Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
Repo 
- Chart updated: 07/14/2023 11:15
- (Created: 06/17/2014 23:52).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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...then this shit is X! (1956)
“Did you hear me scream?” – Black Francis
I LOVE Elvis. I’m not coming for his crown. Not ever. BUT, Johnny Burnette and his gang of delinquents positively destroys Elvis’ debut LP (and anything else Elvis ever put out.) If the big news back in 1956 was that Elvis was rated R, making all those teenage girls swoon and whatnot, then this shit is X!
Which is not at all surprising. You see these guys were fighters. And not just metaphorical ones. No. I’m talking real world, lace-up the-gloves fighters. Golden Gloves champions even! That’s actually how the Burnette brothers (Johnny & Dorsey) met their guitarist, Paul Burlison – at a boxing tournament in Memphis. Bonus fun fact just for kicks => Johnny was a real live Repo Man too!!! These dudes were badass with a capital B.
Johnny had the scream. Burlison brought the fuzz. And Dorsey could slap that big ol’ bass something fierce. And together they made hands-down the best rockabilly album of all time. Every track just jumps right out of and grabs you by the shorties. If you throw this on, and it does not start an instant party, do yourself a favor. Don’t change the record. Find new friends! [First added to this chart: 08/26/2022]
“Did you hear me scream?” – Black Francis
I LOVE Elvis. I’m not coming for his crown. Not ever. BUT, Johnny Burnette and his gang of delinquents positively destroys Elvis’ debut LP (and anything else Elvis ever put out.) If the big news back in 1956 was that Elvis was rated R, making all those teenage girls swoon and whatnot, then this shit is X!
Which is not at all surprising. You see these guys were fighters. And not just metaphorical ones. No. I’m talking real world, lace-up the-gloves fighters. Golden Gloves champions even! That’s actually how the Burnette brothers (Johnny & Dorsey) met their guitarist, Paul Burlison – at a boxing tournament in Memphis. Bonus fun fact just for kicks => Johnny was a real live Repo Man too!!! These dudes were badass with a capital B.
Johnny had the scream. Burlison brought the fuzz. And Dorsey could slap that big ol’ bass something fierce. And together they made hands-down the best rockabilly album of all time. Every track just jumps right out of and grabs you by the shorties. If you throw this on, and it does not start an instant party, do yourself a favor. Don’t change the record. Find new friends! [First added to this chart: 08/26/2022]
4
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The Softies (1979)
Aka Boys who pack an extra sweater
Love is just destruction under another name – [No Solution.]
Broken dreams have left you scarred beyond repair - [Someone Who Cares]
Are u a Hardee or a Softie?
I’m a softie. I like hugs. Playing D&D with my kids. Open bags of Doritos. That kind of stuff.
BUT, I also like loud music with teeth. Its feedback taking a bite out of my ass.
So bands like The Only Ones are my bread & butter. I can’t really relate to the nihilism and violence spewed by bands like Sham 69 or The Sex Pistols. I’m just too polite.
BUT, awkwardness around girls? Crazy love-hate relationships?! Alex, kind sir, I’ll take “Love Song”s for a thousand please!
And Peter Perrett, the lead singer & creative director of The Only Ones is just like me. And no. that’s not from reading his autobiography or anything like that. You just don’t have to. His heart is the open book. Filled with cottontails, sunflowers and secret kisses in that closet down the hall and to the right.
And while his band may not have got the limelight back then, Peter and his Only Ones foreshadowed the whole American Underground that was just about to happen. Bands like Galaxie 500. I mean just listen to the track "In Betweens" and try not to compare him to Dean Wareham. The voice of a long lost friend. That special someone you’d swap your Spider Man comic books with after school. A frayed sweater that u still keep in the that top drawer, just in case you need a hug.
The Verdict: For the second straight year, The Only Ones deliver a five tissue masterpiece with Even Serpents Shine. So break out some cough medicine, a deluxe box of Kleenex, and get ready to have a good old fashioned cry. [First added to this chart: 11/12/2022]
Aka Boys who pack an extra sweater
Love is just destruction under another name – [No Solution.]
Broken dreams have left you scarred beyond repair - [Someone Who Cares]
Are u a Hardee or a Softie?
I’m a softie. I like hugs. Playing D&D with my kids. Open bags of Doritos. That kind of stuff.
BUT, I also like loud music with teeth. Its feedback taking a bite out of my ass.
So bands like The Only Ones are my bread & butter. I can’t really relate to the nihilism and violence spewed by bands like Sham 69 or The Sex Pistols. I’m just too polite.
BUT, awkwardness around girls? Crazy love-hate relationships?! Alex, kind sir, I’ll take “Love Song”s for a thousand please!
