Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
DeusExMackia 
Yo! Thanks for checking out my list of my favourite albums ever. Like most people on BEA, I listen to an absolute ton of music, a lot of which isn't on here. This then is a list of what I consider to be give or take the best music ever made (in my humble opinion).
As of 28th November 2022, this is the rough outline:
- Positions 1 to 20 are as good as it gets. Ordered based on what I'd choose with a gun to my head, so the ones nearer the top are 'better', but it's all relative.
- 20 to ~60 are the albums I'd consider "runner-up best albums ever", a.k.a. "there's not enough room to fit everything into the top 10" and really might as well just be one big joint position.
- Everything below is structured to reflect how highly I regard it, but all can be considered "albums to listen to before you die (in my humble opinion)".
Also, the comments I have made about each album; for some records I could wax lyrical about them for days, and for others I can barely say a word. This, however, in no way determines whether I like a record more than another. And for quite a few of them, I can't even properly articulate why I love them.
For something extra, here are my favorite artists of all time. It's not properly reflected in my choice of albums.
In a rough-but-no-particular order:
The Smiths, David Bowie, Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac, R.E.M., Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Diana Ross, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Idles, Fontaines D.C., Lou Reed, Nirvana, Radiohead, New Order, The Doors, The Clash, Prince, Gorillaz, Pet Shop Boys, Suede, The Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, Madonna, Squid, Little Simz, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Pavement, Sophie, Beyoncé, Grace Jones, Lana Del Rey, Kraftwerk, FKA twigs, Slowdive, MBV, Missy Elliott
----
Update 12/11/23: Some big ol' changes in the midfield. With the leaves falling off the trees I've conveniently remembered how obsessed with Slowdive I've always been, so welcome Souvlaki to the top 20 at last. A few other big moves.
Update 21/09/23: Welcome back Wish You Were Here, gone for 2.5 years, and now back on here because I don't think life is quite right without it. Far lower than before, but that's okay. A recent spur of 60s and 70s listening for me has led to the Stones gaining a new entry, and OK Computer making a return too. Two 2010s EPs from some of the most exciting artists living today - Miss Azealia and Miss Twigs - join the mid-pack in the form of 1991 and M3LL155X respectively.
Update 28/11/22: A great purge has occurred. Wholesale reorder. New entries from across the universe. Shock and Awe in the top 20 - I've finally let go of DSOTM's number 2 spot. It better reflects who I am now and what I love. The beautiful thing with a having a list like this is the work it takes to cultivate it and keep it in tune with who you are. See the previous versions of this chart for my older notes :)
Update 21/01/22: Things continues to move with the addition of albums from 2020 and 2021. We're well on the way to seeing the records from the last 30 years outweighing the records older than 30 years.
Update 30/03/21: It's a shock twist! The Top 10 has been updated for the first time since December 2017. Truly glacial pace of change up there, and not without good reason. Lou Reed's Transformer drops 1 place to 11, and still means the world to me. Welcome in our new Number 10 album, Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. A long time in the climbing for this position, I've finally accepted that I love this album more than ranking will ever be able to quantify, and that it deserves to be up there.
Update 09/02/21: Farewell to Wish You Were Here. Tough decision, but I haven't revisited it for so long now. Having it in the Top 20 seemed hard enough, but to be honest, my taste has changed. Welcoming in Bowie's Glastonbury 2000 set and Talking Heads's Stop Making Sense. Two pieces of absolute live perfection to enjoy whilst we aren't allowed to go to real gigs.
