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).
View the complete list of 57,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1970s. (Remove this filter)
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Lou Reed is a genius. That's not a subject for debate anymore. With his Velvet Underground work now universally acclaimed and his legacy being reevaluated in light of his recent, tragic passing, Reed is hailed as one of the most influential and talented artists in the history of rock. In recent days, he has even been called THE most important - yes, in direct comparison to the Beatles.
Transformer is his most commercial, and most commercially successful, record, and probably the best of all his solo efforts. With his barely-singing voice and fuzzy, biting guitars (see: "Vicious," "Hangin' 'Round"), Reed still embraces the Velvet Underground here. Other tracks depart from this formula, such as the hits "Perfect Day" and "Walk on the Wild Side." Transformer is both abrasive and beautiful, with a peak of songwriting from Lou and excellent production from David Bowie to make the most of every note. Amongst it all, my favorite track is the closer, "Goodnight Ladies," a unique and heartfelt farewell song which summarizes the album nicely - "Lonely Saturday night" music, for sure. [First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Transformer is his most commercial, and most commercially successful, record, and probably the best of all his solo efforts. With his barely-singing voice and fuzzy, biting guitars (see: "Vicious," "Hangin' 'Round"), Reed still embraces the Velvet Underground here. Other tracks depart from this formula, such as the hits "Perfect Day" and "Walk on the Wild Side." Transformer is both abrasive and beautiful, with a peak of songwriting from Lou and excellent production from David Bowie to make the most of every note. Amongst it all, my favorite track is the closer, "Goodnight Ladies," a unique and heartfelt farewell song which summarizes the album nicely - "Lonely Saturday night" music, for sure. [First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,834
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Aladdin Sane is a rich and compelling album, beautiful and forceful. Its masterful tracks rock and roll and scream and cry, arrangements overflowing with lively saxophones, emotive backing vocals, manic piano, barely-restrained electric guitar (courtesy of the essential Mick Ronson) and the hysterical vocals of Bowie at his best. Gone is the conceptual scope and unified feel of Ziggy Stardust, making way for even better songs. The title track glides over the ears soft as a cloud before pouring down a storm of avante-garde jazz piano. "Drive in Saturday" is as colorful as it is powerful, a sweet apocalyptic beauty. "Cracked Actor" pounds with twice the decadence of "Suffragette City." "TIme" is one of Bowie's most epic and mind-melting freak-outs, again combining pristine melody and a pure rock whirlwind, and "Lady Grinning Soul" is as intoxicating as the femme fatale it depicts. And that's only half of what Aladdin Sane has on offer.
[First added to this chart: 03/27/2014]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,529
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[First added to this chart: 04/09/2014]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,015
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What can be said that hasn't already? A masterpiece in every sense of the word, and one of the most cohesive albums ever constructed. The lyrics are absolutely inspired, more biting than the Clash and more poetic and intelligent than Dylan. The music is so powerfully emotional it is nearly overwhelming. One of the few albums which can't possibly get old.
[First added to this chart: 12/01/2013]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
60,293
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[First added to this chart: 04/09/2014]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,104
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"Heroes" is a triumph. A triumph of experimentation, a triumph of songwriting, a triumph of artistic vision, and a triumph of Bowie as a man, having freed himself from the cocaine addiction of Station to Station and withdrawal of Low. As a musical work, "Heroes" expresses this victory with a vigorous energy and new-found optimism. That's not to say the album is a light affair - "Heroes" is at times a dark and heavy weight. But it screams into being with the mania of "Beauty and the Beast" and rises from the moody atmospherics of its instrumental suite with a joyous celebration in "The Secret Life of Arabia" to deliver an altogether positive statement. Indeed, the title track which forms the heart of "Heroes" is the best representation of the album's outlook as a whole, finding happiness and joy in the face of overwhelming sadness. A triumph.