And Peter Perrett, the lead singer & creative director of The Only Ones is just like me. And no. that’s not from reading his autobiography or anything like that. You just don’t have to. His heart is the open book. Filled with cottontails, sunflowers and secret kisses in that closet down the hall and to the right.
And while his band may not have got the limelight back then, Peter and his Only Ones foreshadowed the whole American Underground that was just about to happen. Bands like Galaxie 500. I mean just listen to the track "In Betweens" and try not to compare him to Dean Wareham. The voice of a long lost friend. That special someone you’d swap your Spider Man comic books with after school. A frayed sweater that u still keep in the that top drawer, just in case you need a hug.
The Verdict: For the second straight year, The Only Ones deliver a five tissue masterpiece with Even Serpents Shine. So break out some cough medicine, a deluxe box of Kleenex, and get ready to have a good old fashioned cry. [First added to this chart: 11/12/2022]
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Guitar. Piano. Fiddle. (1956)
Forget what you knew
We’ll start life anew
Down on the corner of love - Buck Owens (1956)
Sometimes life just needs to be pared back to the basics. In Buck Owens case, it was a simple, catchy melody with guitar, piano, & fiddle. The bedrock of a good country song with a simple BUT much needed message.
Forget the past. You have to have faith in yourself. That you tried your best. And this is where life has taken you. A place to start anew.
It’s at these times when it’s good to get back to the basics. A good country song. A cold beer. Just chilling in a comfortable and well-worn lawn chair and watching the clouds go by. The bees dancing amongst the flowers getting their last taste of summer.
A good nights sleep. A nice walk along the lake. Take in that fresh morning air. These are the basics of life => Guitar. Piano. Fiddle.
ps. I'm just a startin' to worship Buck Owens, and this is his very first song!!! [First added to this chart: 08/28/2022]
Forget what you knew
We’ll start life anew
Down on the corner of love - Buck Owens (1956)
Sometimes life just needs to be pared back to the basics. In Buck Owens case, it was a simple, catchy melody with guitar, piano, & fiddle. The bedrock of a good country song with a simple BUT much needed message.
Forget the past. You have to have faith in yourself. That you tried your best. And this is where life has taken you. A place to start anew.
It’s at these times when it’s good to get back to the basics. A good country song. A cold beer. Just chilling in a comfortable and well-worn lawn chair and watching the clouds go by. The bees dancing amongst the flowers getting their last taste of summer.
A good nights sleep. A nice walk along the lake. Take in that fresh morning air. These are the basics of life => Guitar. Piano. Fiddle.
ps. I'm just a startin' to worship Buck Owens, and this is his very first song!!! [First added to this chart: 08/28/2022]
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Ark Rock (1978)
See the dark night has come down on us
The world is livin' in its dream
But now we know that we can wake up from this sleep
And set out on the journey
Find a ship to take us on the way. (The Ark)
I was skeptical. I admit it. Especially when “Baker Street” came on. I was like “That song?!?! R u fricken kidding me? Not that song. It’s cheeseball city.” But I was determined. Dihannse had made his rec. And I had made a commitment. And you know what really helped? All those Yacht Rock episodes I had watched about five years ago at the recommendation of my boy koolkeithsweat (KKS). Comedy gold that show. And Hall & Oates (Hmmm… I wonder what they were up to in 1978? Think ). Their 1973 album Abandoned Luncheonette is now one of my faves and my personal gateway drug to the smooth sounds of the 70s.
And I’m so glad I perservered. Because this is fantastic. An epic, larger than life journey on the smooth seas of 70s soft rock and surely one of the masterpieces of that genre. Sure. It’s bombastic as hell. It wills itself to be large. But, honestly, how is that any different than all the Hair Metal bands I loved in the 80s. Truth is I’d love to hear some US Power Metal band do an aces cover of "Baker Street". It’s ripe for a metal makeover.
And this album is so much more than just the big hits – "Baker Street" and "Right Down The Line." The entire album is solid. It’s an album album. The kind of album that other albums talk about. Something that is bigger than just the sum of its songs.
So yeah. I like this. Really, really like this. Just don’t tell anybody! I’ve got a reputation to protect! Wink [First added to this chart: 11/24/2021]
See the dark night has come down on us
The world is livin' in its dream
But now we know that we can wake up from this sleep
And set out on the journey
Find a ship to take us on the way. (The Ark)
I was skeptical. I admit it. Especially when “Baker Street” came on. I was like “That song?!?! R u fricken kidding me? Not that song. It’s cheeseball city.” But I was determined. Dihannse had made his rec. And I had made a commitment. And you know what really helped? All those Yacht Rock episodes I had watched about five years ago at the recommendation of my boy koolkeithsweat (KKS). Comedy gold that show. And Hall & Oates (Hmmm… I wonder what they were up to in 1978? Think ). Their 1973 album Abandoned Luncheonette is now one of my faves and my personal gateway drug to the smooth sounds of the 70s.
