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.
There are 49 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 83 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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“You’ll see, one day these Dreams will pull you through my door, and I’ll come running to tie your shoe.”
Another Green World is a world unto itself. Each song it’s own charming and provocative destination. This is my favorite work of his in a vast career and catalog that only few hold any type of candle to.
Sky Saw begins the record with a feel of angularity, only a healthy dose of an intro of what’s to come. St. Elmo’s Fire sees the great Robert Fripp give one of his greatest performances, and The Big Ship is an unbelievably gorgeous piece that only builds and only blossoms as the track’s run time proceeds, you must hear it.
This is as quirky an album as it is a beautiful album. It’s intriguing and off-kilter yet it is as actively melodic and pop-centric as Eno would be.
Favorite tracks: The Big Ship, St. Elmo’s Fire, Sky Saw
Drummers: Phil Collins, Paul Rudolph, Brian Eno [First added to this chart: 02/16/2021]
Another Green World is a world unto itself. Each song it’s own charming and provocative destination. This is my favorite work of his in a vast career and catalog that only few hold any type of candle to.
Sky Saw begins the record with a feel of angularity, only a healthy dose of an intro of what’s to come. St. Elmo’s Fire sees the great Robert Fripp give one of his greatest performances, and The Big Ship is an unbelievably gorgeous piece that only builds and only blossoms as the track’s run time proceeds, you must hear it.
This is as quirky an album as it is a beautiful album. It’s intriguing and off-kilter yet it is as actively melodic and pop-centric as Eno would be.
Favorite tracks: The Big Ship, St. Elmo’s Fire, Sky Saw
Drummers: Phil Collins, Paul Rudolph, Brian Eno [First added to this chart: 02/16/2021]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,175
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
55
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“This will be our year. Took a long time to come.”
The Zombies open their world to the listener only to reveal a set of songs nearly as vivid and lovely as the cover of the album.
O&O is one of my favorite albums of the 60’s, one in which I feel represents exactly what my brain thinks of the 60’s themselves. Great writing and many ear-worm hooks all over this album. [First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
The Zombies open their world to the listener only to reveal a set of songs nearly as vivid and lovely as the cover of the album.
O&O is one of my favorite albums of the 60’s, one in which I feel represents exactly what my brain thinks of the 60’s themselves. Great writing and many ear-worm hooks all over this album. [First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,300
Rank in 1968:
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"The traffic lights they turn blue tomorrow and shine the emptiness down on my bed. The tiny island sags downstream, cause the life they lived is dead. And the wind screams Mary."
There is no wrong pick when it comes to your favorite Jimi Hendrix album, only different opinions and views. This choice was very tough as I love all three of the Experience's studio LP's. But the one with the best song selection in my opinion has to be Are You Experienced. With this record, Jimi essentially informs the world, "Hello, I'm Jimi Hendrix and I'm a genius. And I should be treated as such." The creativity, musicianship and overall rawness of this debut LP is unlike any other... Be forewarned.
Favorite tracks: Red House, Manic Depression, The Wind Cries Mary
Drummer: Mitch Mitchell [First added to this chart: 12/03/2014]
There is no wrong pick when it comes to your favorite Jimi Hendrix album, only different opinions and views. This choice was very tough as I love all three of the Experience's studio LP's. But the one with the best song selection in my opinion has to be Are You Experienced. With this record, Jimi essentially informs the world, "Hello, I'm Jimi Hendrix and I'm a genius. And I should be treated as such." The creativity, musicianship and overall rawness of this debut LP is unlike any other... Be forewarned.
Favorite tracks: Red House, Manic Depression, The Wind Cries Mary
Drummer: Mitch Mitchell [First added to this chart: 12/03/2014]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
24,283
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Rank in 1960s:
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“The liquid soluble that made up the chemistry, a gaseous element that burned down the ministry. Herbal vapors of biblical papers, smokin Exodus, every square yard is plush.”
[First added to this chart: 05/12/2022]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,007
Rank in 1995:
Rank in 1990s:
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“Staaaaaaaaaaand! STAAAAAAAAAAND!”
Favorite Tracks: Stand!, Everyday People, You Can Make it If You Try [First added to this chart: 03/07/2021]
Favorite Tracks: Stand!, Everyday People, You Can Make it If You Try [First added to this chart: 03/07/2021]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,660
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Maybe the most polarizing album in the discussion for greatest prog rock album ever. I made this clear in the comment on the page for the album itself: The first disc is out of this world, or to quote Sterogum on the topic of this album, "change-your-fuckin-life good." The second disc, while not bad, is just not up to the standard met by the first disc even if it boasts some legitimately good material, namely in the form of slightly early ambient/instrumental/shoegazey even type of work.
