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, 10/15/24, 6/11/25

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 86 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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Buy album United States
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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]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,881
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Comments:
12. (11) Down1
Buy album United States
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"I embrace my desire to feel the rhythm, feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow. To feel inspired, to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain. To swing on a spiral."

One of the great revolutionary works of this century. And one of the most unique "concept" albums ever, not just because of the theme(s) of the music but because you can fucking reorder the tracks and they flow even better. As the normal order of the album stands, Tool followed up AEnima with another album generally well received by fans and critics. Danny and Justin continued their exploration into the out of left field rhythms and compositions to make Tool even more a musical anomaly than ever before. Maynard's lyrics here are brilliant and even more so than on AEnima, shows off all of the different sides of his voice. The Throwing-shit-to-the-wind vocals of Ticks And Leeches to the spell-binding hypnotism of Reflection and everything in between, this is a band at the top of their creative game. The title track is one of the greatest songs ever.

Favorite Tracks: Lateralus, The Grudge, Reflection

Drummer: Danny Carey
[First added to this chart: 07/25/2017]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,811
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Buy album United States
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"Beyond the Staples Center, you can see America, with its tired poor avenging disgrace. Peaceful, loving youth against the brutality of plastic existence."

One of the more recent additions to this chart, Toxicity is a masterpiece. A brutally honest and captivating look at America and the world unbelievably in a pre-9/11 landscape. SPIN magazine called Toxicity "The Music of Now" as they named it album of the year in late 2001. How appropriate.

Toxicity is an album that doesn't let up. It doesn't stop being abrasive, quirky, or beautifully heavy for the entirety of it's 14 track runlength. This is a band in their prime firing on all cylinders performing not because it's what they want to do, but because they absolutely have to deliver their message through this powerful music. The band (and presumably Rick Rubin) expertly sequenced this record. Daron and Serj made a hell of a harmony duo.

Favorite Tracks: Prison Song, Deer Dance, Chop Suey!

Drummer: John Dolmayan
[First added to this chart: 11/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,385
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Buy album United States
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"I was amazed by the colors and shapes that you drew, a paper part for two. I am the only son of a bastard I know that knows the bastard too."

To be honest, it took me a while to let this band truly sink in. It isn't that I didn't find anything good about them as they had interesting songs that were well written, and they were good players. Their ideas of sonic layering and making sure every instrument served a melodic purpose were somewhat groundbreaking to me. I didn't like Andy Hull's voice at first, but as time went on, I saw it as gorgeous. Calling it Emotive would be a bland understatement. Andy has made his way comfortably to the couch of my favorite songwriters.. It's one of those long L shaped couches, can hold 15 or so people if you wanted..

This album holds special meaning that nearly every other record on this list won't. When my best friend and I met, this record (among a few other personal staples)was playing in her car almost non-stop. She and I, along with our other friends, listened to it all summer (2014), times, people, and memories I will never forget.

There were 3 or so Manchester records that became the soundtrack to nights I could hardly remember a thing but at the same time remember absolutely every single detail, but this is the crown jewel.

I think anyone can like an album like this. Thoughtful lyrics, words that sting with old-soul youthfulness.

This album's array of songs boasts hints of religion, friendships, mental health, and the maybe not so glorious granularity life consists of in one's early 20's. I’ve Got Friends is an all time ear-worm, I Can Feel a Hot One is an indescribably cathartic meditation, and The River is a gorgeous, spiritual awakening of a closer (the hidden Jimmy, He Whispers is chillingly good too). There are a couple of songs in the middle of the record that keep METN from cracking the top 25, but there are intangibles none of them will have on this one.

As of December 2019, you can add this to the records on this list I've seen live in their entirety. A great concert with a phenomenally good and ferociously hungry Foxing opening up, Andy and company brought this now decade old indie classic to life through the power of their surprisingly fucking heavy and heady live crunch, glimpses of Motorhead danced in my head. It was good to see an honest and wholesome celebration of a record that probably (and apparently) changed a lot of other people's lives too.

Favorite tracks: I Can Feel A Hot One, I've Got Friends, The River (with the hidden track)

Drummer: Jeremiah Edmond
[First added to this chart: 10/03/2015]
Year of Release:
2009
Appears in:
Rank Score:
449
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Buy album United States
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“Sailing on the seven, seize the day tripper diem’s ready. Jack the Ripper-Owens-Wilson-Phillips and my Suppers Ready.”

This was the record that turned me on to one of progressive metal's giants, Dream Theater. I connected to my friends through this record as I joined my very first band with them. Octavarium is an amazing representation of a mature (aged well of course) Dream Theater. It shows the heavy and light sides of a very gifted band. The 24 minute title track is a masterstroke, can't say enough about it.

Favorite Tracks: Octavarium, These Walls, The Root of All Evil

Drummer: Mike Portnoy
[First added to this chart: 11/17/2016]
Year of Release:
2005
Appears in:
Rank Score:
687
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Buy album United States
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Being a drummer, pressing play on the freshly purchased CD and hearing Dave Grohl's first drum beat, a funky, Bonham inspired groove hooked me immediately. I believe if Led Zeppelin came out in the early to mid 90's, this is what they may have sounded like. Not in derivative way, no no. We aren't talking about Greta Van Fleet here..

Groove after groove, hook after hook, song after song, this album makes me want them to,... well.. make another one. There is a mood on this album that is so mysterious and almost melancholy that makes it more interesting than many other "super-group" albums (see Chickenfoot).

