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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Detroit Down Under!
“I don’t think there’s an Australian sound to Radio Birdman. I think there’s a Radio Birdman sound to Australia.” – Pip Hoyle, longtime keyboard player for Radio Birdman
American expat. ER doctor. US Navy flight surgeon. Deniz Tek – the lead guitarist of Radio Birdman - is the most interesting man alive. Ready but, oh, so not willing, to star in the next battery of Dos Equis commercials. Tek has little patience for such pampering. When asked about the tough life of being a rock and roller, Tek nonchalantly replies..
“Touring’s not difficult. When people talk about the hardship of the road, that’s a bunch of crap. Touring is spending all day getting to the next place and then having someone buy you dinner. Then you work for an hour and a half, and go to sleep. The next morning, you go to the next place. I mean, what could be easier than that?
Growing up on the outskirts of Detroit in the 60s, the son of a University of Michigan professor, Motor City madness runs through his veins. He recounts...
“The annual Ann Arbor Blues Festival brought in Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor… even Led Zeppelin played there. It was cool, Led Zeppelin got kind of a lukewarm response, then One String Sam came up and brought the place down. It was like One-String Sam blew Led Zeppelin off the stage. Everyone thought that was really cool.”
A lot of people describe Radio Birdman as proto-punk. While not entirely inaccurate, it’s not entirely accurate either. A better descriptor would be proto-American Underground. Or Proto-Australian Rock. Or even proto-Kiwi Rock. More akin music evolutionary-wise to the impact of The Velvet Underground. Their sonic descendants were not so much punk bands but the broad swath of 80s American Underground bands that made up such kindred scenes as the Paisley Underground and Cowpunk. Bands like The Dream Syndicate, The Feelies, The Meat Puppets and Eleventh Dream Day.
I'm going to blame it on Australia. On the wide-open spaces. On the surf. For there's a decided pastoral element to their music. They are less city than they think they are. Or pretend to be. And that juxtaposition is what makes them stand out compared with so many of their Class of '77 brethren and ultimately makes them essential listening.
Tldr: If their record company Sire hadn't gone belly-up, they probably would have been one of the biggest names of the Class of '77. Instead they're one of the biggest & most legendary cult bands of indie rock. These are...
The TWO you NEED
1. Radios Appear (1977)
2. Living Eyes (1981) [First added to this chart: 08/17/2020]
“I don’t think there’s an Australian sound to Radio Birdman. I think there’s a Radio Birdman sound to Australia.” – Pip Hoyle, longtime keyboard player for Radio Birdman
American expat. ER doctor. US Navy flight surgeon. Deniz Tek – the lead guitarist of Radio Birdman - is the most interesting man alive. Ready but, oh, so not willing, to star in the next battery of Dos Equis commercials. Tek has little patience for such pampering. When asked about the tough life of being a rock and roller, Tek nonchalantly replies..
“Touring’s not difficult. When people talk about the hardship of the road, that’s a bunch of crap. Touring is spending all day getting to the next place and then having someone buy you dinner. Then you work for an hour and a half, and go to sleep. The next morning, you go to the next place. I mean, what could be easier than that?
Growing up on the outskirts of Detroit in the 60s, the son of a University of Michigan professor, Motor City madness runs through his veins. He recounts...
“The annual Ann Arbor Blues Festival brought in Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor… even Led Zeppelin played there. It was cool, Led Zeppelin got kind of a lukewarm response, then One String Sam came up and brought the place down. It was like One-String Sam blew Led Zeppelin off the stage. Everyone thought that was really cool.”
A lot of people describe Radio Birdman as proto-punk. While not entirely inaccurate, it’s not entirely accurate either. A better descriptor would be proto-American Underground. Or Proto-Australian Rock. Or even proto-Kiwi Rock. More akin music evolutionary-wise to the impact of The Velvet Underground. Their sonic descendants were not so much punk bands but the broad swath of 80s American Underground bands that made up such kindred scenes as the Paisley Underground and Cowpunk. Bands like The Dream Syndicate, The Feelies, The Meat Puppets and Eleventh Dream Day.