- Chart updated: 02/20/2024 14:45
- (Created: 10/20/2014 19:43).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 23 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 54 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Best Songs: Slip, I Remember, Faxing Berlin (though to be honest, the whole album is best experienced by just playing the whole thing through)
A must-listen for all EDM fans out there; an astounding achievement and his most competent and compelling release. 72 minutes of absolute dance perfection, characterised by its minimalist aesthetic, late-night low sound and gorgeous production. [First added to this chart: 04/09/2017]
A must-listen for all EDM fans out there; an astounding achievement and his most competent and compelling release. 72 minutes of absolute dance perfection, characterised by its minimalist aesthetic, late-night low sound and gorgeous production. [First added to this chart: 04/09/2017]
3
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Best songs: DNA, HUMBLE, XXX
Objectively? No, it's not the best Kendrick album. But I can't deny how hooked I was; 2017 was spent playing this, becoming totally engrossed in the mindset and mental state of one of hip hops most prominent figures. Damn plays like the personal antithesis to Lamar's more showman-like other releases, an intrinsic and deep look at his psyche and his relationship with fame, love, money and hip hop. [First added to this chart: 03/11/2020]
Objectively? No, it's not the best Kendrick album. But I can't deny how hooked I was; 2017 was spent playing this, becoming totally engrossed in the mindset and mental state of one of hip hops most prominent figures. Damn plays like the personal antithesis to Lamar's more showman-like other releases, an intrinsic and deep look at his psyche and his relationship with fame, love, money and hip hop. [First added to this chart: 03/11/2020]
Year of Release:
2017
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,014
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Best Songs: Girls & Boys, Parklife, End Of A Century
The best thing to come out of the Oasis vs Blur feud. And let's be honest, nothing that Oasis ever did even came close to matching Blur's knack for romanticising the lack of hope for 20-somethings in the mid 90s. Parklife jaunts around yer speaks with laddy charm. [First added to this chart: 01/03/2015]
The best thing to come out of the Oasis vs Blur feud. And let's be honest, nothing that Oasis ever did even came close to matching Blur's knack for romanticising the lack of hope for 20-somethings in the mid 90s. Parklife jaunts around yer speaks with laddy charm. [First added to this chart: 01/03/2015]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,892
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Best Songs: The Logical Song, Breakfast In America, Child Of Vision
[First added to this chart: 01/08/2024]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,052
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Best songs: Search And Destroy, Gimme Danger, Raw Power
Unless you're blasting it loud enough to wake the deceased through the sh*ttest speakers you can get your hands on, you aren't doing it justice. [First added to this chart: 08/07/2018]
Unless you're blasting it loud enough to wake the deceased through the sh*ttest speakers you can get your hands on, you aren't doing it justice. [First added to this chart: 08/07/2018]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,006
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Best Songs: Trans-Europe Express, Metal On Metal, Abzug
An ultra organised celebration of everything early electronic instruments offered. One of their most majestic moments, nerdy fascination brought to life via the wonder of technological achievement. The best album about trains ever made. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2014]
An ultra organised celebration of everything early electronic instruments offered. One of their most majestic moments, nerdy fascination brought to life via the wonder of technological achievement. The best album about trains ever made. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2014]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,836
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Best Songs: So Young, Animal Nitrate, Metal Mickey
Britpop's hidden gem. Darker, deeper and a lot more tasteful than many of its contemporaries. It's a record for the slightly downtrodden and dirty-minded who want an escape into a world with people like themselves. [First added to this chart: 07/01/2018]
Britpop's hidden gem. Darker, deeper and a lot more tasteful than many of its contemporaries. It's a record for the slightly downtrodden and dirty-minded who want an escape into a world with people like themselves. [First added to this chart: 07/01/2018]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,986
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Best Songs: Smack My Bitch Up, Breathe, Firestarter
Ballistic, rocketing, hammer-swinging power. As The Prodigy worked to bring the atoms of Punk and Dance together, on The Fat Of The Land, they finally achieved fusion. A sound that may well be undeniably Big Beat and Rave, but on closer inspection, is totally unique to this record and this incredible band. Play it loud enough to let everyone know Keith Flint never really died. God I miss him. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2015]
Ballistic, rocketing, hammer-swinging power. As The Prodigy worked to bring the atoms of Punk and Dance together, on The Fat Of The Land, they finally achieved fusion. A sound that may well be undeniably Big Beat and Rave, but on closer inspection, is totally unique to this record and this incredible band. Play it loud enough to let everyone know Keith Flint never really died. God I miss him. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,480
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Best songs: People Will Always Need Coal, The Pit, You + Me
