Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
AAL2014 
Thanks for checking out my chart! BEA is a godsend of a website for me and has been for close to a decade now. I’ve spent countless hours of my free time here organizing my thoughts and checking out music that’s new to me. Very much in the same way listening to albums is respite for me, ranking them and arranging my thoughts is just the same.
Here you'll find some of that taking shape. My Top 100 will always be a work in progress, as I imagine anyone's would. But here's a couple things you'll find with my chart in particular:
---- My favorite (or thereabouts) lyric from each non-instrumental album.
----Being a drummer for going on 15 years, here you'll find the drummer(s) who played on each of my top 100 records to give a some due credit or to shoutout a hero.
—— As of 7/9/22, I am no longer enforcing 1 entry per artist in the top 25. I want the albums I love the most to be represented the way that accurately depicts what they’ve meant in my life.
Hope you enjoy. Let me know of any thoughts or if you have any recommendations for me in the comments. I’d love to hear them!
CHART OF THE DAY- 8/9/18, 5/10/21, 3/1/22, 10/13/22, 5/1/23
- Chart updated: 03/18/2024 05:15
- (Created: 03/18/2014 17:15).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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"Good morn or evening, friends. Here's your friendly announcer. I have serious news to pass on to everybody. What I'm about to say could mean your world's disaster. Could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain. It's that love's in need of love today"
My first favorite musician, Stevie Wonder capped off his run of legendary albums in the 1970's with quite arguably his all time best with Songs. Not a skippable track on the album and each has fantastic melodies, harmonies and instrumentation. No pun intended, truly a wonderful album. Seeing him perform the entire album live in Detroit was truly breathtaking. An all time classic of beauty, love, life, spirituality, and gorgeous, often untouchable music.
This was the album along with Stevie's greatest hits that made me realize what music was in the first place and made me fall in love with it on a grand scale.
From the performances to the writing to the arranging, sequencing, mixing, mastering, artwork... this is a masterpiece so full of life it's hard for me to break down how important it is to me in just a couple paragraphs.
This is not a “concept album” necessarily, but it isn’t not one either. And with a title like Songs in the Key of Life, it would have been disappointing for Stevie to not have taken the challenge to break down the world around him. He did just that through his view on love, life, birth, death, religion, race relation, politics, history.. There is no false advertising in the title. Although Songs was released in 1976, after 2 years of Stevie locking himself in the studio for often times 48+ consecutive hours, this is an album that could be released today and would be no less musically relevant or culturally significant. The messages found throughout this record are too important to ignore and the music is too vibrant not to love and be moved by.
The cohesion in Stevie's writing is more prevalent here than almost anywhere else in his catalog. Never before had he mixed so many styles so effortlessly. Funk (I Wish), soul (Knocks Me Off My Feet), rock (All Day Sucker), jazz fusion (Contusion), and even big band (Sir Duke) and classical influence (Village Ghetto Land) are all on display here, none of them feeling out of place. What's more is the obvious influence it had on the generations to come. The impact this album had on artists like Prince, The Roots, Justin Timberlake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Jackson, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and so many others is screamingly obvious and a joy to infer. You've heard Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise, and if you haven't, you've heard Weird Al's Amish Paradise, both of which stem from the original structure of Stevie's Pastime Paradise from this album.
Stevie is such a great lyricist. Forget his superb voice and out of this world ear for melody, how can a blind man write a lyric like "I see us in the park, strolling the summer days of imaginings in my head. And words from our heart told only to the wind felt even without being said" that paints as clear of a picture as any song I've ever heard? Absolute genius.
Aside from what a great listening experience Songs In The Key of Life is, what I love specifically about this album is how it makes me feel as close to spiritual as I've ever been. I'm not a religious person, god to me is any positive person, place, or item I find. Discovering this album changed me and lead me down the path to eventually playing drums, teaching music, and meeting all of the people in my life that are important to me now. Songs in the Key of Life is almost a bible of sorts to me. From the first listen, it was something new and it had a visceral effect on me. It gave me the feeling that I could connect to something, in this case music, and stick with it, which I had never done before. I still feel it whenever I decide to play it. It's my go-to uplifting album.
Bury me with a copy of Songs In The Key of Life, my favorite album of all time.