I'm going to blame it on Australia. On the wide-open spaces. On the surf. For there's a decided pastoral element to their music. They are less city than they think they are. Or pretend to be. And that juxtaposition is what makes them stand out compared with so many of their Class of '77 brethren and ultimately makes them essential listening.
Tldr: If their record company Sire hadn't gone belly-up, they probably would have been one of the biggest names of the Class of '77. Instead they're one of the biggest & most legendary cult bands of indie rock. These are...
The TWO you NEED
1. Radios Appear (1977)
2. Living Eyes (1981) [First added to this chart: 08/17/2020]
1
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Swiper, Stop Swiping
1983, Speed Metal and the Great White North
Well that didn’t take long. Anvil were quickly dethroned as the speed metal champs of the Great White North only a year into their reign. They gave it a good fight. Upping their own metal game with Forged In Fire but that was no match for Exciter. Many still consider Heavy Metal Maniac the quintessential speed metal album. The bench post by which all speed metal is gauged & tallied. It’s basic, brutal no holds barred metal with zero commercial aspirations. It is Priest and Iron Maiden on steroids. All bulked out and full of brawn. You could even call it simple minded, but that would just make you a killjoy. A compact & tight brick of a band that just wanted to rock out, drink some beer and have fun. So not that far removed from Anvil. lol. Kind of makes me want to move to Canada. The older I get, the more I appreciate that approach to life. Don’t over think things. Drink a few beers on a Saturday night with friends. And, of course, rock out! [First added to this chart: 09/06/2020]
1983, Speed Metal and the Great White North
Well that didn’t take long. Anvil were quickly dethroned as the speed metal champs of the Great White North only a year into their reign. They gave it a good fight. Upping their own metal game with Forged In Fire but that was no match for Exciter. Many still consider Heavy Metal Maniac the quintessential speed metal album. The bench post by which all speed metal is gauged & tallied. It’s basic, brutal no holds barred metal with zero commercial aspirations. It is Priest and Iron Maiden on steroids. All bulked out and full of brawn. You could even call it simple minded, but that would just make you a killjoy. A compact & tight brick of a band that just wanted to rock out, drink some beer and have fun. So not that far removed from Anvil. lol. Kind of makes me want to move to Canada. The older I get, the more I appreciate that approach to life. Don’t over think things. Drink a few beers on a Saturday night with friends. And, of course, rock out! [First added to this chart: 09/06/2020]
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DOOM OFF 2!!: The Blueprint (1985)
“Man have I got the guitar player for you. You like Blue Cheer and Sabbath? This guy is both wrapped into one!” – Joe Hasselvander of Pentagram
It was a match made in, well, hell to be perfectly honest. Bobby Liebling was a notorious D.C. junkie with an opiod tolerance that could rival William S. Burroughs'. Victor Griffin was a nineteen year old hillbilly from the boondocks of Tennessee where there wasn’t even a music scene. But Victor had a serious Iommi obsession and an inventive streak. On the drop B tuning that made Pentagram the kings of doom in the mid 80s, Victor humbly states…
“Yeah, that was kind of a weird discovery. I had been messing around with a drop D tuning before and kept dropping it lower. When I got down to B, I suddenly realized that when you play a fifth chord on the top two strings, it makes this octave. I’d never heard anything like it. And I don’t know of anybody who actually did anything like that before. Even Sabbath!”