And I’m so glad I perservered. Because this is fantastic. An epic, larger than life journey on the smooth seas of 70s soft rock and surely one of the masterpieces of that genre. Sure. It’s bombastic as hell. It wills itself to be large. But, honestly, how is that any different than all the Hair Metal bands I loved in the 80s. Truth is I’d love to hear some US Power Metal band do an aces cover of "Baker Street". It’s ripe for a metal makeover.
And this album is so much more than just the big hits – "Baker Street" and "Right Down The Line." The entire album is solid. It’s an album album. The kind of album that other albums talk about. Something that is bigger than just the sum of its songs.
So yeah. I like this. Really, really like this. Just don’t tell anybody! I’ve got a reputation to protect! Wink [First added to this chart: 11/24/2021]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
810
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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FOLK ROCK FOR MARSHALL STACKS
Stormcock stands alone. No other folk rock album rocks quite as hard as Stormcock. Any of these four songs could pop up on the classic rock radio station of my youth, and I would never even batted an eye. It is totally of its time (i.e. early 70s) - epic and grandiose. But without being pretentious or overwrought or falling into any of the other pitfalls of some prog rock from this period. Of course this is not prog rock. It’s just epic folk rock that really wants to turn the amps up to eleven. This is folk rock for Marshall stacks. Hell, even J Mascis would jizz his pants to this stuff (and probably has if know my boy J). If the extent of your folk rock listening experience so far is Led Zeppelin III (lol) then this is the next album for you. I mean Jimmy Page even guest stars as a certain S. Flavius Mercurius (you just have to love that name. How 70s!) The guitar dual between Harper and Page to end “The Same Old Rock” will give any classic rock aficionado their own personal stormcock. Rocky & JasonConfused, if you haven’t checked out this album yet (& you’re listening) you positively need to. In fact I’m pretty sure all the dad rockers of the world would pretty much dig this album. And, I’ll have you know, I’m no closet Dad rocker. I wear that badge with pride as my two little girls would be happy to tell you. We rock all the time. lol. And lately this is what we’ve been rocking out to in the car. The kids totally love it.
Roy Harper has a voice that is just a natural for hard rock. His voice also changes quite a bit from song to song. In “Hors D’ouervres” I swear he channels Donovan singing Hurdy Gurdy Man from time to time.And in One Man Rock and Roll Band, I swear their are flashes of Roger Waters at his most tormented. In fact, Roy may just have missed his true calling. Because he clearly would have been the prefect front man for any 70s hard rock band and become a bona fide Rock Gawd with groupies galore lined around his massive tour bus caravan. Instead he toiled away in relative obscurity. Loved by those in the know but never a becoming a big commercial success. I’m an unabashed 70s hard rock enthusiast, and I just wish I discovered this sooner because it’s become an instant fave.
Grade: A+. An epic folk ROCK masterpiece with the emphasis clearly on the rock. Despite the epic song lengths, it never feels overlong or meandering. The songs feel just the right length. This has become a mainstay in my car over the last month. Again, this is the ideal entry point for any 70s’ classic rock enthusiast out there who’s just itching for the perfect gateway drug into Folk Rock oblivion. The perfect gift for your Dad for this quickly dawning Father’s day, kids. (Hint, hint.) And this hard hitting, immediate album folk n’ rolls itself all the way to number 10. [First added to this chart: 06/20/2017]
Stormcock stands alone. No other folk rock album rocks quite as hard as Stormcock. Any of these four songs could pop up on the classic rock radio station of my youth, and I would never even batted an eye. It is totally of its time (i.e. early 70s) - epic and grandiose. But without being pretentious or overwrought or falling into any of the other pitfalls of some prog rock from this period. Of course this is not prog rock. It’s just epic folk rock that really wants to turn the amps up to eleven. This is folk rock for Marshall stacks. Hell, even J Mascis would jizz his pants to this stuff (and probably has if know my boy J). If the extent of your folk rock listening experience so far is Led Zeppelin III (lol) then this is the next album for you. I mean Jimmy Page even guest stars as a certain S. Flavius Mercurius (you just have to love that name. How 70s!) The guitar dual between Harper and Page to end “The Same Old Rock” will give any classic rock aficionado their own personal stormcock. Rocky & JasonConfused, if you haven’t checked out this album yet (& you’re listening) you positively need to. In fact I’m pretty sure all the dad rockers of the world would pretty much dig this album. And, I’ll have you know, I’m no closet Dad rocker. I wear that badge with pride as my two little girls would be happy to tell you. We rock all the time. lol. And lately this is what we’ve been rocking out to in the car. The kids totally love it.
