Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by seanie542 
- Chart updated: 09/03/2017 17:45
- (Created: 09/14/2015 18:05).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 17 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 24 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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All things considered, this is my favourite album of the rock era. Beautifully arranged, lyrically intriguing, musically varied, it creates a soundscape that is poignant with just a hint of menace, as if 'The Red Telephone' might ring at any moment. . .which indeed it might. Superlatives are redundant; suffice it to say that this album makes me feel glad to be alive.
FAVOURITE TRACK: Old Man [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: Old Man [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,725
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I bought this and THE BENDS at the same time in an effort to update my musical tastes. Despite the hype, I wasn't prepared to be blown away by this sublimely dystopian masterpiece. I am gratified to note that it's ranked at No.1 on this site's overall chart, and that its popularity shows no signs of dimming, having eclipsed its predecessor, which I do think was overrated. Not so this - the danger is running out of superlatives. A DARK SIDE OF THE MOON for the Nineties, indeed.
FAVOURITE TRACK: Paranoid Android [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: Paranoid Android [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
58,942
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Ah, Dusty! At the risk of sounding like a gay cliche, she really is an icon - and this is her most iconic record. And what an interesting journey it's had: vocals recorded in New York because she felt intimidated by the Memphis crew, hardly getting a sniff of the charts, and presaging a decline from which it took her nearly twenty years to recover; only for it now to be rightly feted as one of the greatest recordings of its genre, and a template for tortured
blue-eyed (and brown-eyed) souls everywhere. Glad Dusty was alive long enough to savour some appreciation of her genius.
FAVOURITE TRACK: I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
blue-eyed (and brown-eyed) souls everywhere. Glad Dusty was alive long enough to savour some appreciation of her genius.
FAVOURITE TRACK: I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,384
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For many years this was a £500 rarity on vinyl; even when the CD came out, I had to wait a couple of months before it arrived - but it was worth it: a beautiful, heartfelt psych-folk one-off. And unusual too in being led by two women - like Jethro Tull getting in touch with their feminine side. If you can, get hold of the earlier CD release with the charming Simon Napier-Bell produced 1968 single.
FAVOURITE TRACK: Heaven Heath [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: Heaven Heath [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
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As a chronic insomniac, I like to listen to this as I'm trying to drift off to sleep - and believe me, that's a compliment! 'Another Dream World' would be just as apposite: its blend of sound-sculptures and song-snatches merge so seamlessly ("with the night", if you will) that it only ever makes sense for me to listen to it in one sitting - or at least, one at a time.
FAVOURITE TRACK: Another Green World [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: Another Green World [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,484
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A superb send-up of the Sixties, complete with parody of the 'Sgt. Pepper' cover - I think John Lennon at least might have had an envious chuckle, always wanting to be the bad boy. They don't come much 'badder' than Frank - but amid the subversive hullabaloo it should never be forgotten what a superb musician, composer and arranger he is, which is why it works so well. All this, and drug-free too. . .apparently.
FAVOURITE TRACK: Let's Make The Water Turn Black [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: Let's Make The Water Turn Black [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,536
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Granted, it's not a conventional pick for favourite Beatles album. Thematically it holds together far less well than many, and there are one or two tracks that can give you a nasty surprise (and not always for the right reasons). But apart from having personal reasons to love this album - it was the last birthday present my mum bought me before she died - those are the very reasons why I love it best: it's like a whitewashed haunted house or remote castle with secret passages nobody's ever been to before. And after all that adventure, a lullaby to send you to sleep. Don't have nightmares. . .
FAVOURITE TRACK: Dear Prudence [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: Dear Prudence [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
35,005
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The original singer-songwriter strips away the mask to reveal his most intimate collection of songs. After the protest, obliquity, pastiche and downright hokum that characterise his various earlier releases, this is Dylan at his raw, sincere, heartbroken best. Not surprised that this album's reputation has steadily grown to rival or even eclipse his mid-Sixties heyday.
