Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
calsper 
The difficult task of turning something as subjective as the power of music into an objective measure seems both arbitrary and heuristic if one is to avoid leaving readers with an undifferentiated overview.
In this chart I try to take into consideration certain aspects that I regard as crucial in order to rank the top 100 albums in music history, in which I believe a multifaceted approach is needed.
I rank by taking into account components of the individual album related to:
- Memories: my personal testemonies, confessions and experiences related to the music album as a listener, musician and human being
- History: the significance of music history and the vast impact and ways that single recordings have echoed throughout time as seminal artistic testamonies
- State-dependent emotion: the creative impact that I experience in listening and the emotional states that emerge during the course of the album's runtime
- Production: the soundstage, instrumentation, transparency and mastering of certain albums inducted into this chart as musical detail and presence to me is a highly enriching aspect of experiencing music.
This is a wonderful website. I am honored to be part of it and to have the privilege of being inspired by the whole-hearted music lovers in it. ..Enjoy
Best Casper
- Chart updated: 06/01/2022 08:45
- (Created: 03/09/2015 01:47).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 40 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 67 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 1990s. (Remove this filter)
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1997 was the year that Radiohead reinvented how music was to be made in the future.
OK Computer is the defining album for so many reasons and aspects: musical and lyrical matters (heavily inspired by early 70's Davis work in fusion and avantgarde and linguist genius Noam Chomsky with themes evolving around the forthcoming 21st century technology, insanity, modern life, capitalism - the list goes on and on...), production in which electronic components are deeply embedded into the soundscape, and a Thom Yorke that is utterly mastering the intertwining of feelings of isolation and depression into the music.
This is truly grandiose art at a level unsurpassed of what practically any artists have accomplished. It was not polite on me, it has grown on me heavily, and it took a considerable amount of patience (~15 focused listens) to really start to see why this, to me, is emotionally on par with Kid A.
"Paranoid Android" is so fantastic, energetic and complex with a very impressive mix so varied in terms of electronic rock components and rhythm.
Yorke has since stated that the themes, both lyrically and musically are heavily inspired by "A Day In The Life" - this hardly came as a surprise to me when I found out about this ambitious reference in songwriting and composition as this truly is one of the greatest musical works of art. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2015]
OK Computer is the defining album for so many reasons and aspects: musical and lyrical matters (heavily inspired by early 70's Davis work in fusion and avantgarde and linguist genius Noam Chomsky with themes evolving around the forthcoming 21st century technology, insanity, modern life, capitalism - the list goes on and on...), production in which electronic components are deeply embedded into the soundscape, and a Thom Yorke that is utterly mastering the intertwining of feelings of isolation and depression into the music.
This is truly grandiose art at a level unsurpassed of what practically any artists have accomplished. It was not polite on me, it has grown on me heavily, and it took a considerable amount of patience (~15 focused listens) to really start to see why this, to me, is emotionally on par with Kid A.
"Paranoid Android" is so fantastic, energetic and complex with a very impressive mix so varied in terms of electronic rock components and rhythm.
Yorke has since stated that the themes, both lyrically and musically are heavily inspired by "A Day In The Life" - this hardly came as a surprise to me when I found out about this ambitious reference in songwriting and composition as this truly is one of the greatest musical works of art. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2015]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
66,706
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
852
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"Loveless" was a huge and overwhelming experience for me that I have probably never experienced this intensely before on a first listen.
The sounds are so chaotic, yet distinctively clear in its melodies. A masterpiece in production. It took 21 different studios, a drenched amount of mastering and a bill that almost cancelled the entire release to create this masterpiece.
Kevin Shield's voice is so great on this - feminine, vulnerable, yet powerful. All of the songs I think are strong and catchy.
The album is so paradoxical, really; stripped down in basic structures, yet covered in a massive and frightening wall of sound that never allows these structures falling apart. They are drenched in layers of warped guitar noise and sampled orchestra, which keeps the lush sound echoing in my ears long after the record is finished. Foggy, really.
A masterpiece that opened my eyes to shoe-gaze for the first time. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2015]
The sounds are so chaotic, yet distinctively clear in its melodies. A masterpiece in production. It took 21 different studios, a drenched amount of mastering and a bill that almost cancelled the entire release to create this masterpiece.
Kevin Shield's voice is so great on this - feminine, vulnerable, yet powerful. All of the songs I think are strong and catchy.
The album is so paradoxical, really; stripped down in basic structures, yet covered in a massive and frightening wall of sound that never allows these structures falling apart. They are drenched in layers of warped guitar noise and sampled orchestra, which keeps the lush sound echoing in my ears long after the record is finished. Foggy, really.
A masterpiece that opened my eyes to shoe-gaze for the first time. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2015]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29,921
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 03/25/2015]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,269
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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This is the landmark record of East Coast Hip-Hop. Packed with his own experiences from Queensbridge, Queens, Nas tell stories from the heart, of good and bad, in a fashion unheard at the time.
Lyrically, it is one of the greatest as well - themes revolving around his experience of desolation and urban poverty, Nas is uncut and tells his life story with such credibility and no glamour.