Roy Harper has a voice that is just a natural for hard rock. His voice also changes quite a bit from song to song. In “Hors D’ouervres” I swear he channels Donovan singing Hurdy Gurdy Man from time to time.And in One Man Rock and Roll Band, I swear their are flashes of Roger Waters at his most tormented. In fact, Roy may just have missed his true calling. Because he clearly would have been the prefect front man for any 70s hard rock band and become a bona fide Rock Gawd with groupies galore lined around his massive tour bus caravan. Instead he toiled away in relative obscurity. Loved by those in the know but never a becoming a big commercial success. I’m an unabashed 70s hard rock enthusiast, and I just wish I discovered this sooner because it’s become an instant fave.
Grade: A+. An epic folk ROCK masterpiece with the emphasis clearly on the rock. Despite the epic song lengths, it never feels overlong or meandering. The songs feel just the right length. This has become a mainstay in my car over the last month. Again, this is the ideal entry point for any 70s’ classic rock enthusiast out there who’s just itching for the perfect gateway drug into Folk Rock oblivion. The perfect gift for your Dad for this quickly dawning Father’s day, kids. (Hint, hint.) And this hard hitting, immediate album folk n’ rolls itself all the way to number 10. [First added to this chart: 06/20/2017]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
848
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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ON THE ROAD
Strollin' down the highway
I'm going to get there my way
Dusk till dawn I'm walkin'
Can hear my guitar rocking? (Strolling Down The Highway)
If Neil Cassady & the gang (from Jack Kerrouc’s classic On The Road) weren’t so into jazz - if they had been born perhaps just five years years later - Jansch is the kind of music they would have been into. Music about the inherent conflict born of being human and having human desires. Between freedom & responsibility. Safety and comfort vs. excitement and adventure and the desire for something new. The freedom to explore and not be tied down while searching for the ultimate expression of who your are. In a way, this is the folk equivalent of that Southern Rock archetype that The Allmans' & Skynyrd loved to wax poetic about - The Ramblin' Man. The Renegade. The Outlaw. “Ain’t no girl going to tie me down.”
Hey girl, oh how my heart is torn
Hey girl, now that your baby's born
What shall it cost? Is my freedom lost?
What is the price of nature's own way (Oh How Your Love is Strong)
But there’s a weariness in this album. A realization that this particular path is not the easiest. There’s an internal conflict. That maybe he’s got it all wrong. That maybe he’d been better off - happier, more content, even more self-realized - if he had just stuck back home. Married that love that he knocked up back in his early twenties. Settled down & relaxed. Been a good father. Because life on the road ain’t easy. Loneliness ain’t easy.
Because restlessness is just greed in another form. It’s an impatience. An inability to surrender to the moment and just be.
Ask me why a rambler ain't got no home
Ask me why I sit and cry alone
I wish I knew
I wish I knew
If I knew, I'd know what to do (Rambling’s Going To Be the Death of Me)
But like Cassidy and the rest of the beats, Jansch probably had no other choice. And this is THE album for embracing those regrets you’ve made along the way with a kindred spirit. For accepting that a part of you never would have been satisfied with that orthodox life. The wife you no longer found attractive. The 2.5 kids and the hour commute to that cubicle 8 floors up in the sky. It’s an album that helps you embrace the randomness of life. Accepting that life doesn’t go according to expectations. For accepting the regret. For accepting that you’ve probably made your life a whole lot more difficult than it had to be because that’s part of who you are. That’s part of being human. We’re never satisfied. Never content. And that Jansch is able to capture this uniquely human quality and the conflict born of it in a folk album is staggering. And makes it one of the true great masterpieces of 60s music.
I love what I wrote about this album a few years back when I first heard it shortly after joining BEA…
Herein lies sparse, finger-picked folk songs on acoustic guitar mostly about how one's quest for personal freedom can sometimes be the very cause of our loneliness & isolation. In a sense one's quest for freedom to find the ultimate can leave you old and exhausted at the side of the road. Wearied. Jealous of all the smart folks who were satisfied with less.
Because less is almost always more. But some of us alas need to go On The Road to learn this.
