Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
Ms Mojo Risin 
- Chart updated: 01/18/2023 13:45
- (Created: 01/16/2014 08:29).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 38 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 93 out of 100 (from 66 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Favourite Song: Farewell Transmission
The whole place is dark...
So begins Jason Molina's most epic musical achievement. Combining the sincerity and anguish of the Lioness or Didn't it Rain with a full band and alt-country aesthetic, Magnolia Electric Co shakes and roars and steams. From the sweeping, lonely odyssey of Farewell Transmission, to the pounding of I've Been Riding with the Ghost (replete with haunting backing vocals). Just Be Simple follows, being as depressed and haunted as his earlier work, but with a new introspection and tenderness. The lyrics here are tremendous as well - why put a new address on the same old loneliness? Almost Was Good Enough provides a new shock of adrenaline, before the tension is somewhat relieved by the inclusion of guest artists on the sublime, delicate The Old Black Hen and Peoria Lunch Box Blues. Finally, Molina returns on the last two songs, a sprawling rock epic (John Henry) and a final anguished cry (Hold On Magnolia).
This album is full, bold, personal, heart-wrenching, and my favourite of all time. [First added to this chart: 06/05/2016]
The whole place is dark...
So begins Jason Molina's most epic musical achievement. Combining the sincerity and anguish of the Lioness or Didn't it Rain with a full band and alt-country aesthetic, Magnolia Electric Co shakes and roars and steams. From the sweeping, lonely odyssey of Farewell Transmission, to the pounding of I've Been Riding with the Ghost (replete with haunting backing vocals). Just Be Simple follows, being as depressed and haunted as his earlier work, but with a new introspection and tenderness. The lyrics here are tremendous as well - why put a new address on the same old loneliness? Almost Was Good Enough provides a new shock of adrenaline, before the tension is somewhat relieved by the inclusion of guest artists on the sublime, delicate The Old Black Hen and Peoria Lunch Box Blues. Finally, Molina returns on the last two songs, a sprawling rock epic (John Henry) and a final anguished cry (Hold On Magnolia).
This album is full, bold, personal, heart-wrenching, and my favourite of all time. [First added to this chart: 06/05/2016]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,386
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Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
15
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Favourite Song: Michael
The opening strains of the desolate, pessimistic 24, the anxious, desperate Medicine Bottle, the martial, plodding Down Colorful Hill, the stark Japanese to English, the relative relief of bouncier Lord Kill the Pain, and finally the bittersweet nostalgia of Michael. A uniquely melancholic, confronting, dark and cerebral experience, all delivered in Kozelek's beautiful, rich baritone. Some may call it pretentious, but it always feels real to me. Masterful.
Listening to this on my 24th birthday confirmed to me that this album needs to be in the top two. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2014]
The opening strains of the desolate, pessimistic 24, the anxious, desperate Medicine Bottle, the martial, plodding Down Colorful Hill, the stark Japanese to English, the relative relief of bouncier Lord Kill the Pain, and finally the bittersweet nostalgia of Michael. A uniquely melancholic, confronting, dark and cerebral experience, all delivered in Kozelek's beautiful, rich baritone. Some may call it pretentious, but it always feels real to me. Masterful.
Listening to this on my 24th birthday confirmed to me that this album needs to be in the top two. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2014]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,392
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Rank in 1990s:
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Favourite Song: Bullet the Blue Sky
The first 3 songs, which I heard nonstop growing up and which remain radio mainstays, are all epic, gigantic, and iconic - but songs 4 to 10 are the spiritual core of the album and where it truly glows. Uplifting, grand, and sweeping, the whole album makes me feel like I'm dancing through Joshua Tree national park. There is no other album that sounds like this. The opening minute of Where the Streets Have No Name is transcendental and shimmering. [First added to this chart: 03/31/2018]
The first 3 songs, which I heard nonstop growing up and which remain radio mainstays, are all epic, gigantic, and iconic - but songs 4 to 10 are the spiritual core of the album and where it truly glows. Uplifting, grand, and sweeping, the whole album makes me feel like I'm dancing through Joshua Tree national park. There is no other album that sounds like this. The opening minute of Where the Streets Have No Name is transcendental and shimmering. [First added to this chart: 03/31/2018]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,121
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Rank in 1980s:
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Favourite Song: (Are You) The One That I’ve Been Waiting For
Cave at his most breathtakingly earnest, an incredibly immediate and intimate work. This is also Cave’s most consistent release with no weak moments, from the heart-wrenching Into My Arms until the queasy, timid Green Eyes. The lyrics are gripping and tender – I for one adore the haunting repetition of the title in Black Hair. A masterwork of introspection and mood.
Cave at his most breathtakingly earnest, an incredibly immediate and intimate work. This is also Cave’s most consistent release with no weak moments, from the heart-wrenching Into My Arms until the queasy, timid Green Eyes. The lyrics are gripping and tender – I for one adore the haunting repetition of the title in Black Hair. A masterwork of introspection and mood.
