Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Giant2015

I've been meaning to update this chart for a while as my musical interests have widened a lot over the past few years, but I found I kept putting it off as I was having trouble figuring out how to organize it. While I wanted it to reflect my personal preferences as much as possible, I also felt like I was leaving a lot of great albums and artists that meant a lot to me out by focusing too much on repeats of the same artist. In the end I decided to compromise and go for a one album per artist approach, but also include an Other Classics section in many of the entries-this section is for any other albums by the same artist that left a big impact on me, and can almost be considered as an honorary inclusion in the chart.

My 101-200 list: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=50830

Favourite songs (subject to change):

Here, There and Everywhere-The Beatles
Movin' On Up-Primal Scream
Dancing On My Own-Robyn
Dog Days Are Over-Florence and the Machine
Life on Mars?-David Bowie
Avril 14th-Aphex Twin
Le Jardin Féerique-Maurice Ravel
Between the Bars-Elliott Smith
Apistat Commander-Xiu Xiu
Providence-Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Nude-Radiohead
Stephanie Says-The Velvet Underground
I Wish I Was the Moon-Neko Case
The Last Time I Saw Richard-Joni Mitchell
Venice Bitch-Lana Del Rey
Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales-Car Seat Headrest
Ahead By a Century-The Tragically Hip
Like a Rolling Stone-Bob Dylan
Helplessness Blues-Fleet Foxes
Purple Rain-Prince

There are 21 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 47 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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Collector's summary (filtered)Log in or register to discover the great albums that are missing from your music collection!

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Buy album United States
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Classic rock; glam rock; proto-punk

One of the only albums on here that I loved from the first listen; all the songs on here still hold up despite the album being more than 40 years old. Also possibly the only album in my collection where every song is well-written, catchy, and memorable enough that I have had all of them stuck in my head for an annoyingly long time at some point (and I still haven't gotten tired of any of them).

Favourite songs: "Five Years", "Moonage Daydream", "Starman", "Star", "Ziggy Stardust"

Rating: 10/10

Other Classic(s): Aladdin Sane
Low
Heroes
[First added to this chart: 01/25/2016]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
50,083
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Art rock

"House of Cards" goes on a little too long for me, but other than that this album is perfect to me. I love most of Radiohead's albums, but In Rainbows is probably the one with the most consistent songwriting. These are not only some of the best songs Radiohead has written, but also (other than "House of Cards") the best art rock songs of all time.

Favourite songs: "Nude", "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", "All I Need", "Videotape"

Rating: 10/10

Other Classic(s): The Bends
OK Computer
Kid A
[First added to this chart: 06/29/2015]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
51,222
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Art rock; baroque pop; prog pop

One of the more recent additions to my listening collection on here, but also an album that made a really big impact on me from first listen. Really nice balance between the alternative rock and pop songs on the first half and the dramatic suite on the second half of the record. Kate Bush's voice is fascinating to listen to, and now that I have gotten into her music I can hear an influence in many of the other singers I listen to. Some of the sound effects/production choices on here sound a little dated, but they add to the atmosphere and enjoyability of the album rather than taking away from it.

Favourite songs: "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)", "The Big Sky", "Cloudbusting", "Waking the Witch", "Jig of Life", and "Hello Earth"

Rating: 10/10

Other Classic(s): The Dreaming
[First added to this chart: 12/30/2016]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,311
Rank in 1985:
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Classic rock; blues rock; Celtic folk

A rare hard rock album for me where I enjoy the quieter songs and non-hit tracks just as much (and even more in some cases) as the hits. Manages to be a musically complex and dense album while also just being fun to listen to. Also, "When the Levee Breaks" has my favourite drum part in any song.

Favourite songs: "The Battle of Evermore", "Stairway to Heaven", "When the Levee Breaks".