Everyone told Victor that Bobby Liebling was bad news. He was unreliable. A prima-donna. Bobby perhaps says it best himself…
“I was shooting dope like crazy then. I wasn’t smoking crack because it hadn’t been invented yet. At this point all the veins in my arms and leg were gone. [So] I went right out and started shooting dope in my neck! [Laughs] I’m a walking miracle, man. God Let me live twice. “
But after Victor heard Bobby’s 70s demos, his mind was made up. Insisting, “I don’t care – I want this guy to sing.“ And that was that. Bobby was his singer. And together they made Doom history with what I personally consider THE Blueprint of Doom. Leaden, monstrous Sabbath riffs so heavy they suck you down to the ground as Bobby’s Ozzy-like yelps and wails fight against their relentless gravitational pull. It was Sabbath stripped down to the chassis and then tripped out as the ultimate muscle car from Tarantino’s Death Trip. Drop B tuning being the engine that powered the whole damn thing and made them the kings of the strip. (At least for a year. Wink ) [First added to this chart: 07/18/2020]
“Man have I got the guitar player for you. You like Blue Cheer and Sabbath? This guy is both wrapped into one!” – Joe Hasselvander of Pentagram
It was a match made in, well, hell to be perfectly honest. Bobby Liebling was a notorious D.C. junkie with an opiod tolerance that could rival William S. Burroughs'. Victor Griffin was a nineteen year old hillbilly from the boondocks of Tennessee where there wasn’t even a music scene. But Victor had a serious Iommi obsession and an inventive streak. On the drop B tuning that made Pentagram the kings of doom in the mid 80s, Victor humbly states…
“Yeah, that was kind of a weird discovery. I had been messing around with a drop D tuning before and kept dropping it lower. When I got down to B, I suddenly realized that when you play a fifth chord on the top two strings, it makes this octave. I’d never heard anything like it. And I don’t know of anybody who actually did anything like that before. Even Sabbath!”
Everyone told Victor that Bobby Liebling was bad news. He was unreliable. A prima-donna. Bobby perhaps says it best himself…
“I was shooting dope like crazy then. I wasn’t smoking crack because it hadn’t been invented yet. At this point all the veins in my arms and leg were gone. [So] I went right out and started shooting dope in my neck! [Laughs] I’m a walking miracle, man. God Let me live twice. “
But after Victor heard Bobby’s 70s demos, his mind was made up. Insisting, “I don’t care – I want this guy to sing.“ And that was that. Bobby was his singer. And together they made Doom history with what I personally consider THE Blueprint of Doom. Leaden, monstrous Sabbath riffs so heavy they suck you down to the ground as Bobby’s Ozzy-like yelps and wails fight against their relentless gravitational pull. It was Sabbath stripped down to the chassis and then tripped out as the ultimate muscle car from Tarantino’s Death Trip. Drop B tuning being the engine that powered the whole damn thing and made them the kings of the strip. (At least for a year. Wink ) [First added to this chart: 07/18/2020]
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SUMMER TIKI PARTY
Nothing says Summer Party! like Tiki torches and instrumental surf rock for me. So for your next socially distant gathering, queue this juicy platter up. It's a high quality barnburner throughout and a surefire party starter. Sexy as hell and flirtatious. It’s like the music’s trying to pick you up. That’s a little something that got lost with a lot of punk rock and extreme music in general, I think. My favorite is the menacing street-fighting tones of “Stalking”. You can just picture the greasers pulling in on their Thunderbirds. Hair slicked back and a Pink Lady on their arm. But the whole LP is high quality instrumental guitar rock of the highest order! [First added to this chart: 07/05/2020]
Nothing says Summer Party! like Tiki torches and instrumental surf rock for me. So for your next socially distant gathering, queue this juicy platter up. It's a high quality barnburner throughout and a surefire party starter. Sexy as hell and flirtatious. It’s like the music’s trying to pick you up. That’s a little something that got lost with a lot of punk rock and extreme music in general, I think. My favorite is the menacing street-fighting tones of “Stalking”. You can just picture the greasers pulling in on their Thunderbirds. Hair slicked back and a Pink Lady on their arm. But the whole LP is high quality instrumental guitar rock of the highest order! [First added to this chart: 07/05/2020]
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Why are the Italians so bloody good at the macabre?! I need answers. Pronto. Do they all just have super messed up childhoods? Seriously! What the fuck is going on over there. And please, my Italian friends - Keep it up!
