Top 75 Greatest Music Albums
by 
bigeyedfish 
My favorite albums. I get that there's not a lot of variety and that many artists are heavily represented. I think this is OK, since I'm setting out to actually rank my favorite albums and not to demonstrate how totally impressive and diverse my tastes are.
Currently Under Construction
- Chart updated: 07/18/2014 20:15
- (Created: 12/02/2013 01:31).
- Chart size: 75 albums.
There are 9 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 75 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 85 out of 100 (from 13 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
The entries in this chart have a zero rank score because the chart has not been updated within the last ten years (points from overall charts are decayed over a ten year period).
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"The most prophetic rock album ever made." Arguably the most influential as well, in the same conversation as Sgt. Pepper and Highway 61 Revisited. When you hear this incredible debut, you are hearing the next 50 years of music history all wrapped up in one not-so-neat package. Enormous swaths of the music in every decade since the 1967 release would simply cease to exist without its example, and whatever remains would be dramatically different. Nirvana, The Sex Pistols, The Shins, R.E.M., Radiohead - none of them could be without the Velvet Underground and Nico.
This record isn't just important; its really, really, REALLY good. The pseudo-soothing opening of "Sunday Morning," the heart-wrenching melody of "Femme Fatale," the driving, dirty rhythm of "I'm Waiting for the Man," the dramatic build-and-release of "Heroine," and the ultimate feedback jam of "European Son" are all among the greatest moments in the history of music. The vision of the Velvet Underground and Nico is dark, it's disturbed, and it's beautiful. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2013]
This record isn't just important; its really, really, REALLY good. The pseudo-soothing opening of "Sunday Morning," the heart-wrenching melody of "Femme Fatale," the driving, dirty rhythm of "I'm Waiting for the Man," the dramatic build-and-release of "Heroine," and the ultimate feedback jam of "European Son" are all among the greatest moments in the history of music. The vision of the Velvet Underground and Nico is dark, it's disturbed, and it's beautiful. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2013]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
40,072
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Most point to the self-titled debut as the Pretenders' greatest record, but Learning to Crawl is in all ways a more mature album, a more expressive album, and even a better album. After the tragic loss of bassist Pete Farndon and guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, the Pretenders could easily have disbanded or, worse, put out only mediocre albums. Whatever may have happened afterwards, Learning to Crawl is definitely not mediocre. Chrissie Hynde's energetic attack from the debut is replaced by a wiser, tough-as-nails approach. She's "standing in the middle of life with [her] past behind [her]." Defiant rockers like "Middle of the Road" and "Time the Avenger" are mixed with deeply expressive ballads like "Show Me" and "2000 Miles" to prove that Hynde and her band, even (or especially) in this new configuration, are true talents deserving more than "some" of your attention.
[First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
989
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The instant classic album from the Pretenders, it erupts with more raw energy than any record before or after. From the opening flurry of "Precious" to the powerful finale of "Mystery Achievement," Pretenders still sounds totally original and as fresh as when the album was released. Chrissie Hynde's songwriting fuses the energy of punk with the musicality of New Wave in a one-of-a-kind blend. The excellent guitar work of James Honeyman-Scott complements Hynde's songwriting perfectly. The Pretenders would mature, but they would never be so lively again.
[First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1980
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Rank Score:
2,947
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The first (and as of now, only) solo album from Dave Matthews maintains the excellent lyrical and songwriting content of his albums with the Dave Matthews Band - in fact, this batch of songs is among the best of his career. Without the skills and tight companionship of Leroi Moore, Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard and Boyd Tinsley, however, Some Devil falls short of the strongest efforts by DMB. Still, the album is an absolute gem. The songs are emotional and span both personal experiences and world-assessing judgments. The instrumentation is more conventional than with DMB, forgoing most use of saxophone or violin in favor of the electric guitars of longtime DMB collaborator Tim Reynolds and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio. The drumming, too, is wildly different: the complex jazz styles and irregular time signatures of Carter Beauford are replaced by simpler, straight-ahead rock. This makes Some Devil possibly the most accessible of Matthews's projects, and his entirely unique songwriting style is affected by the styles of Reynolds and Anastasio, creating a sound to be remembered.
[First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
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The best pure blues-rock ever played, this is the best thing Clapton ever did. And it isn't even close. His playing and writing were both at their high point, and his partnership with Bobby Whitlock brought the best out of him. The real shining collaboration is, of course, Clapton with Duane Allman. A pair destined to work together. That wasn't all that helped, though - Clapton was madly in love with George Harrison's wife at the time, and his pained heart bursts through ever strained note he sings and plays. Nowhere else have I heard such genuinely powerful and emotional blues. This album IS blues rock.
