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 152 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Like walking two hours late at night to get home from a party because your car wouldn't start
I went through a lot of mental anguish when trying to decide whether to include this one. I already had two Modest Mouse albums on the list! It's a singles compilation! People will figure out I like this one anyway! But, in the end, it felt wrong leaving it out for the simple reason that it's plain better than most of the albums here. And all the reasons I listed earlier are bad anyway. Even three Modest Mouse albums is barely enough, considering they're an artist I've loved for nearly a decade and I'm still able to get lost in their work for weeks at a time. There are artists I fell in love with only a couple years ago that I've already grown bored of. And yes, this is a compilation, but it really feels like an album because all the tracks were recorded around the same time. Lastly, I'm not convinced readers would listen to this just because they fell in love with Modest Mouse after reading this. This one kind of gets lost in the shuffle since Modest Mouse have so many well-loved studio albums.
Most of all, this is not a retread of any of the band's other work. It really feels separate, and in fact I'd say this is the sound of the band that I prefer the most. The band's debut is full of long-winded rustic jams, The Lonesome Crowded West refined that a bit, and then the Moon and Antarctica blew it up all by creating a more polished and even pretty sound out of the same elements. This feels like the halfway point between LCW and M&A: the guitar tunings are off the wall and sound like nothing else, but it doesn't feel as loose or sprawling as LCW. It's a lot tighter, which means some of the crazy song structures that made LCW so great are gone. But in their place are a group of songs focused on very singular concepts. Sometimes those concepts are tested to their breaking points. On "Broke," Isaac Brock finds about ten different ways to use the word "broke" and tells a story focused on those uses. On "Life of Arctic Sounds" he lists of all the different distances that are long drives in a car, in increments of 100, from 100 to 1,100. It's maddening the first time you hear it. But all of these concepts have a purpose. In the latter case, the final "eleven hundred miles is too far inside a car" is the real dagger to the heart, as Brock implies that there are some distances, real or metaphorical, that are too far to travel for someone you love. A lot of these songs deal with hard truths and realizations that just take the air out of you.
This is also one of Modest Mouse's loosest and, in some cases, funniest albums. Maybe it's because these songs were all released at different times? Whatever the case, it really works to the album's advantage. In most cases at least: "Medication" was for a long time the one Modest Mouse song I didn't really care for. But in almost every other case it makes this album a lot of fun despite the subject matter. "Sleepwalking" puts lyrics to a classic instrumental, painting a nostalgic picture of life as a high schooler. "Workin' on Leavin' the Livin'" interpolates "In Heaven" from Eraserhead (I didn't realize this until I finally watched Eraserhead - imagine my surprise when the lady in the radiator started singing what I thought was a Modest Mouse song). "All Nite Diner" tells an insane story of the narrator meeting a guy at a diner who recommends he think about pavement during sex so he can last longer. This type of bizarre interaction with a stranger is also used to good effect on the closer, "Other People's Lives." And last but certainly not least you have my namesake, "Baby Blue Sedan." That's a good reason to include this album on the list, even if there were none others. Why did I name myself after this one? It's no longer my favorite Modest Mouse song by any means; in fact, its basic musical structure pales in comparison to the band's more adventurous songwriting. It's really all about that chorus: "It's hard to be a human being, and it's harder as anything else." That's really what Modest Mouse had been trying to say all along, but they decided to get right to the point on this one. The chorus also has the "I'm lonesome when you're around but I never am lonesome when I'm by myself" part. I don't like to talk about that one though, because it hits too close to home. [First added to this chart: 08/04/2013]
I went through a lot of mental anguish when trying to decide whether to include this one. I already had two Modest Mouse albums on the list! It's a singles compilation! People will figure out I like this one anyway! But, in the end, it felt wrong leaving it out for the simple reason that it's plain better than most of the albums here. And all the reasons I listed earlier are bad anyway. Even three Modest Mouse albums is barely enough, considering they're an artist I've loved for nearly a decade and I'm still able to get lost in their work for weeks at a time. There are artists I fell in love with only a couple years ago that I've already grown bored of. And yes, this is a compilation, but it really feels like an album because all the tracks were recorded around the same time. Lastly, I'm not convinced readers would listen to this just because they fell in love with Modest Mouse after reading this. This one kind of gets lost in the shuffle since Modest Mouse have so many well-loved studio albums.
Most of all, this is not a retread of any of the band's other work. It really feels separate, and in fact I'd say this is the sound of the band that I prefer the most. The band's debut is full of long-winded rustic jams, The Lonesome Crowded West refined that a bit, and then the Moon and Antarctica blew it up all by creating a more polished and even pretty sound out of the same elements. This feels like the halfway point between LCW and M&A: the guitar tunings are off the wall and sound like nothing else, but it doesn't feel as loose or sprawling as LCW. It's a lot tighter, which means some of the crazy song structures that made LCW so great are gone. But in their place are a group of songs focused on very singular concepts. Sometimes those concepts are tested to their breaking points. On "Broke," Isaac Brock finds about ten different ways to use the word "broke" and tells a story focused on those uses. On "Life of Arctic Sounds" he lists of all the different distances that are long drives in a car, in increments of 100, from 100 to 1,100. It's maddening the first time you hear it. But all of these concepts have a purpose. In the latter case, the final "eleven hundred miles is too far inside a car" is the real dagger to the heart, as Brock implies that there are some distances, real or metaphorical, that are too far to travel for someone you love. A lot of these songs deal with hard truths and realizations that just take the air out of you.
