Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
NickVolos 
There is so much great music, it is impossible to fit it all in a 100-entry chart.
Not only that, but it is also impossible to rank your favorite 100 records too - they are your best 100 albums after all.
This is an attempt to chart my taste in strictly rock 'n' roll music as it stands today after 35+ years of actively listening to it. In this attempt I was "forced" to leave out many of my favorites in order to:
1) List one album per artist,
2) "Promote" less known but equably great (to me) albums, and
3) Produce a chart that is equally distributed from the 60's to 10's.
In the process I am using a simple ranking algorithm, for which I posted about, because I still believe that if an album has many great songs, well, that makes it a great album.
- Chart updated: 03/21/2015 12:15
- (Created: 10/02/2013 06:10).
- 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 86 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 1960s. (Remove this filter)
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Rank Score: 94.55%
[First added to this chart: 10/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,226
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
150
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The opener "Poor Old Man" is an inspired leadoff track that features a strong west coast influence, both Love & The Doors immediately come to mind, it sports a killer bass riff along with loose, John Densmore style percussion and a myriad of psychedelic effects, about midway in, the whole piece breaks down and singer Jack Bryant does this totally off the wall jazz type scat vocal that completely derails the song, luckily it doesn't last long as the group leap back into the opening riff and it's back to the races. "A Horn Playing On My Thin Wall" is next and it is a dead ringer for "Da Capo" era Love (both "Orange Skies" & "Que Vida"), this track becomes better as it rolls along, it ends with a rush of great harmony vocals. "Something You Can Hide In" is full tilt psychedelia that features every psychedelic trick in the book with fabulous results, this number reminds me a great deal of Love's underrated "Four Sail" album.
"Tell You A Story" is a brief interlude that features an out of tune acoustic guitar with a nursery rhyme type vocal, and it works like a charm. Coming next is "Silent Garden" which displays a British influence along the lines of late period Zombies and the UK Kaleidoscope. "Look To The Sun" is largely a solo acoustic outing by singer Jack Bryant, this one reminds me a great deal of the archive releases by Love guitarist Bryan MacLean "Ifyoubelievein" & "Candy's Waltz." The next number "One Of The Few Ones Left" is a beautiful melodic ballad with strings that brings to mind the Left Banke's second album "Left Banke Too."
"I Really Love My Mother" is a short, jokey novelty type number that blends the style of The Kinks with USA groups The Sopwith Camel & Lovin' Spoonful. "Look At The Wind" is once again in the Love "Four Sail" bag, this is one of the record's real highlights, everything comes together in beautiful fashion, the guitar work and drumming are fantastic, the keyboards are also exceptional. "Didn't I" is a sad, acoustic ballad that recalls a superb west coast group The Common People, it even reminds me of contemporary singer/songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. (http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1714/)
Rank Score: 94.38% [First added to this chart: 11/01/2013]
"Tell You A Story" is a brief interlude that features an out of tune acoustic guitar with a nursery rhyme type vocal, and it works like a charm. Coming next is "Silent Garden" which displays a British influence along the lines of late period Zombies and the UK Kaleidoscope. "Look To The Sun" is largely a solo acoustic outing by singer Jack Bryant, this one reminds me a great deal of the archive releases by Love guitarist Bryan MacLean "Ifyoubelievein" & "Candy's Waltz." The next number "One Of The Few Ones Left" is a beautiful melodic ballad with strings that brings to mind the Left Banke's second album "Left Banke Too."
"I Really Love My Mother" is a short, jokey novelty type number that blends the style of The Kinks with USA groups The Sopwith Camel & Lovin' Spoonful. "Look At The Wind" is once again in the Love "Four Sail" bag, this is one of the record's real highlights, everything comes together in beautiful fashion, the guitar work and drumming are fantastic, the keyboards are also exceptional. "Didn't I" is a sad, acoustic ballad that recalls a superb west coast group The Common People, it even reminds me of contemporary singer/songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. (http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1714/)
Rank Score: 94.38% [First added to this chart: 11/01/2013]
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Hoodoo Man Blues is one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s, and one of the first to fully document, in the superior acoustics of a recording studio, the smoky ambience of a night at a West Side nightspot. Junior Wells just set up with his usual cohorts -- guitarist Buddy Guy, bassist Jack Myers, and drummer Billy Warren -- and proceeded to blow up a storm, bringing an immediacy to "Snatch It Back and Hold It," "You Don't Love Me, Baby," "Chitlins con Carne," and the rest of the tracks that is absolutely mesmerizing. Widely regarded as one of Wells' finest achievements, it also became Delmark's best-selling release of all time. Producer Bob Koester vividly captures the type of grit that Wells brought to the stage. When Wells and his colleagues dig into "Good Morning, Schoolgirl," "Yonder Wall," or "We're Ready," they sound raw, gutsy, and uninhibited. And while Guy leaves the singing to Wells, he really shines on guitar. Guy, it should be noted, was listed as "Friendly Chap" on Delmark's original LP version of Hoodoo Man Blues; Delmark thought Guy was under contract to Chess, so they gave him a pseudonym. But by the early '70s, Guy's real name was being listed on pressings. This is essential listening for lovers of electric Chicago blues. (allmusic.com)
Rank Score: 94.17% [First added to this chart: 05/24/2014]
Rank Score: 94.17% [First added to this chart: 05/24/2014]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
547
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Rank Score: 92.31%
[First added to this chart: 10/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
41,351
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Rank Score: 92.14%
[First added to this chart: 10/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,149
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Listen this! There is full of every essence of psychedelic music in this CD. What is "psychedelic" music? It's to enjoy your life, to feel happiness and poignancy and to think what your life is with music, I guess. There will be some kind of answer to live on your own life.