[First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1970
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Rank Score:
5,694
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The sophomore effort from the Pretenders sounds a bit like that - an effort. The natural life and energy of the debut is still here, but it's nowhere near as powerful and pure. The maturation towards Learning to Crawl has begun to appear, as well, but is really just a small aspect of Pretenders II. So if it's just not up to the first album, why is it here? Because Pretenders was simply incredible, and by falling far short of that mark, Pretenders II lands somewhere in the range of 'outstanding.' The band is still completely unique, even if they sound a lot like themselves from a year before. Powerful rock grooves driven by distorted guitars and prominent bass are overlaid with Chrissie Hynde's voice, often as much talking - or spitting - as singing. She's pretty pissed this time around, it seems, if you judge by the brilliantly sophisticated - and sometimes intentionally unsophisticated - lyrics. Whether at their very best or not, the original incarnation of the Pretenders (which would never record together again, due to drug abuse and the resulting tragic deaths) is a force to be reckoned with. And a force Pretenders II is.
[First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1981
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Rank Score:
457
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Total albums: 6. Page 1 of 1
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Top 75 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 20 | 27% | |
| 1970s | 27 | 36% | |
| 1980s | 4 | 5% | |
| 1990s | 5 | 7% | |
| 2000s | 15 | 20% | |
| 2010s | 4 | 5% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| David Bowie | 11 | 15% | |
| Dave Matthews Band | 6 | 8% | |
| Pink Floyd | 5 | 7% | |
| The Beatles | 5 | 7% | |
| The Doors | 4 | 5% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 5% | |
| Pretenders | 3 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 75 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 44 from 54th to 10th Is This It by The Strokes |
| Up 4 from 17th to 13th Scary Monsters by David Bowie |
| Up 3 from 37th to 34th Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 52 from 20th to 72nd The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd |
| Down 48 from 26th to 74th Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| Down 7 from 18th to 25th Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd |
Top 75 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | pittsford | Overall chart | 2013 | |
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| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | Whiskas13 | Overall chart | 2011 |  |
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| Top 40 Greatest Music Albums | shutupnoonecares | Overall chart | 2013 | |
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Top 75 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 13 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 02/18/2017 13:28 | Seab | 2,005 | 93/100 |
| ! | 07/17/2014 12:35 |  Laurence | 149 | 86/100 |
| ! | 06/03/2014 04:46 |  Decurso | 171 | 82/100 |
| ! | 04/24/2014 07:53 |  pavelthevelvet | 52 | 85/100 |
| ! | 04/19/2014 03:21 | panman36 | 10 | 85/100 |
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 has a Bayesian average rating of 84.7/100, a mean average of 84.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 83.9/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.8.
Top 75 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Top 75 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing all 9 comments |
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From Decurso 06/03/2014 04:55 | #113588
Decurso 06/03/2014 04:55 | #113588
I appreciate the notes, even though I don't necessarily agree with all of them. However, there is not really a lot of variety here. Bowie, Mathews and Floyd alone account for 18 spots altogether. Throw in 5 from The Beatles and 4 from VU and that's 5 artists taking up over half your list.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Anti 04/18/2014 23:53 | #109536
Anti 04/18/2014 23:53 | #109536
AHHHHHHH YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From panman36 01/27/2014 03:04 | #101611
4 DMB in the Top 10?? Nice! :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
sssvnnn 01/05/2014 22:42 | #99955
sssvnnn 01/05/2014 22:42 | #99955
Good classical choices, maybe a bit to many Dave Matthews Band Albums.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From gtroda 12/27/2013 22:03 | #98916
I like most of the music here and I like to see DMB finally getting some love around here. We have 12 albums in common and almost all of them I've heard. That being said, I think maybe your chart could benefit from a little variety. As big a DMB fan as I am, I don't think 7 (8 really with the Dave solo) of their albums are in the top 50. Maybe you'd like some other jam bands? The Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, Pat McGee Band, The Black Crowes, etc.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
tgarritsen 12/07/2013 02:55 | #96614
tgarritsen 12/07/2013 02:55 | #96614
Great list, I loved the comments on the album. I do think the charts needs a more variety in artists. I totally agree on the comment you gave about Magical Mystery Tour. It's often overlooked (as far that's possible for a Beatles album), while it's on of their best. I never heard of the dave matthews band or the Pretenders but I checked them out and they sound really good. I'm definitely goin to explore their music more.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
antiloopje 12/02/2013 21:07 | #96095
antiloopje 12/02/2013 21:07 | #96095
You sure put a lot of work in those comments. nice.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Antonio-Pedro 12/02/2013 18:07 | #96073
Antonio-Pedro 12/02/2013 18:07 | #96073
Ps amazing comments
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Antonio-Pedro 12/02/2013 18:06 | #96071
Antonio-Pedro 12/02/2013 18:06 | #96071
Great chart some variety in bands and some albums that i never saw before great chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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