Favorite tracks: As, Another Star, Knocks Me Off My Feet
Drummer(s): Stevie Wonder, Raymond Pounds, Greg Brown, [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
My first favorite musician, Stevie Wonder capped off his run of legendary albums in the 1970's with quite arguably his all time best with Songs. Not a skippable track on the album and each has fantastic melodies, harmonies and instrumentation. No pun intended, truly a wonderful album. Seeing him perform the entire album live in Detroit was truly breathtaking. An all time classic of beauty, love, life, spirituality, and gorgeous, often untouchable music.
This was the album along with Stevie's greatest hits that made me realize what music was in the first place and made me fall in love with it on a grand scale.
From the performances to the writing to the arranging, sequencing, mixing, mastering, artwork... this is a masterpiece so full of life it's hard for me to break down how important it is to me in just a couple paragraphs.
This is not a “concept album” necessarily, but it isn’t not one either. And with a title like Songs in the Key of Life, it would have been disappointing for Stevie to not have taken the challenge to break down the world around him. He did just that through his view on love, life, birth, death, religion, race relation, politics, history.. There is no false advertising in the title. Although Songs was released in 1976, after 2 years of Stevie locking himself in the studio for often times 48+ consecutive hours, this is an album that could be released today and would be no less musically relevant or culturally significant. The messages found throughout this record are too important to ignore and the music is too vibrant not to love and be moved by.
The cohesion in Stevie's writing is more prevalent here than almost anywhere else in his catalog. Never before had he mixed so many styles so effortlessly. Funk (I Wish), soul (Knocks Me Off My Feet), rock (All Day Sucker), jazz fusion (Contusion), and even big band (Sir Duke) and classical influence (Village Ghetto Land) are all on display here, none of them feeling out of place. What's more is the obvious influence it had on the generations to come. The impact this album had on artists like Prince, The Roots, Justin Timberlake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Jackson, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and so many others is screamingly obvious and a joy to infer. You've heard Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise, and if you haven't, you've heard Weird Al's Amish Paradise, both of which stem from the original structure of Stevie's Pastime Paradise from this album.
Stevie is such a great lyricist. Forget his superb voice and out of this world ear for melody, how can a blind man write a lyric like "I see us in the park, strolling the summer days of imaginings in my head. And words from our heart told only to the wind felt even without being said" that paints as clear of a picture as any song I've ever heard? Absolute genius.
Aside from what a great listening experience Songs In The Key of Life is, what I love specifically about this album is how it makes me feel as close to spiritual as I've ever been. I'm not a religious person, god to me is any positive person, place, or item I find. Discovering this album changed me and lead me down the path to eventually playing drums, teaching music, and meeting all of the people in my life that are important to me now. Songs in the Key of Life is almost a bible of sorts to me. From the first listen, it was something new and it had a visceral effect on me. It gave me the feeling that I could connect to something, in this case music, and stick with it, which I had never done before. I still feel it whenever I decide to play it. It's my go-to uplifting album.
Bury me with a copy of Songs In The Key of Life, my favorite album of all time.
Favorite tracks: As, Another Star, Knocks Me Off My Feet
Drummer(s): Stevie Wonder, Raymond Pounds, Greg Brown, [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,480
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
86
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"Beneath the city, two hearts beat. Soul engines running through a night so tender in a bedroom locked with whispers of soft refusal and then surrender."
I kid you not when I saw Springsteen, that one part before the last verse in Born To Run he extended and just kept conducting the band to keep getting louder and louder until it was this swirling tornado of noise for what was probably an entire minute, maybe more. before masterfully bringing it back to the remainder of the song. It was as loud and heavy as any moment in the Motorhead set I saw in the same arena a few years later.
Springsteen introduced me to live music proper in a way I could have never imagined. That night at the Palace of Auburn Hills was electric. A capacity crowd with a normal stage but seats behind it. I would guess I was one of at least 20,000 souls that night. It was a religious experience the likes of which I had merely read about. He played Born To Run in it's entirety. It changed my life and outlook on music.
Born to Run is youth and opportunity. It’s wise beyond its years yet still captures and explores naivety in such an incredible way. It’s an album that is so easy to get lost in as each set of lyrics paints such vivid imagery and the music never gets in the way of that.
This record is a lot of things to me. An influence, an inspiration, at times a fascination, and it’s most definitely one of my most listened to albums. In fact there were days growing up I would listen to it at least twice a day. If it weren’t for Songs In The Key of Life, this is easily my favorite album. Assuredly my #2, assuredly brilliant.
