Top 36 Greatest Music Albums
by ThisisaCall

A work in progress, although my list will possibly never be finished as there are so many great Albums that I have not heard and many more to be released. Feel free to leave a comment, tell me if you agree with my list, hate my list, or what albums you recommend based on my list so far.

*Update 1/11/2015
I have not used this website in months and over that time I've listened to many more albums and some of the albums that were on this list I no longer hold in high regard. However, I've added a few more albums and changed up the order quite a bit. I'll try to visit this website more often.

I first went on this website so I could make it a habit to listen to more albums, so I've really only listened to albums in their entirety for a year or so. This explains why there is not many albums on the list and why there are two 2014 albums on the list. This chart is basically my favorite abouts at a certain point in my life.

• Chart updated: 01/11/2015 19:45
• (Created: 06/24/2014 03:27).
• Chart size: 36 albums.

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1. (=)

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea 

 Neutral Milk Hotel

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[First added to this chart: 07/20/2014]

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

2,430 charts

Rank Score:

32,859

Rank in 1998:

1

Rank in 1990s:

3

Overall Rank:

17

Average Rating:

 87 (2,956 votes)

Comments:

431

2. (=)

Rated R 

 Queens Of The Stone Age

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[First added to this chart: 06/28/2014]

Year of Release:

2000

Appears in:

553 charts

Rank Score:

2,884

Rank in 2000:

13

Rank in 2000s:

96

Overall Rank:

593

Average Rating:

 80 (847 votes)

Comments:

33

3. (=)

...Like Clockwork 

 Queens Of The Stone Age

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[First added to this chart: 08/07/2014]

Year of Release:

2013

Appears in:

786 charts

Rank Score:

7,318

Rank in 2013:

5

Rank in 2010s:

24

Overall Rank:

215

Average Rating:

 82 (1,168 votes)

Comments:

84

4. (=)

Elephant 

 The White Stripes

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After 3 fantastic albums and a surprising amount of success, Jack and Meg White went into the studio for just 10 days to record one of the best albums ever made. Looking at the background behind the band, these two were not what many people would perceive as anything "great." There's Jack White, an old soul playing music that was done 30 years before by The Stooges and The Sonics along with Meg White who's not close to being the best the drummer that anyone has ever seen. But what sets The White Stripes apart from any other retro band is that they have their own sound and personality. A band like The Black Keys are constantly compared to 70s classic rock, but you can throw The White Stripes in any era of music and they will always stand out. The White Stripes produced some of the best music ever made, and Elephant is their best album. Elephant lacks the pretentiousness of White's future work; what makes Elephant work is that White is not trying to make the best album ever made. Not many great "current" rock albums feature a Dusty Springfield cover(which tops the original) and a light-hearted country song(featuring the underrated Holly Golightly)? The lyrics on the album are quirky, but not in an overly ridiculous way. Meg's drumming consist of simple bass thumps and erratic cymbol crashes(The Hardest Button To Button), but no other drummer could ever compliment Jack's style like her. Jack's nasal croon and epic guitar work (the solo on Ball and Biscuit, the riffs on Black Math, Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine, etc) are the type of characteristics that make many call him one of the only rock stars in music left. And let's not forget about Seven Nation Army, arguably the most well known rock song made in the 21st Century. The song is so simple, yet the riff is so undeniable. Deep Purple and Survivor could really take notes on how to write a rock riff from Mr. White. You could take the most experienced producer and team him or her up with the best musicians in the world, and they might make a perfect album, but not a single sound they make will give off the same emotions created by The White Stripes on Elephant.
Favorite Song: Tie between Black Math and I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself [First added to this chart: 07/04/2014]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

1,496 charts

Rank Score:

11,402

Rank in 2003:

1

Rank in 2000s:

13

Overall Rank:

115

Average Rating:

 83 (2,139 votes)

Comments:

129

5. (=)

Pinkerton 

 Weezer

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Pinkerton is definitely the greatest "nerd rock" album of all time, from the classic rock guitar riffs and power pop melodies to the unconventional lyricism. While this album may be unusual for some, Pinkerton is perfect for all the high school kids who just don't fit in. Pinkerton is similar to The White Stripes' Elephant in that it succeeds because of its strong personality, but unlike Jack White, frontman Rivers Cuomo is a nervous, dorky, and frustrated guy who isn't close to being a rock n' roll genius. Even without the swagger of a Jack White and the elegance of a poet, Weezer's music is relatable and likeable. The instrumentation itself has the grunge sound that was popular at the time, but if you listen closely you can hear a little Kiss influence in the guitars. The hooks and melodies are so catchy and memorable that you can hum along to it upon hearing the songs a second time. What made this album a winner for me was the lyrics. Much of the album deals with the frustrations of unrequited love. Early in the album on "Why Bother", Rivers hesitates getting into a relationship because he thinks that whoever he finds will eventually leave him. Later on, he falls in love with a girl that's just like him in "El Scorcho", however, the albums closer "Butterfly" reveals that he was rejected. The album also has standout tracks such as "Pink Triangle", which tells of the frustrations of falling in love with a lesbian, and "The Good Life", which is about Rivers going back to the carefree life he had when he was young. Pinkerton is not what the music industry would describe as "perfect", but it is more interesting and emotive than most albums out there.
Favorite Song: The Good Life [First added to this chart: 06/30/2014]

Year of Release:

1996

Appears in:

1,101 charts

Rank Score:

10,047

Rank in 1996:

2

Rank in 1990s:

29

Overall Rank:

136

Average Rating:

 83 (1,581 votes)

