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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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1990s. (Remove this filter)
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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:
6,016
Rank in 1995:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
49
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[First added to this chart: 11/01/2023]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,796
Rank in 1997:
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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:
5,080
Rank in 1997:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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:
18,501
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Comments:
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It’s so crazy to listen through Talk Talk’s discography knowing it all leads to this. While the band’s entire catalog has something to offer, their last two are my go to records. Laughing Stock in particular.
Laughing Stock is one of the most aesthetically baffling rock albums ever. Every sound adds context and a feeling. The vocals offer guidance for the sake of a more traditional “song”, however often times they feel more like emotional mantras. The drums are played with such an interesting range of touch and the guitars sound blasphemously upset, like gigantic black clouds cloaking an otherwise beautiful sun set. This is a cathartic and harrowing 44 minutes.
Favorite Tracks: Ascension Day, Taphead, New Grass [First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Laughing Stock is one of the most aesthetically baffling rock albums ever. Every sound adds context and a feeling. The vocals offer guidance for the sake of a more traditional “song”, however often times they feel more like emotional mantras. The drums are played with such an interesting range of touch and the guitars sound blasphemously upset, like gigantic black clouds cloaking an otherwise beautiful sun set. This is a cathartic and harrowing 44 minutes.
Favorite Tracks: Ascension Day, Taphead, New Grass [First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,263
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Favorite tracks: Buddy Holly, Undone (The Sweater Song), Only In Dreams
Drummer: Patrick Wilson [First added to this chart: 02/27/2018]
Drummer: Patrick Wilson [First added to this chart: 02/27/2018]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,870
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Brother will kill brother, spill blood across the land. Killing for religion is something I don't understand."
I used to be one of those 13 year old idiots who only listened to Metallica because there was a 25 year feud between Metallica and Megadeth. Then I heard Holy Wars... The Punishment Due..... Whoa...... What happened?........ I'm supposed to hate this band, but immediately, this is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Crushing. Mean. Fast. Angry. Technical. Melodic. Awesome. Megadeth.
Favorite tracks: Holy Wars.. The Punishment Due, Tornado of Souls, Take No Prisoners
Drummer: Nick Menza [First added to this chart: 12/02/2014]
I used to be one of those 13 year old idiots who only listened to Metallica because there was a 25 year feud between Metallica and Megadeth. Then I heard Holy Wars... The Punishment Due..... Whoa...... What happened?........ I'm supposed to hate this band, but immediately, this is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Crushing. Mean. Fast. Angry. Technical. Melodic. Awesome. Megadeth.
Favorite tracks: Holy Wars.. The Punishment Due, Tornado of Souls, Take No Prisoners
Drummer: Nick Menza [First added to this chart: 12/02/2014]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,627
Rank in 1990:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 07/09/2022]
Year of Release:
1996
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,350
Rank in 1996:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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“Buying lies and stealing jokes and laughing every time I choke, biding all the time you took. Now I know why you’ve been taken.”
Power. Fucking power man. This album gave me chills when I first discovered it and much of it still does, the rest still doesn't fail to put a smile on my face. A very popular record among my friends, we would take part in certain unspeakable extracurricular activities and sit in awe of Chris Cornell's howl. Slaves and Bulldozers is one of the best songs ever, and one of the best vocal performances ever. The first four songs on this album are as strong as any. As serious as this record is, there isn't any doubt the charm and humor of Soundgarden is still there.
Favorite tracks: Slaves and Bulldozers, Holy Water, Rusty Cage
Drummer: Matt Cameron [First added to this chart: 10/23/2015]
Power. Fucking power man. This album gave me chills when I first discovered it and much of it still does, the rest still doesn't fail to put a smile on my face. A very popular record among my friends, we would take part in certain unspeakable extracurricular activities and sit in awe of Chris Cornell's howl. Slaves and Bulldozers is one of the best songs ever, and one of the best vocal performances ever. The first four songs on this album are as strong as any. As serious as this record is, there isn't any doubt the charm and humor of Soundgarden is still there.
Favorite tracks: Slaves and Bulldozers, Holy Water, Rusty Cage
Drummer: Matt Cameron [First added to this chart: 10/23/2015]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,838
Rank in 1991:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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The most complete Incubus listen yet for me. My bandmate and very good friend turned me on to this album with me not knowing it existed, only hearing Incubus' hits through the 2000's. SCIENCE is a record that grooves, has soul, can be heavy as fuck one minute and then beautifully melodic the next, but maintains an impeccable erratic balance throughout. I think Summer Romance is pretty flawless.
This has been a mainstay in my listening the past couple of years, the dynamics are off the charts and it's been an influence on my drumming. Jose is a bad mofo.
Favorite Tracks: Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song), Redefine, Nebula
Drummer: Jose Pasillas [First added to this chart: 06/05/2017]
This has been a mainstay in my listening the past couple of years, the dynamics are off the charts and it's been an influence on my drumming. Jose is a bad mofo.
Favorite Tracks: Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song), Redefine, Nebula
Drummer: Jose Pasillas [First added to this chart: 06/05/2017]
Total albums: 21. Page 2 of 3
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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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