Favorite tracks: Thunder Road, Born to Run, Jungleland
Drummer(s): Max Weinberg, Earnest "Boom" Carter [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
I kid you not when I saw Springsteen, that one part before the last verse in Born To Run he extended and just kept conducting the band to keep getting louder and louder until it was this swirling tornado of noise for what was probably an entire minute, maybe more. before masterfully bringing it back to the remainder of the song. It was as loud and heavy as any moment in the Motorhead set I saw in the same arena a few years later.
Springsteen introduced me to live music proper in a way I could have never imagined. That night at the Palace of Auburn Hills was electric. A capacity crowd with a normal stage but seats behind it. I would guess I was one of at least 20,000 souls that night. It was a religious experience the likes of which I had merely read about. He played Born To Run in it's entirety. It changed my life and outlook on music.
Born to Run is youth and opportunity. It’s wise beyond its years yet still captures and explores naivety in such an incredible way. It’s an album that is so easy to get lost in as each set of lyrics paints such vivid imagery and the music never gets in the way of that.
This record is a lot of things to me. An influence, an inspiration, at times a fascination, and it’s most definitely one of my most listened to albums. In fact there were days growing up I would listen to it at least twice a day. If it weren’t for Songs In The Key of Life, this is easily my favorite album. Assuredly my #2, assuredly brilliant.
Favorite tracks: Thunder Road, Born to Run, Jungleland
Drummer(s): Max Weinberg, Earnest "Boom" Carter [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,252
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Been in it before internet had new acts. Mimicking radio's nemesis made me wack. My innocence limited the experience lacked. Ten of us with no tentative tactic that cracked the mind of a literate writer but I did it in fact. You admitted it once I submitted it wrapped in plastic. Remember scribblin' scratchin' dilligent sentences backwards"
I remember the hype. It was here, it was on other sites, it was among friends, musicians, record stores, it was everywhere. And perhaps more than any other record, TPAB not only lived up to that hype, it backflipped over the hype.. did cartwheels around the hype. Just wow.
How Kendrick and company effortlessly blended hip hop, rap, funk, r&b, rock, jazz, soul... I can't believe it. This album made me want to go so much further into not only Kendrick's catalog, but rap as a genre in general. The emotion, intelligence, effort, and power that went into this album has justifiably not gone un-noted. I still remember putting the CD in for the first time, the hook for Wesley's Theory kicked in and I was already sold, buckled in on a trip I had no idea the end destination. This record not only took me along for the ride, it unapologetically made me feel like a part of the album. Kendrick is speaking to you when you play this album. Even if in the end he's really speaking to.. Ehhh, I won't spoil it in case you haven't heard it.
To Pimp A Butterfly is a masterpiece and well on its way to all time great status.
Favorite tracks: Welsey's Theory, The Blacker The Berry, For Free? [First added to this chart: 07/14/2015]
I remember the hype. It was here, it was on other sites, it was among friends, musicians, record stores, it was everywhere. And perhaps more than any other record, TPAB not only lived up to that hype, it backflipped over the hype.. did cartwheels around the hype. Just wow.
How Kendrick and company effortlessly blended hip hop, rap, funk, r&b, rock, jazz, soul... I can't believe it. This album made me want to go so much further into not only Kendrick's catalog, but rap as a genre in general. The emotion, intelligence, effort, and power that went into this album has justifiably not gone un-noted. I still remember putting the CD in for the first time, the hook for Wesley's Theory kicked in and I was already sold, buckled in on a trip I had no idea the end destination. This record not only took me along for the ride, it unapologetically made me feel like a part of the album. Kendrick is speaking to you when you play this album. Even if in the end he's really speaking to.. Ehhh, I won't spoil it in case you haven't heard it.
To Pimp A Butterfly is a masterpiece and well on its way to all time great status.
Favorite tracks: Welsey's Theory, The Blacker The Berry, For Free? [First added to this chart: 07/14/2015]
Year of Release:
2015
Appears in:
Rank Score:
37,213
Rank in 2015:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Didn't anybody tell her? Didn't anybody see? Sunday's on the phone to Monday, Tuesday's on the phone to me."
You could call Abbey Road the greatest album of all time and I wouldn’t give you much push back. My first listen of this record was profound. It left me feeling enlightened and happy, but most of all it was the album to make me go “So, these are The Beatles huh?” and set me on an unalterable path down their catalog and so much more music at large.