Rating: 10/10

Other Classic(s): Led Zeppelin III
Houses of the Holy
[First added to this chart: 01/25/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
44,375
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Comments:
16. (=)
Buy album United States
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Post-punk revival; dance punk; indie rock

When making this album, Foals was apparently inspired by musicians like Steve Reich, Madonna, Talking Heads, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and, while it may not be immediately obvious, I can definitely hear these influences the more I listen to this album. While an artist like Steve Reich might be a weird inspiration to use when talking about a dance-punk album, touches like the short, repetitive guitar parts and layering of rhythms throughout show that Foals can use influences like this in interesting ways throughout their music. This album is a little more one-note than most of their later ones, especially Total Life Forever, but they perform this style of music really well; the album has a really infectious energy throughout and the addition of math rock influences like shifting time signatures adds to the upbeat feel and grooves of the tracks. "Spanish Sahara" has always been my favourite Foals song, but this album has some pretty good competition with "Red Sox Pugie", which uses the (relatively) quiet intro build-up to big chorus formula incredibly well (and maybe even better than "Sahara").

Favourite songs: "Red Sox Pugie", "Olympic Airways", "Heavy Water", "Two Steps, Twice", "Big Big Love (Fig. 2)".

Rating: 10/10
[First added to this chart: 02/06/2018]
Year of Release:
2008
Appears in:
Rank Score:
932
Rank in 2008:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Chamber pop; folk rock

Like Ziggy Stardust, this is another album that grabbed my attention the first time I heard it. One of my favourite lyrical albums of all time, and the stretch of songs from "The Stars of Track and Field" to "If You're Feeling Sinister" is one of the most consistently great on any album.

Favourite songs: "Like Dylan in the Movies", "The Fox in the Snow", "Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying", "If You're Feeling Sinister"

Rating: 9.5/10

Other Classic(s): Tigermilk
[First added to this chart: 10/23/2016]
Year of Release:
1996
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,015
Rank in 1996:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Baroque pop; art rock

As much as I dislike how pop-sounding Coldplay has become, I think the more accessible influences fit well on this album, which is anthemic and mainstream while still being interesting and a little risky in terms of song structures and concept. Parachutes might have some better songs, but this is an album that doesn't really have any low points for me. Another album that really benefits from expanded instrumentation, like the strings on "Viva la Vida" and the dulcimer on "Life in Technicolor".

Favourite songs: "Life in Technicolor", "Viva la Vida", "Violet Hill", "Death and All His Friends"

Rating: 10/10

Other Classic(s): A Rush of Blood to the Head
[First added to this chart: 12/30/2016]
Year of Release:
2008
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,614
Rank in 2008:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Baroque pop; indie pop

Lungs (and Florence and the Machine in general) sometimes gets stereotyped as a typical "indie-pop" album; but there are a few things that make this one stand out from the rest; Florence Welch's voice, the consistently strong songwriting, and the incredible production and instrumentation throughout. This album manages to combine the accessibility and catchiness of an Adele or Lily Allen album with the very baroque and maximal atmosphere of bands like Arcade Fire and The Flaming Lips and not make it sound like a misguided mess, which is something that many other indie pop bands (and even occasionally Florence herself) tend to struggle with. Rather than being distracting or coming across as an obvious attempt to be unique, the instrumental arrangements on this album actually add to the songs and are very nicely detailed and layered; the atmosphere this creates makes this album a very soothing and uplifting listen and one that I am always drawn back to.

Favourite songs: "Dog Days Are Over", "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)", "Drumming Song", "Between Two Lungs", "Cosmic Love", "Blinding"

Rating: 9.5/10
[First added to this chart: 06/29/2015]
Year of Release:
2009
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,483
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Post-punk revival; indie rock; post-rock influences

There may be a noticeable drop in quality in the second half of this record, but the first eight songs (plus two or three from towards the end) are some of the best rock music ever recorded. If I was rating this album based on "Like Eating Glass" to "This Modern Love" alone, it would be a 10 / 10; if it was a little shorter or some of the songs towards the end were edited a little, it would probably be in my top 15 albums ever. As it is, the album is kind of similar to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in that even the "filler" isn't bad and would be highlights on many other indie rock records from this period, but the best 8 or 9 tracks on here are so good that the rest kind of suffers in comparison. The instrumental arrangements on all of these songs are pretty perfect (especially the almost post-rock influences on "This Modern Love" and "So Here We Are"), and the chemistry between the band members is clear throughout. Bloc Party also manages to maintain a kinetic, high-energy atmosphere throughout the whole album, which makes even the lesser tracks exciting to listen to. "Blue Light" is one of the prettiest rock songs of the 2000s (in a good way).