Anyways, Black Hole do their Italian heritage loud & proud. These 70s' kids reared on Dario Argento flicks and Goblin soundtracks tracks unleash the synths to create a true mind melding underground cult classic. The whole thing is shrouded with the occult. Like walking in on some bizarre black mass chanting to their demonic lord to rise and come forth. And then the high priest steps forth with Bauhaus' The Sky's Gone Out held high. And so we pray! Because this is 80s Doom meets 80s's Goth where Bauhaus and The Cure influences walk "hand in hand forever we land" with those of Witchfinder General. Take “Land of Mystery”’s warbled bass line for instance. That could easily have been lifted from an old Cure song. Shit, even the guitar solo has that classic Robert Smith's swirling dervish feel to it. Amen! [First added to this chart: 07/18/2020]
Anyways, Black Hole do their Italian heritage loud & proud. These 70s' kids reared on Dario Argento flicks and Goblin soundtracks tracks unleash the synths to create a true mind melding underground cult classic. The whole thing is shrouded with the occult. Like walking in on some bizarre black mass chanting to their demonic lord to rise and come forth. And then the high priest steps forth with Bauhaus' The Sky's Gone Out held high. And so we pray! Because this is 80s Doom meets 80s's Goth where Bauhaus and The Cure influences walk "hand in hand forever we land" with those of Witchfinder General. Take “Land of Mystery”’s warbled bass line for instance. That could easily have been lifted from an old Cure song. Shit, even the guitar solo has that classic Robert Smith's swirling dervish feel to it. Amen! [First added to this chart: 07/18/2020]
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PAST And FUTURE (1978)
“I always liked fast music. And this was it, you know. It was really fast with plenty of religion!” – Chris Knox (lead singer of The Vibrators) speaking of the punk rock scene.
Chris Knox was wired for punk rock from the beginning. Long before it hit and became a thing, he was waiting for it. He grew up on instrumental guitar God Duane Eddy and Johnny Kidd & The Pirates. Worshiped The Velvets in the 60s. And then began paying his dues on the pub circuit in the early 70s in a band called Lipstick. Playing Chuck Berry covers just a bit faster & better than his peers. And his own stuff that was heavily influenced by The Velvets.
Of all the UK Class of ‘77 bands, they were closest to their New York contemporaries such as The Heartbreakers. And the reason should be obvious. They shared a musical education. They loved the same bands. The girl groups. The instrumental surf bands. 1950s Rock n’ Roll. All of it. Which gave them a leg up on their UK brethren who were mostly music neophytes who formed bands after finding religion upon hearing The Sex Pistols. Sudden converts the lot of them for the most part. Meanwhile, Chris Knox & his Vibrators had been worshiping at the altar of rock n’ roll for a decade plus.
Unlike the New Yorkers, though, The Vibrators had a toehold on the future as well. Presaging the development of New Wave with bangers such as “Keep It Clean.” Queue it up and just listen to the sound of the guitar and those vocal quirks. Can you say "eighties"?!?!
And if they dipped their toes into new wave territory with Pure Mania, they plunged right in with V2 – a total statement of purpose and a visionary New Wave album that would lead others – most notably Adam & The Ants – into New Wave territory in the near future. V2 deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as other hard hitting New Wave classics like Elvis Costello’s This Year's Model and Devo’s Q: AreWe Not Men?
Truth be told, I think V2 is even better than Pure Mania! It’s just that good with super catchy, punky nugget after nugget with perfect New Wave production, guitar tones and vocal affectations. Really just doesn’t get better for 1978 New Wave/Pop Punk.
