Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
Arthurknight 
This chart has evolved a lot over the near decade its existed. I think in the past I used to try a lot harder at curating what was more a "recommendations" list, where I'd show off my esoteric finds and scatter in my favourite underrated greats . Other times I told myself the function of a good list was to be in contention with the Overall chart on this site; to be anti conventional music journalism and resist milquetoast taste. Nowadays I'm less ideological about it. To me, this chart is my music-hobbyist refuge where I delight in organising my own personal world of sounds. In short, it may well be the 100 greatest albums of all time (I certainly think so), but that's secondary to it being an outlet for creative expression. I've curated a display that says more about me than the music, to be glanced over by the few fellow BEA users who peruse it and friends at a bar who don't know what they're getting into when they ask me what I listen to.
~~ One Album per Artist. ~~
Notes:
Should you consider it a great injustice that there is very little emphasis on more recent music here, feel free to check out my 21st century decade charts. I'm also very active in making end of year charts which is really where all my heart and soul is poured into with BEA these days.
No Jazz, Hip-Hop, or Electronic albums feature in this chart simply because if they did 100 albums would barely suffice. I find it particularly difficult to compare these genres with other forms of popular music broadly or with each-other (I've similarly exempted classical recordings I especially enjoy for the same reason, but am too lazy to make a classical chart, for now...). In the past I have included these genres, but I've come to dislike it because the limits of 100 albums begins to feel too claustrophobic. Instead, I have made each their own respective custom chart, which you can find here:
Greatest 100 Jazz Albums: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=32925
Greatest 100 Hip-Hop Albums: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=32704
Greatest 100 Electronic/IDM Albums: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=42751
- Chart updated: 07/16/2023 09:15
- (Created: 07/26/2014 08:45).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 68 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 93 out of 100 (from 119 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
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"Grass grows in the icebox
The year ends in the next room
It is autumn and my camouflage is dying."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 11/16/2022]
The year ends in the next room
It is autumn and my camouflage is dying."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 11/16/2022]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,159
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
5
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"Dreams come up your mind
Leave the damned reality
In ways you are always signed."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 05/25/2015]
Leave the damned reality
In ways you are always signed."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 05/25/2015]
Buy album
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"The light of hope
Shines in your eyes
Dementia has gone
Purged from inside."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 01/11/2018]
Shines in your eyes
Dementia has gone
Purged from inside."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 01/11/2018]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
475
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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"So sicher wie Falschgeld
Verbrannt mit Liebe
leuchte Blei
Blei Blei Blei und Blei verbrennt Liebe
Liebe."
"As certain as fake money
Burned with love
Light, lead
Lead lead lead and lead burns love
Love."
9.5/10
Einsturzende Neubauten are a special love of mine. I became semi-obsessed with Blixa Bargeld around the age of 16 - for years a photo of him was my profile picture on this site, I have since gone for a more arbitrary but eye-catching gif; oh how i've sold out to cheap marketing. I loved his presence in 80s Bad Seeds so much so that I dug deep to find the bizarre bar guitar tuning he uses and have still to this day a guitar permanently in that tuning; I even ritualistically smashed up said guitar whilst listening to Neubauten and contemporaries like Die Haut and Grazhdanskaya Oborona. Most of the songs I write are in this tuning, though I'm finding my proficiency in the tuning has shifted away from Blixa's style, which I'm happy with, derivative writing/composition is boring. Blixa and Einsturzende Neubauten are anything but derivative, and have consistently released challenging, visceral, and unique albums, which makes it all the more difficult to pick a favourite. Zeichnungen Des Patienten is not the album I would recommend to anyone as their first listen of Neubauten, it's their most visceral release. The album focuses on schizophrenic artist and patient of Klosterneuburg Hospital Oswald Tschirtner, and the sounds Neubauten produce embody that state of mind; the music drives you crazy in a way, if only for a moment. Obscure found sounds and samples are employed, as well as an array weird scratches, glitches, bangs, clambering and ringing. Neubauten achieve this by attaching contact mics to weird objects. I only learnt of this when seeing a Melbourne based band called Kollaps (inspired by the Neubauten album of the same name) who employed the same technique for their live setup. We spoke afterwards at length about the whole process and how it is a really counterintuitive way of music-making. Neubauten's impactful usage of these sounds, tied together with minimal bass guitar and Blixa's indifferent vocals make for a more interesting listen from a compositional standpoint as well as one of appreciation.
