Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
babyBlueSedan 
My favorite albums, or "The 100 albums I'd keep if iTunes had a capacity of 100 albums."
The theme of this update, as with the past couple, is upheaval. Every time I update this I claim to be moving new favorite up higher while still stubbornly putting albums I used to love but never listen to anymore near the top. I won't know for sure if I've been more successful this time around until I update this again. But I hope that this current iteration shook things up a bit and added a bit more variety, even if that variety is in the form of albums most people have heard of. I've tried to include as many artists and genres where possible, partially because I want to appear more interesting than I actually am, but in the end this is still very rock and pop oriented. In particular, this iteration makes obvious my current love of plaintive folk/singer-songwriter stuff.
I've also relaxed my artist limits just a bit to highlight the artists I really love, but I still couldn't include everything I wanted because spots are so limited. In some cases I decided what to include based on what I wanted to write about. I recommend checking out my decade charts for more deep cuts.
Also, I appreciate all the kind and generous comments - they're my main motivation for updating this every couple years or so.
- Chart updated: 05/30/2020 02:15
- (Created: 07/31/2013 04:33).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 98 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 94 out of 100 (from 149 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Like walking past a group of people yelling insults as you go to tell your significant other you cheated on them before they hear it from someone else
In 2015 Kanye West said he was the biggest rock star on the planet. Lots of old people scoffed at this statement since, spoiler alert, Kanye makes hip hop music. But in 2015, and really for many of the years before that, was there a bigger name in music than West? Did anybody inspire as much of a reaction from fans and haters alike than him? The answer is "probably not, I guess", which shows that West was right. He's not a rock star in the sense that he makes awesome rock music, but in the sense that he's a larger than life musician who manages to wedge his way into pop culture and every day conversation. Would the Foo Fighters ever come up in a conversation with your grandparents? Would the Black Keys ever the subject of a story on CNN? Nope, and that's why Kanye is the biggest. (admittedly, Adele, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé come close but shhhhhhhh)
And this album is West's masterpiece simply because it's larger than life. This album embodies West's personality more than any other. It's brash, overblown, foul-mouthed, and arrogant, just like him. But it's also repentant and self-conscious...just like him. If I'm trying to get a Kanye hater to like one of his songs, I'd probably use Jesus Walks, Never Let Me Down, Hey Mama, or Everything I Am. But to get the true Kanye experience, you need to hear this. Or at least Runaway.
The narrative of this album is shaky at best. It starts off arrogant (Dark Fantasy) and bull-headed (Gorgeous). This culminates in Power, which also shows the first chink in Kanye's armor ("well this could be a beautiful death"). This trend continues to Monster but then shifts rather abruptly into the regretful So Appalled, which seems a liiiitle insincere, but does manage to combine the earlier boldness with the idea that this lifestyle isn't completely fulfilling. From there on out the album treads into the "fallen hero" phase, with Kanye lamenting his actions. It's an imperfect sequence - it's hard to feel sorry for him in a lot of cases, and songs like Hell Of A Life only work if you're completely sold by the narrative, which new listeners often are not.
But the tricky thing is that although Kanye does lament his arrogance, it's that arrogance that makes this album possible. How many other artists would have the confidence that they could make this album? Who else could combine King Crimson samples, a Chris Rock skit, a Gil-Scott Heron outro, and features from Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj into something that somehow gels perfectly to become greater than the sum of its parts? No one, that's who. And Kanye manages to bring the best out in everyone he works with.
Musically, the album is full to bursting with ideas. There are samples and sounds everywhere. The word maximalist always seemed sort of odd to me, but that really is what this album is. Every second is packed with something, whether it's an autotuned Justin Vernon sample, a tacked-on guest verse, or a weird voice box outro. Kanye sings along to one of the samples. RZA shows up to yell a couple lines. Kanye brags about putting an Egyptian ruler's vagina inside of their burial chamber. Everything that can happen happens on this album.