Favorite tracks: No One Loves Me and Neither Do I, Mind Eraser No Chaser, Bandoliers

Drummer: Dave Grohl
[First added to this chart: 12/28/2014]
Year of Release:
2009
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,064
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 04/09/2023]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
45,912
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Before picking up a copy of the album and listening to it all the way through, I had heard No One Knows of course. Great song. But when I put the whole album on... I was blown away. This album is so aggressive but at times it almost has a catchy Beatles-esq vibe to it.. A lot of it has to do with the legendary performance from Dave Grohl (making his third appearance on this chart, second behind the drums). But even without Grohl, the songs are good enough to be a modern day classic record. I hear a lot of local bands play very often and to me, much of it sounds like a poor rip off of Songs for the Deaf.

Favorite tracks: No One Knows, First It Giveth, A Song for the Dead

Drummer: Dave Grohl
[First added to this chart: 12/03/2014]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,793
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Ah yes, Slim's crowning achievement. As offensive, off-putting, and down right vile at times as it may be. As with any Eminem album, his flow is unreal 90% of the time. His word play is ridiculous to paraphrase Kendrick Lamar. This record was in the middle of a stretch of rap classics and I believe it is the best.

Stan is a supreme narrative, Remember Me is a fucking juggernaut of aggression from Em, RBX, and Sticky Fingaz, and I'm Back has lyrics that can make me question if he actually said what I thought he did, even on repeat listens.

The MMLP has its faults for sure, he's a 26 year old talking about school and his mom a little too much. Through that, there's too much greatness here to be scoffed at.

Favorite Tracks: Kill You, Remember Me?, I'm Back
[First added to this chart: 06/05/2017]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,665
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Average Rating:
Comments:
96. (=)
Buy album United States
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"Overwhelmed as one would be placed in my position. Such a heavy burden now to be the one. Born to bare and ritual the details of our ending and write it down for all the world to see.. But I forgot my pen."

I should have been a Tool fan long before I gave into the fandom. All 3 of the other members of my first band were Tool freaks and I just wasn't. I didn't get the appeal, I just didn't feel it.. but maybe that's where the seed was planted. Either way, now I just am enthralled with the band and 10,000 Days was my favorite of theirs to start. The mood of the record is so ominous and brooding but in such a pleasantly unique way. The lyrics are for the better part brilliant, the riffs are challenging and chuggy, the drums are out of this world, and the production lays the groundwork to make it easy to get through the album’s 75 minutes.

There are many highlights here for me, including Vicarious, The Pot, Right In Two, and one of the best songs ever penned, 10,000 Days (Wings Part 2). A full fledged experience of an album.

Favorite tracks: Right In Two, Vicarious, 10,000 Days (Wings Part 2)

Drummer: Danny Carey
[First added to this chart: 05/06/2016]
Year of Release:
2006
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,190
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 12. Page 1 of 2

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade Albums %


1930s 0 0%
1940s 0 0%
1950s 1 1%
1960s 12 12%
1970s 31 31%
1980s 13 13%
1990s 22 22%
2000s 12 12%
2010s 6 6%
2020s 3 3%
Artist Albums %


The Beatles 4 4%
Rush 4 4%
Tool 3 3%
Stevie Wonder 3 3%
Genesis 3 3%
David Bowie 3 3%
Metallica 3 3%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 59 59%
United Kingdom 29 29%
Canada 5 5%
Mixed Nationality 2 2%
Australia 2 2%
Germany 1 1%
Japan 1 1%
Show all
Live? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Climber Up 2 from 12th to 10th
Pet Sounds
by The Beach Boys
Biggest fallers
Faller Down 1 from 10th to 11th
Ænima
by Tool
Faller Down 1 from 11th to 12th
Lateralus
by Tool
TitleSourceTypePublishedCountry
Album Closers AAL2014Custom chart2024
Album Openers AAL2014Custom chart2025
Ranking Rolling Stone Magazine’s Top 500- An Exploration AAL2014Custom chart2024
My Personal Ranking of Rate Your Music's Top 100 Xxnu99etxXCustom chart2020
Best Albums(1 Per Artist)dougcummingsCustom chart2022
Top 100 Greatest Music AlbumsbarbarossaOverall chart2022Unknown
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums 22erik22Overall chart2019
Top 100 Greatest Music Albumsalert23Overall chart2025Unknown
BEA Top 100 Reorganized According To My TastebonnequestionCustom chart2025
Top 100 Greatest Music AlbumsKindofBlueOverall chart2019Unknown

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
90/100 (from 86 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
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 86 ratings for this chart.

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03/14/2025 17:39 SomethingSpecial  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,10085/100
  
75/100
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03/07/2025 14:27 DrewHamster  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 31779/100
  
90/100
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02/27/2025 11:02 zwiebel  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 18886/100
  
95/100
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08/31/2024 20:46 Johnnyo  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,45880/100
  
90/100
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03/06/2024 20:43 Moondance  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 47585/100

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 90.1/100, a mean average of 90.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.5.

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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
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Rating:  
90/100
From 05/02/2023 03:05
nice variety
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 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) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 03/04/2023 19:28
Great chart both on diversity and quality.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 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) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 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) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 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)
Rating:  
100/100
From 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)
Rating:  
100/100
From 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)
Rating:  
100/100
From 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 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 1980s
1. The Smiths
2. Prince
3. Pixies
4. The Cure
5. Talking Heads
6. U2
7. Metallica
8. Kate Bush
9. R.E.M.
10. The Stone Roses
11. Sonic Youth
12. Michael Jackson
13. Bruce Springsteen
14. Iron Maiden
15. Prince And The Revolution
16. Tom Waits
17. Joy Division
18. New Order
19. Talk Talk
20. Rush
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