Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
Jimmy Dread 
COMPYS INCLUDED SINCE 2018. And why not?
AKA 100 LPs to Save When the World Caves In, or at least the 100 I currently have with me in my pocket squashed onto my iPhone (and hence carry everywhere). Inspired in equal parts by John Peel, my dear late mother, countless friends I've met over the years and music magazines/internet sites, as well as a couple of BEAutiful souls from this very site.
My chart is hardly definitive (strictly one album per act) and by no means representative of 'the greatest' albums per se, but certainly indicative of the LPs that mean the most to me right now. Think of me as an anorak-clad indie-popper with dreadlocks, buffalo sandals, ripped jeans and a set of glowsticks and you'd get some sort of idea of not only my musical tastes, but why I now let my wife choose my wardrobe. Constantly on the hunt for something new to make my soul sing, so if you think you can help, drop me a line. Jimmy, May 2021.
- Chart updated: 05/22/2021 21:45
- (Created: 11/04/2010 18:06).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 98 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 92 out of 100 (from 141 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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PICK - Only Shallow; FIRST HEARD: 6th Form. Noise annoys, sounds like it could have been made tomorrow. A key record to name-drop when trying to suss out someone's musical taste, I've found. Also makes me feel rather fuzzy and warm inside whilst simultaneously hurting my ears. Now some 30 years after first hearing it I've come to realise that there's nothing for me that's topped this either before or since.
[First added to this chart: 11/04/2010]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
28,506
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PICK - Northern Sky; FIRST HEARD: off back on Melody Maker CD compy, 1994. My spiritual awakening and pastoral epiphany, which also prompted me to reinvent my shopping habits and raid charity shops for vintage shirts. I always swore I'd marry any female fan of Nick Drake on the spot. Reminds me heaps of my Mum (God rest her beautiful soul) who said how lovely it was that I wasn't listening to 'loud stuff that annoyed your father' when she heard it emanating from my teenage bedroom. When my parents went out, I stuck The Fall on.
[First added to this chart: 11/04/2010]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,687
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PICK - Children's Waltz; FIRST HEARD: Friend of a friend on Facebook, oddly enough on the evening of my son's first birthday. Simply put, the most beautiful album I've ever heard in my life. Musical escapism in its purest form - stick this on (especially with your infant child in your arms, bouncing on your knee or happily strapped to the car seat playing with a maraca) and for a moment screw worrying about paying the next bill or that deadline at work - nothing matters. I simply cannot get enough of it - the mix of sunshine pop, folk balladry, sumptuous harmonies and a cover of the Sesame Street theme tune all have a place here. Dust down your Fisher Price record player, give it a spin and let your inner child run innocent and carefree for half an hour. And when life's been dealing you various kicks in the bollocks, sometimes looking at the world through a child's eyes is all you need to get you through.
[First added to this chart: 05/01/2014]
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PICK - God Only Knows; FIRST HEARD: Gap year, c.1995 (thanks to James at Debenhams). Makes so much more sense when you're in love. Aside from the music - which is heavenly, beautiful and timeless - it's one of those records that, when you're faced with umpteen different emotions going on in your life (amazingly happy/crushingly sad/mentally drained), you turn to like that old pair of trainers/sneakers you'd go to the gym in as well as wear down the pub. I've always loved Pet Sounds, and imagine it will be with me in my heart (and in my top 5) until the day my ears fall off.
[First added to this chart: 11/04/2010]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,178
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PICK - Ark Of The Covenant; FIRST HEARD: off back of Rough Trade 25 Years compy. The zenith of my roots reggae years, the best thing that the spectral hand of Lee 'Scratch' Perry ever touched, and the most spiritually uplifting album I'll ever likely listen to from start to finish.
[First added to this chart: 11/04/2010]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,746
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PICK - Blitzkrieg Bop; FIRST HEARD: Uni. Blew my mind the moment I heard it and made me chuck away every single Rave and Speed Garage CD I ever owned, for some reason.
[First added to this chart: 11/04/2010]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,897
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PICK - I Don't Owe You Anything; FIRST HEARD: Age 14. The LP that helped me through GCSE revision, made me feel I wasn't on my own, made me proud to be a swot, made my spots and lack of girlfriend seem like they didn't matter and literally saved my adolescence. I'm eternally grateful.
[First added to this chart: 11/04/2010]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,952
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PICK - Pretty Looks Isn't All; FIRST HEARD: not sure, but bought from Dub Vendor on Clapham High Street. Out of all the constituent musical styles that make up what the vast majority know as 'reggae' (a lazy term adopted by psueds and heathens for pretty much any music from Jamaica), I often viewed rocksteady with disdain. No idea why, but that soon changed when I fell in love with this, Studio One's finest hour. One of the sweetest, grooviest and most soulful records that Coxsone Dodd ever put out, which is saying something considering how much amazing stuff came out from Brentford Road. Cocktail recipe - can of Red Stripe.
[First added to this chart: 11/07/2011]
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PICK - What Goes On; FIRST HEARD: 6th Form. Bought the VU&N CD with a WHSmith voucher (consequently redeemed in Our Price) gained for winning my school's GCSE History prize. I'm sure they'd rather I'd cashed it in for Dangerfield's The Strange Death of Liberal England. Still love the debut, but this record resonates more strongly in my twee-er-than-thou heart.
[First added to this chart: 07/23/2015]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,529
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Comments:
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PICK - Fortress/Deer Park; FIRST HEARD: Play It Again, Aldershot (although Peel may have had a hand in persuading me). A total revelation, which didn't really hit home until my Mum said she loathed them and I gained an English Lit. degree. Never can decide if Hex or Grotesque deserves this spot - I love them both equally. Come back next week and check which one's currently annoying the wife most, when most likely a sudden surge in popularity (mine) will see Room To Live usurp the pair of 'em. Or maybe not - have you heard Papal Visit? Advice = don't.