Every. Single. Track… adds something to the Abbey Road stew. Whether it be the foreboding and metallic She’s So Heavy, the auditory vitamin D of Here Comes the Sun, or the jaw-dropping medley, Abbey Road track list offers something for every type of listener. This is also a reflection of how John, Paul, and George were all peaking as songwriters during or around this time, a phenomenal capturing of a time in history.
Paul's vocals (blues mastery of Oh Darling!, gorgeous ballideering on Golden Slumbers) kick ass on this album, maybe his best album vocal-wise. The guitars are beautiful and utilized in ways not as explored on previous releases, Ringo’s drumming is smart and his tone warm and welcoming, and the production is out of this world tasteful.
So yeah.. greatest album of all time or not, there are hardly any albums I love more. Few records have single-handedly had a greater impact on me. Abbey Road is, at large, synonymous with music and all that I love about it.
Favorite tracks: Oh! Darling, I Want You (She's So Heavy), and the Abbey Road Medley (the entire medley).
Drummer: Ringo Starr [First added to this chart: 12/30/2014]
You could call Abbey Road the greatest album of all time and I wouldn’t give you much push back. My first listen of this record was profound. It left me feeling enlightened and happy, but most of all it was the album to make me go “So, these are The Beatles huh?” and set me on an unalterable path down their catalog and so much more music at large.
Every. Single. Track… adds something to the Abbey Road stew. Whether it be the foreboding and metallic She’s So Heavy, the auditory vitamin D of Here Comes the Sun, or the jaw-dropping medley, Abbey Road track list offers something for every type of listener. This is also a reflection of how John, Paul, and George were all peaking as songwriters during or around this time, a phenomenal capturing of a time in history.
Paul's vocals (blues mastery of Oh Darling!, gorgeous ballideering on Golden Slumbers) kick ass on this album, maybe his best album vocal-wise. The guitars are beautiful and utilized in ways not as explored on previous releases, Ringo’s drumming is smart and his tone warm and welcoming, and the production is out of this world tasteful.
So yeah.. greatest album of all time or not, there are hardly any albums I love more. Few records have single-handedly had a greater impact on me. Abbey Road is, at large, synonymous with music and all that I love about it.
Favorite tracks: Oh! Darling, I Want You (She's So Heavy), and the Abbey Road Medley (the entire medley).
Drummer: Ringo Starr [First added to this chart: 12/30/2014]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
65,448
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Circle of destruction, hammer comes crushing, powerhouse of energy. Whipping up a fury, dominating flurry, we create the Battery."
I don't remember the first time I listened to many of the albums I like, but I remember, IN VIVID DETAIL, putting my burned copy of Master of Puppets from a good friend in my CD player for the first time and being blown away by the lightning quick guitar, pounding drums, and huge and terrifying vocals. It scared me to death... and I couldn't stop listening to it. A Masterpiece. Pun intended this time.
This album changed my life. I would not have continued to be as passionate about playing drums without this record. Master of Puppets opened so many doors for me musically, and changed my perception of what "heavy" music was and what it could be. I finally realized heavy metal could be as beautiful, constructed, and genuine, if not more, than any other genre.
Is there a better album opener than Battery? The acoustic intro tricked me into thinking this was not what I was expecting and was an astounding intro to the blazingly fast and viscous guitar bass and drums that were to follow for the next 54 or so minutes. Lars Ulrich's drumming was as ferocious and pummeling as Hetfield's guitar and vocals were, fuck what you think.
This is Metallica at their otherworldly apex. This is heavy music at its pinnacle. This is the record I hold all other metal records up to in standard to this day some 10 (wow) years later.
Master of Puppets is a classic. Metallica were firing on cylinders, a lot of them, all of them and they were a band set on world domination and they fucking got it. For better or for worse. A genius album and such a deserving choice for our Top 100 albums on this beautiful site.
Favorite tracks: Battery, Master of Puppets, Disposable Heroes
Drummer: Lars Ulrich [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
I don't remember the first time I listened to many of the albums I like, but I remember, IN VIVID DETAIL, putting my burned copy of Master of Puppets from a good friend in my CD player for the first time and being blown away by the lightning quick guitar, pounding drums, and huge and terrifying vocals. It scared me to death... and I couldn't stop listening to it. A Masterpiece. Pun intended this time.
This album changed my life. I would not have continued to be as passionate about playing drums without this record. Master of Puppets opened so many doors for me musically, and changed my perception of what "heavy" music was and what it could be. I finally realized heavy metal could be as beautiful, constructed, and genuine, if not more, than any other genre.
