Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
jhuik 
I am now in my 60's. Music has meant many, many different things to me over the years, but these days it often means 'tinged with pain' as I have hearing loss and tinnitus. But I still love music ... that love just has a new form, some of it based on the memory of PURE LOUD NOISE (no longer possible for me) or just memory, and some of that love still able to thrive and evolve.
As I have said for over ten years on this site: Below are albums that have meant a lot to me, albums I have listened to innumerable times, albums that are duly classic or that I just fuckin like a lot for whatever reason. I have loved music for decades, have followed other lovers, and no one has perfect taste uncorrupted by bias or other limitations. When rating or commenting don't ever forget that any list of 'best ever' is ALWAYS a ridiculous exercise.
- Chart updated: 01/23/2026 03:15
- (Created: 12/24/2010 02:29).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 85 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 133 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Bruce Springsteen had reached a point in his career where he had to step forward into greatness. So he did, perfecting his street poetry and pushing his band of brilliant players to give it all. I first listened to this well over 20 years ago and slowly fell in love with it. So many listens so many years later, and still so essential. Bruce is the best ever imho. I love the lyrics, the vision, the amazing live performances, and the guy. And this is the guy's greatest moment, mixing youthful earnestness, artistic ambition and assured mastery.
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,241
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Intimate meditation, experimental success, rich lyrical exploration in a banquet of epic song craft. Beautiful song piled upon beautiful, beautiful song. This is admirable for its many individually stirring moments and the overall cohesiveness of the vision and the ambition.
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
2005
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,114
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A visionary troubadour creates a meandering masterpiece of poetical celt folk. Eight of the most beautiful songs ever. One of the most perfect works of art ever recorded. Decades later I love this more than ever.
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,109
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They decided how great albums should be made from thereon forward.
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
56,771
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Comments:
5. (=)
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Great CanCon, like great CanLit put to music then sung by one of the best frontmen ever. An epic step forward in being proudly Canadian, with references to everyone from Hugh MacLennan to Bill Barilko to David Milgaard and more. Non-Canadians say, "Who?" Well, Google them all, then... or maybe it really would be better for us if you don't understand. We're a great country; this is our best band, arguably at their very best.
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
997
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Matt Berninger and his brothers in arms play a lights-down late night conversation on the couch that lingers forever. Resonant, rich, dark and moody. Absolutely abidingly one of my favourite listens of recent years. Rich with beautiful songs and uniquely visionary music-making.
[First added to this chart: 01/03/2012]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,433
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Four horsemen of rock godhood ride through the sonosphere led by a true avatar named Jimmy Page. Reread that track list... wow. Stairway, Rock and Roll, Goin to California, Levee, Evermore. Sure, even I have times where want to dismiss this as dad rock or something like that... but come on, let's get real. And then listen to Battle of Evermore again.
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
38,362
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The first disc alone is one of the twenty best albums ever and then there's the second, which is hardly any lesser. As much as I love the music, I admire this, two hours of music that goes from moving to ballsy and back around again too many times to count. So many amazing songs: Zero, 1979, Love, Here is no Why, Jellybelly, Muzzle, 33, Stumbleine, on and on and on. I bought this soon after it came out and it was an absolutely smashing success -- still is, I think. It's Billy Corgan's All-In, an earbusting work of stirring genius.
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,797
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Song for song, the best CD by the band that is, player for player, the quintessence of modern rock. After Ten, they grew confident they were one of the greats. A collection of excellent musicians sets out to create a classic and succeeds phenomenally.
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,108
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Can you hear the merry gypsy play? This whole album is a mystic music caravan celebrating life, a collection of songs like splinters of sunshine on a path through the forest of life: let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic! This was the first great Van I loved when I was just a kid. Does it peeter out a bit in the end or is that ending just overshadowed by the amazing opening songs?
[First added to this chart: 12/24/2010]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,752
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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 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 5 | 5% | |
| 1970s | 22 | 22% | |
| 1980s | 12 | 12% | |
| 1990s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2000s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2010s | 17 | 17% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 4% | |
| Van Morrison | 3 | 3% | |
| The Tragically Hip | 3 | 3% | |
| Porcupine Tree | 3 | 3% | |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | 3 | 3% | |
| U2 | 2 | 2% | |
| The Pogues | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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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 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 133 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/24/2025 22:09 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 |
| ! | 03/24/2025 08:46 |  NowhereMan | 292 | 82/100 |
| ! | 02/09/2025 10:25 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,097 | 85/100 |
| ! | 08/11/2024 11:56 |  Tamthebam | 650 | 85/100 |
| ! | 06/22/2024 09:39 |  dihansse | 309 | 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 6% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.6/100, a mean average of 88.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 11.2.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 85 comments |
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From hailey 12/13/2018 16:52 | #226995
Really good chart in my opinion, I like all the descriptions you gave each album and i agree with most of the albums you have on there. Well, of the ones that i have listened to.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
CharlieBarley 08/21/2018 23:09 | #219973
CharlieBarley 08/21/2018 23:09 | #219973
Refreshingly good. Great notes and some top picks. And some to check out too. Great stuff.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
JulianR 03/13/2018 04:04 | #210795
JulianR 03/13/2018 04:04 | #210795
Haha I've come back to this chart for whatever reason, and that comment was supposed to have an exclamation mark. Anyway, tons of great stuff! Props for Hand Cannot Erase, its such an underappreciated album
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 01/20/2018 09:17 | #206031
ForegroundNoise 01/20/2018 09:17 | #206031
It's a shame there's not more emphasis on experimental and electronic music but each to their own I guess! Still, astounding chart - love the bios and the careful picks so can appreciate a good taste when I see one
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From scotsindie 11/22/2017 10:33 | #201792
This comment is beneath your viewing threshold.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -9 votes (0 helpful | 9 unhelpful)
From PaperVinnie 11/08/2017 16:14 | #200989
The only pick I strongly disagree with is Ten, but nice still.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From JulianR 10/07/2017 05:00 | #199206
JulianR 10/07/2017 05:00 | #199206
good stuff?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
LedZep 04/23/2017 13:23 | #189716
LedZep 04/23/2017 13:23 | #189716
Totally agree with Mellon Collie description, listened to that album for the first time a several days ago, it's fantastic. Love the chart, but what you wrote about Alt-J really upset me, they aren't prog rock at all :/ As a prog fan I had to notice that sorry, it's a great chart all in all
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
phantom1305 02/11/2017 16:33 | #185311
phantom1305 02/11/2017 16:33 | #185311
Hey fellow Canadian :D - knew it the second I saw Tragically Hip. XD
Seems I already rated this though I'm not sure I commented. Your descriptions are spot on! Thanks too for your rating on my Steven Wilson chart. If you want to give me your top 10 Steven Wilson albums I'd love to hear your opinion too. You can even go all in and try to rate all his stuff, though he has a lot! XD I'm not even close to charting everything of his.
If you want a really good Canadian band give a listen to Delerium. Semantic Spaces, Karma, and Poem are all perfection in my opinion and this is a band I don't think you should let fly under your radar, especially since you're Canadian as well ;)
It's a weird mix of world music, pop, and dark ambient that is such a unique sound. :D
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Lgk21 01/28/2017 19:26 | #184449
Great chart and comments. Cool to see your one Dylan album be Desire, I feel that one gets overlooked.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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