Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
meruizh 
I ask myself every now and then why I love music so much? Why has it become some sort of an addiction? To listen to new albums every chance I get, with every minute of my spare time trying to get my hands on my favorite records. I have come to realize that I am submerged in this crazy world of music, in which the last thing I am thinking off before going to bed is: “What album am I going to play tomorrow?”
I once read an article that mentioned that obsessive music listeners tend to be depressive people. At first it had me questioning me if this was really true. Am I just listening to stuff in order to give some sort of meaning to life? But music is not meant to give definition to your life; music is just part of it. When you play a specific album that creates a scenery in your head of a romantic night, or when you play some “depressive” album when you are in a down mood, music will always give you a hand.
In my case, music has something special I cannot find in anything else. I often find myself in the desperate need for it. It is a sort of “click” a song or an album can have in you. It is something I cannot describe with words. This “click” comes in rare occasions, but when it happens, it is like magic. It is an incredible feeling.
Music wakes me up and accompanies me throughout my day. Every single album, song or lyric are part of me. However, at the end, I think nothing gives me more pleasure than to share this passion, this small treasure I get from music, with the people I care about the most.
I am trying to give a comment on each album, not an album review, but a reflection, which tells you a bit of my experience with the album, or why I like it so much.
- Chart updated: 12/12/2018 18:45
- (Created: 12/30/2010 22:51).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 75 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 108 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This album came out of nowhere this year (2013). Or at least I wasn't expecting it at all. I heard people buzzing about it in BEA, and then pitchfork and then a friend of mine, mentioned it. I said, what a hell, let’s give it a listen. I didn't even preview any of the songs; I didn't know what I was getting into. Suddenly, 11 minute opener 'Golden Arrow' comes on slowly, filling all corners of itself with beautifully reverberating organs and other bits and bobs until it reaches a kick drum beat that is mentally thrilling. Then when Harrington's guitar eventually slides in... Oh shit!! The apex of musical ecstasy. I wanted to marry this song already.
I barely noticed "Sitra", and again I was in the climax in "Heart". Every texture on “Heart” is as pleasurable on the ears as the one that came before it. The almost choir-esque synths that enter around the two-minute mark are beyond gorgeous and the way Harrington's guitar sounds on this track and all others is divine.
Now let’s take a minute to talk about “Paper Trail”. It’s the sexiest motherfuckin song ever created. You want this song to take a human shape and make love to it. If you want proof that Jaar is a goddamn dance wizard you need look no further than this track. The drums and bass swagger along so brilliantly and everything they lay on top of them will seduce the pants off of you. I can’t decide what’s sexier, Nico's breathy vocals or Harrington's soulful blues licks.
The mood keeps on going in “The Only Shrine I've Seen" with an ancient techno feeling. It starts off with Nico's usual atmosphere building tactics but in its second half shifts into something approaching disco. The sensibility around this track makes you feel like ancient disco god ready to take over the World. “Freak, Go Home” is filled with interesting layers of drums, cowbell and embracing beats that follow the mystique the album created throughout its first five tracks.
Let’s fast forward ourselves to the fantastic closer. “Metatron” as its name suggest has some godlike providence. The first 3/4s are the album's most explicitly progressive passage. The guitar Harrington is playing here sounds right out of the David Gilmour playbook. Yet, when the track returns after a false finish for it and the album's last hurrah it turns into yet another gigantic moment. The synths and drums in here are imposing, giving at the end one last guitar riff that will keep you in bed for the next couple of minutes. You’ve achieved ecstasy.
Jaar and Harrington achieve a sort of electronic comfort zone. The tempo and arrangements submerge the listener into a slow motion climax that make you want to stay in it forever.
Skinny wrote for me the perfect sentence to describe this album
"....Watching the sun take years to rise, and never getting impatient." [First added to this chart: 12/18/2013]
I barely noticed "Sitra", and again I was in the climax in "Heart". Every texture on “Heart” is as pleasurable on the ears as the one that came before it. The almost choir-esque synths that enter around the two-minute mark are beyond gorgeous and the way Harrington's guitar sounds on this track and all others is divine.
Now let’s take a minute to talk about “Paper Trail”. It’s the sexiest motherfuckin song ever created. You want this song to take a human shape and make love to it. If you want proof that Jaar is a goddamn dance wizard you need look no further than this track. The drums and bass swagger along so brilliantly and everything they lay on top of them will seduce the pants off of you. I can’t decide what’s sexier, Nico's breathy vocals or Harrington's soulful blues licks.