Not only is this album a masterpiece of psychedelia, it is musical masterpiece. I continued to listen to this album even after my unimpressed first listening. I'm on about my 15th listen and it's still getting better. All the musicans on this album are more than proficient at what they play. The lead singer Bill Cosby plays some crazy organ and the guitarist is capable of spinning out some tasy licks. The drummer is nuts and the base player holds up the other half of rythm section, all with with a healthy dose of fuzz.
Finally, this album has been re-released, at long last! Quality is great, and a major improvement over the bootlegs that have been circulating. (amazon customer reviews)
Rank Score: 92.00% [First added to this chart: 11/01/2013]
Not only is this album a masterpiece of psychedelia, it is musical masterpiece. I continued to listen to this album even after my unimpressed first listening. I'm on about my 15th listen and it's still getting better. All the musicans on this album are more than proficient at what they play. The lead singer Bill Cosby plays some crazy organ and the guitarist is capable of spinning out some tasy licks. The drummer is nuts and the base player holds up the other half of rythm section, all with with a healthy dose of fuzz.
Finally, this album has been re-released, at long last! Quality is great, and a major improvement over the bootlegs that have been circulating. (amazon customer reviews)
Rank Score: 92.00% [First added to this chart: 11/01/2013]
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Rank Score: 92.00%
[First added to this chart: 03/21/2015]
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Rank Score: 91.67%
[First added to this chart: 10/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,335
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Rank Score: 91.47%
[First added to this chart: 10/08/2013]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
60,772
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Rank Score: 91.43%
[First added to this chart: 12/04/2013]
Total albums: 20. Page 1 of 2
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1970s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1980s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1990s | 20 | 20% | |
| 2000s | 18 | 18% | |
| 2010s | 4 | 4% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Robert Wyatt | 1 | 1% | |
| The Band | 1 | 1% | |
| Amon Düül II | 1 | 1% | |
| Low | 1 | 1% | |
| Van Morrison | 1 | 1% | |
| Quicksilver Messenger Service | 1 | 1% | |
| Nektar | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
59 | 59% | |
 |
25 | 25% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 72nd to 73rd On The Beach by Neil Young |
| Down 1 from 73rd to 74th Phantasmagoria by Curved Air |
| Down 1 from 74th to 75th Perfect From Now On by Built To Spill |
| New entries |
|---|
 How I Quit Smokingby Lambchop |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Nassauby The Sea And Cake |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
91/100 (from 86 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 86 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
90/100  | 03/20/2025 14:09 | SomethingSpecial | | 85/100 |
100/100 | 01/15/2025 16:47 | Exist-en-ciel | | 99/100 |
90/100 | 01/27/2022 11:42 |  IlMala | | 95/100 |
95/100 | 09/11/2021 17:10 |  DommeDamian | | 89/100 |
100/100 | 02/17/2021 05:43 |  pjohnsongolf | | 89/100 |
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 91.4/100, a mean average of 92.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.0/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.2.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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90/100
From 
Larcx13 01/06/2021 11:26
Larcx13 01/06/2021 11:26
Nice chart.
Do you like nothing from the 50s?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
salahshoori 04/18/2020 11:08
salahshoori 04/18/2020 11:08
Wow! This can be the most interesting chart on this site. Thanks for sharing it.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Reppu1976 06/24/2019 14:20
Great Job! Very diverse chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Paule 06/02/2019 08:45
Paule 06/02/2019 08:45
Awesome chart for people like me who like to expand their music horizon. Great great work!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From jeffrey-hodgson 10/12/2018 12:58
Never heard of a lot of these artists, must take a look
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From PeterSmith 04/03/2018 21:01
Listen this is one of a number of impressive charts from you. You really have been putting the effort and listening in. Whereas I don't recognise many of the artists, let alone the albums, I am intrigued about many of your choices. More comments please against your choices.
I've only been getting into this over the last two years having switched off since the early 90s.
I only have 6 albums or your albums in my top 100 for now. I saw the Verve in there and agree it is a cracking album but surprised it scored so highly. I also got your number 1 by Love to listen to just last year and it is infectious. The bit in Red Telephone when he voices over with "We're all normal and we want our freedom" could be a parody from Flight of the Conchords ("New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo")
Also like your thought process behind this top 100 and I'll come back and review my rating after I've tested out a few of your choices, but you are doing great work here and making it easier for guys like me trying to catch up
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From 
authorunknown 07/19/2017 21:17
authorunknown 07/19/2017 21:17
Bobb Trimble. Never heard of before. Thanks for that.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
LedZep 05/23/2017 14:56
LedZep 05/23/2017 14:56
Extremely interesting, try Rush if you like classic rock and prog and also Godspeed You Black Emperor and Iron Maiden. They're both crucial bands in their respective genres, and neither of these genres is represented here so you might be interested in them :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Azkushang 08/15/2015 01:11
Very nice chart man, take a look at mines.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
LadyGodiva 08/04/2015 21:05
LadyGodiva 08/04/2015 21:05
oh this is a thing of beauty - a wonderful chart that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading! Lovely! :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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