FAVOURITE TRACK: Tangled Up In Blue [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: Tangled Up In Blue [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,269
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A female companion to the above choice - four years before the fact. Of course, it's more directly confessional - if Dylan has too many masks, Joni doesn't have any - and her graceful, spare arrangements and tuneful ululations are a far cry from "sand and glue"; but that doesn't mean the emotional punch isn't pretty hard-hitting. The range of subject matter and the conviction of her delivery prove that she's no beginner, and certainly more than a pre-Raphaelite flower child.
FAVOURITE TRACK: The Last Time I Saw Richard [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: The Last Time I Saw Richard [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,170
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The thing is, just because it's popular, that doesn't make it bad. I used to hear enticing snatches of this from my older brother's room when I was a kid, but I was well into my thirties before I finally settled down to hear the full, seamless glory of this album. For my money - controversy alert! - none of their other albums, except perhaps 'Piper. . .' comes close to this. If it is still permissible to call this prog-rock, it has the rare virtue in that much-maligned genre of not being a second too long; it's jam-packed, but everything belongs.
FAVOURITE TRACK: The Great Gig In The Sky [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
FAVOURITE TRACK: The Great Gig In The Sky [First added to this chart: 09/14/2015]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
55,562
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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 | 34 | 34% | |
| 1970s | 50 | 50% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1990s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2000s | 3 | 3% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 6 | 6% | |
| Joni Mitchell | 6 | 6% | |
| David Bowie | 5 | 5% | |
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 4% | |
| Roxy Music | 3 | 3% | |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 3% | |
| Neil Young | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
45 | 45% | |
| |
38 | 38% | |
 |
10 | 10% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
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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).
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Showing latest 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 24 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/20/2025 17:24 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,088 | 86/100 |
| ! | 01/01/2024 09:58 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 |
| ! | 05/09/2018 04:40 |  jdenny2018 | 102 | 91/100 |
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 89.8/100, a mean average of 91.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 91.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.2.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 2 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 04/20/2018 08:00 in Chart of the day (#2371): By seanie542
BestEverAlbums 04/20/2018 08:00 in Chart of the day (#2371): By seanie542“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by seanie542 () 1. Forever Changes by Love (1967) 2. OK Computer by Radiohead (1997) 3. Dusty In Memphis by Dusty Springfield (1969) 4. Swaddling Songs by Mellow Candle (1972) 5. Another Green World by Brian Eno (1975) 6. We're Only In It For…”
(2 mentions across Chart of the Day topics)View latest topic →
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From
Tamthebam TOP 100 COMMENTER 08/04/2016 18:21 | #172310
Tamthebam TOP 100 COMMENTER 08/04/2016 18:21 | #172310
Really good chart has some well known as well as unknown artists and great commentaries they really help when you haven't heard of an album/artist before. Thanks for the time & effort.
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From
CharlieBarley 10/18/2017 05:20 | #199629
CharlieBarley 10/18/2017 05:20 | #199629
Easily 100/100. This is a glorious chart. I had a bit of time so I read all your notes and I wasn't bored once. Far from it! You write well and with passion, humour and sincerity. It was a pleasure to read this. 22 in common with mine, only 1 album I don't dig - Genesis' Lamb - but I am clearly in the minority it's a very popular album. Several albums/artists to check out. I am going to HMV to buy After Bathing At Baxters today - hopefully it's still in their sale. I love psychedelic music. You write so well I think you could have a career sideline there, if you don't already. Do people still keep blogs? Anyway what a pleasant way to spend half an hour. Looking forward to perusing your other charts now. (Edited)
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From
gregperezgreene 02/21/2016 21:29 | #160447
Very good list. A lot of nice picks.
+1 for Joni
+1 for white album
+1 for zappa
Ill have to listen to Forever Changes again. I listend to it and was unimpressed at first. Nice list!
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From
Wh3n1nR0me 10/18/2017 04:44 | #199628
Wh3n1nR0me 10/18/2017 04:44 | #199628
Refreshing to see a real personal chart rather than so many of the lists that have all the usual suspects and smack of the copy and paste culture! (Edited)
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From
M42K0 03/22/2016 00:47 | #162326
M42K0 03/22/2016 00:47 | #162326
You gotta love this chart.
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