Grade: A+. Do you want a kickass record collection? Of course you do! Why else would you be here, right? Well then there are two folk albums from 60s that EVERY music aficionado NEEDS. One has to be Dylan. Duh. So take your pick between Freewheelin’ and Another Side. It doesn’t really matter. They’re both Dylan at his folk peak before he plugged in. And then get THIS. Jansch’s debut. England’s true answer to Dylan (it certainly wasn’t Donovan. Donovan was something else completely.) Jansch was already rocking on just a acoustic guitar on this here album. His guitar playing lightyears beyond what most of The Village doing across the pond. And then you’ll be set. Sated. Satisfied to have two of the best folk albums of all time.
Until you’re not. [First added to this chart: 03/14/2016]
Strollin' down the highway
I'm going to get there my way
Dusk till dawn I'm walkin'
Can hear my guitar rocking? (Strolling Down The Highway)
If Neil Cassady & the gang (from Jack Kerrouc’s classic On The Road) weren’t so into jazz - if they had been born perhaps just five years years later - Jansch is the kind of music they would have been into. Music about the inherent conflict born of being human and having human desires. Between freedom & responsibility. Safety and comfort vs. excitement and adventure and the desire for something new. The freedom to explore and not be tied down while searching for the ultimate expression of who your are. In a way, this is the folk equivalent of that Southern Rock archetype that The Allmans' & Skynyrd loved to wax poetic about - The Ramblin' Man. The Renegade. The Outlaw. “Ain’t no girl going to tie me down.”
Hey girl, oh how my heart is torn
Hey girl, now that your baby's born
What shall it cost? Is my freedom lost?
What is the price of nature's own way (Oh How Your Love is Strong)
But there’s a weariness in this album. A realization that this particular path is not the easiest. There’s an internal conflict. That maybe he’s got it all wrong. That maybe he’d been better off - happier, more content, even more self-realized - if he had just stuck back home. Married that love that he knocked up back in his early twenties. Settled down & relaxed. Been a good father. Because life on the road ain’t easy. Loneliness ain’t easy.
Because restlessness is just greed in another form. It’s an impatience. An inability to surrender to the moment and just be.
Ask me why a rambler ain't got no home
Ask me why I sit and cry alone
I wish I knew
I wish I knew
If I knew, I'd know what to do (Rambling’s Going To Be the Death of Me)
But like Cassidy and the rest of the beats, Jansch probably had no other choice. And this is THE album for embracing those regrets you’ve made along the way with a kindred spirit. For accepting that a part of you never would have been satisfied with that orthodox life. The wife you no longer found attractive. The 2.5 kids and the hour commute to that cubicle 8 floors up in the sky. It’s an album that helps you embrace the randomness of life. Accepting that life doesn’t go according to expectations. For accepting the regret. For accepting that you’ve probably made your life a whole lot more difficult than it had to be because that’s part of who you are. That’s part of being human. We’re never satisfied. Never content. And that Jansch is able to capture this uniquely human quality and the conflict born of it in a folk album is staggering. And makes it one of the true great masterpieces of 60s music.
I love what I wrote about this album a few years back when I first heard it shortly after joining BEA…
Herein lies sparse, finger-picked folk songs on acoustic guitar mostly about how one's quest for personal freedom can sometimes be the very cause of our loneliness & isolation. In a sense one's quest for freedom to find the ultimate can leave you old and exhausted at the side of the road. Wearied. Jealous of all the smart folks who were satisfied with less.
Because less is almost always more. But some of us alas need to go On The Road to learn this.
Grade: A+. Do you want a kickass record collection? Of course you do! Why else would you be here, right? Well then there are two folk albums from 60s that EVERY music aficionado NEEDS. One has to be Dylan. Duh. So take your pick between Freewheelin’ and Another Side. It doesn’t really matter. They’re both Dylan at his folk peak before he plugged in. And then get THIS. Jansch’s debut. England’s true answer to Dylan (it certainly wasn’t Donovan. Donovan was something else completely.) Jansch was already rocking on just a acoustic guitar on this here album. His guitar playing lightyears beyond what most of The Village doing across the pond. And then you’ll be set. Sated. Satisfied to have two of the best folk albums of all time.
Until you’re not. [First added to this chart: 03/14/2016]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
799
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Jonathan is not afraid. He tailored punk after himself not the other way around. Making something exuberant, youthful and full of wild-eyed joy. He is is the Tyler Herro of the class of '77. Undaunted by the rules. Not afraid of being it’s own thing. And that’s punk as fuck in my book.
[First added to this chart: 09/25/2020]
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Caress Of Steel
I remember waiting for them as a kid. The good part. That part in some rock n’ roll song that would just take me over the top. The anticipation would build & build then... BANG! Cirith Ungol knows all about it. Waiting for that good part. And they had an idea. A brilliant idea. Let's just make songs chock full to the brim with the good parts! Like a super satisfying ooey-gooey Snickers bar!