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,372
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Average Rating:
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Favourite Song: Glossolalia
Heavy, brooding, poignant. Throughout its louder, more raucous numbers (Everything I Say), its withdrawn, melancholic tracks (Marathon, Over, Fodder on Her Wings), and even the, dare I say, optimistic You Are Never Alone, the album maintains a unified, chilly, tense atmosphere. Glossolalia is a religious experience. Unforgettable. [First added to this chart: 01/18/2023]
Heavy, brooding, poignant. Throughout its louder, more raucous numbers (Everything I Say), its withdrawn, melancholic tracks (Marathon, Over, Fodder on Her Wings), and even the, dare I say, optimistic You Are Never Alone, the album maintains a unified, chilly, tense atmosphere. Glossolalia is a religious experience. Unforgettable. [First added to this chart: 01/18/2023]
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Favourite Song: Strasbourg
A rollercoaster of quirky, psychedelic, endlessly unique but thoroughly catchy pop masterpieces. Greatness and Perfection should have been one of the biggest hits of the 80s. Bandy’s Last Jump, Strasbourg and Quizmaster pulsate with energy, Kolly Kibber’s Birthday crackles with tension, and Head Hang Low and the closing strains of Lunatic and Fire Pistol provide an emotional core.
A rollercoaster of quirky, psychedelic, endlessly unique but thoroughly catchy pop masterpieces. Greatness and Perfection should have been one of the biggest hits of the 80s. Bandy’s Last Jump, Strasbourg and Quizmaster pulsate with energy, Kolly Kibber’s Birthday crackles with tension, and Head Hang Low and the closing strains of Lunatic and Fire Pistol provide an emotional core.
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Favourite song: Being in Love
Sparse, vast, earnest. Molina croaks and wheezes throughout the album's length, weaving haunted pictures of crows, lightning, and ghosts. From the tortured howl of opener The Black Crow until the shuddering hum of closer, Just a Spark, the album never lets go of its tension, and feels almost like it could break open at any second. Whilst the tracks in between are remarkably consistent, special attention must be paid to the sparse Back on Top, the driving, lustful title track, and particularly Being in Love. Here, atop a plodding, seething drum machine and a funereal, austere organ, Molina delivers perhaps his greatest song. I am proof that the heart is a risky fuel to burn. Absolutely inspired songwriting. [First added to this chart: 09/20/2018]
Sparse, vast, earnest. Molina croaks and wheezes throughout the album's length, weaving haunted pictures of crows, lightning, and ghosts. From the tortured howl of opener The Black Crow until the shuddering hum of closer, Just a Spark, the album never lets go of its tension, and feels almost like it could break open at any second. Whilst the tracks in between are remarkably consistent, special attention must be paid to the sparse Back on Top, the driving, lustful title track, and particularly Being in Love. Here, atop a plodding, seething drum machine and a funereal, austere organ, Molina delivers perhaps his greatest song. I am proof that the heart is a risky fuel to burn. Absolutely inspired songwriting. [First added to this chart: 09/20/2018]
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Favourite Song: Love Goes On!
The Go-Betweens’ magnum opus. Grant’s songs are optimistic, tender, celebrating the wonders and stresses of new love (Love Goes On!, Streets of your Town, Quiet Heart), whilst Robert muses on loves lost and lessons learnt (I’m Allright, Dive for your Memory). The overall effect is the best, most touching and earnest depiction of the many faces of love in music history (in my opinion anyway). [First added to this chart: 01/18/2023]
The Go-Betweens’ magnum opus. Grant’s songs are optimistic, tender, celebrating the wonders and stresses of new love (Love Goes On!, Streets of your Town, Quiet Heart), whilst Robert muses on loves lost and lessons learnt (I’m Allright, Dive for your Memory). The overall effect is the best, most touching and earnest depiction of the many faces of love in music history (in my opinion anyway). [First added to this chart: 01/18/2023]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,721
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Favourite Song: Little Green
Joni Mitchell is one of the all-time greats, but this is her magnum opus. The unironic, joyful sweetness of My Old Man, California, and Carey, and the heartfelt, sweet sadness of Blue, A Case of You, The Last Time I Saw Richard, and Little Green (a uniquely sublime song) make this her best work. Completely unpretentious, and completely beautiful. [First added to this chart: 09/20/2018]
Joni Mitchell is one of the all-time greats, but this is her magnum opus. The unironic, joyful sweetness of My Old Man, California, and Carey, and the heartfelt, sweet sadness of Blue, A Case of You, The Last Time I Saw Richard, and Little Green (a uniquely sublime song) make this her best work. Completely unpretentious, and completely beautiful. [First added to this chart: 09/20/2018]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,069
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Comments:
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Favourite Song: Grace Cathedral Park
