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
- Chart updated: 06/18/2025 05:45
- (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 86 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 2000s. (Remove this filter)
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Favorite tracks: No One Knows, First It Giveth, A Song for the Dead
Drummer: Dave Grohl [First added to this chart: 12/03/2014]
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]
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]
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
Decade | Albums | % | |
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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 | % | |
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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 | % | |
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59 | 59% | |
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29 | 29% | |
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5 | 5% | |
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2 | 2% | |
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2 | 2% | |
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1 | 1% | |
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1 | 1% | |
Show all |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

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Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 86 ratings for this chart.
Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
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85/100 ![]() | 03/14/2025 17:39 | SomethingSpecial | ![]() | 85/100 |
75/100 ![]() | 03/07/2025 14:27 | DrewHamster | ![]() | 79/100 |
90/100 ![]() | 02/27/2025 11:02 | ![]() | ![]() | 86/100 |
95/100 ![]() | 08/31/2024 20:46 | Johnnyo | ![]() | 80/100 |
90/100 ![]() | 03/06/2024 20:43 | Moondance | ![]() | 85/100 |
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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
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nice variety
5 stars just for time and effort given to your chart. Some absolute beautiful albums in your Top 100.?
Great chart both on diversity and quality.
Great chart and really diggin the notes accompanying the albums. Trying to do more of this myself but failing miserably
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.
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
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!
Love it!
Great taste and like your writing , keep going

You put a lot of effort on this chart and you have a lot of really good picks. Really good chart!

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....
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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 |