The mood keeps on going in “The Only Shrine I've Seen" with an ancient techno feeling. It starts off with Nico's usual atmosphere building tactics but in its second half shifts into something approaching disco. The sensibility around this track makes you feel like ancient disco god ready to take over the World. “Freak, Go Home” is filled with interesting layers of drums, cowbell and embracing beats that follow the mystique the album created throughout its first five tracks.
Let’s fast forward ourselves to the fantastic closer. “Metatron” as its name suggest has some godlike providence. The first 3/4s are the album's most explicitly progressive passage. The guitar Harrington is playing here sounds right out of the David Gilmour playbook. Yet, when the track returns after a false finish for it and the album's last hurrah it turns into yet another gigantic moment. The synths and drums in here are imposing, giving at the end one last guitar riff that will keep you in bed for the next couple of minutes. You’ve achieved ecstasy.
Jaar and Harrington achieve a sort of electronic comfort zone. The tempo and arrangements submerge the listener into a slow motion climax that make you want to stay in it forever.
Skinny wrote for me the perfect sentence to describe this album
"....Watching the sun take years to rise, and never getting impatient." [First added to this chart: 12/18/2013]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,582
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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The National was the last great band that has had a transcendental impact in my life. It was during the summer of 2010, I bought a ticket to see Vampire Weekend, the concert was a double headliner along with The National. I didn’t know the National at all. I gave a listen to Boxer and High Violet, just to see what the band was about. I gave them a single listen, and just as background music. The day of the concert came, and the National played first. After and hour and a half I just couldn’t believe what I was experiencing. I really didn’t get why I was so amazed with songs I’ve never heard in my life.
“It’s a terrible love and I’m walking with spiders. It’s quiet company”
“Terrible Love” it’s the opener, and I cant decide what I love most the high school poetry in the lyrics or the music around it. They both build themselves around each other to finally reach the epic climax in the last minute of the song.
“Sorrow” strikes me as a very tragic song but beautiful in many ways. It’s like falling in love with you own sadness. The sadness that has been part your whole life and just cant get behind. You immerse yourself in this feeling, you cant get over it.
"Sorrow's the girl inside my cake"
“Anyone’s Ghost” it’s impressive, you find yourself trapped in you own exile. Floating in and out of life, in the shadow of your own depression. This line sums up every feeling in the song. “Say, you stay at home. Alone with the flu. Find out from friends that wasn't true. Go out at night with your headphones on, again. And walk through the Manhattan valleys of the dead”
“Little Faith” can strike you as one of the weakest songs, but then again it’s so emotional. Like being trapped in an ongoing crisis with no apparent solution, you drift with no direction.
In “Afraid of Everyone” we struggle to find a way to make sense of it all, to find ourselves. Feeling the emptiness of our current lives with the repetitive routine of our daily lives. The days go on, over and over, one day indistinguishable from the next. A long continuous chain. Then suddenly there is a change.
“Bloodbuzz Ohio”. I still cant find peace. You go back to the home that took care of you for so many years. The home you can remember perfectly. Only when you arrive you feel alienated.
“Lemonworld”. You are tired everything, you’re done with your issues. “I'm too tired to drive anyway, anyway right now”. You find yourself in this imaginary place where for a split second everything just seems fine. You want to sit in and forget about life for a while.
“Runaway”. …. “what makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood?”
“Conversation 16” throws one of the most brilliant lines in the album, “I was afraid, I'd eat your brains 'Cause I'm evil”. And in my personal opinion is one of the crudest songs ever, but you cant take it literally or it’ll eat you alive. The whole band creates an atmosphere of ominous, swirling mist.
“England” comes on and we're hit completely unexpectedly with the sudden realization that it's the penultimate on the record. And it’s one that will uplift you no matter what state you are in. You’ll end up screaming “Afraid of the house, stay the night with the sinners” for the rest of the night.
Finally, my favorite song on the album “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks”. It’s also the song the band plays a-cappella in their concerts. It’s that type of song you want to hold your love from behind, slow dancing throughout the lovely melody, singing your heart out and kissing the girl in the last chords. [First added to this chart: 12/30/2010]
“It’s a terrible love and I’m walking with spiders. It’s quiet company”
“Terrible Love” it’s the opener, and I cant decide what I love most the high school poetry in the lyrics or the music around it. They both build themselves around each other to finally reach the epic climax in the last minute of the song.