For the kings of intelligent tongue-in-cheek post rock to turn their focus to the tragedy of Welsh coal and achieve a dexterous, delicate understanding of the scale of its loss is magnificent. Everything you love about PSB is all here, but its tone is more serious and far more in depth than anything else they've ever done. At least 20% of this positioning is for 'You + Me'; even after so many listens, it still makes my cry with its poigniancy. [First added to this chart: 03/11/2020]
For the kings of intelligent tongue-in-cheek post rock to turn their focus to the tragedy of Welsh coal and achieve a dexterous, delicate understanding of the scale of its loss is magnificent. Everything you love about PSB is all here, but its tone is more serious and far more in depth than anything else they've ever done. At least 20% of this positioning is for 'You + Me'; even after so many listens, it still makes my cry with its poigniancy. [First added to this chart: 03/11/2020]
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Best songs: 745 Sticky, Money Machine, xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx
Dunno if it's contrived to call this one of the most forward thinking and relevant 21 minutes of music released in forever, but I'm fully convinced of it at this point. 21st century Gen Z anxiety and irony churned through a blender of nostalgia and erratic instrumentation. Money Machine comes within eye shot of absolute perfection and I'm fairly sure I'll rate in 100/100 within the next year. [First added to this chart: 04/08/2021]
Dunno if it's contrived to call this one of the most forward thinking and relevant 21 minutes of music released in forever, but I'm fully convinced of it at this point. 21st century Gen Z anxiety and irony churned through a blender of nostalgia and erratic instrumentation. Money Machine comes within eye shot of absolute perfection and I'm fairly sure I'll rate in 100/100 within the next year. [First added to this chart: 04/08/2021]
Year of Release:
2019
Appears in:
Rank Score:
731
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Total albums: 100. Page 10 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 3 | 3% | |
| 1970s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1980s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1990s | 20 | 20% | |
| 2000s | 7 | 7% | |
| 2010s | 25 | 25% | |
| 2020s | 7 | 7% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| David Bowie | 7 | 7% | |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 3% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 3 | 3% | |
| Nirvana | 3 | 3% | |
| The Smiths | 3 | 3% | |
| Sonic Youth | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 83rd to 84th 新しい日の誕生 [Birth Of A New Day] by 2814 |
| Down 1 from 84th to 85th Goo by Sonic Youth |
| Down 1 from 85th to 86th Galore by Kirsty MacColl |
| New entries |
|---|
 The White Roomby The KLF |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
89/100 (from 54 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 54 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
90/100  | 03/30/2024 17:17 | Johnnyo | | 80/100 |
 100/100 | 07/26/2022 00:35 | Rm12398 | | 89/100 |
| 90/100 | 07/25/2022 12:05 | wizardalien | | 88/100 |
| 90/100 | 12/07/2021 12:35 |  Cytoma | | 90/100 |
| 85/100 | 06/12/2021 14:46 | bobnickmad | | 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 4% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.3/100, a mean average of 89.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.9/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.1.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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90/100
From Johnnyo 03/30/2024 17:17
Great chart. Lovin the accompanying notes
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
AlvaroIesus 11/02/2023 09:12
AlvaroIesus 11/02/2023 09:12
So no Beatles?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Rm12398 07/26/2022 00:35
Picks are absolutely fantastic and the commentary on how your music taste changes throughout must be great to look back on from a personal perspective. Great list!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Keatownrodriguez 01/05/2021 22:37
Keatownrodriguez 01/05/2021 22:37
Any chart with this much commentary attached to it is an amazing one in my book!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Timooosterink 12/02/2019 12:17
Gorillaz! I love every chart with gorillaz!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
90/100
From rnanderson8 06/05/2019 17:15
Nice chart, I like a lot of your picks for best tracks, crazy how you're so into Bowie, only think a couple of his albums are really up there with the best of all time
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From DeusExMackia 11/13/2018 09:04
DeusExMackia 11/13/2018 09:04
@Sandinistar very good question, they're up there mainly for personal reasons, as in they have personal meaning to myself. They all mean a lot to me in one way or another.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Sandinistar 11/13/2018 01:34
Sandinistar 11/13/2018 01:34
I'm intrigued, because almost all of your Top 10 are highly regarded albums that I like okay and think are good but think are overrated because they fail as cohesive albums. Would like to understand why you think they're all great, because I'm not opposed to that view I just don't fully get it.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
ramthecowy 10/08/2018 14:42
ramthecowy 10/08/2018 14:42
Ha it's taken me long enough to figure out how this site works, but here I am bby xoxo
Love your music, you're such an inspiration, I can't wait for Saturday Night Alternative to start up again.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From ramthecowy 10/08/2018 14:40
ramthecowy 10/08/2018 14:40
Ha it's taken me long enough to figure out how this site works, but here I am bby xoxo
Love your music, you're such an inspiration, I can't wait for Saturday Night Alternative to start up again.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 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.