Favourite songs: "Like Eating Glass", "Helicopter", "Positive Tension", "Banquet", "Blue Light", "This Modern Love", "So Here We Are"

Rating: 10/10
[First added to this chart: 10/04/2017]
Year of Release:
2005
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,004
Rank in 2005:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Classic rock; prog rock; glam rock; soft rock

Some of the criticisms for this album are valid; it does go on for a little too long, and there are moments where it sounds a little dated. However, this album also has 9 or 10 of the best songs Elton John has ever written, and its wide range of influences and willingness to experiment with different styles of pop and glam rock means that it never really gets boring. Even the weaker songs on here are still well written and would likely be highlights on most of Elton John's other albums. The album is paced pretty well and never really hits a noticeable drop in quality, but the first disc (and especially the first four songs) is one of the best track sequences on any 70s album. "Funeral For a Friend" is a strong possibility for best album opener ever.

Favourite songs: "Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding", "Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "I've Seen That Movie Too", "The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34)", "Harmony"

Rating: 9/10
[First added to this chart: 12/26/2015]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,937
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 28. Page 1 of 3

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade Albums %


1930s 0 0%
1940s 0 0%
1950s 0 0%
1960s 8 8%
1970s 21 21%
1980s 11 11%
1990s 14 14%
2000s 31 31%
2010s 14 14%
2020s 1 1%
Artist Albums %


Joni Mitchell 1 1%
Pink Floyd 1 1%
Fiona Apple 1 1%
Kate Bush 1 1%
Weezer 1 1%
The Antlers 1 1%
Phoenix 1 1%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 50 50%
United Kingdom 28 28%
Canada 12 12%
Mixed Nationality 3 3%
Iceland 2 2%
Greece 1 1%
Brazil 1 1%
Show all
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
90/100 (from 47 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
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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).
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03/25/2021 20:02 Rhyner  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,38299/100
  
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03/25/2021 16:51 mjp11  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 3795/100
  
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03/25/2021 08:08 ssteve  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 20792/100
  
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06/13/2020 10:10 StefanR10  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 8388/100

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).
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This chart is rated in the top 3% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.9/100, a mean average of 90.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.7/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.9.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

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Rating:  
95/100
From 06/13/2020 10:11
I like your chart very good artists and some underrated musicians i give you a high rating for the collection. Good taste.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 09/11/2019 03:17
David Bowie is not even close to being proto punk, but good chart nevertheless
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 08/27/2019 06:59
I'm revisiting this chart and my comment on it since it was chart of the day again a couple of days ago.

Whatever reason I gave it an 80 before clearly doesn't hold now; the detail you've put into each note both with your rating and album score is a really nice touch. I get a strong sense of your personality and taste from this lovely chart so I have upped my score accordingly :)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 08/23/2019 10:25
Love this chart! Love how high you rated Feels by Animal Collective, it's excellent. Nice seeing St. Vincent on a top 100. Perhaps I shall put one of hers on my main chart.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 06/19/2019 22:07
Great chart!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 03/02/2019 15:49
Fantastic list and the work you have put in to it is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your descriptions and explanations because allows others (less knowledgeable like me) to check out albums they are not familiar or intimate with. What makes your list a 100 for me is the diversity of musical genres, your interesting ranking of albums by some of the great artists (for god’s sake where is Dark Side of the Moon) and the inclusion of lower ranked albums generally that you have personally connected with. Not pretentious at all, I will be checking out your other charts. By the way, I felt the same way as you about the Stones but recently came to love Exile as a whole album. Cheers! [I love Japan- Obscure Alternatives; Gord Downie-Coke Machine Glow]
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 01/21/2019 02:52
Very nice list! Lots of great albums all varied in different genres and decades too. Nice Job!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 01/20/2019 16:19
Solid!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 01/20/2019 12:56
Great chart. Can't say I agree with every album you have on the top spots but, hey, it's a personal chart that I respect and I like your comments. Also, though we have not that many albums in common, some of them are ones which I don't tend to have in common with other users.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 01/20/2019 10:04
Ashamed of myself, for not discovering this incredible earlier.
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