Well, kiddies, that’s how you get one of the coolest rock fests in America – Frost & Fire (in Ventura, California) – named after you even when you’ve only sold about six albums and no one outside of inner metal circles have ever even heard of you. In many ways, Cirith Ungol were an indie rock metal band. Having more in common with cult Portland garage rockers Dead Moon than traditional metal bands like Raven and Accept. Their songs brim with creativity and wit. Musically, they channel early Rush at their most metallic. But there’s a manic indie rock creative streak that runs through all their songs. Cool eerie keyboards straight from Goblin here. A gum popping bass line there. Good parts everywhere!
If you’re into underground metal, it really doesn’t get any better than this. And it's easily one of my favorite finds yet on this journey. Essential (E)! [First added to this chart: 09/25/2020]
I remember waiting for them as a kid. The good part. That part in some rock n’ roll song that would just take me over the top. The anticipation would build & build then... BANG! Cirith Ungol knows all about it. Waiting for that good part. And they had an idea. A brilliant idea. Let's just make songs chock full to the brim with the good parts! Like a super satisfying ooey-gooey Snickers bar!
Well, kiddies, that’s how you get one of the coolest rock fests in America – Frost & Fire (in Ventura, California) – named after you even when you’ve only sold about six albums and no one outside of inner metal circles have ever even heard of you. In many ways, Cirith Ungol were an indie rock metal band. Having more in common with cult Portland garage rockers Dead Moon than traditional metal bands like Raven and Accept. Their songs brim with creativity and wit. Musically, they channel early Rush at their most metallic. But there’s a manic indie rock creative streak that runs through all their songs. Cool eerie keyboards straight from Goblin here. A gum popping bass line there. Good parts everywhere!
If you’re into underground metal, it really doesn’t get any better than this. And it's easily one of my favorite finds yet on this journey. Essential (E)! [First added to this chart: 09/25/2020]
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Phase 1
Before you try to sell me some lame-ass tripe posing as steak that Rush isn’t metal, I’ve got three things to say to you: 1) Side 1 of 2112 is one of the top five metal moments of the entire 70s. 2) Geddy Lee was perhaps the third best pure metal vocalist of the 70s (just behind Rob Halford and Dio and right ahead of Klaus Meine. And 3) I don’t give a fuck. Rush easily had the some of the heaviest albums of the 70s, and they are beloved by old, grizzled, my-denim-jacket-no-longer-fits-but-I-keep-it-anyways-because-I-can't-bear-to-get-rid-of-th e-patches metalheads, such as myself, everywhere.
Rush’s music can conveniently be broken up into different phases that are bookended by their live albums. While there’s no question that Phase 2 (the Exit Stage Left era) was Rush at their peak, Phase 1 (the All The World's A Stage era) was their heaviest stuff.
And All The World's A Stage live album is the perfect introduction to this metallic hard rock/prog metal phase. Except it’s missing "Necromancer" (from the (mildly) underrated Caress Of Steel). "Necromancer" contains the secret ingredient behind Rage Against The Machine’s formula if you're a nu-metal kid. I’m not kidding. Check it out tag-team style live with "By-Tor & The Snow Dog" (from Fly By Night) If you want to hear just how balls to the wall HEAVY Rush could get...
Link
Rush (Phase 1) Rankings
1. All The World’s A Stage (E)
2. 2112 (E) – "Temple Of Syrinx" is one of the defining metal moments of the 70s
3. Fly By Night (HR)
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4. A Caress Of Steel (R) – "Bastille Day" is essential! Necromancer, & The Fountain of Lamneth are Highly Recommended!
5. Rush – s/t – Rush is still Finding Their Way!
Numbers 1, 2 & 3 are The THREE You Need!!! [First added to this chart: 09/25/2020]
Before you try to sell me some lame-ass tripe posing as steak that Rush isn’t metal, I’ve got three things to say to you: 1) Side 1 of 2112 is one of the top five metal moments of the entire 70s. 2) Geddy Lee was perhaps the third best pure metal vocalist of the 70s (just behind Rob Halford and Dio and right ahead of Klaus Meine. And 3) I don’t give a fuck. Rush easily had the some of the heaviest albums of the 70s, and they are beloved by old, grizzled, my-denim-jacket-no-longer-fits-but-I-keep-it-anyways-because-I-can't-bear-to-get-rid-of-th e-patches metalheads, such as myself, everywhere.
Rush’s music can conveniently be broken up into different phases that are bookended by their live albums. While there’s no question that Phase 2 (the Exit Stage Left era) was Rush at their peak, Phase 1 (the All The World's A Stage era) was their heaviest stuff.
