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 65 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 1990s. (Remove this filter)
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:
2,166
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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:
4,038
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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:
2,379
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Favourite Song: Precious Things
Brilliant, raw songwriting delivered in Tori's stunning, expressive voice. An emotionally naked collection of songs, from the anthemic Crucify, to the shy, seething Silent All These Years, Winter and China, the desperate Mother, the fever of Precious Things, and the genuine chill of the autobiographical, acapella Me and a Gun. Probably the only song here that's never been a favourite is the still totally pleasant Happy Phantom. Tori is a fearsome songwriter and performer, and here delivers an astonishing album. [First added to this chart: 10/09/2014]
Brilliant, raw songwriting delivered in Tori's stunning, expressive voice. An emotionally naked collection of songs, from the anthemic Crucify, to the shy, seething Silent All These Years, Winter and China, the desperate Mother, the fever of Precious Things, and the genuine chill of the autobiographical, acapella Me and a Gun. Probably the only song here that's never been a favourite is the still totally pleasant Happy Phantom. Tori is a fearsome songwriter and performer, and here delivers an astonishing album. [First added to this chart: 10/09/2014]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,825
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Favourite Song: Drag
From what I have heard, this is probably the most genuinely depressing of all slowcore albums. Hopeless, claustrophic, chilling, and stark. I don't listen to it all too often for this reason, but that's also why it's brilliant. R.I.P Mimi [First added to this chart: 10/09/2014]
From what I have heard, this is probably the most genuinely depressing of all slowcore albums. Hopeless, claustrophic, chilling, and stark. I don't listen to it all too often for this reason, but that's also why it's brilliant. R.I.P Mimi [First added to this chart: 10/09/2014]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,502
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Favourite Song: Panic Pure
A claustrophobic, personal, obsessed, sinewy little album containing some of Vic’s most gripping and affecting songs. Panic Pure, Bug, Miss Mary, Lucinda Williams and Big Huge Valley create huge worlds inside little songs. Soggy Tongues shows Vic’s sweet side. A bonus track not featured on the original release, Nathan, is tremendous.
A claustrophobic, personal, obsessed, sinewy little album containing some of Vic’s most gripping and affecting songs. Panic Pure, Bug, Miss Mary, Lucinda Williams and Big Huge Valley create huge worlds inside little songs. Soggy Tongues shows Vic’s sweet side. A bonus track not featured on the original release, Nathan, is tremendous.
Favourite Song: Sexy Little Girl Princess
Anxious and queasy. So unique, weird and stark - A Psychopath is uniquely confronting. The violin here is genius. [First added to this chart: 06/05/2016]
Anxious and queasy. So unique, weird and stark - A Psychopath is uniquely confronting. The violin here is genius. [First added to this chart: 06/05/2016]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,336
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Rank in 1990s:
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Favourite Song: Blood Roses
Whilst Little Earthquakes used relatively poppy, straightforward, piano-driven songs to present its emotionally raw ballads, Boys for Pele is far wilder. A chaotic, piecemeal album, erratic and unfiltered. Tori's vocals have never shined quite so bright, nor has her songwriting ever been so bitter, scathing, and real. I shiver every time I hear her hiss "I shaved every place where you've been boy". Whilst there are lighter moments (Professional Widow, Mr Zebra, Talula, In the Springtime of his Voodoo), the album's absolute peaks are in its darkest moments (Blood Roses, Caught a Lite Sneeze, Doughnut Song, Way Down, Hey Jupiter). Absolutely essential, especially essential for angsty teenage girls (like I was when I first discovered it), or angsty adult girls (like I am now). [First added to this chart: 03/10/2014]
Whilst Little Earthquakes used relatively poppy, straightforward, piano-driven songs to present its emotionally raw ballads, Boys for Pele is far wilder. A chaotic, piecemeal album, erratic and unfiltered. Tori's vocals have never shined quite so bright, nor has her songwriting ever been so bitter, scathing, and real. I shiver every time I hear her hiss "I shaved every place where you've been boy". Whilst there are lighter moments (Professional Widow, Mr Zebra, Talula, In the Springtime of his Voodoo), the album's absolute peaks are in its darkest moments (Blood Roses, Caught a Lite Sneeze, Doughnut Song, Way Down, Hey Jupiter). Absolutely essential, especially essential for angsty teenage girls (like I was when I first discovered it), or angsty adult girls (like I am now). [First added to this chart: 03/10/2014]
Year of Release:
1996
Appears in:
Rank Score:
873
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Favourite Song: Drive