This is also one of Modest Mouse's loosest and, in some cases, funniest albums. Maybe it's because these songs were all released at different times? Whatever the case, it really works to the album's advantage. In most cases at least: "Medication" was for a long time the one Modest Mouse song I didn't really care for. But in almost every other case it makes this album a lot of fun despite the subject matter. "Sleepwalking" puts lyrics to a classic instrumental, painting a nostalgic picture of life as a high schooler. "Workin' on Leavin' the Livin'" interpolates "In Heaven" from Eraserhead (I didn't realize this until I finally watched Eraserhead - imagine my surprise when the lady in the radiator started singing what I thought was a Modest Mouse song). "All Nite Diner" tells an insane story of the narrator meeting a guy at a diner who recommends he think about pavement during sex so he can last longer. This type of bizarre interaction with a stranger is also used to good effect on the closer, "Other People's Lives." And last but certainly not least you have my namesake, "Baby Blue Sedan." That's a good reason to include this album on the list, even if there were none others. Why did I name myself after this one? It's no longer my favorite Modest Mouse song by any means; in fact, its basic musical structure pales in comparison to the band's more adventurous songwriting. It's really all about that chorus: "It's hard to be a human being, and it's harder as anything else." That's really what Modest Mouse had been trying to say all along, but they decided to get right to the point on this one. The chorus also has the "I'm lonesome when you're around but I never am lonesome when I'm by myself" part. I don't like to talk about that one though, because it hits too close to home. [First added to this chart: 08/04/2013]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
748
Rank in 2000:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1. 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% | |
| Failure | 1 | 1% | |
| The Velvet Underground & Nico | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 44 from 79th to 35thE•Mo•Tion by Carly Rae Jepsen |
| Up 35 from 45th to 10thSongs About Leaving by Carissa's Wierd |
| Up 29 from 76th to 47thThe Glow Pt. 2 by The Microphones |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 32 from 57th to 89thDig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney |
| Down 29 from 26th to 55thThe Suburbs by Arcade Fire |
| Down 29 from 52nd to 81stCrack The Skye by Mastodon |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorite Album Covers | babyBlueSedan | Custom chart | 2018 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | babyBlueSedan | 2000s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | babyBlueSedan | 2010s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | bkogz | Overall chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | blackflag29 | Overall chart | 2019 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  Mattdup279 | Overall chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | babyBlueSedan | 1990s decade chart | 2021 | |
| BEA Forum Regulars' Top 100 (2015) |  HigherThanTheSun | Custom chart | 2015 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | gravityrider999 | Overall chart | 2019 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  ledemoncleaner | Overall chart | 2018 | |
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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 152 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/25/2025 19:59 | DrewHamster | 317 | 79/100 |
| ! | 01/15/2025 16:18 | Exist-en-ciel | 147 | 98/100 |
| ! | 06/25/2024 09:53 |  ssteve | 207 | 92/100 |
| ! | 01/16/2023 22:04 | Johnnyo | 2,568 | 80/100 |
| ! | 05/21/2022 09:11 |  Timestarter | 114 | 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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 93.7/100, a mean average of 93.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 94.2/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.6.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 43 members
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 98 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From Johnnyo 01/16/2023 22:05 | #292938
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)
From leniad 08/31/2021 21:02 | #273144
good writing and good taste
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Keatownrodriguez 10/28/2019 21:19 | #244221
Keatownrodriguez 10/28/2019 21:19 | #244221
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)
From pctrooper 10/04/2019 19:23 | #243384
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)
From eharrell 07/24/2019 00:02 | #240304
Best Chart ever
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From tk421ucopy 07/23/2019 19:24 | #240298
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)
From 
DommeDamian 07/23/2019 12:00 | #240231
DommeDamian 07/23/2019 12:00 | #240231
Is there a limit of how much inspiration, this chart can give?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From xXhermitXx 10/18/2018 04:05 | #222709
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)
From 
jdenny2018 10/18/2018 01:19 | #222704
jdenny2018 10/18/2018 01:19 | #222704
This is one of the most amazing things I've ever read
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From manurock 10/16/2018 20:07 | #222633
+5 for this chart, I am sure it has improved a lot since I visited it. You clearly have a vast knowledge of albums and the chart is very well written. I love your comments for On the Beach, which is also my favourite Neil Young album.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Ever Artists | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Beatles | |
| 2. Radiohead | |
| 3. Pink Floyd | |
| 4. David Bowie | |
| 5. Bob Dylan | |
| 6. Led Zeppelin | |
| 7. The Rolling Stones | |
| 8. Arcade Fire | |
| 9. Nirvana | |
| 10. Neil Young | |
| 11. The Velvet Underground | |
| 12. Kendrick Lamar | |
| 13. Miles Davis | |
| 14. The Smiths | |
| 15. The Beach Boys | |
| 16. R.E.M. | |
| 17. Kanye West | |
| 18. Pixies | |
| 19. Bruce Springsteen | |
| 20. Jimi Hendrix |