And All The World's A Stage live album is the perfect introduction to this metallic hard rock/prog metal phase. Except it’s missing "Necromancer" (from the (mildly) underrated Caress Of Steel). "Necromancer" contains the secret ingredient behind Rage Against The Machine’s formula if you're a nu-metal kid. I’m not kidding. Check it out tag-team style live with "By-Tor & The Snow Dog" (from Fly By Night) If you want to hear just how balls to the wall HEAVY Rush could get...
Link
Rush (Phase 1) Rankings
1. All The World’s A Stage (E)
2. 2112 (E) – "Temple Of Syrinx" is one of the defining metal moments of the 70s
3. Fly By Night (HR)
======================================================================================
4. A Caress Of Steel (R) – "Bastille Day" is essential! Necromancer, & The Fountain of Lamneth are Highly Recommended!
5. Rush – s/t – Rush is still Finding Their Way!
Numbers 1, 2 & 3 are The THREE You Need!!! [First added to this chart: 09/25/2020]
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Class of '76?! Eddie & The Hot Rods and Pub Rock
– A Footnote No More!!!
Tha1ChiefRocka wrote: Eddie and the Hot Rods debut, Teenage Depression, may be a bit more raw, but their songwriting solidifed on the second album Life on the Line.
Great call, 1Chief! Pub Rock has completely gotten the shaft! I’ve seen countless punk lists and charts over the years, and pub rock bands always get left off which is bullocks plain & simple. They built the concert circuit, established the back to the basics movement, and most importantly released some of the best rock & roll albums of the mid 70s. So I’m psyched to see that both dihansse and 1Chief are NOT making the same mistake that I and countless other list makers have made over the years by leaving them out. Because Eddie & The Hot Rods' Teenage Depression belongs in the conversation of first punk rock albums ever!
Just like Nirvana didn’t suddenly come from nowhere, neither did the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
Blimey, mate, just check out their cover of The Who’s "The Kids Are Alright." It's a fricken' punk landmark spray painted on the bathroom stall. A harder, rougher, & rowdier version of The Who. Which sounds like a pretty apt definition of mid-70s British punk to me when you get right down to it.
Essential (1976)!
So I will absolutely be considering their follow-up from 1977 - Life On The Line - for the top ten and thus a Hall Of Fame slot. Just like Motörhead's Motörhead it will be close. [First added to this chart: 09/06/2020]
– A Footnote No More!!!
Tha1ChiefRocka wrote: Eddie and the Hot Rods debut, Teenage Depression, may be a bit more raw, but their songwriting solidifed on the second album Life on the Line.
Great call, 1Chief! Pub Rock has completely gotten the shaft! I’ve seen countless punk lists and charts over the years, and pub rock bands always get left off which is bullocks plain & simple. They built the concert circuit, established the back to the basics movement, and most importantly released some of the best rock & roll albums of the mid 70s. So I’m psyched to see that both dihansse and 1Chief are NOT making the same mistake that I and countless other list makers have made over the years by leaving them out. Because Eddie & The Hot Rods' Teenage Depression belongs in the conversation of first punk rock albums ever!
Just like Nirvana didn’t suddenly come from nowhere, neither did the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
Blimey, mate, just check out their cover of The Who’s "The Kids Are Alright." It's a fricken' punk landmark spray painted on the bathroom stall. A harder, rougher, & rowdier version of The Who. Which sounds like a pretty apt definition of mid-70s British punk to me when you get right down to it.
Essential (1976)!
So I will absolutely be considering their follow-up from 1977 - Life On The Line - for the top ten and thus a Hall Of Fame slot. Just like Motörhead's Motörhead it will be close. [First added to this chart: 09/06/2020]
Total albums: 100. Page 3 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 1 | 1% | |
| 1950s | 3 | 3% | |
| 1960s | 9 | 9% | |
| 1970s | 29 | 29% | |
| 1980s | 37 | 37% | |
| 1990s | 3 | 3% | |
| 2000s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2010s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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|
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| Real Estate | 3 | 3% | |
| Townes Van Zandt | 2 | 2% | |
| Beach House | 2 | 2% | |
| Saint Vitus | 2 | 2% | |
| Accept | 2 | 2% | |
| Venom | 2 | 2% | |
| Scorpions | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
49 | 49% | |
 |
29 | 29% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 88 from 94th to 6th Self Portrait by Bob Dylan |
| Up 81 from 93rd to 12th Fading Frontier by Deerhunter |
| Up 43 from 62nd to 19th Cluster & Eno by Cluster & Eno |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 39 from 60th to 99th Rock Until You Drop by Raven (UK) |
| Down 4 from 16th to 20th Hank Williams Sings by Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys |
| Down 4 from 17th to 21st Johnny Burnette And The Rock N' Roll Trio by Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'n Roll Trio |
| New entries |
|---|
 Midnight Blueby Kenny Burrell |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
95/100 (from 72 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 72 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 85/100  | 10/09/2023 08:40 | Moondance | | 84/100 |
| 85/100 | 10/28/2022 03:30 | mianfei | | 61/100 |
| 100/100 | 08/29/2022 05:28 |  seb7 | | 91/100 |
| 100/100 | 06/20/2022 08:31 |  Applerill | | 75/100 |
| 100/100 | 04/04/2022 13:11 |  arthurbittencour | | 90/100 |
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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 95.2/100, a mean average of 95.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 96.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.2.
