Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
Infinity183 
- Chart updated: 07/19/2017 16:45
- (Created: 10/13/2014 09:43).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 19 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 41 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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On his original breakthrough album (before Born in the U.S.A.), the Boss transforms down-on-luck adolescence in his native New Jersey into a thunderous epic of lucid narratives and compellingly poignant characterizations.
[First added to this chart: 10/20/2014]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,364
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After taking a darker and more experimental turn on Never For Ever, Kate Bush goes yet another step further here, taking risks that should result in catastrophe, yet instead carry an endless tone of intrigue thanks to the artist's uniquely playful songwriting.
[First added to this chart: 10/20/2014]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,292
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An electronic symphony of unmatched creativity and seamless development from track to track. Each song on this journey of experimental pop is definable in its own right, not one falling short of excellence. This is the only album I have on which I can give perfect scores to every single song, even if the above entries outmatch this one through the strength of their standout tracks. It's absolutely tragic that Prince departed for the afterworld as soon as he did because this album alone proves he was one of the single most talented musicians to ever grace the planet.
[First added to this chart: 10/20/2014]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,914
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Easily one of the best post-punk/new wave records of the early 80s. Propelled largely by Matt Johnson's low, scathing voice and adrenalized lyrics, this sonically adventurous album is consistently fresh and fun to listen to.
[First added to this chart: 04/15/2016]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,792
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This EP is markedly different from this group's other releases, lacking the sludgy, distorted guitars for a more stripped down approach, but the results are beautifully effective.
[First added to this chart: 03/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,049
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Thom Yorke's hum-singing isn't traditionally what I enjoy in a vocalist, but with the hauntingly melodious material he's given here, he sounds incredibly organic. This has all of the same majesty as Oasis' sophomore album from the same year, but topped off with a brooding seriousness that doesn't overstate anything. Like other entries here such as Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, The Score, and Butterfly, this album creates a lucid world around its already great base songs through subtle background sound effects and instrumental layers, making it a lot more three-dimensional that other releases of the same genre.
[First added to this chart: 04/22/2015]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29,103
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Steely Dan continues to up the ante by delivering a lavish record steeped in jazz tendencies and pensive lyrics. The marriage between Donald Fagen's smooth, cool vocals and sophisticated musical progressions has never sounded so accomplished as it does here. This is one of my most-listened to albums ever, as its complex soundscapes are very easy to fall upon whenever times get tough.
[First added to this chart: 10/20/2014]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,101
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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This album is every single good thing about 21st century pop condensed into one. These songs are romance-driven, yet in a saucy, empowering, and snazzy style. The production is ace, with several subtle countermelodies and a variety of slick electronic instruments that provide immense development and scope to relatively straightforward and accessible compositions. Rachel Stevens' only writing credit here is for "Funny How," but she nonetheless definitely plays a vital role to this album's excellence, charismatically fueling both a tender serenity as well as a sassy regality in her vocals that animates already great source material to legendary heights. This is truly a pop gem; it may be fairly obscure, but the originality, freshness, and consistency of its tracks give it an endless replay value for me personally.
[First added to this chart: 04/29/2017]
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It took me a bit of time to fully appreciate this, but now I finally consider it one of the quintessential albums of the 90s. The songs here vary from intense, to ominous, to strange, to haunting, to beautiful and embody the whole ebb and flow of the human condition.
[First added to this chart: 04/15/2016]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
63,635
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Simply a visceral, heavy, and endlessly ambitious record that put Zeppelin on the map and laid the foundation of the rougher, rawer, and more sophisticated rock albums of the 70's.
[First added to this chart: 10/20/2014]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,928
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Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 6 | 6% | |
| 1970s | 36 | 36% | |
| 1980s | 31 | 31% | |
| 1990s | 17 | 17% | |
| 2000s | 8 | 8% | |
| 2010s | 1 | 1% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Steely Dan | 6 | 6% | |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 5% | |
| Kate Bush | 5 | 5% | |
| Billy Joel | 5 | 5% | |
| Talking Heads | 5 | 5% | |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 3% | |
| Stevie Wonder | 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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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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 41 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/24/2025 09:52 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 12/15/2021 17:13 |  Goliath | 351 | 86/100 |
| ! | 10/29/2020 22:50 |  DommeDamian | 1,004 | 89/100 |
| ! | 02/25/2018 01:31 |  hereforashortime | 84 | 84/100 |
| ! | 02/03/2018 01:44 | iannicolson | 309 | 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 has a Bayesian average rating of 86.8/100, a mean average of 87.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.0/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.6.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 19 comments |
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From DommeDamian 10/29/2020 22:50 | #259927
DommeDamian 10/29/2020 22:50 | #259927
100/100 you deserve it. Nuff said.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
CharlieBarley 02/03/2018 00:21 | #207043
CharlieBarley 02/03/2018 00:21 | #207043
It's a clear 100. A very eclectic collection of albums. Brilliant to see so much 80s pop alongside rock and indie. Good to see Debbie Gibson, I nearly put that album on one of my charts, now I think I will.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
LedZep 02/02/2018 11:56 | #206995
LedZep 02/02/2018 11:56 | #206995
Really interesting and diverse. Love the comments!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
O.T. 12/10/2017 12:25 | #202907
O.T. 12/10/2017 12:25 | #202907
There's a love for music in this.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From RandolphCarterJr 07/19/2017 05:30 | #194579
Awesomely diverse list!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
authorunknown 07/18/2017 20:34 | #194541
authorunknown 07/18/2017 20:34 | #194541
Fantastic chart. Love the variety; Steely Dan, Billy Joel and Toto in the same chart as The The, Alice in Chains and Radiohead. You don't see that every day!
In any case - all high class music, and some interesting stuff I haven't checked out yet.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From dethguy1 07/18/2017 16:00 | #194528
Pretty good
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From ecwashere 07/08/2017 07:23 | #193918
Great chart! Not often you see Debbie Gibson and Black Sabbath on the same chart:)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From LordMark 05/09/2016 09:37 | #165514
17 albums in common. Great comments.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
HoldenM 05/09/2016 08:26 | #165512
HoldenM 05/09/2016 08:26 | #165512
Just a solid chart from top to bottom.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of 1985 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Kate Bush | |
| 2. Tom Waits | |
| 3. Dire Straits | |
| 4. The Smiths | |
| 5. The Jesus And Mary Chain | |
| 6. Tears For Fears | |
| 7. The Cure | |
| 8. The Replacements | |
| 9. Prefab Sprout | |
| 10. The Pogues | |
| 11. Marillion | |
| 12. New Order | |
| 13. Hüsker Dü | |
| 14. The Fall | |
| 15. The Waterboys | |
| 16. R.E.M. | |
| 17. Talking Heads | |
| 18. Prince | |
| 19. Prince And The Revolution | |
| 20. The Cult |