Of course the bands in the know knew better. Stiff Little Fingers cribbed their name straight from a Vibrators song. The Exploited pretty much crafted their entire sound from V2's last track - "Troops of Tomorrow." And were't afraid to pay their respects either! Naming their second LP after it!
tldr: The Vibrators are an ESSENTIAL UK Class of ’77 Punk Band. If you've checked out The Clash and The Sex Pistols, they are the next place to go. Right up their with The Damned if you ask me.
THE TWO YOU NEED
1. Pure Mania (1977)
2. V2 (1978) [First added to this chart: 07/05/2020]
“I always liked fast music. And this was it, you know. It was really fast with plenty of religion!” – Chris Knox (lead singer of The Vibrators) speaking of the punk rock scene.
Chris Knox was wired for punk rock from the beginning. Long before it hit and became a thing, he was waiting for it. He grew up on instrumental guitar God Duane Eddy and Johnny Kidd & The Pirates. Worshiped The Velvets in the 60s. And then began paying his dues on the pub circuit in the early 70s in a band called Lipstick. Playing Chuck Berry covers just a bit faster & better than his peers. And his own stuff that was heavily influenced by The Velvets.
Of all the UK Class of ‘77 bands, they were closest to their New York contemporaries such as The Heartbreakers. And the reason should be obvious. They shared a musical education. They loved the same bands. The girl groups. The instrumental surf bands. 1950s Rock n’ Roll. All of it. Which gave them a leg up on their UK brethren who were mostly music neophytes who formed bands after finding religion upon hearing The Sex Pistols. Sudden converts the lot of them for the most part. Meanwhile, Chris Knox & his Vibrators had been worshiping at the altar of rock n’ roll for a decade plus.
Unlike the New Yorkers, though, The Vibrators had a toehold on the future as well. Presaging the development of New Wave with bangers such as “Keep It Clean.” Queue it up and just listen to the sound of the guitar and those vocal quirks. Can you say "eighties"?!?!
And if they dipped their toes into new wave territory with Pure Mania, they plunged right in with V2 – a total statement of purpose and a visionary New Wave album that would lead others – most notably Adam & The Ants – into New Wave territory in the near future. V2 deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as other hard hitting New Wave classics like Elvis Costello’s This Year's Model and Devo’s Q: AreWe Not Men?
Truth be told, I think V2 is even better than Pure Mania! It’s just that good with super catchy, punky nugget after nugget with perfect New Wave production, guitar tones and vocal affectations. Really just doesn’t get better for 1978 New Wave/Pop Punk.
Of course the bands in the know knew better. Stiff Little Fingers cribbed their name straight from a Vibrators song. The Exploited pretty much crafted their entire sound from V2's last track - "Troops of Tomorrow." And were't afraid to pay their respects either! Naming their second LP after it!
tldr: The Vibrators are an ESSENTIAL UK Class of ’77 Punk Band. If you've checked out The Clash and The Sex Pistols, they are the next place to go. Right up their with The Damned if you ask me.
THE TWO YOU NEED
1. Pure Mania (1977)
2. V2 (1978) [First added to this chart: 07/05/2020]
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ONE And THE SAME (1977)
The heaviest garage rock band of all time?! They were certainly the heaviest of their Pub Rock brethren, who were critical to the formation of the concert circuit and audience that enabled the punk explosion in 1977 in England. Formed in 1975, these neanderthals were a direct lineage to The MC5/The Stooges of late 60s. But whereas everyone’s heard of The MC5, The Count Bishops live in relative obscurity even by music nerds such as myself. And trust me. That shit ain’t right. These guys are literally GODS of garage rock. NO ONE does bluesy primitive R&B/rock ‘n roll quite like them. No one! Everything they've released in their short lifetime is worth scooping down like a melting ice cream in the Cincinnati heat over a blistering hot Fourth Of July weekend. Trust me. If you like garage rock, you need to hear some Count Bishops. They are one and the same. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2020]
The heaviest garage rock band of all time?! They were certainly the heaviest of their Pub Rock brethren, who were critical to the formation of the concert circuit and audience that enabled the punk explosion in 1977 in England. Formed in 1975, these neanderthals were a direct lineage to The MC5/The Stooges of late 60s. But whereas everyone’s heard of The MC5, The Count Bishops live in relative obscurity even by music nerds such as myself. And trust me. That shit ain’t right. These guys are literally GODS of garage rock. NO ONE does bluesy primitive R&B/rock ‘n roll quite like them. No one! Everything they've released in their short lifetime is worth scooping down like a melting ice cream in the Cincinnati heat over a blistering hot Fourth Of July weekend. Trust me. If you like garage rock, you need to hear some Count Bishops. They are one and the same. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2020]
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Back Of The Bus (1983)
And here we finally are. The most important band in the entire history of extreme metal. Bar none. In the mid to late 80s pretty much every extreme band wanted to be Slayer. They were the muse. The inspiration. What everyone reached for. And it all started here with Show No Mercy.