And I can see where that would turn people off. But I find it incredibly impressive that an album this packed with ideas, influences, and sounds works. [First added to this chart: 12/06/2013]
In 2015 Kanye West said he was the biggest rock star on the planet. Lots of old people scoffed at this statement since, spoiler alert, Kanye makes hip hop music. But in 2015, and really for many of the years before that, was there a bigger name in music than West? Did anybody inspire as much of a reaction from fans and haters alike than him? The answer is "probably not, I guess", which shows that West was right. He's not a rock star in the sense that he makes awesome rock music, but in the sense that he's a larger than life musician who manages to wedge his way into pop culture and every day conversation. Would the Foo Fighters ever come up in a conversation with your grandparents? Would the Black Keys ever the subject of a story on CNN? Nope, and that's why Kanye is the biggest. (admittedly, Adele, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé come close but shhhhhhhh)
And this album is West's masterpiece simply because it's larger than life. This album embodies West's personality more than any other. It's brash, overblown, foul-mouthed, and arrogant, just like him. But it's also repentant and self-conscious...just like him. If I'm trying to get a Kanye hater to like one of his songs, I'd probably use Jesus Walks, Never Let Me Down, Hey Mama, or Everything I Am. But to get the true Kanye experience, you need to hear this. Or at least Runaway.
The narrative of this album is shaky at best. It starts off arrogant (Dark Fantasy) and bull-headed (Gorgeous). This culminates in Power, which also shows the first chink in Kanye's armor ("well this could be a beautiful death"). This trend continues to Monster but then shifts rather abruptly into the regretful So Appalled, which seems a liiiitle insincere, but does manage to combine the earlier boldness with the idea that this lifestyle isn't completely fulfilling. From there on out the album treads into the "fallen hero" phase, with Kanye lamenting his actions. It's an imperfect sequence - it's hard to feel sorry for him in a lot of cases, and songs like Hell Of A Life only work if you're completely sold by the narrative, which new listeners often are not.
But the tricky thing is that although Kanye does lament his arrogance, it's that arrogance that makes this album possible. How many other artists would have the confidence that they could make this album? Who else could combine King Crimson samples, a Chris Rock skit, a Gil-Scott Heron outro, and features from Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj into something that somehow gels perfectly to become greater than the sum of its parts? No one, that's who. And Kanye manages to bring the best out in everyone he works with.
Musically, the album is full to bursting with ideas. There are samples and sounds everywhere. The word maximalist always seemed sort of odd to me, but that really is what this album is. Every second is packed with something, whether it's an autotuned Justin Vernon sample, a tacked-on guest verse, or a weird voice box outro. Kanye sings along to one of the samples. RZA shows up to yell a couple lines. Kanye brags about putting an Egyptian ruler's vagina inside of their burial chamber. Everything that can happen happens on this album.
And I can see where that would turn people off. But I find it incredibly impressive that an album this packed with ideas, influences, and sounds works. [First added to this chart: 12/06/2013]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
26,143
Rank in 2010:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
276
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Like walking through a pep rally and being completely unnoticed by everyone
The main thing everyone knows about Kanye is that he thinks he's the greatest (or at least one of the greatest, can't forget Q-Tip, Hendrix, Lauryn, Stevie...)*. So it's actually pretty refreshing to hear him take a step back on All Falls Down and admit he's "so self-conscious." It's nice to hear Jesus Walks, which takes the focus off of him and is just a feel-good song in general. And it's nice that, despite this vulnerability, his confidence still shines through. Seriously - this guy rapped on his first single with his jaw wired shut.
Musically of course this is early period Kanye, which means a more traditional approach to the beats that centers on his soul samples. The high pitched vocals on Through the Wire and Slow Jamz really are great; it's quite a change from the low pitched, bass heavy beats you'd hear in most 90s rap. It's a style that really suits him, since to be honest he's not that great of a rapper, and the enjoyable melodies take some of the focus off of his flow.
Despite his technical shortcomings though, the guy is a hell of a song writer. There isn't a less-than-excellent song on this album until Get Em High, meaning the first 25ish minutes of this album are ace. There are a few misses, but Through the Wire and Family Business wrap the album up well. The skits largely work, though the last few college ones - especially the Jimmy one - start to sound a little preachy and seem to miss the mark. Overall though it's a great effort that superbly mixes conscious hip hop topics and real talk.
It's also great to hear Kanye having fun on this album, which boasts some pretty funny and memorable parts, like when he yells "oh, we ain't finished?" during Jay-Z's second verse on Never Let Me Down. Or "she got a light-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson, got a dark-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson." It's an element that's missing in some of his later work and in hip hop in general.
