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
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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: Sat In Your Lap, Night Of The Swallow, Get Out Of My House (though frankly this entire record ought to be under the 'best songs' section)
Weird, wild and expressive - words do not do it justice. Breathtaking but also calming, grand yet also detailed, terrifying yet also outstandingly close to the heart. It's an album for all seasons, all feelings and truly spans the musical spectrum. This is Kate Bush, the queen of avant-garde, at a seminal peak. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2018]
Weird, wild and expressive - words do not do it justice. Breathtaking but also calming, grand yet also detailed, terrifying yet also outstandingly close to the heart. It's an album for all seasons, all feelings and truly spans the musical spectrum. This is Kate Bush, the queen of avant-garde, at a seminal peak. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2018]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,634
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Comments:
56
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Best Songs: The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back To Dear Old 'Blighty), Bigmouth Strikes Again, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Oh, in all honesty, it doesn't get much better than this, does it? [First added to this chart: 10/23/2014]
Oh, in all honesty, it doesn't get much better than this, does it? [First added to this chart: 10/23/2014]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,181
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Best songs: The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, Man On The Moon, Find The River
I think it's wrong to try and divide R.E.M. into their albums; personally, their discography is such a complete, infinitely intriguing overall work, and its why its taken me literally years to put one of their records on here.
But if I had to pick one, it has to be this one. Automatic For The People reaches for something above us, above our culture and yet reaches deep into the psyche. Personal yet distant, dramatised yet honest. A numbness of modern living no one seems able to address, bottled into am album. [First added to this chart: 01/14/2021]
I think it's wrong to try and divide R.E.M. into their albums; personally, their discography is such a complete, infinitely intriguing overall work, and its why its taken me literally years to put one of their records on here.
But if I had to pick one, it has to be this one. Automatic For The People reaches for something above us, above our culture and yet reaches deep into the psyche. Personal yet distant, dramatised yet honest. A numbness of modern living no one seems able to address, bottled into am album. [First added to this chart: 01/14/2021]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,429
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Best Songs: Dreams, Don't Stop, The Chain
The benchmark for all albums. Forget the huge sales of Rumours, the music here is of a totally different class and quality. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2014]
The benchmark for all albums. Forget the huge sales of Rumours, the music here is of a totally different class and quality. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2014]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
34,134
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Best songs: Wild Is The Wind, Starman, Ziggy Stardust...but in all honesty, the whole thing just has to be experienced in one go.
If you're reading this, I'm sure you're probably little bored of all the Bowie albums on this list. But here me out - you do not get festival headline sets of this calibre very often. Glastonbury 2000 is overwhelmingly perfect, filling you with a sense that you're witnessing an elderstatesmen of all music at one of his absolute high points. Far enough into his career to take full stock of all of his best hits, performed by probably his best band ever (Gail, Earl, Mike, WHAT A COMBO) and twinkingly with that Glastonbury magic, this is peak live Bowie. I well up every time I hear the crowd cheer, it's a touching little reminder of how fucking special David Bowie was and is. [First added to this chart: 02/11/2021]
If you're reading this, I'm sure you're probably little bored of all the Bowie albums on this list. But here me out - you do not get festival headline sets of this calibre very often. Glastonbury 2000 is overwhelmingly perfect, filling you with a sense that you're witnessing an elderstatesmen of all music at one of his absolute high points. Far enough into his career to take full stock of all of his best hits, performed by probably his best band ever (Gail, Earl, Mike, WHAT A COMBO) and twinkingly with that Glastonbury magic, this is peak live Bowie. I well up every time I hear the crowd cheer, it's a touching little reminder of how fucking special David Bowie was and is. [First added to this chart: 02/11/2021]
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Best Songs: Aneurysm, Lithium, About A Girl
77 minutes of speaker-breaking pure adrenaline. [First added to this chart: 05/13/2018]
77 minutes of speaker-breaking pure adrenaline. [First added to this chart: 05/13/2018]
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Best songs: Little Red Corvette, Computer Blue, Purple Rain (just has to be heard in full frankly)