The beats are super tight and consistent. "Life's A Bitch" is by far my favourite track of the record, with complex samples, and Nas' father pulling off the trumpet improvisation at the end, in fact.
I think it is one of the strongest debuts in the history of popular music; a favourite album. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2015]
Lyrically, it is one of the greatest as well - themes revolving around his experience of desolation and urban poverty, Nas is uncut and tells his life story with such credibility and no glamour.
The beats are super tight and consistent. "Life's A Bitch" is by far my favourite track of the record, with complex samples, and Nas' father pulling off the trumpet improvisation at the end, in fact.
I think it is one of the strongest debuts in the history of popular music; a favourite album. [First added to this chart: 03/10/2015]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,019
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"The Soft Bulletin" was one of the great albums that I was introduced to very recently - in late 2013, having heard quite amazing things about Wayne Coyne's musical abilities from my brother.
On my first listen, I was completely mesmerised by the soundscape of this album. It took me away in bliss longing after experiencing a presence like that every minute of life.
The songs seem childish in their lyrical progression, with Coyne often contemplating over the fragility of life, telling simple stories about being afraid to die, to experience pain metaphysically, to feel like your are disintegrating into a black void. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2015]
On my first listen, I was completely mesmerised by the soundscape of this album. It took me away in bliss longing after experiencing a presence like that every minute of life.
The songs seem childish in their lyrical progression, with Coyne often contemplating over the fragility of life, telling simple stories about being afraid to die, to experience pain metaphysically, to feel like your are disintegrating into a black void. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2015]
Year of Release:
1999
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,225
Rank in 1999:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
66. (65) 
1
1
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[First added to this chart: 03/25/2015]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,309
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 03/25/2015]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
30,155
Rank in 1995:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 03/25/2015]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,093
Rank in 1995:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 03/25/2015]
Year of Release:
1999
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,773
Rank in 1999:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 9. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 3 | 3% | |
| 1960s | 17 | 17% | |
| 1970s | 27 | 27% | |
| 1980s | 14 | 14% | |
| 1990s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2000s | 11 | 11% | |
| 2010s | 19 | 19% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Beatles | 5 | 5% | |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| Steely Dan | 3 | 3% | |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 2% | |
| Michael Jackson | 2 | 2% | |
| Daft Punk | 2 | 2% | |
| The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
51 | 51% | |
 |
31 | 31% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 25th to 26th Histoire De Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg |
| Down 1 from 26th to 27th Skylarking by XTC |
| Down 1 from 27th to 28th The Doors by The Doors |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Astral Weeksby Van Morrison |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
90/100 (from 67 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 67 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
85/100  | 03/20/2025 22:50 | SomethingSpecial | | 85/100 |
100/100 | 11/08/2022 02:33 | Larcx13 | | 86/100 |
80/100 | 11/07/2022 21:53 | Moondance | | 85/100 |
95/100 | 11/07/2022 14:04 |  flamingyesdept | | 84/100 |
 90/100 | 01/03/2022 17:10 |  Goliath | | 86/100 |
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 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.4/100, a mean average of 90.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 91.1/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.0.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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80/100
From Moondance 11/07/2022 21:57
Some terrific comments that I enjoyed reading. The chart reads like a reshuffling of the best of the best BEA rated albums - which is fine....but the chart didn't excite me like the more adventurous charts do.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 04/28/2022 12:13
DommeDamian 04/28/2022 12:13
Nærmest endnu bedre end 4 år siden.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Goliath 01/03/2022 17:11
Goliath 01/03/2022 17:11
22 in common, contains many classics, as it should.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
65/100
From 
Boltzmann 09/02/2018 11:20
Boltzmann 09/02/2018 11:20
The most PC chart I have ever seen on this site, and that’s saying something. Do you even have a taste of your own?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (1 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
100/100
From DommeDamian 11/23/2017 11:09
DommeDamian 11/23/2017 11:09
11 albums og 18 kunstnere. Vi har virkeligt meget til fælles. Fed liste og endnu bedre beskrivelser, homie
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From CharlieBarley 11/16/2017 19:57
CharlieBarley 11/16/2017 19:57
Good chart like the notes plenty of heavy hitters
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From platus 11/16/2017 18:33
very nice chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
PanheadWarrior 08/02/2017 22:33
PanheadWarrior 08/02/2017 22:33
A lot of great albums and some albums I will have to check out! I liked reading your album reviews. Very good stuff!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From LedZep 05/01/2017 12:18
LedZep 05/01/2017 12:18
It's got all the classics but that's just it, not a single choice I didn't see on basically every chart ever. This is good and bad at the same time. The second thing is that I don't like some of the choices, but descriptions compensate for that. Not that diverse, but still very charming. I'm confused.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From 
Liedzeit 04/28/2017 07:52
Liedzeit 04/28/2017 07:52
Too many albums that everybody seems to like, for my taste. No wonder it resembles the Top 100 rearranged most. Only 2 2digits albums (in less than 100 charts). This is hard too understand for me. There is joy in loving albums that are obscure.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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