absorb this album. Every note and every beat was a new adventure to me, it's like the album became a part of me, I fused myself with it. It was like the whole room was filled with this album (we probably played it too loud) and it just enveloped me and I was fascinated by it.
Since then, I've heard the album a million times, I have it on vinyl and it's spun on my record player a ton. I remember spending time at night just laying in bed in the dark listening to this album. It's perfect. From top to bottom, it's perfect. Like I said, it's some of Gilmour's best guitar work, but it's some of the best instrumental work from the entire band. Richard Wright's intro to "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is incredible, better than just about anything any other keyboardist from the era has done, the whole album fits together perfectly. Roger Waters' vocals and lyrics are full of imagery, some of the best he's done, heavily critical and bitter.
This whole album is one that will bore itself into your consciousness, it's one of the most harrowing, powerful, and beautiful albums I've ever heard. [First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
I have a lot of great memories of when I first got into this album. I was a senior in high school and spent all of my time in the music department. One of my friends hooked up his iPod to the sound system we had in the band room and started blasting Animals. He'd do this every now and then, Pink Floyd was one of his favorite bands, and I'd just sit in the room (the acoustics were pretty decent) and just absorb this album. Every note and every beat was a new adventure to me, it's like the album became a part of me, I fused myself with it. It was like the whole room was filled with this album (we probably played it too loud) and it just enveloped me and I was fascinated by it.
Since then, I've heard the album a million times, I have it on vinyl and it's spun on my record player a ton. I remember spending time at night just laying in bed in the dark listening to this album. It's perfect. From top to bottom, it's perfect. Like I said, it's some of Gilmour's best guitar work, but it's some of the best instrumental work from the entire band. Richard Wright's intro to "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is incredible, better than just about anything any other keyboardist from the era has done, the whole album fits together perfectly. Roger Waters' vocals and lyrics are full of imagery, some of the best he's done, heavily critical and bitter.
This whole album is one that will bore itself into your consciousness, it's one of the most harrowing, powerful, and beautiful albums I've ever heard. [First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22,358
Rank in 1977:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
If I had the ability to make a wish upon a star and get the singing voice of any one person, I would probably wish for Sam Cooke's singing voice. I truly believe that Cooke has one of the most beautiful, most pure singing voices to ever grace pop music.
And while I love all the hits he's put out over the years, something about Night Beat really stuck with me. There's nothing on this album that was a massive hit for Cooke. There's no Cupid or Saturday Night or anything like that. This is Sam Cooke having some fun in the studio just jamming with some amazing musicians.
It feels like a very intimate album. We've heard plenty from Sam Cooke the pop star. But here, we get to hear from Sam Cooke the man, Sam Cooke the guy who loves music and singing. These are mostly covers, lots of old classics like Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen and Little Red Rooster, and Cooke just nails every single one of them every single time. And on top of that, he's backed by a group of fabulous studio musicians that includes the legendary Hal Blaine and Billy Preston.
It's chill, it's fun, it's impressive, Night Beat is just a great time all around. [First added to this chart: 02/12/2016]
And while I love all the hits he's put out over the years, something about Night Beat really stuck with me. There's nothing on this album that was a massive hit for Cooke. There's no Cupid or Saturday Night or anything like that. This is Sam Cooke having some fun in the studio just jamming with some amazing musicians.
It feels like a very intimate album. We've heard plenty from Sam Cooke the pop star. But here, we get to hear from Sam Cooke the man, Sam Cooke the guy who loves music and singing. These are mostly covers, lots of old classics like Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen and Little Red Rooster, and Cooke just nails every single one of them every single time. And on top of that, he's backed by a group of fabulous studio musicians that includes the legendary Hal Blaine and Billy Preston.
It's chill, it's fun, it's impressive, Night Beat is just a great time all around. [First added to this chart: 02/12/2016]
Year of Release:
1963
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,293
Rank in 1963:
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[First added to this chart: 02/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,111
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[First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,759
Rank in 1969:
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[First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
36,807
Rank in 1968:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,902
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
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[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1960
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,149
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[First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
38,161
Rank in 1966:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 07/11/2013]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,897
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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 | 5 | 5% | |
| 1960s | 30 | 30% | |
| 1970s | 21 | 21% | |
| 1980s | 7 | 7% | |
| 1990s | 13 | 13% | |
| 2000s | 18 | 18% | |
| 2010s | 6 | 6% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 5% | |
| The Beatles | 5 | 5% | |
| The Tallest Man On Earth | 4 | 4% | |
| Leonard Cohen | 3 | 3% | |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 3% | |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 3% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
55 | 55% | |
 |
27 | 27% | |
 |
7 | 7% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums 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 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 95 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/12/2025 14:09 | BorderFreeAndrew | 108 | 81/100 | |
| 01/29/2025 12:48 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,094 | 85/100 | |
| 01/19/2024 04:31 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 | |
| 01/18/2024 12:32 |  Tamthebam | 651 | 85/100 | |
| 06/04/2023 17:39 | Johnnyo | 2,576 | 80/100 |
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 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.5/100, a mean average of 90.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 91.0/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.3.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From Johnnyo 06/04/2023 17:39 | #297391
Very good chart. Classics indeed
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
HoldenM 10/19/2022 03:21 | #290593
HoldenM 10/19/2022 03:21 | #290593
SIMPLY THE BEST!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Moondance 10/19/2022 00:48 | #290592
Nice to see the recognition of songwriters and a few of those outside the mainstream. With half your chart taken from the 60's/70's, looks like we share living through the greatest decades of music in real time (i.e. we are getting on!). Given your broad taste, I was a bit disappointed that the wealth of excellent Australian songwriters/artists has not merited listing in your top 100 - but with Wolfmother & AC/DC listed, I get a sense of where you are coming from.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Escafandra 09/02/2021 21:52 | #273224
This chart has some good records but it´s too narrow in geographical and cultural variety. It will be interesting to see how it will look like if its creator starts opening a bit more his spectrum.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Mercury 01/09/2021 04:01 | #264086
Mercury 01/09/2021 04:01 | #264086
"Still Crazy (good) after all these years" Meraul Curimon
Not sure what I was trying to do with that name.
Anyway, its great to see this again after all this time. Dylan, Miles, TTMOE, Yes, 18 albums and 18 artists in common. This is dope.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
seb7 12/27/2020 21:23 | #263306
seb7 12/27/2020 21:23 | #263306
Extremely, extremely cool list. I could only dream of making a list that blends my tastes and opinions this well
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
CharlieBarley 11/13/2020 03:06 | #260735
CharlieBarley 11/13/2020 03:06 | #260735
I like your chart and your notes. You have many of my favourite albums plus a few that should be in my chart (Black Monks Time springs to mind). Great work man.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Julelios 12/05/2018 14:35 | #226238
Julelios 12/05/2018 14:35 | #226238
Excellent choices !
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From glynspsa 11/29/2018 23:58 | #225888
This chart is fire. love it. The dicks picks you chose is one of the best in their massive cannon.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From RockyRaccoon 05/23/2018 03:21 | #215460
RockyRaccoon 05/23/2018 03:21 | #215460
Thanks! I've actually listened to a lot of Miles Davis' stuff and love it, it's just the records I listed here have a special place for me because they were the records that first got me into jazz.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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