Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by corenfro Unknown

*Not necessarily in order yet beyond the top 10-20 or so*

I'm going to try to do the "one album per artist" as much as it pains me to do so. Shoutout to the many albums by The Who, The Beach Boys, Miles Davis, Radiohead, Marvin Gaye, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, David Bowie, Yes, Genesis, and Kendrick Lamar. Some of them were VERY hard to pick a "only album from X artist" since some have 2 (or more) really important albums w/ vastly different stories that deserve inclusion (smile vs. pet sounds, tommy vs. who's next, kid a vs. ok computer, to pimp a butterfly vs. good kid madd city, lonerism vs. currents, sgt. pepper vs. others, kind of blue vs. bitches brew). But until I can unlock decade charts I must do this to fit a wider variety of music (there are well over 100 great albums that I really want to consider a top 100 album).

On a site littered with contrarians I actually tried to make a "top greatest music albums" list as opposed to a "top obscure albums you've never heard of" list. Because of this, when choosing which album from an artist to include, I generally err on the side of the more euphonic record when in doubt.

Hipsters and snobs: feel free to downvote at how mainstream I am.

There are 36 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 72 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.

Share this chart
Share | |
Collector's summaryLog in or register to discover the great albums that are missing from your music collection!
Sort by
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
I logged in here just to update this chart after discovering Cocteau Twins because I think they may be one of the most criminally underrated bands of all time. This album should be the benchmark for production style of guitar textures and layering because they sound absolutely terrific. They create a buttery smooth yet robust soundscape that you get get lost in.

It should also set the benchmark for great vocal melodies, harmonies and terrific songwriting. The notes that she hits are the notes that you want to hear and not in a way that they're predictable or trite. The notes will be nice and then a couple quick accent notes will come along and just propel the song into a higher dimension. Or a good little melody will come in and then go to another part w/ another different melody and then they will combine them together with great success and synergy. Unlike other artists who attempt this technique, it's not done in a way that makes the build up to the climax seem like a chore.
[First added to this chart: 03/30/2018]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,834
Rank in 1990:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
12. (11) Down1
Ireland U2
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Disclaimer, I had listened to this album a substantial number of times before I saw visual evidence of the terribleness of Bono’s mullet in the 80’s. I try to keep my opinion of things unbiased by things as silly as a terrible mullet, but I can’t unsee what I’ve seen.

Is there a more life-affirming album than The Joshua Tree? Bono’s soaring voice and with The Edge’s great guitar delays and effects take the listener through a spiritual, socially conscious atmosphere of the most intense of human feeling. The Joshua Tree is like breathing clean air. It was meant to be listened to while driving across America, and has an intensely personal meaning to me as the album first came to life for me while driving through Colorado’s mountains after a breakup. Songs like “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “With or Without You” paint a picture of someone in transition.

But in all the desolation of some of the topics of the album: death, loss, heroin addiction, discontent, there is one unbreakable theme of this album: hope. U2’s unbreakable mission of hope is on full display on this album. The songs are dripping with a sense of seeking spiritual renewal. If you close your eyes and listen to Bono’s beautiful tenor, and some of the best guitar work in rock that doesn’t distract with lengthy solos, you might just find some spiritual renewal on the Joshua Tree.
[First added to this chart: 06/07/2015]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,874
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
The first half of this album is absolutely incredible. This album was instantly nostalgic for me even after only a few listens. A unique and immensely emotional indie art rock record that has no equal.

I don't have an explanation for why I like this album so much, I honestly don't. There's nothing musically original or stylistically profound on here, it just has this soul-wrenching quality to it I can't explain. Even on the less profound songs on the back end I feel my spirit moved.

To me this is heads over heels his best record and the Bon Iver sound at it's finest.
[First added to this chart: 06/07/2015]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,269
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
The greatest album from the greatest band in the history of music? Not quite.

As much as I've tried to hold to my "Beatles are overrated" mantra, their music is too good and their place history in music too significant for me to not have a Beatles album in the top 10.

This is their response to Wilson's "Pet Sounds" and they experiment with so many ideas on here. For the most part they pan out: "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" is a tremendous exploration of new concepts and "studio as instrument" whereas "Within you or Without you" is Harrison's follow up to a similar song on Revolver (Love you to) and it attempts to incorporate strings with Indian classical styles - overstays it's welcome slightly even if it's ultimately successful overall.

Paul is at the top of his songwriting prowess with the infections melodies, catchy bass lines and a nice assist by George with some great guitar work on "Fixing a Hole". Similarly John is at the top of his game on "A Day in the Life" with it's string arrangements and psychedelic feel of the vocals and an assist from Paul in the middle section keeping it from being too ominous.