Epic yet intimate, and so real. Perhaps grander in scope and vision than their debut, the album sweeps between the distorted dreamscapes of Funhouse and Mother, the elegant beauty of Grace Cathedral Park and Mistress (so good it had to be included twice), and the stately sadness of Katy Song. Quieter moments, like Down Through, Things Mean A Lot, and Brown Eyes are no less powerful. Listening to this while wandering the streets of San Francisco was a revelation. [First added to this chart: 09/13/2021]
Epic yet intimate, and so real. Perhaps grander in scope and vision than their debut, the album sweeps between the distorted dreamscapes of Funhouse and Mother, the elegant beauty of Grace Cathedral Park and Mistress (so good it had to be included twice), and the stately sadness of Katy Song. Quieter moments, like Down Through, Things Mean A Lot, and Brown Eyes are no less powerful. Listening to this while wandering the streets of San Francisco was a revelation. [First added to this chart: 09/13/2021]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,505
Rank in 1993:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1970s | 28 | 28% | |
| 1980s | 21 | 21% | |
| 1990s | 23 | 23% | |
| 2000s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2010s | 1 | 1% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Songs: Ohia | 4 | 4% | |
| Vic Chesnutt | 4 | 4% | |
| U2 | 3 | 3% | |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 3% | |
| Joni Mitchell | 3 | 3% | |
| Richard & Linda Thompson | 2 | 2% | |
| Tori Amos | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
44 | 44% | |
 |
23 | 23% | |
 |
8 | 8% | |
| |
7 | 7% | |
 |
7 | 7% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 28 from 70th to 42nd I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight by Richard & Linda Thompson |
| Up 21 from 88th to 67th Forever Changes by Love |
| Up 19 from 96th to 77th The Bends by Radiohead |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 36 from 12th to 48th Tonight's The Night by Neil Young |
| Down 31 from 57th to 88th Zweilicht by Kante |
| Down 28 from 63rd to 91st Caetano Veloso (1971) by Caetano Veloso |
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| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | stryker700 | Overall chart | 2021 |  |
| Die besten Platten aus 5 Jahrzehnten: Top 100 | Rolling Stone Deutschland | Overall chart | 1997 |  |
| Most Acclaimed Music Albums | Imaybeparanoid | Custom chart | 2015 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | TheSmiths82-87 | Overall chart | 2022 | |
| Overall for yours truly |  RoundTheBend | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| BEA top 100 reranked - 2020 |  LedZep | Custom chart | 2023 |  |
| Rearrange Top 100 |  Larcx13 | Custom chart | 2020 |  |
| My Ranking of the BEA top 100 |  sszwalbenest | Custom chart | 2021 | |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
93/100 (from 66 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 66 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100/100  | 11/08/2023 00:27 |  AAL2014 | | 92/100 |
95/100 | 11/07/2023 22:22 | Moondance | | 85/100 |
100/100 | 11/07/2023 16:17 |  Nagaiwolfwood | | 92/100 |
90/100 | 11/07/2023 12:39 |  eclab | | 79/100 |
90/100 | 11/07/2023 10:37 |  Tamthebam | | 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 is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 92.6/100, a mean average of 92.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.0.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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95/100
From Moondance 11/07/2023 22:24
I loved spending time with your chart - & reading your comments on why a particular album resonates with you. I also loved the inclusion of 7 Australian albums. Of the hundreds of 'Top 100 Greatest Music Albums Charts' that I've checked out over the years, this one is probably the most interesting I have come across - and the comments, personal/honest/emotionally grounded are what makes this chart resonate with me - even though we only have 8 albums in common.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Rm12398 02/17/2023 01:06
Absolutely love your number one! Hold On Magnolia might one of my favourite album closers of all time. So heart-breaking. Also love seeing that Zombies record at #11. Great list!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Johnnyo 02/16/2023 23:07
Stunning chart. Great variety
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From craab 11/23/2021 21:10
Great mix of world, Americana, classic rock, British New Wave etc. Wonderful chart that gave me some great recommendations. Pleased as punch to see Tomorrow the Green Grass here.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 09/13/2021 17:46
DommeDamian 09/13/2021 17:46
Marvellous.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From pctrooper 01/18/2020 16:38
Outstanding chart. Found some great recommendations here.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From DommeDamian 12/15/2018 11:51
DommeDamian 12/15/2018 11:51
Hmmm... interesting taste
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
ForegroundNoise 12/15/2018 09:34
ForegroundNoise 12/15/2018 09:34
Really like this chart, so many great picks. Some notes would be great for a perfect score!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From tk421ucopy 04/03/2018 04:23
I appreciate the originality. There are certainly some albums and artists I don't know. The ones I do know that you have listed here are a little bit "eh" in my opinion, but cool chart anyways
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
Boltzmann 04/02/2018 18:41
Boltzmann 04/02/2018 18:41
Nice to see Kate Bush so high; been listening to almost nothing else today.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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