Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by zgarrison88 Unknown

Music ought to serve us. It ought to help us explore ourselves and the world we live in. It ought to express the true excitements of life. It ought to bring clarity to our lives by capturing a moment, an emotion, something beyond ourselves.

These are the Top 100 Albums, in my opinion, that do that best--combining high quality music with the ability to leave the listener better off than when they started.

There are 14 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 30 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1960s. (Remove this filter)

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Buy album United States
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Genre: Art Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Top Tracks: Heroin, Venus in Furs

Lyrically, this is an honest look at life's underbelly: drugs, prostitution, relationships gone wrong. Musically, it's like nothing you've ever heard. Makes for a one-of-a-kind listening experience.

Best Line: “I don't know just where I'm going
But I'm gonna try for the kingdom, if I can”
[First added to this chart: 03/24/2016]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
46,439
Rank in 1967:
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Genre: Rock
Top Tracks: Come Together, Here Comes the Sun, You Never Give Me Your Money - The End

This was the end of the Beatles, and they all knew it. It strikes the perfect balance of what the Beatles had always been and lets them go out on the best high note in music history.

Best Line: “Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right”
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2016]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
65,783
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Buy album United States
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Genre: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Top Tracks: Alone Again Or, A House Is Not a Motel

Released in the Summer of Love, this album is "grim but blissful", from an artist "who intuitively understood that letting the sunshine in wouldn't instantly vaporize the world's (or his own) dark stuff". That being said, the sunshine certainly came through.

Best Line: “This is the only thing that I am sure of
And that's all that lives is gonna die
And there'll always be some people here to wonder why"
[First added to this chart: 01/24/2019]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,259
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Buy album United States
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Genre: Progressive Pop, Chamber Pop
Top Tracks: Wouldn't It Be Nice, That's Not Me, God Only Knows, Caroline No

As one writer said, this is an album filled with "sad songs about loneliness and heartache; sad songs even about happiness." An essential listen that, despite its content, sure cheers me up anyway.

Best Line: “Wouldn't it be nice if we were older?
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long
And wouldn't it be nice to live together
In the kind of world where we belong?”
[First added to this chart: 03/27/2016]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
45,191
Rank in 1966:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Genre: Folk Rock
Top Tracks: Visions Of Johanna, I Want You, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands

Another Dylan classic that merits praise for getting the listener to really think, even if they're not really sure what on earth they're thinking about.

Best Line: “To live outside the law, you must be honest"
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2016]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,875
Rank in 1966:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Genre: Progressive Rock
Top Tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man, The Court Of The Crimson King
Parental Advisory: EXPLICIT - (21st Century Schizoid Man)

The album that started Prog-Rock is infused with allusions to the Vietnam War, elements of folklore, and epic instrumental sections. One of a kind.

Best Line: “Death seed, blind man's greed
Poets' starving, children bleed
Nothing he's got he really needs
Twenty-first century schizoid man”
[First added to this chart: 03/24/2016]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
31,840
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Genre: Folk Rock
Top Tracks: Like A Rolling Stone, Ballad of a Thin Man, Desolation Row
Parental Advisory: RELIGIOUS EXCLAMATION - (Ballad of a Thin Man)

The album that "started" the 1960s is so densely poetic that he's either a lyrical genius or talking complete nonsense. Either way, this album has proved itself to be timeless.

Best Line: “They’re selling postcards of the hanging
They’re painting the passports brown
The beauty parlor is filled with sailors
The circus is in town”
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2016]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
31,301
Rank in 1965:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Genre: Psychedelic Pop
Top Tracks: Care of Cell 44, This Will Be Our Year, Time of The Season

This album is 95% about love, and 5% about the horrors of World War I. Gotta give them credit, it works. Even with the lines about how the singer's whole body won't stop shaking in terror, this album provides an extremely pleasant, happy-go-lucky listening experience.

Best Line: “The warmth of your love's like the warmth of the sun
And this will be our year, took a long time to come”
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2019]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,425
Rank in 1968:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Genre: Avant-garde Jazz

This is jazz at its very best. A masterpiece from the extremely talented John Coltrane, dedicated to his Supreme Love.