Is there a better album opener than Battery? The acoustic intro tricked me into thinking this was not what I was expecting and was an astounding intro to the blazingly fast and viscous guitar bass and drums that were to follow for the next 54 or so minutes. Lars Ulrich's drumming was as ferocious and pummeling as Hetfield's guitar and vocals were, fuck what you think.
This is Metallica at their otherworldly apex. This is heavy music at its pinnacle. This is the record I hold all other metal records up to in standard to this day some 10 (wow) years later.
Master of Puppets is a classic. Metallica were firing on cylinders, a lot of them, all of them and they were a band set on world domination and they fucking got it. For better or for worse. A genius album and such a deserving choice for our Top 100 albums on this beautiful site.
Favorite tracks: Battery, Master of Puppets, Disposable Heroes
Drummer: Lars Ulrich [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,255
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"She lived like a murder how she flied so sweetly. She lived like a murder but she died just like suicide."
When Soundgarden made their big comeback a number of years back, I was intrigued. I had heard Black Hole Sun before, but I wanted to hear more. Luckily my dad had a copy of Superunknown in his collection. At the time, that album was just what I needed. Every song really struck me as a musician and a listener and, to me, Soundgarden will always be top dogs of the "grunge" movement if for no other reason than their willingness to expand the limits of where the genre could go. Case and point, 1994’s Superunknown.
Superunknown is lightning in a bottle start to finish. 4th of July and Like Suicide take me to a truly dark place but Black Hole Sun and Fell On Black Days pull me back into other ones.
When the world lost Chris, I took it quite hard. His voice was more familiar to me than some family members'. His lyrics and delivery of them spoke to me in a way that so few ever have. I'm sad he's no longer here. I'm ecstatic he existed. We miss you, Chris.
Favorite tracks: Fell On Black Days, 4th of July, Like Suicide.
Drummer: Matt Cameron [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
When Soundgarden made their big comeback a number of years back, I was intrigued. I had heard Black Hole Sun before, but I wanted to hear more. Luckily my dad had a copy of Superunknown in his collection. At the time, that album was just what I needed. Every song really struck me as a musician and a listener and, to me, Soundgarden will always be top dogs of the "grunge" movement if for no other reason than their willingness to expand the limits of where the genre could go. Case and point, 1994’s Superunknown.
Superunknown is lightning in a bottle start to finish. 4th of July and Like Suicide take me to a truly dark place but Black Hole Sun and Fell On Black Days pull me back into other ones.
When the world lost Chris, I took it quite hard. His voice was more familiar to me than some family members'. His lyrics and delivery of them spoke to me in a way that so few ever have. I'm sad he's no longer here. I'm ecstatic he existed. We miss you, Chris.
Favorite tracks: Fell On Black Days, 4th of July, Like Suicide.
Drummer: Matt Cameron [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,898
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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“Last wish: I wish I had two more wishes. And I wish they fixed the door to the matrix, there’s mad glitches. Spit so many verses sometimes my jaw twitches. One thing this party could use is more.. ahem… booze.”
I can hardly quantify my love for this album. I adore it. Like the record’s MC, Madvillainy is iconoclastic, enigmatic, hilarious, adventurous, and a lot of fun. This album is so good, it gives itself rounds of applause in the closing track, Rhinestone Cowboy. DOOM and Lib made for an effortless pairing and they made an amazing album that I return to again and again.
Favorite Tracks: Rhinestone Cowboy, All Caps, Figaro [First added to this chart: 02/11/2018]
I can hardly quantify my love for this album. I adore it. Like the record’s MC, Madvillainy is iconoclastic, enigmatic, hilarious, adventurous, and a lot of fun. This album is so good, it gives itself rounds of applause in the closing track, Rhinestone Cowboy. DOOM and Lib made for an effortless pairing and they made an amazing album that I return to again and again.
Favorite Tracks: Rhinestone Cowboy, All Caps, Figaro [First added to this chart: 02/11/2018]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,227
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"A Love Supreme, A Love Supreme, A Love Supreme"
If there is only one word that I'm allowed to use to describe the music of John Coltrane, it might be something like.. immaculate. As someone who is not (yet) a jazz aficionado, I can still feel the emotion and detail in every note on this album. This is a complete and powerful, musical trip through the mind, heart, and soul of John Coltrane. Along with the help of the great Elvin Jones on drums, McCoy Tyner on keys and Jimmy Garrison on bass, his classic lineup, Coltrane's "gift to God", lives up to every expectation. This album, though it stays the same in its superb, chest-filling, majesty, changes me again and again.
