Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
ObsoleteEntity 
I began this chart by trying to remain as objective as possible. I wanted to make a chart that highlighted the most influential music of all time, but I quickly realized that music is anything but objective. It is personal. So, simply stated, this chart is the soundtrack of my life, balanced against the objective measures of its impact on the future, the influence on others, the overall message (as I believe greatness must have a message), the consideration of being "ahead of its time", and the talent/genius it took to create and implement the vision of sound.
FYI: I could add, but will not, all the albums from Led Zep, Beatles, Hendrix, Marley, Doors, and Smiths.
There is more than one album per artist.
- Chart updated: 04/17/2021 14:45
- (Created: 03/22/2015 22:28).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 14 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 47 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Have YOU ever been to Electric Ladyland? I have. Incredible use of studio effects.
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2015]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,517
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Rank in 1960s:
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Available from
A masterpiece, a game changer.
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2015]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
40,179
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Available from
The album simply rocks. The birth of the metal mindset. The impact of this album can not be overstated. Slow Motion Punk.
[First added to this chart: 04/28/2015]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,092
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Comments:
Available from
New layers are revealed with each listen. Genius.
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2015]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
55,818
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Available from
Another masterpiece. Orchestral, if you will.
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2015]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,375
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Smooth post punk, classic rock, pop. All these descriptors are fair game for this album. I've always thought they helped create and define 80s music.
[First added to this chart: 04/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,483
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Break on through....baby. Their first album. What a great way to start.
[First added to this chart: 07/28/2015]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,329
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Available from
Camping with Kevvy!! The Wolf is unlike any other. If you listen intently, you will see that he throws everything at you, including the kitchen sink.
[First added to this chart: 06/29/2015]
Year of Release:
1962
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,249
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Available from
This album changed my views on music. I listened to it 3 to 4 times per day for a good year.
[First added to this chart: 05/31/2015]
Available from
Always a great listen. It's funny, thoughtful, introspective, with great music dancing around behind it. I recently found out that this album was actually made in 67. That mandated a move up the chart simply for the innovative factors alone.
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2015]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,511
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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 | 2 | 2% | |
| 1960s | 23 | 23% | |
| 1970s | 38 | 38% | |
| 1980s | 23 | 23% | |
| 1990s | 7 | 7% | |
| 2000s | 6 | 6% | |
| 2010s | 1 | 1% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 6 | 6% | |
| Bob Marley | 3 | 3% | |
| The Cure | 3 | 3% | |
| Neil Young | 3 | 3% | |
| The Smiths | 3 | 3% | |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 3% | |
| The Doors | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
Up 21 from 92nd to 71st |
Up 21 from 91st to 70th |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
Down 2 from 70th to 72nd |
Down 2 from 71st to 73rd |
Down 2 from 72nd to 74th |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | ObsoleteEntity | 1970s decade chart | 2021 | |
| AllMusic's Greatest Albums | musicologist97 | Custom chart | 2019 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  StefanR10 | Overall chart | 2020 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | album guru joe | Overall chart | 2013 |  |
| Most Acclaimed Music Albums | Imaybeparanoid | Custom chart | 2015 |  |
| BEA+RYM Overall Rank | Imaybeparanoid | Custom chart | 2017 | |
| An Objective Ranking of the BEA Top 100 | PaperVinnie | Custom chart | 2018 | |
| An Objective Ranking Of BEA'S Top 100... |  covecove | Custom chart | 2017 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  Brandon8 | Overall chart | 2025 | |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
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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 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 47 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/20/2025 15:23 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,090 | 86/100 |
| ! | 02/27/2022 18:47 | dougcummings | 21 | 70/100 |
| ! | 09/08/2021 19:49 | RioBravo | 200 | 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 4% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.1/100, a mean average of 88.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 14.8.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 8 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 3 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 09/08/2021 08:00 in Chart of the day (#3606): By ObsoleteEntity
BestEverAlbums 09/08/2021 08:00 in Chart of the day (#3606): By ObsoleteEntity“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by ObsoleteEntity () 1. Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968) 2. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) 3. Paranoid by Black Sabbath (1970) 4. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) 5.…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 07/01/2019 08:00 in Chart of the day (#2808): By ObsoleteEntity
BestEverAlbums 07/01/2019 08:00 in Chart of the day (#2808): By ObsoleteEntity“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by ObsoleteEntity () 1. Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968) 2. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) 3. Paranoid by Black Sabbath (1970) 4. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) 5.…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 11/21/2018 09:00 in Chart of the day (#2586): By ObsoleteEntity
BestEverAlbums 11/21/2018 09:00 in Chart of the day (#2586): By ObsoleteEntity“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by ObsoleteEntity () 1. Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968) 2. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) 3. Paranoid by Black Sabbath (1970) 4. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) 5.…”
View forum post →Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From
LedZep TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/12/2017 13:21 | #185461
LedZep TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/12/2017 13:21 | #185461
Diverse, and I haven't listened to many albums here but I like the outlook. I'm also a metal fan (at least for the criteria on this page) so I like most of your choices
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2
From
corenfro TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/29/2017 22:55 | #184538
corenfro TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/29/2017 22:55 | #184538
Love the comments. Lots of great stuff from the 60's / 70's.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2
From
AMEIER 06/01/2015 05:32 | #142787
AMEIER 06/01/2015 05:32 | #142787
Amazing list, and amazing Beatles Fan! Cheers
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2
From
Steppenwolf666 12/08/2016 12:30 | #179748
Difficult to disagree with most of your choices, a lot of good music here.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
patriciatoledo
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