*When I wrote this that reference was relevant I promise. Maybe I shouldn't put memes from 2016 in my reviews and hope they age well. [First added to this chart: 01/12/2015]
The main thing everyone knows about Kanye is that he thinks he's the greatest (or at least one of the greatest, can't forget Q-Tip, Hendrix, Lauryn, Stevie...)*. So it's actually pretty refreshing to hear him take a step back on All Falls Down and admit he's "so self-conscious." It's nice to hear Jesus Walks, which takes the focus off of him and is just a feel-good song in general. And it's nice that, despite this vulnerability, his confidence still shines through. Seriously - this guy rapped on his first single with his jaw wired shut.
Musically of course this is early period Kanye, which means a more traditional approach to the beats that centers on his soul samples. The high pitched vocals on Through the Wire and Slow Jamz really are great; it's quite a change from the low pitched, bass heavy beats you'd hear in most 90s rap. It's a style that really suits him, since to be honest he's not that great of a rapper, and the enjoyable melodies take some of the focus off of his flow.
Despite his technical shortcomings though, the guy is a hell of a song writer. There isn't a less-than-excellent song on this album until Get Em High, meaning the first 25ish minutes of this album are ace. There are a few misses, but Through the Wire and Family Business wrap the album up well. The skits largely work, though the last few college ones - especially the Jimmy one - start to sound a little preachy and seem to miss the mark. Overall though it's a great effort that superbly mixes conscious hip hop topics and real talk.
It's also great to hear Kanye having fun on this album, which boasts some pretty funny and memorable parts, like when he yells "oh, we ain't finished?" during Jay-Z's second verse on Never Let Me Down. Or "she got a light-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson, got a dark-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson." It's an element that's missing in some of his later work and in hip hop in general.
*When I wrote this that reference was relevant I promise. Maybe I shouldn't put memes from 2016 in my reviews and hope they age well. [First added to this chart: 01/12/2015]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,305
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 2. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 4 | 4% | |
| 1970s | 9 | 9% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1990s | 23 | 23% | |
| 2000s | 28 | 28% | |
| 2010s | 28 | 28% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| Modest Mouse | 3 | 3% | |
| Kanye West | 2 | 2% | |
| Songs: Ohia | 2 | 2% | |
| Sufjan Stevens | 2 | 2% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 2% | |
| American Football | 1 | 1% | |
| Aesop Rock | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 44 from 79th to 35th E•MO•TION by Carly Rae Jepsen |
| Up 35 from 45th to 10th Songs About Leaving by Carissa's Wierd |
| Up 29 from 76th to 47th The Glow Pt. 2 by The Microphones |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 32 from 57th to 89th Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney |
| Down 29 from 26th to 55th The Suburbs by Arcade Fire |
| Down 29 from 52nd to 81st Crack The Skye by Mastodon |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
94/100 (from 149 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 149 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
90/100  | 01/16/2023 22:04 | Johnnyo | | 80/100 |
90/100 | 05/21/2022 09:11 |  Timestarter | | 90/100 |
 100/100 | 09/11/2021 15:03 |  AvalancheGrips | | 89/100 |
95/100 | 08/31/2021 21:02 | leniad | | 85/100 |
100/100 | 04/28/2021 09:45 |  DriftingOrpheus | | 91/100 |
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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 93.6/100, a mean average of 93.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 94.1/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.6.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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90/100
From Johnnyo 01/16/2023 22:05
Great chart and the work that has gone into each entry. Wow! Brilliant stuff
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From leniad 08/31/2021 21:02
good writing and good taste
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From weyesgroove 09/29/2020 16:32
cool chart man. love the descriptions.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Keatownrodriguez 10/28/2019 21:19
Keatownrodriguez 10/28/2019 21:19
Any chart with this much time put into it is so cool to me
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From pctrooper 10/04/2019 19:23
These notes are so detailed and helpful for advocating your choices. You must really know how to listen to music and listen to it hard. Great albums, too.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From eharrell 07/24/2019 00:02
Best Chart ever
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From tk421ucopy 07/23/2019 19:24
incredible. you have a different taste in music, but wow these descriptions are prime
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 07/23/2019 12:00
DommeDamian 07/23/2019 12:00
Is there a limit of how much inspiration, this chart can give?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From xXhermitXx 10/18/2018 04:05
Holy crap what a chart, have a bunch in common with me and a whole list of new ones to check out, i also loved your descriptions.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
jdenny2018 10/18/2018 01:19
jdenny2018 10/18/2018 01:19
This is one of the most amazing things I've ever read
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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