Comments:

148

6. (=)

Either/Or 

 Elliott Smith

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[First added to this chart: 06/23/2014]

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

988 charts

Rank Score:

10,375

Rank in 1997:

3

Rank in 1990s:

26

Overall Rank:

127

Average Rating:

 84 (1,159 votes)

Comments:

68

7. (=)

Madvillainy 

 Madvillain

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[First added to this chart: 06/28/2014]

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

1,075 charts

Rank Score:

14,296

Rank in 2004:

2

Rank in 2000s:

8

Overall Rank:

86

Average Rating:

 86 (1,215 votes)

Comments:

94

8. (=)

Aquemini 

 OutKast

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[First added to this chart: 06/23/2014]

Year of Release:

1998

Appears in:

689 charts

Rank Score:

5,967

Rank in 1998:

5

Rank in 1990s:

56

Overall Rank:

278

Average Rating:

 83 (758 votes)

Comments:

38

9. (=)

Dummy 

 Portishead

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This album is one of the most perfect, sweetest, coolest albums of all time. There is not a single uninteresting moment on the entire album. The hip-hop instrumentation and sampling is on point and graciously compliments Beth Gibbons' jazzy vocals. While trip-hop artists such as Tricky and Massive Attack were also prevalent in the British music scene at the time, Portishead stood above and beyond all of their contemporaries. Dummy is an album that I always come back too that continues to move me every time I hear it.
Favorite Song: Glory Box [First added to this chart: 06/26/2014]

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

1,571 charts

Rank Score:

16,602

Rank in 1994:

2

Rank in 1990s:

12

Overall Rank:

65

Average Rating:

 84 (1,719 votes)

Comments:

106

10. (=)

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Nevermind 

 Nirvana

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Even if Nevermind never became the game changer that it was, Nirvana's sophomore effort would still be a magnificent work of art. Nirvana's sound leaned towards the punkier side of grunge like Mudhoney, which differed from the heavy metal influence that The Melvins or Tad brought to the scene. However, Nevermind showcases Kurt Cobain's skills as a writer of pop songs. Many fans do not like to admit this, but Nevermind is a pop album, from the melodies to the production. What sets Nirvana from any other pop-rock band is the honesty and emotion that they bring into every song. Lithium is a perfect example of this: the lyrics include clever and well-written lines about depression, loneliness, and not staying true to oneself, which are heavy subjects for pop music, though the riff and melody are the poppiest on the album. Also, what pop group screams and wails on most of the songs? This mixture of power-pop guitar, poetic lyricism, and the occasional in-your-face punk moment (Breed, Stay Away, etc.) became a perfect recipe for pop success that Cobain unfortunately could not handle. However, the attention and reception that this album received led to another masterpiece, In Utero. Even though many people point to this album as being overrated, I personally believe this album to be one of the best albums of all time.
Favorite Song: Lithium [First added to this chart: 06/23/2014]

Year of Release:

1991

Appears in:

3,223 charts

Rank Score:

37,753

Rank in 1991:

1

Rank in 1990s:

2

Overall Rank:

13

Average Rating:

 87 (4,335 votes)

Comments:

413

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Total albums: 36. Page 1 of 4

Top 36 Greatest Music Albums composition

Country	Albums	%
	28	78%
	6	17%
	1	3%
	1	3%

Top 36 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Top 36 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

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Top 36 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)

Top 36 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 14 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
95/100  !	10/17/2016 22:12	Seab	2,005	93/100
90/100  !	10/01/2015 16:19	luis721	173	93/100
90/100  !	02/01/2015 22:15	JasonZaia	171	89/100
85/100  !	01/27/2015 13:01	rafalink	180	77/100
85/100  !	01/09/2015 09:45	Granny-Smith	140	88/100

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 16% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 87.3/100, a mean average of 88.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 5.5.

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Top 36 Greatest Music Albums comments

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Rating:  

90/100

From JasonZaia 02/01/2015 22:15 | #133664

Great list! You certainly know what you like, therefore, there's no way this could be a bad chart.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From rafalink 01/27/2015 13:02 | #132717

It is a great chart. I really like what I see her. Keep going!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From Granny-Smith 01/09/2015 09:45 | #131117

Go on! Good Choices

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

80/100

From junodog4 10/30/2014 02:26 | #125770

Would've figured that given your name, Foo Fighters would be #1. No biggie... Rated R is great.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

80/100

From SingingPeasant96 08/17/2014 15:38 | #119658

Great notes :)

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Rating:  

95/100

From drummingunicorn 07/15/2014 21:05 | #116842

Really awesome chart! You have a good taste in music!

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Rating:  

90/100

From Antonio-Pedro 07/15/2014 10:14 | #116790

great beginning, I'm not a bi fan of the white stripes but I love the love you have for their albums, and your great notes about them just let this love stronger, here In BEA you will discover more music so you can expand this chart and you musical knowledge so don't be afraid to come to the forums.... we don't bite :)

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Rating:  

95/100

From hippo 07/11/2014 20:34 | #116488

Stellar chart! Awesome notes. Can't wait for it to expand.

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Rating:  

90/100

From SuedeSwede 07/08/2014 23:15 | #116306

Great start, lovely notes! Nice diversity too.

You might like Colossal Youth by Young Marble Giants and The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest.

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Rating:  

80/100

From babyBlueSedan 07/01/2014 01:26 | #115721

I really want to see this grow, I really like everything that's on here already (except maybe Dummy...I think I'm too high-strung for trip-hop). But it's already got some underrated gems, I'd love to see what shows up near the end.

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