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Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 25 members
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 51 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)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 10/09/2023 09:56
DommeDamian 10/09/2023 09:56
Have I ever properly thanked you for making me check out Mazzy Star, Yo La Tengo, Real Estate early 70s-era Dylan, as well as revisiting Townes Van Zandt? Either way, thank you again.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Foxforce5 06/28/2023 09:46
There are 3 elements to a great chart for me.
1. Some great words to tell us why the album is there.
2. A similar taste to your own - a musical message in a bottle
3. Some new picks for my own wish list.
This chart is bristling with new recommendations for my playlist. Whole genres I’ve never explored.
2 out of 3 ain’t bad.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From mianfei 10/28/2022 03:50
One really interesting and diverse list, quite unlike anything I have ever seen here or anywhere else! Many very unusual choices and genres make this a great list. The chart has virtually nothing in common with my own chart or other lists by major magazines, Joe S. Harrington, David Keenan or Piero Scaruffi.
The notes are better than anything I have seen outside of Harrington or Keenan, too.
A minor quibble of mine is the way in which albums of the same genre are clustered together. (When I see that I always wonder if the compiler is not being careful enough to be sure they are being ranked as accurately as thought possible.) even with this reservation, it is an exceptionally interesting and well-written list.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From DommeDamian 10/25/2022 08:24
DommeDamian 10/25/2022 08:24
Still wanna the greatest charts ever made on both this site and others like RYM. I think you've inspired me to do the same one day by making a chart of lesser known records, and outta those picks, create an alternate universe so flamboyant, colorful, and exciting based on descriptions and stuff.
I think something in the beautiful Donovan description summed it up "these songs doesn't know that radio exists", because some of the favorites on this chart raises this question; what would musicians/artists do if radio never existed". The answer lies in that they probably would make something so flamboyantly authentic as a lotta these wondrous records, and we could only listen to music by hand and choice etc.
God bless!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Moondance 10/24/2022 03:20
What I like about this chart:
1. we have ZERO albums in common:
2. we have only 4 artists in common, and that may very well become 1 artist in common when I do a review of my chart over the next month;
3. the 1 artist we have in common is Dylan - although our album preferences differ significantly (I am sure that doesn't come as any surprise - you can check out my '64 Dylan albums rated' chart if you have time :));
4. this chart oozes someone who actually breathes, eats, smells, tastes, touches, feels music more than hears it;
5. knowing the effort needed to make even short comments on album choices, the EFFORT in this chart is EXTRAordinary;
6. rather than a regurgitation of the BEA top 100, this chart has only 6 albums rated in the top 1000! and the highest ranking album is at #197 on the overall chart;
7. this chart actually made me go on a wild musical album/artist discovery hunt - I didn't actually find anything that I 'fell in love with' but sometimes the journey is more valuable than the end point ~ at least it gave me a few hours of hope; that maybe out there, somewhere, there is an artist/album undiscovered in my musical universe who will excite me in ways that I cannot explain;
8. ...and finally, the 2 Australian albums - excellent choices!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From seb7 08/29/2022 05:28
seb7 08/29/2022 05:28
super frikin interesting. love this chart!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
SuedeSwede 07/11/2022 09:17
SuedeSwede 07/11/2022 09:17
naang naang!! <3 hope ur doing well friend
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From seb7 02/16/2022 00:47
seb7 02/16/2022 00:47
man this is great. I can't even say I agree with A SINGLE ONE of your picks but damn this is very well put together chart. Just the passion you seem to have for music is insane and I love it!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Timestarter 08/05/2021 09:25
Timestarter 08/05/2021 09:25
What a unique list :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
StefanR10 04/03/2021 23:24
StefanR10 04/03/2021 23:24
Interesting choices, the number 1 is very unique and the rest is metal at the most. I know much of them and i like them some kind of diversive chart. Nice to see such things here.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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