I’ll never forget the first time I heard it. We were riding to a jv basketball game at the very back of the bus. Me & Paul Garfinkle were sharing headphones. He had a headphone splitter so we could both listen. Paul was in a metal band with his older brother Art. I used to go watch them at Battle Of The Bands shows at a nearby high school. No one in school knew metal like Paul. Anyways, He hit play and it was instant love. Killers-era Iron Maiden on speed (check out “Crionics” to see this transformative, critical piece highlighted) with a dose of Venom and hardcore. I did NOT take out my cassette copy of Bark At The Moon to show Paul. No way. Ozzy had been relegated to the jv squad.
Show No Mercy is a unique entry in Slayer’s catalog. It was something completely new and yet something that Slayer would immediately progress from with the Haunting The Chapel EP and then of course Hell Awaits. Its closest facsimile is Metallica’s Kill 'Em All. Nowadays, it would be called Speed Metal(which I will touch on soon enough). Those two albums changed everything in 1983 – dwarfing everything else released that year. Especially Bark At The Moon (which is actually good commercial metal! So don't hate me Ozzy!). [First added to this chart: 06/10/2020]
And here we finally are. The most important band in the entire history of extreme metal. Bar none. In the mid to late 80s pretty much every extreme band wanted to be Slayer. They were the muse. The inspiration. What everyone reached for. And it all started here with Show No Mercy.
I’ll never forget the first time I heard it. We were riding to a jv basketball game at the very back of the bus. Me & Paul Garfinkle were sharing headphones. He had a headphone splitter so we could both listen. Paul was in a metal band with his older brother Art. I used to go watch them at Battle Of The Bands shows at a nearby high school. No one in school knew metal like Paul. Anyways, He hit play and it was instant love. Killers-era Iron Maiden on speed (check out “Crionics” to see this transformative, critical piece highlighted) with a dose of Venom and hardcore. I did NOT take out my cassette copy of Bark At The Moon to show Paul. No way. Ozzy had been relegated to the jv squad.
Show No Mercy is a unique entry in Slayer’s catalog. It was something completely new and yet something that Slayer would immediately progress from with the Haunting The Chapel EP and then of course Hell Awaits. Its closest facsimile is Metallica’s Kill 'Em All. Nowadays, it would be called Speed Metal(which I will touch on soon enough). Those two albums changed everything in 1983 – dwarfing everything else released that year. Especially Bark At The Moon (which is actually good commercial metal! So don't hate me Ozzy!). [First added to this chart: 06/10/2020]
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APT PUPILS
1982 and The Rise of Speed Metal
Ok. Before delving further into the extreme metal genre, I’m going to take a small step back to cover another pivotal subgenre that had a massive impact on the metal scene – Speed Metal. As we’ve discussed earlier, the beginnings of Speed Metal started in the late 70s with Judas Priest (Stained Glass, Killing Machine & British Steel) and then got a steroid injection in 1981 from their apt pupils – Raven & Accept. The importance of Priest on this genre cannot be overstated and in a lot of ways their Painkiller album from 1990 could now be considered the platonic ideal of the entire Speed Metal scene! Meanwhile, back in 1981, both Raven and Accept released two speed metal landmarks with Rock Until You Drop (which has grown on me since I started this project! It’s important, fellas!) and Breaker respectively.