“Sorrow” strikes me as a very tragic song but beautiful in many ways. It’s like falling in love with you own sadness. The sadness that has been part your whole life and just cant get behind. You immerse yourself in this feeling, you cant get over it.
"Sorrow's the girl inside my cake"
“Anyone’s Ghost” it’s impressive, you find yourself trapped in you own exile. Floating in and out of life, in the shadow of your own depression. This line sums up every feeling in the song. “Say, you stay at home. Alone with the flu. Find out from friends that wasn't true. Go out at night with your headphones on, again. And walk through the Manhattan valleys of the dead”
“Little Faith” can strike you as one of the weakest songs, but then again it’s so emotional. Like being trapped in an ongoing crisis with no apparent solution, you drift with no direction.
In “Afraid of Everyone” we struggle to find a way to make sense of it all, to find ourselves. Feeling the emptiness of our current lives with the repetitive routine of our daily lives. The days go on, over and over, one day indistinguishable from the next. A long continuous chain. Then suddenly there is a change.
“Bloodbuzz Ohio”. I still cant find peace. You go back to the home that took care of you for so many years. The home you can remember perfectly. Only when you arrive you feel alienated.
“Lemonworld”. You are tired everything, you’re done with your issues. “I'm too tired to drive anyway, anyway right now”. You find yourself in this imaginary place where for a split second everything just seems fine. You want to sit in and forget about life for a while.
“Runaway”. …. “what makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood?”
“Conversation 16” throws one of the most brilliant lines in the album, “I was afraid, I'd eat your brains 'Cause I'm evil”. And in my personal opinion is one of the crudest songs ever, but you cant take it literally or it’ll eat you alive. The whole band creates an atmosphere of ominous, swirling mist.
“England” comes on and we're hit completely unexpectedly with the sudden realization that it's the penultimate on the record. And it’s one that will uplift you no matter what state you are in. You’ll end up screaming “Afraid of the house, stay the night with the sinners” for the rest of the night.
Finally, my favorite song on the album “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks”. It’s also the song the band plays a-cappella in their concerts. It’s that type of song you want to hold your love from behind, slow dancing throughout the lovely melody, singing your heart out and kissing the girl in the last chords. [First added to this chart: 12/30/2010]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,600
Rank in 2010:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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It’s 2013, and the only thing that this album has provoked is generating stress, because the only thing I want is another album of Arcade Fire. It’s probably the band in now a days (Radiohead’s Kings of Limbs, was definitely not their best work), no one is on top of them, each of their albums are just MONUMENTAL!!. Who could say that an album with 16 songs, every single one of them, are not just good, but incredible. Month of May being my favorite. I could mention every song, and give a review, but then I’ll have an essay of 10000 words.
[First added to this chart: 12/30/2010]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,202
Rank in 2010:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Radiohead has been my all-time favorite band since I first started listening to “good music”. But I have to say Kings of Limbs was one of their weakest efforts; even the live version of the album was far more superior than the studio version. Still, as “die hard” fan of any band you will always love their music even if it lets you down a bit. Five years later Radiohead announced a new album and my expectation were high again. Radiohead has continuously impressed me for the past 24 years and a new album meant huge hype from the music community.
A Moon Shaped Pool is Radiohead’s return to form, it combines all their best ideas from throughout their career, from powerful 90’s heart breaking ballads to political statements of Hail to the Thief and the sheer beauty of In Rainbows. The eleven songs on the album are musically subtly and quietly varied, creating an arrangement of songs that explore different styles while staying in a single overall mood. I think it's important and warrants revisiting. This album will be considered a masterpiece and one of Radiohead’s most important album.
The album incredibly intimate and personal. To begin with, Thom Yorke and Rachel Owen announced their separation after 23 years in 2015 and in December, 2016 Owen lost her battle with cancer. The album’s second track first embraces this particular aspect. A piano ballad, Daydreaming contains thoughtful and personal lyrics that float above the slower melody, which eventually incorporates sparser orchestral accompaniment as well. The album ends touching this topic once again, with a show-stopper; the 20-year-old widely-popular live piece "True Love Waits" written at the beginning of their relationship.