I still love this album and at this point the Lamb has been with me for a long time. I return to it occasionally and still feel the same way. It didn't leave my CD player for over a month upon disvoery. And for my money it is one of the most unique and ambitious projects a band has ever embarked upon. If the second disc was close to being as good as the first, look out BEA's all time top 50.
Favorite tracks: Broadway Melody of 1974, Carpet Crawlers, In the Cage.
Drummer: Phil Collins [First added to this chart: 10/13/2015]
I still love this album and at this point the Lamb has been with me for a long time. I return to it occasionally and still feel the same way. It didn't leave my CD player for over a month upon disvoery. And for my money it is one of the most unique and ambitious projects a band has ever embarked upon. If the second disc was close to being as good as the first, look out BEA's all time top 50.
Favorite tracks: Broadway Melody of 1974, Carpet Crawlers, In the Cage.
Drummer: Phil Collins [First added to this chart: 10/13/2015]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,439
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 11/01/2023]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,829
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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“Dropping through sky through the glass of the roof, through the roof of your mouth, through the mouth of your eye, through the eye of the needle, it’s easier for me to get closer to Heaven than ever feel whole again.”
This record boasts elements and aesthetics that no other records do or ever will. There’s this tremendous balance of mantra and pop song, convention and experiment, darkness and more darkness.
Plainsong, the album’s opener, is unbelievably moving. Sometimes I’m literally overwhelmed by it to the point where I must take the headphones off. There’s something in Plainsong’s mix that is deep and gutteral in tone that underlies the song’s main features like a wave that comes to wash over everything. It stones me. And Robert Smith hasn’t even begun to sing.
Favorite tracks: Pictures Of You, Fascination Street, Disintegration [First added to this chart: 04/23/2020]
This record boasts elements and aesthetics that no other records do or ever will. There’s this tremendous balance of mantra and pop song, convention and experiment, darkness and more darkness.
Plainsong, the album’s opener, is unbelievably moving. Sometimes I’m literally overwhelmed by it to the point where I must take the headphones off. There’s something in Plainsong’s mix that is deep and gutteral in tone that underlies the song’s main features like a wave that comes to wash over everything. It stones me. And Robert Smith hasn’t even begun to sing.
Favorite tracks: Pictures Of You, Fascination Street, Disintegration [First added to this chart: 04/23/2020]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,828
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"If everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever be this good again. The only thing I'll ever ask of you, you gotta promise not to stop when I say when, she sang."
This has to be here somewhere, as it has almost as much meaning to me as Wasting Light does. It was the first Foo Fighters album I ever heard all the way through, and I still believe it is a quintessential 90's album. It's very dynamic and so many little gems of a bunch of different kinds. An all time classic like Everlong followed by the beautiful February Stars, then close the album with New Way Home? Wow. This is special for me because my sister and I would listen to this a lot as Foo Fighters is her favorite band. Seeing them live with my family was just a great time. Powerful.
Favorite tracks: Everlong, My Hero, February Stars
Drummer: Dave Grohl [First added to this chart: 10/04/2015]
This has to be here somewhere, as it has almost as much meaning to me as Wasting Light does. It was the first Foo Fighters album I ever heard all the way through, and I still believe it is a quintessential 90's album. It's very dynamic and so many little gems of a bunch of different kinds. An all time classic like Everlong followed by the beautiful February Stars, then close the album with New Way Home? Wow. This is special for me because my sister and I would listen to this a lot as Foo Fighters is her favorite band. Seeing them live with my family was just a great time. Powerful.
Favorite tracks: Everlong, My Hero, February Stars
Drummer: Dave Grohl [First added to this chart: 10/04/2015]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,063
Rank in 1997:
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Comments:
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"You couldn't catch me in the streets without a ton of reefer. That's like Malcolm X catching the jungle fever."
Favorite Tracks: It Ain’t Hard To Tell, Life’s A Bitch, Halftime [First added to this chart: 06/28/2020]
Favorite Tracks: It Ain’t Hard To Tell, Life’s A Bitch, Halftime [First added to this chart: 06/28/2020]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,539
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 7 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% | |
| Tool | 3 | 3% | |
| Genesis | 3 | 3% | |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 3% | |
| David Bowie | 3 | 3% | |
| The Beatles | 3 | 3% | |
| Metallica | 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.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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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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A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.