The next vital band in the genre were metal documentary stars and all-around good guys - Anvil. They released two crucial, if not quite seminal, albums in the early 80s with Metal on Metal and Forged In Fire. Metal on Metal was the second best Speed Metal album of 1982 (right behind Accept’s Restless & Wild) and thus a major influence on the burgeoning Thrash Metal scene. However, Forged in Fire saw Anvil taking a quantum leap in both songwriting and power (equivalent actually to the leap they took from their debut LP Hard ‘N’ Heavy(which is a really fun & dumb metal album btw!!!) to Metal On Metal. But I digress! Forged In Fire is definitely the pinnacle of their oeuvre. They would leap no further. Instead they would churn out consistently good Speed Metal albums to drink Molson Bradors and other cheap Canadien lagers to at the local pub for the rest of their lives. Which honestly is good enough for me! I ain't picky! Everything they’ve recorded is worth a listen. Just remember, that…
THE TWO THAT MATTER R…
1. Metal On Metal ( 1982) (R)
2. Forged In Fire (1983) (HR) [First added to this chart: 07/05/2020]
1982 and The Rise of Speed Metal
Ok. Before delving further into the extreme metal genre, I’m going to take a small step back to cover another pivotal subgenre that had a massive impact on the metal scene – Speed Metal. As we’ve discussed earlier, the beginnings of Speed Metal started in the late 70s with Judas Priest (Stained Glass, Killing Machine & British Steel) and then got a steroid injection in 1981 from their apt pupils – Raven & Accept. The importance of Priest on this genre cannot be overstated and in a lot of ways their Painkiller album from 1990 could now be considered the platonic ideal of the entire Speed Metal scene! Meanwhile, back in 1981, both Raven and Accept released two speed metal landmarks with Rock Until You Drop (which has grown on me since I started this project! It’s important, fellas!) and Breaker respectively.
The next vital band in the genre were metal documentary stars and all-around good guys - Anvil. They released two crucial, if not quite seminal, albums in the early 80s with Metal on Metal and Forged In Fire. Metal on Metal was the second best Speed Metal album of 1982 (right behind Accept’s Restless & Wild) and thus a major influence on the burgeoning Thrash Metal scene. However, Forged in Fire saw Anvil taking a quantum leap in both songwriting and power (equivalent actually to the leap they took from their debut LP Hard ‘N’ Heavy(which is a really fun & dumb metal album btw!!!) to Metal On Metal. But I digress! Forged In Fire is definitely the pinnacle of their oeuvre. They would leap no further. Instead they would churn out consistently good Speed Metal albums to drink Molson Bradors and other cheap Canadien lagers to at the local pub for the rest of their lives. Which honestly is good enough for me! I ain't picky! Everything they’ve recorded is worth a listen. Just remember, that…
THE TWO THAT MATTER R…
1. Metal On Metal ( 1982) (R)
2. Forged In Fire (1983) (HR) [First added to this chart: 07/05/2020]
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A year after being my number one, here they are dead last. Which just goes to show how stiff the competition was. Because this kicks serious ass. BUT, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of their self-titled debut from the year prior. I’m blaming the production. The hues are a bit too uniform.
[First added to this chart: 07/18/2020]
Total albums: 100. Page 4 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 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Real Estate | 3 | 3% | |
| Venom | 2 | 2% | |
| Scorpions | 2 | 2% | |
| Beach House | 2 | 2% | |
| Bert Jansch | 2 | 2% | |
| Bob Dylan | 2 | 2% | |
| Townes Van Zandt | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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|
|
|
| |
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 |
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 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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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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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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