And the pop-songs on here are just what you expect from the Beatles: super catchy. Beatle-esque pop-sensibilities have spawned hundreds of thousands of trite imitators over the decades following the release. However, the Beatles are mostly unsurpassed in their solid discography of mostly-successful blending of pop and high art. On top of that this is the quintessential psychedelic experience. I wouldn't go so far as to say they are the greatest musical act ever, or the 20th century modern beethoven or mozart, but there's a reason others think that, and a reason they're the best selling band in history.
[First added to this chart: 05/15/2016]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
50,823
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
15. (14) Down1
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Songwriting clinic and incredibly unique voice and tremendous vocal work. Minimalism at it's best. Every song is delicate and precious and Joni's vocal lines are apt to get stuck in your head for weeks at a time. [First added to this chart: 05/15/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,075
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Magdalena Bay are crazy underrated. Think Charli XCX / PC Music hyperpop, but remove some of the more annoying parts and keep the parts that make hyperpop so great, then combine them with the best elements of vaporwave and house, and get a great modern sounding synthpop album, with all the adornments of the 2010s Grimes sound, with a little Caroline Polachek sprinkled in.

Oh, and did I mention it's a concept album? I think it works decently well (the mercurial world) but what's even more impressive than the thematic cohesion is how MUSICALLY the tracks fit and transition so well together that we really get something that feels like it's greater than a collection of tracks.

The production (done by Magdalena Bay themselves, including the mixing and mastering) is also top notch, the arrangements are fantastic. Want to know how a Mag Bay song is produced? They stream nearly every week, often go into the raw DAW mix, then upload them to youtube, in addition, they have a really unique social media presence with the aesthetic of their TikTok's and videos uploaded to youtube. They nearly have a music video for every song, and despite this being their debut album, they have a ridiculous amount of EP's and associated videos that are really well done and creative.

Magdalena Bay has unlimited talent and potential and I can't wait to see what they do next.
[First added to this chart: 11/07/2022]
Year of Release:
2021
Appears in:
Rank Score:
781
Rank in 2021:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
17. (16) Down1
LP1 
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
This record sounds like the future. Twigs' sound is not for everyone, but for those who "get it" it sounds fantastic. This was the soundtrack for visiting my girlfriend when we started dating. This blend of seductive, euphoric, sadistic, dysfunctional, beautiful alternative R&B is difficult to pin down to a genre. There's stuff on here that sounds like a chant from the 1300's or something out of post-modernist Philip Glass's catalog (whom she admits she is a fan of). Little motifs here and there show Twigs musical catalog goes back not decades but centuries.

It goes from being enormously complex, to being musically quite simple. One of the highlights: "Two Weeks" is 3 predictable chords, but her vocal melodies and dense production makes it feel much more mysterious. Other times (Pendulum) she will keep the song fairly simple, then open it up with a couple new chords in a progression or modulate the key briefly and that opens up the song and the soundscape immensely.

This is a personal record, and I don't expect to be able to defend this against some of the timeless classics I have it ranked above, but to me it's a fantastic sounding groundbreaking record.
[First added to this chart: 05/15/2016]
Year of Release:
2014
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,418
Rank in 2014:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Could just as easily gone with "Songs in the Key of Life" - Stevie Wonder's colorful soul and stretch of music from 72-76 is absolutely phenomenal. [First added to this chart: 06/07/2015]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,940
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
My favorite Jazz artist. First time I heard this I thought "this is the best jazz has to offer" and despite may great jazz records by Mingus, Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, and others, this is still as good as it gets.

Could have gone with "Bitches Brew" - while quite different in it's impact is was almost as revolutionary.
[First added to this chart: 06/07/2015]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,032
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Whenever I rank a Kanye album I always reduce the ratings for each song from how I truly feel, then even when I average out my ratings for the songs to get a baseline for the album rating, then I adjust for "overall" feeling, and again dock Mr. West.

Why?
I don't *want* to like Kanye. His public persona is so polarizing, and lets be honest, he says some pretty crazy stuff. BUT, when I listen to his music I get a different story. Each Kanye album has lyrics that are both abysmal and genius, sometimes simultaneously. This is true. However, he clearly sees music in color, and the production on this thing is great. From King Crimson to Aphex Twin his ability to make unlikely samples work together well is on full display here.

I think MBDTF was the pinnacle of his career, the perfect in-between from thoughtful, socially aware Kanye, to completely insane self-obsessed Kanye Kardashian whose rants have eclipsed almost anything useful that he can say. That said, Kanye is the artist who I want to dislike but secretly love. He deserves a spot on this list. I even want myself to pick a more "appropriate" Kanye album like Late Registration or College Dropout, but I picked Beautiful Fantasy because it best represents my love/hate Kanye. I hope he gets the support he needs.
[First added to this chart: 06/07/2015]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
26,143
Rank in 2010:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 2 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 1 1%
1960s 14 14%
1970s 24 24%
1980s 10 10%
1990s 14 14%
2000s 18 18%
2010s 17 17%
2020s 2 2%
Artist Albums %