Drive is one of the greatest openers ever recorded. Stark and seething, then opening up into the pleading strains of Try Not to Breathe, before the energetic howl of The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight. Somehow, even through some of the lesser tracks (New Orleans Instrumental, Star Me Kitten), the album maintains a very specific and affecting tone. Empathetic, introspective, sad but occasionally hopeful (after all, everybody hurts sometimes). The last three songs are exceptional as well, and the album reaches a climactic and optimistic conclusion on Find the River. This album absolutely speaks to me. [First added to this chart: 03/31/2018]
Drive is one of the greatest openers ever recorded. Stark and seething, then opening up into the pleading strains of Try Not to Breathe, before the energetic howl of The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight. Somehow, even through some of the lesser tracks (New Orleans Instrumental, Star Me Kitten), the album maintains a very specific and affecting tone. Empathetic, introspective, sad but occasionally hopeful (after all, everybody hurts sometimes). The last three songs are exceptional as well, and the album reaches a climactic and optimistic conclusion on Find the River. This album absolutely speaks to me. [First added to this chart: 03/31/2018]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,173
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Favourite Song: Violet
Whilst slightly inconsistent (the second side is a little weaker than the first), this album has continued to captivate me since I first heard it. Courtney's scathing lyrics and aggressive delivery ("I'm miss world, somebody kill me") were a godsend to me when I first heard this at 14, and I still find the whole album intensely cathartic and real. Violet, Miss World, Asking for It, Doll Parts, and Softer Softest make this the greatest grunge album of all time. [First added to this chart: 11/01/2014]
Whilst slightly inconsistent (the second side is a little weaker than the first), this album has continued to captivate me since I first heard it. Courtney's scathing lyrics and aggressive delivery ("I'm miss world, somebody kill me") were a godsend to me when I first heard this at 14, and I still find the whole album intensely cathartic and real. Violet, Miss World, Asking for It, Doll Parts, and Softer Softest make this the greatest grunge album of all time. [First added to this chart: 11/01/2014]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,669
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 23. Page 1 of 3
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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% | |
| Joni Mitchell | 3 | 3% | |
| U2 | 3 | 3% | |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 3% | |
| Sparks | 2 | 2% | |
| Tom Waits | 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 42ndI Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight by Richard & Linda Thompson |
| Up 21 from 88th to 67thForever Changes by Love |
| Up 19 from 96th to 77thThe Bends by Radiohead |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 36 from 12th to 48thTonight's The Night by Neil Young |
| Down 31 from 57th to 88thZweilicht by Kante |
| Down 28 from 63rd to 91stCaetano Veloso (1971) by Caetano Veloso |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mojo Readers: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made | Mojo | Overall chart | 1996 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  Arthurknight | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| 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 | |
| Driving Albums | Arthurknight | Custom chart | 2022 | |
| My Ranking of the BEA top 100 |  sszwalbenest | Custom chart | 2021 | |
| Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums | Virgin | Overall chart | 1998 | |
| Rearrange Top 100 |  Larcx13 | Custom chart | 2020 |  |
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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 65 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/08/2023 00:27 |  AAL2014 | 163 | 92/100 | |
| 11/07/2023 22:22 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 | |
| 11/07/2023 16:17 |  Nagaiwolfwood | 61 | 92/100 | |
| 11/07/2023 12:39 |  eclab | 43 | 79/100 | |
| 11/07/2023 10:37 |  Tamthebam | 651 | 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 92.5/100, a mean average of 92.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.0.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 17 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 38 comments |
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From Moondance 11/07/2023 22:24 | #299863
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)
From Rm12398 02/17/2023 01:06 | #294123
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)
From Johnnyo 02/16/2023 23:07 | #294118
Stunning chart. Great variety
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From craab 11/23/2021 21:10 | #276616
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)
From 
DommeDamian 09/13/2021 17:46 | #273684
DommeDamian 09/13/2021 17:46 | #273684
Marvellous.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From pctrooper 01/18/2020 16:38 | #246971
Outstanding chart. Found some great recommendations here.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From DommeDamian 12/15/2018 11:51 | #227174
DommeDamian 12/15/2018 11:51 | #227174
Hmmm... interesting taste
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 12/15/2018 09:34 | #227170
ForegroundNoise 12/15/2018 09:34 | #227170
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)
From tk421ucopy 04/03/2018 04:23 | #212214
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)
From 
Boltzmann 04/02/2018 18:41 | #212181
Boltzmann 04/02/2018 18:41 | #212181
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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