Favorite Tracks: …come on, man.
Drummer: Elvin Jones [First added to this chart: 02/01/2015]
If there is only one word that I'm allowed to use to describe the music of John Coltrane, it might be something like.. immaculate. As someone who is not (yet) a jazz aficionado, I can still feel the emotion and detail in every note on this album. This is a complete and powerful, musical trip through the mind, heart, and soul of John Coltrane. Along with the help of the great Elvin Jones on drums, McCoy Tyner on keys and Jimmy Garrison on bass, his classic lineup, Coltrane's "gift to God", lives up to every expectation. This album, though it stays the same in its superb, chest-filling, majesty, changes me again and again.
Favorite Tracks: …come on, man.
Drummer: Elvin Jones [First added to this chart: 02/01/2015]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,088
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"And when I say I might fade like a sigh if I stay, you minimize my movement anyway. I must persuade you another way."
Chaos, Debauchery, Disaster, Catastrophes, Disorder, Despair.. on one record, personified through instruments by 4 incredible personalities. Tool's musicianship is supreme and this is where they started to take hold of it completely. As loud, rude, and unapologetic as it is. I view Ænima and Lateralus as brother/sister albums. Ænima of course being the fucking bastard brother.
Tool went from a band I couldn't get into for the life of me, to a band I couldn’t stop listening to which I attribute to, in part, the people who finally helped make them click for me.
Tool’s music has this oddly satisfying element of life-affirmation to it, of course approached much differently than, say, Stevie Wonder might. Regardless, there is something in Tool's music that makes it speak differently than any other band and Ænima is the prime example of that. This record offers a catharsis that is seldom ever reached in their absolutely brilliant catalog or anybody else’s.
Favorite Tracks: Pushit, Eulogy, Ænema
Drummer: Danny Carey [First added to this chart: 11/17/2016]
Chaos, Debauchery, Disaster, Catastrophes, Disorder, Despair.. on one record, personified through instruments by 4 incredible personalities. Tool's musicianship is supreme and this is where they started to take hold of it completely. As loud, rude, and unapologetic as it is. I view Ænima and Lateralus as brother/sister albums. Ænima of course being the fucking bastard brother.
Tool went from a band I couldn't get into for the life of me, to a band I couldn’t stop listening to which I attribute to, in part, the people who finally helped make them click for me.
Tool’s music has this oddly satisfying element of life-affirmation to it, of course approached much differently than, say, Stevie Wonder might. Regardless, there is something in Tool's music that makes it speak differently than any other band and Ænima is the prime example of that. This record offers a catharsis that is seldom ever reached in their absolutely brilliant catalog or anybody else’s.
Favorite Tracks: Pushit, Eulogy, Ænema
Drummer: Danny Carey [First added to this chart: 11/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1996
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,850
Rank in 1996:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Subconscious strange sensation. Unconscious relaxation. What a pleasant nightmare, and I can't wait to get there again."
Dream Theater's magnum opus and one of the greatest stories ever told on an album. Every song has a hand in telling part of the story, partly set in the present, other parts set in 1928. Fantastic songs, melodies, and of course playing from the powerhouses of Myung, Petrucci, LaBrie, Ruddess, and Portnoy. My favorite part about Dream Theater is when the powerhouse playing meets melody, harmony, and musicality. This record is the best of both DT worlds. This is the concept album I hold all other rock concept albums up against.
Favorite tracks: Strange Deja Vu, the Dance of Eternity, Finally Free. (But really, listen to the whole album)
Drummer: Mike Portnoy [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
Dream Theater's magnum opus and one of the greatest stories ever told on an album. Every song has a hand in telling part of the story, partly set in the present, other parts set in 1928. Fantastic songs, melodies, and of course playing from the powerhouses of Myung, Petrucci, LaBrie, Ruddess, and Portnoy. My favorite part about Dream Theater is when the powerhouse playing meets melody, harmony, and musicality. This record is the best of both DT worlds. This is the concept album I hold all other rock concept albums up against.