Musically, side one is built on hard-rocking, loosely-structured songs infused with raucous treated guitars and freaked-out electronics, centered around the untouchable epic "Heroes." Side two opens with a thrilling instrumental track in a similar vein, injected with a touch of jazz fusion, before launching into its own centerpiece - a three-part ambient instrumental suite moving from frightened to peaceful to ominous before launching into the funky closer of "The Secret Life of Arabia," complete with bouncing vocals and handclaps to make clear the message - despite the darkness, despite the despair, there is joy to be found. [First added to this chart: 03/27/2014]
Musically, side one is built on hard-rocking, loosely-structured songs infused with raucous treated guitars and freaked-out electronics, centered around the untouchable epic "Heroes." Side two opens with a thrilling instrumental track in a similar vein, injected with a touch of jazz fusion, before launching into its own centerpiece - a three-part ambient instrumental suite moving from frightened to peaceful to ominous before launching into the funky closer of "The Secret Life of Arabia," complete with bouncing vocals and handclaps to make clear the message - despite the darkness, despite the despair, there is joy to be found. [First added to this chart: 03/27/2014]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,203
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Comments:
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Undeniably one of the best albums ever. The number of rock classics this album contains is absurd in and of itself, and yet it's more than the the sum of its parts. One of the best rock operas ever, and certainly the most creative, Ziggy Stardust is a perfect experience. Yes, perfect. A drama that works exactly as the genius behind it envisioned. One of the most cohesive and moving albums ever, and it blows your mind every time.
[First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
43,631
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With half of the album taken up by Pink Floyd's most impressive - and arguably best - composition, "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," this outstanding band's followup to Dark Side is anything but a letdown. To succeed such a work of art with another of (nearly) equal caliber is a true testament to Floyd's incredible talent.
[First added to this chart: 12/01/2013]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
44,882
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[First added to this chart: 03/05/2014]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,271
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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The Doors' swan song has certainly earned its fame and success. It's one of the best blues rock albums of all time and more than competitive with the other Doors albums. Classic hits? It's got 'em: "Love Her Madly," "Riders on the Storm," and the epic title track are all highly regarded, and rightfully so, in the Doors catalogue. Three tracks, "Been Down So Long," "Cars Hiss By My Window," and the standard "Crawling King Snake" showcase the Doors' blues prowess. What's left are four more unique and excellent album cuts. Nowhere is filler to be found. The album is so damn solid it's impossible to even find any weak spots. One could point to Morrison's voice, showing signs of wear, but isn't that just appropriate for singing the blues? L.A. Woman, another stunningly consistent album from the Doors, ends their mythical career on a perfect note. By all accounts, the album was a true pleasure to record. Before Morrison's death, the Doors managed to get back to what they loved most - playing music together, just playing. There could be no better final statement from one of the greatest bands of all time.
Don't be fooled by the lower placement of this album; most Doors albums are almost too close to call. This is right there with the best. [First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Don't be fooled by the lower placement of this album; most Doors albums are almost too close to call. This is right there with the best. [First added to this chart: 12/02/2013]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,957
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 27. Page 1 of 3
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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% | |
| The Beatles | 5 | 7% | |
| Pink Floyd | 5 | 7% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 5% | |
| The Doors | 4 | 5% | |
| Rilo Kiley | 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 |
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Top 75 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
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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
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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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| Best Artists of 2011 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Fleet Foxes | |
| 2. Bon Iver | |
| 3. The Beach Boys | |
| 4. PJ Harvey | |
| 5. Radiohead | |
| 6. The Black Keys | |
| 7. Destroyer | |
| 8. M83 | |
| 9. Adele | |
| 10. Foo Fighters | |
| 11. St. Vincent | |
| 12. The Weeknd | |
| 13. Drake | |
| 14. James Blake | |
| 15. Kendrick Lamar | |
| 16. Florence + The Machine | |
| 17. Death Grips | |
| 18. Arctic Monkeys | |
| 19. Foster The People | |
| 20. The Strokes |
