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!

This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1980s. (Remove this filter)

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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:
19,305
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Hard rock; pop; funk; R&B

Some of the most dramatic "pop" music (if you can even call it pop) on here but manages to never feel over the top or too self-indulgent. Even the more abstract songs, like "Computer Blue", stay focused throughout. This album also has surprisingly detailed production and instrumental arrangements; it is another one that I can still find new things to appreciate on every listen. A perfect mix of almost every popular 80s music style, from arena rock to funk to soul to new wave/dance, and the flow on this album is incredible (probably one of the best albums on here in that way).

Favourite songs: "Take Me With U", "The Beautiful Ones", "When Doves Cry", "Purple Rain"

Rating: 9.5/10
[First added to this chart: 10/04/2017]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,502
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Comments:
32. (=)
War 
Ireland U2
Buy album United States
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Rock; post-punk

The Joshua Tree is probably technically a better album, but this one is slightly more accessible and the one I go to most often when looking for a U2 album to play. Great energy and instrumentation on these songs. While some of the songs on here might not be quite as well written or musically unique as on The Joshua Tree, this is the only U2 album where I find every song almost equally enjoyable and never skip a single track.

Favourite songs: "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "New Year's Day", "Two Hearts Beat as One", "-40-"

Rating: 9.5/10

Other Classic(s): The Joshua Tree
[First added to this chart: 10/23/2016]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,540
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Folk punk; alternative rock

An album that sounds much more modern than it actually is and sounds like it could still be released today and fit in with the indie scene. Gordon Gano's lyrics are somehow funny, smart, and kind of disturbing at the same time, which is even more impressive considering that he was a high school student when he wrote most of them. Not only are the lyrics great, but the vocal performances on most of these songs are unique and have so much personality that they almost remind me of singers like David Bowie or David Byrne. I love how the combination of relatively traditional singing and dramatically over-the-top line readings on the album; it almost sounds like listening to the singer have a nervous breakdown in the middle of the song. The harmonies on here are also surprisingly pretty for a punk album. While the vocals are great, the biggest selling point for this album is its rhythm section. This album makes me want to learn how to play bass and start playing the drums again. Somehow, the band manages to make these instruments catchy on many of the songs on here, especially "Blister in the Sun", and the arrangements add a propulsive and thrilling quality to most of the songs that makes this album an exciting listen every time. It also has one of the best marimba solos of all time, which was a pleasant surprise the first time I heard it.

Favourite songs: "Blister in the Sun", "Add It Up", "Confessions", "Gone Daddy Gone", and "Good Feeling"

Rating: 9.5/10
[First added to this chart: 05/12/2018]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,238
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Comments:
37. (=)
Buy album United States
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Indie rock; noise pop

This album has been discussed so much that it is hard to find something new to say about it. Just 40 minutes of some of the best alternative rock/punk ever recorded, ranging from incredibly catchy and sweet ("Here Comes Your Man") to surreal hard rock ("Debaser") to just strange ("La La Love You"), while staying high-energy and exciting throughout.

Favourite songs: "Debaser", "Wave of Mutilation", "Here Comes Your Man", "Monkey Gone to Heaven", "Hey"

Rating: 9/10

Other Classic(s): Surfer Rosa
[First added to this chart: 12/29/2016]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
37,696
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Post-punk; jangle pop

Morrissey might be my favourite lyricist of all time. Love the sound on this album as well, which is kind of like a more experimental version of R.E.M. a lot of the time. Another album where my favourite songs always change whenever I listen to it; a lot of tracks that I thought were just filler at first I have come to appreciate a lot more. While I like all the tracks on here, I don't think that "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" is the best choice to close an album that starts with such an epic opening track, as it feels lighter and less developed than some of the other songs on here.

Favourite songs: "The Queen is Dead", "I Know It's Over", "Cemetary Gates", "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"

Rating: 9.5/10

Other Classic(s): Meat is Murder
[First added to this chart: 01/25/2016]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,257
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Art pop; experimental; electronic; spoken word

Favourite songs: "From the Air", "Sweaters", "Born, Never Asked", "O Superman"
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2021]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,677
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Minimalism

Rating: 9/10

Other classic(s): Music for 18 Musicians
[First added to this chart: 01/24/2019]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
184
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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New wave; funk rock; post-punk; Afrobeat; experimental rock

Favourite songs: "Born Under Punches", "The Great Curve", "Once in a Lifetime", "The Overload"
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2021]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
30,857
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Sophisti-pop; smooth soul; smooth jazz

Favourite songs: "Smooth Operator", "Hang On To Your Love", "Frankie's First Affair", "Cherry Pie"
[First added to this chart: 03/22/2021]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,312
Rank in 1984:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 11. Page 1 of 2

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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%
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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12/11/2023 18:06 skrapoel  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 893/100
  
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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.
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Rating:  
95/100
From 06/19/2019 22:07
Great chart!
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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!
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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.
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Rating:  
100/100
From 01/20/2019 10:04
Ashamed of myself, for not discovering this incredible earlier.
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Best Ever Albums
1. OK Computer by Radiohead
2. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
3. Abbey Road by The Beatles
4. Revolver by The Beatles
5. Kid A by Radiohead
6. In Rainbows by Radiohead
7. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
8. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
9. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
10. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico
11. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
12. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin
13. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles
14. Nevermind by Nirvana
15. Funeral by Arcade Fire
16. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
17. The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths
18. Doolittle by Pixies
19. To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
20. London Calling by The Clash
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