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 97 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 92 out of 100 (from 140 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
Log in or create an account to rate this chart, leave comments or join the discussion.
Available from 
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:
26,552
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
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:
5,359
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
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]
Available from
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:
36,297
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
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:
1,634
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
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:
6,835
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
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:
7,618
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
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]
Available from
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:
11,987
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
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:
1,421
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
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 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Fall | 1 | 1% | |
| Dungen | 1 | 1% | |
| Richard David James | 1 | 1% | |
| Novos Baianos | 1 | 1% | |
| The Beatles | 1 | 1% | |
| Love Joys | 1 | 1% | |
| The Stone Roses | 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 |
Up 10 from 38th to 28th |
Up 7 from 96th to 89th |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
Down 24 from 28th to 52nd |
Down 21 from 74th to 95th |
Down 8 from 92nd to 100th |
| New entries |
|---|
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 | |
| Melody Maker 100 Greatest Albums of All Time (2000) | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2019 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Melody Maker | Overall chart | 2000 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Wallerand | Overall chart | 2021 | |
| Letting Someone Else Do a Chart for Me |  btener11 | Custom chart | 2013 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  Hanshiro | Overall chart | 2019 |  |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Creating an account is quick, easy and FREE!
Join 50,000+ music fans
- Join a community of over 50,000 music fans.
- Create & share your own charts.
- Influence the overall album rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Unlock Dark Mode and other member features.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- And much more.
Join now It only takes a moment.
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 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 140 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/20/2025 14:40 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,090 | 86/100 |
| ! | 01/15/2025 16:13 | Exist-en-ciel | 166 | 97/100 |
| ! | 10/15/2023 16:31 |  joyofdivision | 2 | 98/100 |
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.
Please log in or create an account if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing latest 10 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 40 members
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 19 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 06/10/2020 08:00 in Chart of the day (#3153): By Jimmy Dread
BestEverAlbums 06/10/2020 08:00 in Chart of the day (#3153): By Jimmy Dread“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Jimmy Dread () 1. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine (1991) 2. Bryter Layter by Nick Drake (1971) 3. Sing For Very Important People by The Free Design (1970) 4. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys (1966) 5. Heart Of The Congos by The Congos (1977) 6.…”
View forum post →From Jimmy Dread 03/21/2016 18:10 in Who has the best chart?
Jimmy Dread 03/21/2016 18:10 in Who has the best chart?“I wish that when everyone was listing their favorite charts, they'd provide links for quick access while I'm perusing this thread.. just sayin'.. Here you go then mate (apologies if I've missed any that have been mentioned - just done overalls). Should keep you busy for a while:”
View forum post →From 
benpaco 01/01/2015 23:02 in BEUA Nominations: Best charts
benpaco 01/01/2015 23:02 in BEUA Nominations: Best charts“BEUA Nominations: Best charts”
View forum topic (2 mentions) →Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 5 comments | Show all 97 comments |
Top Comments First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Showing comments with any number of votes. Manage Profile)
Top Comments First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Showing comments with any number of votes. Manage Profile)
From
Space-Dementia 06/22/2017 17:56 | #193027
Space-Dementia 06/22/2017 17:56 | #193027
This is a brilliant chart. After reading through some of your Music Diaries entries and your comments for these albums, you really have a knack for putting how you feel about music into words. It's really difficult to do and it's definitely something I need to work on, but for you it seems as if it comes with minimum effort. I respect that so much. Fantastic mix of classic popular albums and picks from bands I've never heard of.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 4
From
Patman360 07/03/2013 23:56 | #80403
Patman360 07/03/2013 23:56 | #80403
Your notes make for a fantastic read, among the best on this site easily and some sublime choices, bravo!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 4
From
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 07/07/2016 19:03 | #170808
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 07/07/2016 19:03 | #170808
This is an outstanding chart. Obviously there are great albums here such as Pet Sounds and Zen Arcade. But it's the comments that really make this chart sing. Love the personal touch of your remembering when you first heard these albums!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 3
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
From
pa 10/17/2016 12:39 | #177023
pa 10/17/2016 12:39 | #177023
Jim <3
thank u so much mate, your rating was such a lovely surprise ;)
...and your chart is gorgeous, so many beautiful and interesting picks :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2
What do you think of this chart? Join the conversation!!
Log in or create an account to rate this chart, leave comments or join the discussion.