Best Line: "A love supreme"
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2019]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,184
Rank in 1965:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
Genre: Folk, Blues
Top Tracks: Blowin' In The Wind, Masters Of War, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Parental Advisory: SEXUAL CONTENT - (I Shall Be Free)

Dylan’s first commercially successful venture has several absolute gems to offer. Prominently tackling themes about the Civil Rights Movement and heartbreak, this early record is lyrically much less abstract than his later work and a true folk classic.

Best Line: “The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind”
[First added to this chart: 03/27/2016]
Year of Release:
1963
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,605
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Total albums: 13. Page 1 of 2

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade Albums %


1930s 0 0%
1940s 1 1%
1950s 3 3%
1960s 13 13%
1970s 20 20%
1980s 5 5%
1990s 12 12%
2000s 24 24%
2010s 21 21%
2020s 1 1%
Artist Albums %


Bob Dylan 5 5%
Radiohead 5 5%
Switchfoot 4 4%
Josh Garrels 4 4%
Sufjan Stevens 3 3%
Pink Floyd 3 3%
U2 3 3%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 60 60%
United Kingdom 27 27%
Canada 4 4%
Australia 3 3%
Ireland 3 3%
Mixed Nationality 2 2%
Jamaica 1 1%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 98 98%
Yes 2 2%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Climber Up 1 from 96th to 95th
Where The Light Shines Through
by Switchfoot
Biggest fallers
Faller Down 1 from 95th to 96th
Vice Verses
by Switchfoot

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
88/100 (from 30 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
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 30 ratings for this chart.

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RatingDate updatedMemberChart ratingsAvg. chart rating
 
95/100
 Report rating
12/25/2021 07:00 craab  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1495/100
 
80/100
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11/29/2021 12:42 Cytoma  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 17190/100
 
85/100
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11/25/2021 16:40 Tamthebam  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 54985/100
  
100/100
 Report rating
11/25/2021 13:20 desh79  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,28193/100
  
90/100
 Report rating
02/25/2021 02:51 RoundTheBend  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 37392/100

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 12% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 87.8/100, a mean average of 85.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 17.1.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 14 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:  
95/100
From 12/25/2021 07:00
I love the values vision of your chart. Thank you! I LOVE Switchfoot, and am glad to see another fan out there on BEA! Based on your chart, I think you should check out the Hold Steady album: Separation Sunday.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 02/24/2021 20:39
Illinois is so deserving of a number 1 spot. Nice chart
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 02/24/2021 17:05
What a beautiful and honest chart! Love it!!
Strong to your beliefs this is good.
Also enjoyed seeing Switchfoot getting the credit they deserve. Cheers
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
65/100
From 01/27/2021 01:24
The joy of music is how varied it is and how different people's tastes are. Fascinating list. I've never seem one before with so many Christmas based albums in it. I liked your notes indicating what genre each album was in. And as you said, 'what makes the best music for each one of us is it's ability to leave us feeling better off than when they started'.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 11/19/2020 23:21
You like it epic.
Good list
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 11/12/2020 03:45
what is Switchfoot?
the rest good
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
5/100
From 04/17/2020 07:03
This comment is beneath your viewing threshold.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -5 votes (0 helpful | 5 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 04/16/2020 23:59
Pretty good! You cant go wrong with these albums
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 04/16/2020 19:36
you have alot of great albums and a few surprises.
im definitely going to have to listen to switchfoot- since you give it such high value.
i think all the critics/members will be faced with this observation.
But, thank you, for making me aware of switchfoot. i hope it is as good as you think it is.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 10/09/2019 13:02
Love your list. Need to check out Switchfoot, though
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1987
1. The Joshua Tree by U2
2. Appetite For Destruction by Guns N' Roses
3. Sign 'O' The Times by Prince
4. Strangeways, Here We Come by The Smiths
5. You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr.
6. Document by R.E.M.
7. Bad by Michael Jackson
8. Music For The Masses by Depeche Mode
9. Sister by Sonic Youth
10. Hysteria by Def Leppard
11. Substance 1987 by New Order
12. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure
13. Kick by INXS
14. Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths
15. Darklands by The Jesus And Mary Chain
16. Come On Pilgrim by Pixies
17. Paid In Full by Eric B. & Rakim
18. Diesel And Dust by Midnight Oil
19. Tango In The Night by Fleetwood Mac
20. Tunnel Of Love by Bruce Springsteen
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