Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by thereckoner 
Disclaimer: The only criteria for this chart was how much enjoyment I have had personally
- Chart updated: 03/02/2024 15:15
- (Created: 07/24/2013 18:02).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 44 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 87 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Best tracks: Only Love Can Break Your Heart; After the Goldrush; Southern Man
"I was thinking about what a
Friend had said
I was hoping it was a lie." [First added to this chart: 07/25/2013]
"I was thinking about what a
Friend had said
I was hoping it was a lie." [First added to this chart: 07/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,577
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best tracks: Chicago; John Wayne Gacy Jr.; Come on! Feel the Illinoise!; The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us
"I can't explain
The state that I'm in
The state of my heart
He was my best friend" [First added to this chart: 07/25/2013]
"I can't explain
The state that I'm in
The state of my heart
He was my best friend" [First added to this chart: 07/25/2013]
Year of Release:
2005
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,963
Rank in 2005:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best tracks: Ziggy Stardust; Starman; Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
"Oh no love! You're not alone
No matter what, or who you've been." [First added to this chart: 07/25/2013]
"Oh no love! You're not alone
No matter what, or who you've been." [First added to this chart: 07/25/2013]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
42,379
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best tracks: Hounds Of Love; Running Up That Hill; Cloudbusting
"And if I only could,
I'd make a deal with God,
And I'd get him to swap our places." [First added to this chart: 09/02/2013]
"And if I only could,
I'd make a deal with God,
And I'd get him to swap our places." [First added to this chart: 09/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,080
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best tracks: Once in a Lifetime; Listening Wind; Born Under Punches
"Mojique holds a package in his quivering hands
Mojique sends the package to the American man" [First added to this chart: 07/26/2013]
"Mojique holds a package in his quivering hands
Mojique sends the package to the American man" [First added to this chart: 07/26/2013]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,398
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best tracks: Jesus, etc.; I Am Trying To Break Your Heart; I'm The Man Who Loves You
"And it makes no difference to me,
How they cried all over overseas
Now it's hot,
In the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside." [First added to this chart: 07/26/2013]
"And it makes no difference to me,
How they cried all over overseas
Now it's hot,
In the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside." [First added to this chart: 07/26/2013]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,930
Rank in 2002:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best Tracks: Go Your Own Way; The Chain; Dreams
"Dreams of loneliness like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering" [First added to this chart: 07/24/2013]
"Dreams of loneliness like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering" [First added to this chart: 07/24/2013]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
30,505
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best tracks: Blue Eyes; Kaputt; Suicide Demo For Kara Walker; Chinatown
"Wasting your days chasing some girls,
Alright, chasing cocaine
Through the back rooms of the world all night" [First added to this chart: 01/08/2019]
"Wasting your days chasing some girls,
Alright, chasing cocaine
Through the back rooms of the world all night" [First added to this chart: 01/08/2019]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,774
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best tracks: Pan Within; The Whole Of The Moon; This Is The Sea
"Trying to make sense now
And you know you once held the key
But that was the river
And this is the sea!" [First added to this chart: 09/13/2013]
"Trying to make sense now
And you know you once held the key
But that was the river
And this is the sea!" [First added to this chart: 09/13/2013]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,963
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Best tracks: All My Friends; Get Innocuous!; Someone Great
"You spent the first five years trying to get with the plan
And the next five years trying to be with your friends again" [First added to this chart: 11/11/2013]
"You spent the first five years trying to get with the plan
And the next five years trying to be with your friends again" [First added to this chart: 11/11/2013]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,692
Rank in 2007:
Rank in 2000s:
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 | 16 | 16% | |
| 1970s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1990s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2000s | 26 | 26% | |
| 2010s | 12 | 12% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 3% | |
| Wilco | 3 | 3% | |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 3% | |
| Neil Young | 3 | 3% | |
| Sufjan Stevens | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
52 | 52% | |
 |
28 | 28% | |
 |
11 | 11% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 6 from 31st to 25thCarrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens |
| Up 2 from 42nd to 40thMarquee Moon by Television |
| Up 2 from 41st to 39thMerriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 27 from 37th to 64thBee Thousand by Guided By Voices |
| Down 16 from 29th to 45thRevolver by The Beatles |
| Down 15 from 26th to 41stLondon Calling by The Clash |
| New entries |
|---|
| An Overview On Phenomenal Nature by Cassandra Jenkins |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Person Pitch by Panda Bear |
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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 87 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/23/2024 15:57 | DrewHamster | 315 | 79/100 | |
| 10/11/2024 08:52 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 | |
| 03/13/2024 17:30 |  MagicMikie | 9 | 79/100 | |
| 02/14/2022 14:24 | 0129114 | 64 | 81/100 | |
| 02/14/2022 10:38 | Larcx13 | 1,138 | 86/100 |
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 4% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.2/100, a mean average of 89.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.7.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From MagicMikie 03/13/2024 17:33 | #302451
MagicMikie 03/13/2024 17:33 | #302451
Wow! That's a great chart! Neil Young is one of my favorite artists and you got my top 3 in that order. My favorite on After the Gold Rush is When You Dance I Can Really Love. Radio Free Europe was a great selection off of Murmur too. I'm not a big Radiohead guy, if you like that sound though I'd recommend Showbiz by Muse it sounds a lot like Radiohead I just liked it better.
I also like that idea of top 3 tracks I may be using that on mine soon.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Moondance 09/07/2022 21:12 | #289484
If the albums herein brought you the greatest joy, then you have had plenty to be joyful about. Nice to see one Aussie album in the chart. Also got a kick out of seeing Okkervil River, Elliott Smith, The Waterboys. I can see that your love for Neil doesn't extend as much for David, Stephen or Graham.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 0129114 02/14/2022 14:35 | #281290
nice. I can tell you enjoy that folky, soft rock type stuff. Not sure if you've checked them out already but this chart could sure use some Joni Mitchell, Microphones (Glow Pt. 2), Paul Simon, The Smiths, The Band, etc.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From leniad 11/05/2020 18:03 | #260215
good taste
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
imimesis 12/17/2019 02:51 | #245738
imimesis 12/17/2019 02:51 | #245738
A one-two punch of After the Gold Rush and Sufjan's Illinois is a VERY good way to start off a best albums ever list. Good work!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 11/30/2018 16:05 | #225924
ForegroundNoise 11/30/2018 16:05 | #225924
Really nice chart, love all the lyrics too!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Julelios 11/30/2018 09:09 | #225914
Julelios 11/30/2018 09:09 | #225914
Wilco !!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Ulf 04/15/2018 09:28 | #212917
Very interesting chart with plenty of diversity
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Lgk21 01/11/2018 23:58 | #205290
Excellent. I've heard nearly every album on here and all of them are great. We have 27 in common.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From xXhermitXx 01/11/2018 23:07 | #205287
Great chart, Have alot of common and some new stuff. Thanks for showing me Waterboys and Okkervil River
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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