Still, picking Zeichnungen as the best Neubauten album is a decision riddled with self-doubt. My favourite songs appear on a variety of other albums: Sabrina on Silence is Sexy, Blume on Tabula Rasa (although neither of these albums live up to those two songs that inhabit them), the title track on Kollaps, The Garden on Die Ende, or Neubauten's best song with comfortable margin, Yü-Gung (Fütter Mein Ego) on Halber Mensch. This makes picking Zeichnungen feel somewhat of a confused pick, almost as if because my favourite songs are split across Neubauten's discography, I pick Zeichnungen as a way of getting out of choosing a favourite among the others; the so-called real competition. But that's not really the case and whenever this strikes me I know it's the Neubauten madness getting the better of me. Zeichnungen is not a song based album the same way others may be, the closest a track gets to being a 'song' is the title track, and only because you can hear a faint chord progression somewhere underneath the manic and overwhelming noise. Zeichnungen is Neubauten's concept album, and as far as concept albums go, the most phonetic of them. Bargeld manages to say a lot without saying much at all.
_ [First added to this chart: 06/21/2015]
Verbrannt mit Liebe
leuchte Blei
Blei Blei Blei und Blei verbrennt Liebe
Liebe."
"As certain as fake money
Burned with love
Light, lead
Lead lead lead and lead burns love
Love."
9.5/10
Einsturzende Neubauten are a special love of mine. I became semi-obsessed with Blixa Bargeld around the age of 16 - for years a photo of him was my profile picture on this site, I have since gone for a more arbitrary but eye-catching gif; oh how i've sold out to cheap marketing. I loved his presence in 80s Bad Seeds so much so that I dug deep to find the bizarre bar guitar tuning he uses and have still to this day a guitar permanently in that tuning; I even ritualistically smashed up said guitar whilst listening to Neubauten and contemporaries like Die Haut and Grazhdanskaya Oborona. Most of the songs I write are in this tuning, though I'm finding my proficiency in the tuning has shifted away from Blixa's style, which I'm happy with, derivative writing/composition is boring. Blixa and Einsturzende Neubauten are anything but derivative, and have consistently released challenging, visceral, and unique albums, which makes it all the more difficult to pick a favourite. Zeichnungen Des Patienten is not the album I would recommend to anyone as their first listen of Neubauten, it's their most visceral release. The album focuses on schizophrenic artist and patient of Klosterneuburg Hospital Oswald Tschirtner, and the sounds Neubauten produce embody that state of mind; the music drives you crazy in a way, if only for a moment. Obscure found sounds and samples are employed, as well as an array weird scratches, glitches, bangs, clambering and ringing. Neubauten achieve this by attaching contact mics to weird objects. I only learnt of this when seeing a Melbourne based band called Kollaps (inspired by the Neubauten album of the same name) who employed the same technique for their live setup. We spoke afterwards at length about the whole process and how it is a really counterintuitive way of music-making. Neubauten's impactful usage of these sounds, tied together with minimal bass guitar and Blixa's indifferent vocals make for a more interesting listen from a compositional standpoint as well as one of appreciation.
Still, picking Zeichnungen as the best Neubauten album is a decision riddled with self-doubt. My favourite songs appear on a variety of other albums: Sabrina on Silence is Sexy, Blume on Tabula Rasa (although neither of these albums live up to those two songs that inhabit them), the title track on Kollaps, The Garden on Die Ende, or Neubauten's best song with comfortable margin, Yü-Gung (Fütter Mein Ego) on Halber Mensch. This makes picking Zeichnungen feel somewhat of a confused pick, almost as if because my favourite songs are split across Neubauten's discography, I pick Zeichnungen as a way of getting out of choosing a favourite among the others; the so-called real competition. But that's not really the case and whenever this strikes me I know it's the Neubauten madness getting the better of me. Zeichnungen is not a song based album the same way others may be, the closest a track gets to being a 'song' is the title track, and only because you can hear a faint chord progression somewhere underneath the manic and overwhelming noise. Zeichnungen is Neubauten's concept album, and as far as concept albums go, the most phonetic of them. Bargeld manages to say a lot without saying much at all.
_ [First added to this chart: 06/21/2015]
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"You don't tell me anything
It's not a dream, it's not a big lie
You're not going anywhere
You don't care, you think thats fine."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 05/15/2015]
It's not a dream, it's not a big lie
You're not going anywhere
You don't care, you think thats fine."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 05/15/2015]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,369
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
"Lime and limpid green, a second scene
A fight between the blue you once knew.