[First added to this chart: 11/04/2010]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,504
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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 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 15 | 15% | |
| 1970s | 33 | 33% | |
| 1980s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1990s | 18 | 18% | |
| 2000s | 14 | 14% | |
| 2010s | 2 | 2% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Johnny Osbourne | 1 | 1% | |
| The Modern Lovers | 1 | 1% | |
| Nirvana | 1 | 1% | |
| David Bowie | 1 | 1% | |
| Ride | 1 | 1% | |
| McCoy Tyner | 1 | 1% | |
| The Heptones | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
41 | 41% | |
| |
29 | 29% | |
 |
11 | 11% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 16 from 56th to 40th Marquee Moon by Television |
| Up 10 from 38th to 28th King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown by Augustus Pablo |
| Up 7 from 96th to 89th The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 24 from 28th to 52nd The Feeding Of The 5000 by Crass |
| Down 21 from 74th to 95th Red, Yellow & Blue by Born Ruffians |
| Down 8 from 92nd to 100th ...And Don't The Kids Just Love It by Television Personalities |
| New entries |
|---|
| Scott 4 by Scott Walker |
| Extensions by McCoy Tyner |
| Crazy Rhythms by The Feelies |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Top 100 On Vinyl Challenge | Jimmy Dread | Custom chart | 2017 | |
| NME Best Albums Of All Time 2003 | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2019 | |
| NME 's 100 Best Albums Of All Time | New Music Express | Overall chart | 2003 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | Jimmy Dread | 1970s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Very Good Plus - Vital Vinyl (Collector's Edition) | Jimmy Dread | Custom chart | 2019 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Melody Maker | Overall chart | 2000 | |
| Melody Maker 100 Greatest Albums of All Time (2000) | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2019 | |
| Letting Someone Else Do a Chart for Me |  btener11 | Custom chart | 2013 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Wallerand | Overall chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  Hanshiro | Overall chart | 2019 |  |
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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 141 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/20/2025 14:40 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 01/15/2025 16:13 | Exist-en-ciel | 143 | 98/100 |
| ! | 10/15/2023 16:31 |  joyofdivision | 2 | 98/100 |
| ! | 08/13/2021 00:45 |  Anti | 356 | 87/100 |
| ! | 07/04/2021 04:08 | RioBravo | 201 | 84/100 |
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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 92.2/100, a mean average of 92.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 11.0.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 98 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
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(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From joyofdivision 10/15/2023 16:33 | #299498
joyofdivision 10/15/2023 16:33 | #299498
You cheeky monkey. Have updated my chart to include Wham!'s 'The Final', Tame Impala's 'Currents', Bob Marley & The Wailers 'Reggae Owes Me Money' and Joy Division's 'Further'
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From RioBravo 07/04/2021 04:17 | #271315
What a generous personal chart. Thank you for sharing all of that. Nice to see a fellow Room To Live fan.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Jimmy Dread 07/24/2020 17:35 | #256155
Jimmy Dread 07/24/2020 17:35 | #256155
I can sleep easily now that my chart has been validated by a Led Zeppelin fan.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
StefanR10 06/10/2020 12:29 | #253235
StefanR10 06/10/2020 12:29 | #253235
Cool album chart. I like it and gave you 90 points. Only one point Led Zeppelin is missing but ok that is my mind. But I like very much that you have THE GO! Team so i gave you for that 90 points. The Beatles are here is also ok. I can´t give you full 100 points because there other albums maybe seen on this list.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
gidgidi 08/17/2019 14:46 | #241319
gidgidi 08/17/2019 14:46 | #241319
This is absolutely amazing!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 09/17/2018 10:28 | #221202
ForegroundNoise 09/17/2018 10:28 | #221202
An absolute joy to behold.
Not sure why it took me so long to rate this chart but I'm glad I've finally found myself here. Everything I've not already reviewed added to my to do list <3
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
DeusExMackia 07/23/2018 10:09 | #218683
DeusExMackia 07/23/2018 10:09 | #218683
The Smiths' debut in the top 10, you have my approval that's for sure.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 07/21/2018 19:23 | #218620
Just realise when we were talking earlier that I hadn’t visited your chart. Kick ass man. Great diversity. Top chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From SamNassiri98 03/01/2018 18:14 | #209866
Lot of obscure stuff, should definitely check these out...
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Hayden 07/08/2017 17:19 | #193935
Hayden 07/08/2017 17:19 | #193935
Yeah... I deserved that shooting down. Glad I came around eventually. A couple of summers back it just finally clicked. Quite glad it did, I'm even finding myself still growing more appreciation over her lyrics with every listen. Anywho, thanks. Been meaning to give my chart a small revamp as of late...
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.
| Best Artists of the 1980s | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Smiths | |
| 2. Prince | |
| 3. Pixies | |
| 4. The Cure | |
| 5. Talking Heads | |
| 6. U2 | |
| 7. Metallica | |
| 8. Kate Bush | |
| 9. R.E.M. | |
| 10. The Stone Roses | |
| 11. Sonic Youth | |
| 12. Michael Jackson | |
| 13. Bruce Springsteen | |
| 14. Iron Maiden | |
| 15. Prince And The Revolution | |
| 16. Tom Waits | |
| 17. Joy Division | |
| 18. New Order | |
| 19. Talk Talk | |
| 20. Rush |