The first song on the album, the fast-paced Burn the Witch, starts the album off on a deceptive note. The song in question is frantic and lively, the instrumentals almost completely orchestral save for an electronic bass and drum line, while the lyrics delve into very abstract matter that brings back memories of songs from OK Computer and Kid A.
In the song “Decks Dark,”, they retain the alternative elements of conventionality without being alternative at all. Genius. Radiohead are experts at aura. “Desert Island Disk” is one of my favorite off it because of its acoustic sound. “Ful Stop” actually manages to retain the electronic sounds of the early 2000's, but is still so very different; I found myself jumping in hysteria on my first listen of this song. For the first five tracks, this album was in a “perfect album” path. I even thought, “Personally, this is my favorite form of Radiohead.”
“Glass Eyes” is another production heavy tune, messing with piano in the most beautiful way. “Identikit” is far more soft and quiet, low tone and thought-provoking while a choir of Yorke's vocals lead the amazing quality of the song. Still... it fits very well. Obviously, every song is different. Identikit is one of the best on the album. “The Numbers” merges some experimental aspects from Kid A and Amnesiac with a classic acoustic guitar driven song. It all blends so well. And then Thom Yorke's falsetto voice sings low enough for this song to be one of the best on the album. It's an amazing work.
“Present Tense”, a beautiful acoustic guitar drives fantasia through an amalgam of beauty. I pictured myself dancing this song in my weeding and singing “In you I’m Lost” in my wife’s ear.
This album is powerfully gorgeous to listen to. It's powerfully personal. It's powerfully political, and conceptual, and tackles the unspeakably important subject of climate change with unthinkable artfulness. A Moon Shaped Pool is powerful. [First added to this chart: 04/18/2017]
A Moon Shaped Pool is Radiohead’s return to form, it combines all their best ideas from throughout their career, from powerful 90’s heart breaking ballads to political statements of Hail to the Thief and the sheer beauty of In Rainbows. The eleven songs on the album are musically subtly and quietly varied, creating an arrangement of songs that explore different styles while staying in a single overall mood. I think it's important and warrants revisiting. This album will be considered a masterpiece and one of Radiohead’s most important album.
The album incredibly intimate and personal. To begin with, Thom Yorke and Rachel Owen announced their separation after 23 years in 2015 and in December, 2016 Owen lost her battle with cancer. The album’s second track first embraces this particular aspect. A piano ballad, Daydreaming contains thoughtful and personal lyrics that float above the slower melody, which eventually incorporates sparser orchestral accompaniment as well. The album ends touching this topic once again, with a show-stopper; the 20-year-old widely-popular live piece "True Love Waits" written at the beginning of their relationship.
The first song on the album, the fast-paced Burn the Witch, starts the album off on a deceptive note. The song in question is frantic and lively, the instrumentals almost completely orchestral save for an electronic bass and drum line, while the lyrics delve into very abstract matter that brings back memories of songs from OK Computer and Kid A.
In the song “Decks Dark,”, they retain the alternative elements of conventionality without being alternative at all. Genius. Radiohead are experts at aura. “Desert Island Disk” is one of my favorite off it because of its acoustic sound. “Ful Stop” actually manages to retain the electronic sounds of the early 2000's, but is still so very different; I found myself jumping in hysteria on my first listen of this song. For the first five tracks, this album was in a “perfect album” path. I even thought, “Personally, this is my favorite form of Radiohead.”
“Glass Eyes” is another production heavy tune, messing with piano in the most beautiful way. “Identikit” is far more soft and quiet, low tone and thought-provoking while a choir of Yorke's vocals lead the amazing quality of the song. Still... it fits very well. Obviously, every song is different. Identikit is one of the best on the album. “The Numbers” merges some experimental aspects from Kid A and Amnesiac with a classic acoustic guitar driven song. It all blends so well. And then Thom Yorke's falsetto voice sings low enough for this song to be one of the best on the album. It's an amazing work.
“Present Tense”, a beautiful acoustic guitar drives fantasia through an amalgam of beauty. I pictured myself dancing this song in my weeding and singing “In you I’m Lost” in my wife’s ear.