Favorite tracks: Strange Deja Vu, the Dance of Eternity, Finally Free. (But really, listen to the whole album)
Drummer: Mike Portnoy [First added to this chart: 03/21/2014]
Year of Release:
1999
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,355
Rank in 1999:
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 | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 10 | 10% | |
| 1970s | 34 | 34% | |
| 1980s | 13 | 13% | |
| 1990s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2000s | 13 | 13% | |
| 2010s | 6 | 6% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Rush | 4 | 4% | |
| Genesis | 3 | 3% | |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 3% | |
| David Bowie | 3 | 3% | |
| The Beatles | 3 | 3% | |
| Metallica | 3 | 3% | |
| Tool | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
58 | 58% | |
 |
28 | 28% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 7 from 97th to 90th Nevermind by Nirvana |
| Up 7 from 88th to 81st Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience |
| Up 3 from 83rd to 80th Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 5 from 86th to 91st White Pony by Deftones |
| Down 3 from 80th to 83rd Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus |
| Down 3 from 81st to 84th The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem |
| New entries |
|---|
 To Be Kindby Swans |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Temple Of The Dogby Temple Of The Dog |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
90/100 (from 83 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 83 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 90/100  | 03/06/2024 20:43 | Moondance | | 84/100 |
| 90/100 | 05/02/2023 03:05 |  ffudnebbuh | | 91/100 |
| 100/100 | 03/04/2023 19:28 | bobnickmad | | 88/100 |
| 90/100 | 01/30/2023 16:43 |  Goliath | | 86/100 |
| 100/100 | 10/13/2022 20:00 | BLO | | 91/100 |
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 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.3/100, a mean average of 90.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.4.
Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 18 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 49 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
90/100
From ffudnebbuh 05/02/2023 03:05
ffudnebbuh 05/02/2023 03:05
nice variety
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From BraddlesHendo 05/01/2023 12:32
5 stars just for time and effort given to your chart. Some absolute beautiful albums in your Top 100.?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From bobnickmad 03/04/2023 19:28
Great chart both on diversity and quality.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Johnnyo 10/13/2022 16:55
Great chart and really diggin the notes accompanying the albums. Trying to do more of this myself but failing miserably
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Moondance 10/13/2022 09:12
Fascinating chart. Enjoyed the intro & album commentary ~ and appreciate the effort required to put the chart together. The chart is far too US-centric for my tastes - but I respect your choices, however they fall. Interestingly, you have Born To Run at #2 & I have it at #3; and the line you quote from the album is also my favourite line ~ so we have that and another 9 albums in common.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From leniad 07/10/2022 01:29
i have to give your chart a 100, excellent albums you choose, steview wonder along with prince and bowie are for me top 3 solo artists ever, if you count jazz then is bowie, miles davis, stevie and prince
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From KineticEchoes02 07/06/2022 07:43
Hey man, I've come back to your chart - somehow on a first glance I gave it a 95, but it easily deserves a 100. This is the best chart I have read. Love your work - many similar tastes to mine, and the descriptions and stories within are awesome. From a bass player to a drummer - rock on dude!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From leniad 03/01/2022 12:05
Love it!
Great taste and like your writing , keep going
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Larcx13 11/22/2020 01:30
Larcx13 11/22/2020 01:30
You put a lot of effort on this chart and you have a lot of really good picks. Really good chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From AAL2014 11/02/2020 13:10
AAL2014 11/02/2020 13:10
11/2/2020
The chart is yet again in transition mode (as always, but now moreso than in a while). Been taking in a lot of music new to me, a lot of music that I'm loving and resonating with. The chart will slowly but surely show that and the specific examples of what I'm talking about.
Just wanted to reach out to everybody who has given me high scores recently, it's always cool to see that every once in a while. However, there's more additions to include, more rearranging to be done, and much better descriptions. I've been feeling very motivated recently.
And look at that.. only 435 chart versions in....
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of the 2000s | |
|---|---|
| 1. Radiohead | |
| 2. Arcade Fire | |
| 3. The Strokes | |
| 4. Coldplay | |
| 5. Sufjan Stevens | |
| 6. Arctic Monkeys | |
| 7. Wilco | |
| 8. Animal Collective | |
| 9. Muse | |
| 10. The White Stripes | |
| 11. Kanye West | |
| 12. Phil Elverum | |
| 13. Interpol | |
| 14. Modest Mouse | |
| 15. Queens Of The Stone Age | |
| 16. Madvillain | |
| 17. Godspeed You! Black Emperor | |
| 18. LCD Soundsystem | |
| 19. The National | |
| 20. The Flaming Lips |