Yeah, Purple Rain the album is the peak of his studio efforts. But when it's played live, blown up to full scale, and performed the way they performed it on the night in Syracuse, new heights never before conceivable are found. 'Live' is quite simply the summation of human existence: passion, love, expression, sex, energy, more sex, life itself. That 19 minute Purple Rain is nirvana incarnate. Truly an album that makes you want to cry with joy and dance yourself into oblivion in equal measure. [First added to this chart: 10/09/2023]
Yeah, Purple Rain the album is the peak of his studio efforts. But when it's played live, blown up to full scale, and performed the way they performed it on the night in Syracuse, new heights never before conceivable are found. 'Live' is quite simply the summation of human existence: passion, love, expression, sex, energy, more sex, life itself. That 19 minute Purple Rain is nirvana incarnate. Truly an album that makes you want to cry with joy and dance yourself into oblivion in equal measure. [First added to this chart: 10/09/2023]
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Best Songs: Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, Purple Rain (honorary mention to The Beautiful Ones)
It's very difficult choosing a favourite Prince album, but this is the quintessential one after all. One of pop's most stunning, most comprehensive and outstanding events. A towering achievement of perfectly overblown production, massive guitars and equally massive synths, with Prince's showmanship on display in every single moment. The emotions are raw, the hooks are big and the delivery is biblical. Awe-inspiring and insanely entertaining. [First added to this chart: 01/14/2019]
It's very difficult choosing a favourite Prince album, but this is the quintessential one after all. One of pop's most stunning, most comprehensive and outstanding events. A towering achievement of perfectly overblown production, massive guitars and equally massive synths, with Prince's showmanship on display in every single moment. The emotions are raw, the hooks are big and the delivery is biblical. Awe-inspiring and insanely entertaining. [First added to this chart: 01/14/2019]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,470
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Best songs: How the hell am I supposed to choose three? Slippery People, Burning Down The House, Life During Wartime, Girlfriend Is Better, Take Me To The River
I'm ranking the full setlist from the film version here, as the shorter vinyl release simply doesn't do justice to what Talking Heads achieve here. Deliberate theatrics, an unbelievably powerful sense of rhythmn, and good lord, so much community and friendship on stage. Every musician here just sounds and looks like they're having the most fun they've ever had, and my god do the Talking Heads clean up when it comes to live energy. Compels you to dance no matter where you're listening to it. Awe inspiring live music perfection. [First added to this chart: 02/11/2021]
I'm ranking the full setlist from the film version here, as the shorter vinyl release simply doesn't do justice to what Talking Heads achieve here. Deliberate theatrics, an unbelievably powerful sense of rhythmn, and good lord, so much community and friendship on stage. Every musician here just sounds and looks like they're having the most fun they've ever had, and my god do the Talking Heads clean up when it comes to live energy. Compels you to dance no matter where you're listening to it. Awe inspiring live music perfection. [First added to this chart: 02/11/2021]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,477
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Best songs: Mariner's Apartment Complex, Venice Bitch, The Greatest
In all honesty, choosing even three songs from NFR! is impossible. The sheer weight of its escapism into the decaying world of the American dream and the dying hope of celebrtisied, sun-drench Californian romance is intoxicating and all consuming. Within the classic rock influenced sound and husky vocals is a record that became an instant classic the moment it graced us with its presence. Del Rey reaches out to you on the album sleeve for NFR!, welcoming you in to a world that is burning from in the inside out, both with the vapidity of California celebridom and with the wildfires strewn across the mountains in the background. I've yet to escape its desolation. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2020]
In all honesty, choosing even three songs from NFR! is impossible. The sheer weight of its escapism into the decaying world of the American dream and the dying hope of celebrtisied, sun-drench Californian romance is intoxicating and all consuming. Within the classic rock influenced sound and husky vocals is a record that became an instant classic the moment it graced us with its presence. Del Rey reaches out to you on the album sleeve for NFR!, welcoming you in to a world that is burning from in the inside out, both with the vapidity of California celebridom and with the wildfires strewn across the mountains in the background. I've yet to escape its desolation. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2020]
Year of Release:
2019
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,267
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 3 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% | |
| Nirvana | 3 | 3% | |
| The Smiths | 3 | 3% | |
| Sonic Youth | 3 | 3% | |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 3% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 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 | | 79/100 |
 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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