This album is powerfully gorgeous to listen to. It's powerfully personal. It's powerfully political, and conceptual, and tackles the unspeakably important subject of climate change with unthinkable artfulness. A Moon Shaped Pool is powerful. [First added to this chart: 04/18/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,177
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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This album hasn't even come out officially and I can say this is their 4th masterpiece in a row. I don't know if you've noticed every The National album comes with a pair. "The National-Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers", "Alligator-Boxer", and finally "High Violet-Trouble Will Find Me" make a perfect match. This album is as good as their predecessor, I can't say better, because well High Violet is in my top 5. People were expecting more huge-cliche chorus or endings of the songs, but The National surprised us by looking to their own roots. This is not a album that will hit the mainstream, this a classic The National album, which needs at least 4 or 5 listens to discover the gems its has in it. I feel so identified with the lyrics and the music, it's just crazy I can't stop listening to it. LONG LIVE THE NATIONAL!!! "This Is The Last Time", "Sea of Love", "Graceless", "I Should Live in Salt" and "Pink Rabbit" best tracks
[First added to this chart: 05/17/2013]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,788
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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What an experience of an album. I cant believe it took so long to listen to Beach House. Their sound is so refreshing, dreamy pop that gets you in so many ways. From the first song "Zebra", you know something is going on. "Walk In The Park" the best song in there.
For me it's an album you just seat in your room and listen, with nothing else in mind. It gets you in certain kind of mood, when you just feel at ease with everything around you.
.. then the album finishes and you go back to the depressing reality haha, but for those 50 min... good stuff [First added to this chart: 08/29/2014]
For me it's an album you just seat in your room and listen, with nothing else in mind. It gets you in certain kind of mood, when you just feel at ease with everything around you.
.. then the album finishes and you go back to the depressing reality haha, but for those 50 min... good stuff [First added to this chart: 08/29/2014]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,218
Rank in 2010:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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I've always liked rap, Im not saying I'm the craziest fan out there, or that I have a profound knowledge on the genre. But I can undoubtedly say this is one of the greatest rap records created. It's amazing, I mean I cant believe how good it is.
From the start of "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" I felt something great was happening. I have no idea what are the technicalities with rap, I have no idea how to difference a great rhyme from a great technic, I literally have no clue, but this just sound perfect in every sense.
You can feel the great vibe throughout the album, great for parties, great for a car ride, great for setting the mood in a normal friend gathering, it's just great. [First added to this chart: 08/30/2014]
From the start of "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" I felt something great was happening. I have no idea what are the technicalities with rap, I have no idea how to difference a great rhyme from a great technic, I literally have no clue, but this just sound perfect in every sense.
You can feel the great vibe throughout the album, great for parties, great for a car ride, great for setting the mood in a normal friend gathering, it's just great. [First added to this chart: 08/30/2014]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22,427
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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“Random Access Memories” in my experience has been a grower. I definitely like the album when it was released back in 2013, but there were some songs I found particularly hard to digest. A year went by and after watching the Daft Punk movie for “Discovery” I finally got Daft Punk was more than just an electronic act. There was a whole concept behind their albums. Each song had a place on the album. Maybe I didn’t understand the purpose of “Random Access Memories” as a whole. After a couple of more listens I began to unravel the feelings and sensations songs like “Beyond”, “Fragments of Time”, “Motherboard” and “The Game of Love” really had. Fuck! They seemed real, like I was having a particular experience with every note in the song. The album is a trip – it navigates emotional highs and lows with astounding finesse. It plays in a natural progression, constantly aware of its own momentum and taking every step necessary to keeping itself thriving. In putting “Random Access Memories” together, Daft Punk were clearly aware of how to balance the album’s strengths. The record is littered with enough subtly arresting moments to keep in state a ecstasy and guarantees enjoyment on every spin
“Random Access Memories” is a galactic fusion of genres and ethnicities, a seamless collage of the 70s and 80s and then the sounds of the future. It has flaws, but these flaws are just breathing spaces for the astonishing levels of excellence this album achieves. It’s an eternal record that defines the possibilities available to those who really push themselves in music. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2015]
“Random Access Memories” is a galactic fusion of genres and ethnicities, a seamless collage of the 70s and 80s and then the sounds of the future. It has flaws, but these flaws are just breathing spaces for the astonishing levels of excellence this album achieves. It’s an eternal record that defines the possibilities available to those who really push themselves in music. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2015]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,883
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Before this album came out my only reference to Sufjan Stevens was his almost perfect album “Illinois”. The melody and songwriting captivated me. My only complaint with that album is probably its length. Carrie & Lowell came out with raving positive reviews, but I didn’t care much for it then. It was after I checked out “Should Have Known Better” that my mind was blown out. The track does a pretty stellar take on the emotion of nostalgia. The bridge and outro are my favorite parts of the song and immediately got me diving into the rest of the album.
