Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by experiencemusic 
If you've made an albums chart for yourself, then you know how difficult it is to judge different bodies of musical work against one another. I will continue tweaking my chart to reflect ever changing musical tastes. The top ten albums are interchangeable since choosing a favorite album seems arbitrary or impossible. I hope you can discover and enjoy new music from looking at my albums chart.
NOTE: I've decided to exclude compilation, extended play, and live albums from the chart. I'm also using the one album per artist rule to give the chart a bit more diversity. I've also decided to exclude albums that have been around for less than ten years (i.e. 2012-present).
- Chart updated: 11/30/2022 05:45
- (Created: 12/06/2010 01:34).
- Chart size: 50 albums.
There are 32 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 50 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 86 out of 100 (from 67 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 49,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
These hip bohemian art schoolers created a true experimental masterpiece. This album is one of the most influential records of the sixties, despite the fact that not many people knew about them until after they broke up. Although the album sold poorly during its initial release it quickly inspired many musicians including CBGB mainstays the Ramones, Television, David Byrne, Patti Smith, along with countless others.
[First added to this chart: 12/21/2010]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
51,163
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Comments:
346
The legendary post-punk classic "Unknown Pleasures" manages to create its relentlessly dark and foreboding atmosphere by combining Ian's baritone voice with the unique stop-start drumming of Stephen Morris, Peter Hook's driving bass lines, and Bernard Sumner's aggressive guitar work. Props to producer Martin Hannett as well.
[First added to this chart: 12/21/2010]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,559
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Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" character is one of the most electric stage personas in popular music. I can put this album on at almost any point of the week/month/year and come out feeling a little better. All the songs are carefully refined to near perfection.
[First added to this chart: 12/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
55,457
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The legend himself, Noel Redding, and Mitch Mitchell are all at the top of their game on this legendary debut. Hendrix's soulful vocals and unparalleled blues guitar create a sound which is bursting with imagination.
[First added to this chart: 12/21/2010]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,062
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Enter Pink Floyd's magnum opus. Every track on this album flows effortlessly into the next. The band's relaxed yet progressive style gives the impression this record has hardly aged. You can still hear traces of their spacey psychedelic past. Every heartbeat resonates with vibrations of cosmic empathy.
[First added to this chart: 12/05/2010]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
80,644
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Comments:
6. (=)
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I just can't seem to pin down the sound of this band. Whatever they are, they became a massive influence to innumerable indie/alternative bands in the 1990's and 2000's.
[First added to this chart: 08/21/2011]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,983
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The most acclaimed record from what might be the most beloved band of the past twenty years. Another heavily praised classic well deserving of its constant adoration.
[First added to this chart: 12/05/2010]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
87,322
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What can I say about The Beatles? Possibly the most beloved rock band of all time and not without good reason. Revolver to me represents an exciting evolution in the band's sound. I hear more willingness to experiment with weird ideas and interesting song topics outside the realm of love and romance.
[First added to this chart: 12/05/2010]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
63,294
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This album brought grunge to the mainstream. A few Seattle kids team up to play the new west coast punk rock and the chemistry is undeniable. Kurt Cobain's songwriting abilities along with a desire to appeal to a wider demographic via MTV would cause an unexpected obsession with the Seattle sound.
[First added to this chart: 12/05/2010]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
45,574
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Considered by many to be the first great heavy metal band. Tony Iommi's massive guitar riffs, Geezer Butler's thick slabs of meaty bass, Bill Ward's masterful drum fills, and Ozzy's apocalyptic lyrics are all on display. This band would influence countless hard rock and heavy metal bands for decades to come. Cuts like "Iron Man" and "Paranoid" would become classic rock radio staples. A great introduction to metal for anyone not familiar with the dark side of rock music.
[First added to this chart: 12/21/2010]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,806
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Total albums: 50. Page 1 of 5
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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 2 | 4% | |
| 1960s | 10 | 20% | |
| 1970s | 10 | 20% | |
| 1980s | 11 | 22% | |
| 1990s | 12 | 24% | |
| 2000s | 5 | 10% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Björk | 1 | 2% | |
| Black Sabbath | 1 | 2% | |
| OutKast | 1 | 2% | |
| Dead Kennedys | 1 | 2% | |
| The Clash | 1 | 2% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 1 | 2% | |
| Kanye West | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 50th to 49th Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins |
| Up 1 from 49th to 48th The Glow Pt. 2 by The Microphones |
| Up 1 from 48th to 47th I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin |
| New entries |
|---|
 Everybody Knows This Is Nowhereby Neil Young & Crazy Horse |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Remain In Lightby Talking Heads |
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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums ratings
86/100 (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  | 11/28/2022 21:12 | Johnnyo | | 79/100 |
| 95/100 | 04/25/2022 08:30 | bobnickmad | | 87/100 |
| 95/100 | 10/18/2017 18:01 | animals0809 | | 93/100 |
| 100/100 | 08/18/2017 02:48 |  patriciatoledo | | 91/100 |
| 80/100 | 08/14/2017 06:46 | lobotheduck21 | | 87/100 |
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 has a Bayesian average rating of 86.5/100, a mean average of 86.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.1.
Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 2 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 32 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First | Longest Comments First
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85/100
From Johnnyo 11/28/2022 21:13
Really nice chart. Would love to see 51 - 100
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From bobnickmad 04/25/2022 08:30
One of the best charts on this site.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
thirstyDog 08/13/2017 19:56
thirstyDog 08/13/2017 19:56
Wow, nice chart! Good stuff
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
LedZep 08/13/2017 16:21
LedZep 08/13/2017 16:21
Very interesting chart as a whole, many genres and classics along with great underground choices. Descriptions are so nice too
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From platus 08/13/2017 08:27
Good start!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From LordMark 01/26/2016 08:20
11 albums in common, 7 of which are in your top 12.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
phantom1305 01/26/2016 01:30
phantom1305 01/26/2016 01:30
Great chart! I especially love your top 10! Personally, I'm not a huge Beach Boys fan, but I can appreciate it! ^^
Also love that you included Metric too!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From forzautregivo 01/25/2016 14:35
Good chart. Maybe a little bit obvious choices, but still it won't be a punishment at all if they drop me on a desert island with only these records!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
HoldenM 01/25/2016 09:25
HoldenM 01/25/2016 09:25
Amazing chart!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From BraddlesHendo 11/27/2014 10:28
Great notes on your top 10
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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