Floating down, the sound resounds
Around the icy waters underground."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 05/24/2015]
A fight between the blue you once knew.
Floating down, the sound resounds
Around the icy waters underground."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 05/24/2015]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,561
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
"If I don't have a nervous breakdown by the end of the week
I'm gonna be very, very surprised."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 11/16/2022]
I'm gonna be very, very surprised."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 11/16/2022]
Year of Release:
1999
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,339
Rank in 1999:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
"My eyes convinced, eclipsed with the younger moon attained with love
It changed as almost strained amidst clear manna from above
I crucified my hate and held the word within my hand
There's you, the time, the logic, or the reasons we don't understand."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 02/09/2016]
It changed as almost strained amidst clear manna from above
I crucified my hate and held the word within my hand
There's you, the time, the logic, or the reasons we don't understand."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 02/09/2016]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,447
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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"They attack you from the right side
Down the left side
Down the middle 'til you don't know who you are
Stick around because it don't really matter
They'll try to put you 6 feet under the ground..."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 05/25/2015]
Down the left side
Down the middle 'til you don't know who you are
Stick around because it don't really matter
They'll try to put you 6 feet under the ground..."
9.5/10
_ [First added to this chart: 05/25/2015]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,914
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
"El sueño va sobre el tiempo
Flotando como un velero
Nadie puede abrir semillas
En el corazón del sueño."
"The dream is about time
Floating like a sailboat
Nobody can open seeds
At the heart of the dream."
9/10
_ [First added to this chart: 02/09/2016]
Flotando como un velero
Nadie puede abrir semillas
En el corazón del sueño."
"The dream is about time
Floating like a sailboat
Nobody can open seeds
At the heart of the dream."
9/10
_ [First added to this chart: 02/09/2016]
Total albums: 100. Page 9 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 14 | 14% | |
| 1970s | 28 | 28% | |
| 1980s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1990s | 29 | 29% | |
| 2000s | 8 | 8% | |
| 2010s | 1 | 1% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Faust | 1 | 1% | |
| Built To Spill | 1 | 1% | |
| フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans] | 1 | 1% | |
| Slint | 1 | 1% | |
| The Clash | 1 | 1% | |
| Caetano Veloso | 1 | 1% | |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
40 | 40% | |
 |
26 | 26% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
| |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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flamingyesdept (2023) - PPV Overall Ranking by bea (2021)
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
93/100 (from 119 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 119 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
80/100  | 03/19/2024 11:07 |  Tamthebam | | 85/100 |
85/100 | 03/05/2024 19:32 | martintho | | 74/100 |
90/100 | 02/18/2024 09:24 | Tuur | | 86/100 |
 85/100 | 07/02/2023 08:02 |  MadhattanJack | | 84/100 |
| 100/100 | 11/10/2022 16:03 | Rm12398 | | 89/100 |
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 93.2/100, a mean average of 93.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.2.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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100/100
From Rm12398 11/10/2022 16:03
Love the Murmur- R.E.M. placement here! Have always felt that was my favourite record of theirs, so it's nice to see my opinion validated with your chart. “La Máquina De Hacer Pájaros” is fantastic to see here as well. Massively underrated on this site in my opinion. Love the multicultural feel of the list as well. Have recently been trying to get into more international music so your chart may be a great help to do that.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From 
cartoken 11/10/2022 09:53
cartoken 11/10/2022 09:53
Thanks for the comment and the rating.
Great tastes as well, very heavy on classical rock but still very sold chart
Kudos for including Youth of America 👌
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Johnnyo 11/09/2022 08:36
Fabulous chart. One of the best on the site
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Moondance 11/09/2022 02:54
Was really hoping to see a few more exceptional Australian albums in the chart. Otherwise, cool chart and appreciate the effort in putting together your comments.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
100/100
From flamingyesdept 10/05/2022 08:04
flamingyesdept 10/05/2022 08:04
Still my favourite chart! SMiLE Sessions really is the greatest thing in popular music ♥
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From rubysmith 07/21/2022 11:17
Nice.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
peate754 12/21/2021 00:48
peate754 12/21/2021 00:48
Wow Great job and very good list
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
seb7 12/07/2020 19:34
seb7 12/07/2020 19:34
one of the best lists on the site. Creative, methodical, and just overall cool
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
EyeKanFly 09/11/2020 16:18
EyeKanFly 09/11/2020 16:18
I'll definitely use this for recs!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 09/11/2020 08:48
DommeDamian 09/11/2020 08:48
Brrrrrrravo!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.