The time taken to compose this is incredibly evident. The songs themselves may be simple, but the little melodies and hooks are the sort of things that take years to come up with and collect. They aren’t necessarily complex or difficult melodies, but the simplicity is part of the charm. They’re just simple, sweet and heartbreakingly beautiful little tunes that allow Sufjan’s lyrics to flow through without feeling forced.
The album’s theme inspired by the death of Stevens’ mother, give the lyrics a topic of much discussion. Everywhere I read “Oh my God, what an immensely sad record!”, but I’m going to point out that I quite honestly don’t care much about the lyrics. Not that they’re bad or anything, it’s simply that they aren’t necessary to speak to me. The melodies and production is gorgeous though. The sounds here are all rounded and warm, but it’s the vocals in particular that create a truly haunting vibe. The overall sound of this record, from Sufjan’s voice to the guitars to the piano to the layers of reverberating ambience, is just so exquisite that you can listen for days.
Carrie & Lowell is honestly the biggest surprise of the year (2015) and the best album in Sufjan’s catalogue. It isn’t a compositional masterpiece or genre-bending album. It is just a collection of well-written pieces, performed and recorded brilliantly; containing some of the most emotional passages I’ve heard in a long time. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2016]
The time taken to compose this is incredibly evident. The songs themselves may be simple, but the little melodies and hooks are the sort of things that take years to come up with and collect. They aren’t necessarily complex or difficult melodies, but the simplicity is part of the charm. They’re just simple, sweet and heartbreakingly beautiful little tunes that allow Sufjan’s lyrics to flow through without feeling forced.
The album’s theme inspired by the death of Stevens’ mother, give the lyrics a topic of much discussion. Everywhere I read “Oh my God, what an immensely sad record!”, but I’m going to point out that I quite honestly don’t care much about the lyrics. Not that they’re bad or anything, it’s simply that they aren’t necessary to speak to me. The melodies and production is gorgeous though. The sounds here are all rounded and warm, but it’s the vocals in particular that create a truly haunting vibe. The overall sound of this record, from Sufjan’s voice to the guitars to the piano to the layers of reverberating ambience, is just so exquisite that you can listen for days.
Carrie & Lowell is honestly the biggest surprise of the year (2015) and the best album in Sufjan’s catalogue. It isn’t a compositional masterpiece or genre-bending album. It is just a collection of well-written pieces, performed and recorded brilliantly; containing some of the most emotional passages I’ve heard in a long time. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2016]
Year of Release:
2015
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,278
Rank in 2015:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
72. (=)
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Arcade Fire just keeps impressing me. I mean there is no stop with these guys. It´s is their third masterpiece, considering Neon Bible as a brilliant album, but now comparing that album to their rest, it falls a bit bellow.
The first time I listened to Reflektor, I knew there was something magical about this album, since Normal Person, I was like, oh shit, this is ming blowing. I only was skeptic with the flow of the album,I couldn't take a grasp of it all. After a few listens everything was clear, the whole album emerged as beautiful.
Porno and Afterlife are probably the best pair of songs in the album, it just hits you every time you hear them.
It is unsure what place does this album get in the AF discography, I just cant make up my mind. I think right in the same slot as The Suburbs would be a appropriate place as of now. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2013]
The first time I listened to Reflektor, I knew there was something magical about this album, since Normal Person, I was like, oh shit, this is ming blowing. I only was skeptic with the flow of the album,I couldn't take a grasp of it all. After a few listens everything was clear, the whole album emerged as beautiful.
Porno and Afterlife are probably the best pair of songs in the album, it just hits you every time you hear them.
