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.

• Summary
• Composition
• Ratings
• Favourites
• Comments
• Your feedback

View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.

This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from Russia. (Remove this filter)

Sort by

• Overall Rank
• Num. Charts
• Avg. Rating
• Num. Ratings
• Release Date
• Title
• Artist
• Date Added

33. (=)

Радио Африка [Radio Africa] 

 Аквариум [Aquarium]

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

"Сколько тысяч слов - всё впустую,
Или кража огня у слепых богов."

"How many thousands of words - all in vain
Either stealing fire from the gods or the blind."

9.5/10

_ [First added to this chart: 10/23/2014]

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

20 charts

Rank Score:

126

Rank in 1983:

127

Rank in 1980s:

1,388

Overall Rank:

9,468

Average Rating:

 73 (21 votes)

Comments:

0

48. (=)

Группа крови [Gruppa Krovi] 

 Кино [Kino]

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

"Мой порядковый номер - на рукаве,
Пожелай мне удачи в бою, пожелай мне."

"My serial number - on the sleeve,
Wish me luck in battle, wish for me."

9.5/10

I have a vinyl copy of this record printed in LA, California of all places by Gold Castle Records as part of their "Red Wave" series, intended to distribute new Eastern Bloc music to American audiences. Ironically, I bought it in Kiev, which makes the phonetic anglicism of the title written to us as Groupa Kroovy all the funnier (which isn't correct in even the slightest capacity whatsoever; if we're going to be charitable here perhaps Joanna Stingray was trying some kind of onomatopoeia). For additional context, this record is the masterpiece of Viktor Tsoi, the Soviet Union's indisputable most attractive man (prison Stalin included), and to try some black comedy: the East's solution to Albert Camus. If you find you really like this record, I'd highly recommend seeking out Artemy Troitsky's music criticsm. He served as my guide through 1980's Soviet Music, and all the political implications of pre and post glasnost/perestroikian Soviet culture. To return though to the vinyl, and to quote its back-cover:

"Since the release of Red Wave – 4 Underground Bands from the USSR, in 1986, The Soviet system has changed immensely for rock bands. The line between unofficial and official has disappeared [Arthur: they're referring here to state endorsed VIAs or Vocal Music Ensembles; they were quite silly little boy band troupes]. Bands like the ones on Red Wave can still be independent but now they can make a living from their music. Viktor Tsoi no longer shovels coal. He and his group, Kino, have immerged (sic) as the most popular rock group in Russia. Of course there are still problems, but fewer every day. LONG LIVE CHANCE! Peace through art and music!"
-Joanna Stingray, 1991
_ [First added to this chart: 11/06/2014]

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

218

Rank in 1988:

84

Rank in 1980s:

881

Overall Rank:

5,979

Average Rating:

 76 (46 votes)

Comments:

3

99. (=)

Ptiza (Bird) 

 АукцЫон [Auktyon]

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

"Я сам себе и небо, и луна,
Голая, довольная луна,
Я летаю где-то, только это не я.
Сам себе я."

"I'm the heaven and the moon on my own
Naked and happy moon
I'm flying somewhere but it's not me
I'm me on my own."

9/10

_ [First added to this chart: 12/06/2017]

Year of Release:

1993

Appears in:

27 charts

Rank Score:

269

Rank in 1993:

91

Rank in 1990s:

854

Overall Rank:

4,982

Average Rating:

 73 (30 votes)

Comments:

2

Total albums: 3. Page 1 of 1

Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!

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	%
Sparks	1	1%
The Magnetic Fields	1	1%
dEUS	1	1%
Einstürzende Neubauten	1	1%
Radiohead	1	1%
The Doors	1	1%
LCD Soundsystem	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

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

• Driving Albums by Arthurknight (2022)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s by Arthurknight (2022)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s by Arthurknight (2022)
• Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by paologabriel (2023)
• The BEA Friendly Chart by alelsupreme (2015)
• Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by newbands1 (2015)
• Best Artists by flamingyesdept (2023)
• PPV Overall Ranking by bea (2021)
• BEA Forum Regulars' Top 100 (2015) by HigherThanTheSun (2015)
• Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Mechalodon (2017)

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 119 ratings for this chart.

Sort ratings

• Rating
• Date updated
• Member

Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
80/100	03/19/2024 11:07	Tamthebam	550	85/100
85/100	03/05/2024 19:32	martintho	155	74/100
90/100	02/18/2024 09:24	Tuur	48	86/100
85/100	07/02/2023 08:02	MadhattanJack	155	84/100
100/100	11/10/2022 16:03	Rm12398	99	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.

• Related links:
• Top charts

Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 28 members

DiogoSRNunes

flamingyesdept

seb7

ssteve

Jameth

joshbrooker2001

sunflowerblues

O.T.

Lihini1

daftpunter

Purplepash

Lgk21

ForegroundNoise

splashfoop

Rhett

Cojo7

ShadowColossi

Amirkhosro

exileonthehell

StatSlave

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 68 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)

Rating:  

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)

Rating:  

80/100

From 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)

Rating:  

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)

Rating:  

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)

Rating:  

100/100

From 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)

Rating:  

100/100

From rubysmith 07/21/2022 11:17

Nice.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From peate754 12/21/2021 00:48

Wow Great job and very good list

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From 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)

Rating:  

95/100

From EyeKanFly 09/11/2020 16:18

I'll definitely use this for recs!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From DommeDamian 09/11/2020 08:48

Brrrrrrravo!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment

Your feedback for Top 100 Greatest Music Albums

Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!