Massive Attack 1 1%
Jethro Tull 1 1%
The Who 1 1%
Simon & Garfunkel 1 1%
Brand New 1 1%
Marvin Gaye 1 1%
Beyoncé 1 1%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 57 57%
United Kingdom 28 28%
Canada 5 5%
Mixed Nationality 3 3%
Iceland 2 2%
Germany 1 1%
Japan 1 1%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 98 98%
Yes 2 2%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Climber Up 2 from 8th to 6th
To Pimp A Butterfly
by Kendrick Lamar
Climber Up 1 from 10th to 9th
Igor
by Tyler, The Creator
Climber Up 1 from 6th to 5th
Forever Changes
by Love
Biggest fallers
Faller Down 3 from 4th to 7th
Pet Sounds
by The Beach Boys
Faller Down 2 from 9th to 11th
Heaven Or Las Vegas
by Cocteau Twins
Faller Down 1 from 7th to 8th
The Dark Side Of The Moon
by Pink Floyd

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)


Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!


Why register?


Register now - it only takes a moment!

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
90/100 (from 72 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
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 72 ratings for this chart.

Sort ratings
RatingDate updatedMemberChart ratingsAvg. chart rating
  
85/100
 Report rating
01/01/2024 07:49 Moondance  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 45584/100
  
90/100
 Report rating
01/26/2023 02:03 Rm12398  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 9989/100
  
85/100
 Report rating
01/25/2023 20:56 MadhattanJack  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 15684/100
  
90/100
 Report rating
01/25/2023 13:11 Tamthebam  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 55385/100
  
90/100
 Report rating
01/25/2023 10:42 Johnnyo  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,01480/100

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 90.2/100, a mean average of 89.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 13.8.

Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

Showing all 7 members who have added this chart as a favourite

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 36 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)

Rating:  
90/100
From 01/25/2023 10:43
Love the note accompanying this entries. Don’t agree with the one album per artist thing but that’s a personal choice. Not going to criticise you for that. Great chart
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 01/25/2023 10:06
Nice chart with a fairly even split across the decades (which is not something you see that often). Overall, a bit too USA focussed ~ and only one album from south of the Equator....
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 08/15/2020 13:53
Very good selection of classic rock albums. Particularly Tommy and Moody Blues. I don't know why you never see Tommy too much anymore. I guess it's not as popular as it used to be for some strange reason.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 07/25/2020 16:39
I find it difficult to condone the one album per artist thing, seems arbitrary to me, what's the rational? I agree with you on the 'top obscure albums you've never heard of' comment, this site is full of charts containing albums that make me think, can those albums really be favorites or just 'clever' picks?
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 07/19/2020 09:54
YOU GET A FAVORITE FROM ME!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 07/19/2020 09:52
Remarkable descriptions, great chart!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 03/08/2020 04:24
27 artists in common! That's a bunch! Great chart!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 01/02/2020 00:45
A lot of work has clearly gone into this. incredible
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 01/02/2020 00:09
I don't really think this is "too mainstream" or anything. Cocteau Twins & Love in the top ten prove that enough on their own. Not sure where you're getting the idea that everyone is having an obscurity contest, this chart is pretty standard -- especially considering the most similar chart to it is "If the BEA chart had a one album per artist rule"

No problems or anything, I just think your hostility towards obscure music seems a bit unwarranted.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 01/01/2020 19:58
Brilliant, detailed, and varied. Maybe not my taste but it is exactly the kind of chart this site needs more of. Fantastic!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment

Your feedback for Top 100 Greatest Music Albums

Anonymous
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
Log in or register to assign a rating or leave a comment for this chart.
Recent Member  Charts
1. Top 6 Music Albums of 2000 by Tuur (2024)
2. Top 57 Music Albums of 1965 by Leonard (2024)
3. Top 89 Music Albums of the 2010s by swed (2024)
4. Top albums of all time by female artists by Johnnyo (2024)
5. Albums waiting to be added 9 by Johnnyo (2024)
6. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by ItsGabe (2024)
7. New York by Johnnyo (2024)
8. Albums waiting to be added 8 by Johnnyo (2024)
9. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Jameth (2024)
10. Top 4 Music Albums of the 2020s by swed (2024)
11. Top 36 Music Albums of 1978 by jonny5244 (2024)
12. Stranger Than Paradise albums of the year 2021 by Johnnyo (2024)
13. Top 67 Music Albums of 1989 by cicadelic (2024)
14. Top 20 Music Albums of 1989 by jonny5244 (2024)
15. Top 50 Music Albums of the 1980s by VanillaBean (2024)
16. Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by Graeme2 (2024)
17. Top 16 Music Albums of 2024 by zags7000 (2024)
18. Top 10 Music Albums of 1999 by Tuur (2024)
19. Top 10 Music Albums of 1998 by Tuur (2024)
20. Top 80 Music Albums of the 2010s by radio-head (2024)
Back to Top