It is unsure what place does this album get in the AF discography, I just cant make up my mind. I think right in the same slot as The Suburbs would be a appropriate place as of now. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2013]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,097
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 19. 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 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1970s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1990s | 23 | 23% | |
| 2000s | 31 | 31% | |
| 2010s | 19 | 19% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Radiohead | 5 | 5% | |
| The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 3% | |
| The National | 3 | 3% | |
| Coldplay | 3 | 3% | |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 3% | |
| Oasis | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
41 | 41% | |
| |
40 | 40% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 14 from 99th to 85th Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 85th to 86th † [Cross] by Justice (FR) |
| Down 1 from 86th to 87th Parachutes by Coldplay |
| Down 1 from 87th to 88th Selected Ambient Works 85-92 by Aphex Twin |
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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 108 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/20/2025 17:25 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,105 | 85/100 |
| ! | 03/12/2019 22:17 |  ForegroundNoise | 473 | 87/100 |
| ! | 03/09/2019 03:39 | bkogz | 45 | 92/100 |
| ! | 03/08/2019 18:47 |  greatson | 906 | 80/100 |
| ! | 03/08/2019 16:20 |  Rhyner | 1,456 | 99/100 |
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 3% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.9/100, a mean average of 89.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 10.0.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 75 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From ForegroundNoise 03/12/2019 22:25 | #233432
ForegroundNoise 03/12/2019 22:25 | #233432
God I am astounded by your notes, truly something to be proud of. That said you seem to be someone much more comfortable in the modern era, with many of your older pics being slanted towards the classics. The 70s and 80s (the former especially!!) I think could do with a little more love, so here's a couple from those decades I think you might enjoy:
The Stooges - Fun House
Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day
Brian Eno - Another Green World
Hiroshi Yoshimura - Music For Nine Postcards
Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From greatson 03/08/2019 18:47 | #233224
greatson 03/08/2019 18:47 | #233224
well done!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
nitomano 04/22/2017 06:31 | #189660
nitomano 04/22/2017 06:31 | #189660
Great chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From LedZep 04/19/2017 11:54 | #189513
LedZep 04/19/2017 11:54 | #189513
I like the descriptions very much, but it's not that diverse (not talking about Radiohead, more about the lack of pre 90s albums). It's a great chart nontheless
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Strangel 10/19/2016 11:46 | #177150
Strangel 10/19/2016 11:46 | #177150
You're obviously still young but you write like you've been a music connoisseur for 30+ years. A shit load of time and effort put into this and I really enjoyed reading your summaries on the impact each album has had on you.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Davy 05/27/2016 08:06 | #167012
Davy 05/27/2016 08:06 | #167012
I normally don't give a 100/100-rating, but your chart deserves every single point. You manage to explain what everyone on this website is feeling about music and the amount of effort you put into this chart and these comments is amazing. Chapeau, señor
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ShadowColossi 04/02/2016 14:55 | #163150
ShadowColossi 04/02/2016 14:55 | #163150
Helllll yeah. Love this. Love the comments- Even longer than mine! Very well constructed list, can tell the music on this chart is very important to you.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
craola 07/28/2015 21:21 | #146643
craola 07/28/2015 21:21 | #146643
props on the album comments. really well put together with lots to say.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
awesomness425 06/01/2015 22:47 | #142833
awesomness425 06/01/2015 22:47 | #142833
These Notes Are On Point and the album choices are good as well (You Said a lot of Radiohead..pfft...i have the whole discography and thier live album), but also i saw a good amount of post-rock and you're right it's quite an interesting genre. I don't know if i'd put any on my list because as good as i know it is i just don't give the albums much listens...its something i listen to while lying on bed or when looking up at the cloud's or something, but Mogwai's Young Team or Sigur Ros' Agaetus Byrjun...Tied To be my favorite chart on this website...If you haven't already i reccomend Smashing Pumpkins
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (2 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From 
Laurence 03/31/2015 12:55 | #138402
Laurence 03/31/2015 12:55 | #138402
Great chart! Love your notes as well, (though I haven't read them all yet) especially those for Doolittle - they're spot on!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of the 2000s | |
|---|---|
| 1. Radiohead | |
| 2. Arcade Fire | |
| 3. The Strokes | |
| 4. Coldplay | |
| 5. Sufjan Stevens | |
| 6. Muse | |
| 7. Arctic Monkeys | |
| 8. Wilco | |
| 9. Animal Collective | |
| 10. The White Stripes | |
| 11. Kanye West | |
| 12. Phil Elverum | |
| 13. Interpol | |
| 14. Modest Mouse | |
| 15. Queens Of The Stone Age | |
| 16. Madvillain | |
| 17. LCD Soundsystem | |
| 18. Godspeed You! Black Emperor | |
| 19. The National | |
| 20. The Flaming Lips |
