Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Fade2Black

My Favourite Albums - by no means a list of the greatest albums ever. A kind of awkward mix of albums that had a big impact on my life and those that are current favourites. Respect to the albums and artists that make the popular and commonly voted / accepted lists.... but music is a personal and subjective thing. We are all different, and there are no rules governing taste.

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Ten 
Buy album United States
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The Soundtrack to my late teens. A wonderful album from start to finish. Fav Tracks - Black, Porch, Garden, Alive

Everyone has a sweet spot, a short window in time when you were the most influenced by music and what you listened to touched you and will stay with you forever. This sweet spot for me started in 1991 with this album and carried through to 1995. So much great music, certainly rivalling that 1968 to 1973 period as the all time greatest period in music.
[First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,176
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2. (=)
Buy album United States
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Wow, what a journey, what album. What can I say. Turn the lights of, shut your eyes, and let this one album take you away. Complex, layered, dark, beautiful, powerful. I was introduced to Tool during the Undertow days and found this to be a massive improvement. This was like nothing I had ever heard. One album I can say actually changed me, changed the way I look at all music and what it need to be for me to enjoy it, to get something out of it. Everything about this, the packaging, the art, the sounds, the pauses, the intermissions, everything is just right. Fav Tracks - Aenima, Third Eye, Pushit, Eulogy, 46 & 2. Brilliant [First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1996
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,883
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Buy album United States
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My favourite Metallica record. I picked this one up after the Black album and it changed my life forever. From the moment the raising volume of the blackened intro started, my mouth dropped open. The complexity, the speed, the power, the depth. It just felt better, deeper, more orchestrated than the Black Album. It totally won me over and turned me into a huge Metallica fan from that moment. Certainly not perfect, in particular around the bass, but this album floored me. Still does. Fav Tracks - Blackened, One, Dyers Eve, Harvester of Sorrow [First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,029
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Buy album United States
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My true guilty pleasure. Whilst not a Bon Jovi fan, this album delivers so many great tracks. So much pop rock brilliance on one album. I was 12 when I saved up an bought this on cassette, dropped it into my AKAI double cassette deck and launched around the room with my air guitar. I thank this album for my love of music. As depressing and un-romantic as it may seem. Living on a Prayer was the biggest song for everyone in my school for about a year. Disco favourite. Fav Tracks - Living on a Prayer, You give love a bad name, Raise Your Hands, Let it Rock [First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,052
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Buy album United States
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A sleeper. I loved Core when I heard it, so many great tracks. Then when Purple was released my expectations were high. Vaseline was a weak single but the album presents gem after gem. Best tracks Silvergun Superman, interstate, meatplow. [First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,794
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Buy album United States
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Another album from this mid 90's period, which for me was one of the very best periods for music. (Everyone has their own based on age I guess) Pillar of Davidson, I Alone, Selling the Drama and of course Lightning crashes are the standout tracks. [First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,673
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Buy album United States
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My preference for Metallica albums changes often. Typically this sits near the top. Fade to Black is one of my favourite tracks ever. Add for whom the bell tolls and creeping death into the mix and you have a truly great album. [First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,229
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14. (15) Up1
Buy album United States
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After being somewhat disappointed in Lateralus, my response to 10,000 days was initially similar, but for different reasons. I loved the opening tracks but felt the album went no where after that. How wrong was I? Like all great records, and in particular Tool records, the reward from multiple deep listens is massive. Vicarious - probably my favourite Tool track alongside Pushit (off AEnima), then add Wings 2 (10,000 days) and Right in Two and you have 3 brilliant tracks. Add The Pot and Jambi and you have one hell of a brilliant record. It's got beauty, passion, darkness and depth. It sucks you in, takes you on a journey and then releases you a changed person. Is it their best work? No. But it is an immensely satisfying record. [First added to this chart: 06/08/2016]
Year of Release:
2006
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,994
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16. (14) Down2
Buy album United States
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As much as I prefer the 7min song almost classical nature of the big 3 albums, this came at a time when I was passionate about discovering new music. Just too many great songs to ignore. Really takes me back. Best tracks - The Unforgiven, God that failed, sandman, nothing else matters [First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,210
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Buy album United States
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I think the hype carries this album a bit. Nirvana did take the Seattle sound to the masses but their albums I personally don't believe were as great as their fellow Seattle folk at the time. I don't buy into the Cobain guitar / songwriter genius stuff as they had one good, no, great album. As it turns out most of the iconic riffs are borrowed. But who can not love this album? It was exactly what mainstream music needed and marked a big shift away from hair metal and 80s cringe rock. I guess there is genius in simplicity. Nevermind is a classic however that is hard to fault. Lithium, teen spirit and in bloom are brilliant tracks. [First added to this chart: 11/06/2015]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
42,253
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Total albums: 55. Page 1 of 6

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade Albums %


1930s 0 0%
1940s 0 0%
1950s 0 0%
1960s 7 7%
1970s 20 20%
1980s 14 14%
1990s 39 39%
2000s 17 17%
2010s 3 3%
2020s 0 0%
Artist Albums %


Metallica 4 4%
Pearl Jam 4 4%
Tool 3 3%
Black Sabbath 3 3%
The Rolling Stones 3 3%
Powderfinger 3 3%
The Beatles 3 3%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 55 55%
United Kingdom 25 25%
Australia 9 9%
Mixed Nationality 4 4%
Canada 4 4%
Denmark 1 1%
Ireland 1 1%
Show all
Live? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 98 98%
Yes 2 2%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Climber Up 14 from 26th to 12th
Ride The Lightning
by Metallica
Climber Up 2 from 17th to 15th
Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV)
by Led Zeppelin
Climber Up 1 from 15th to 14th
10,000 Days
by Tool
Biggest fallers
Faller Down 9 from 13th to 22nd
Saturation
by Urge Overkill
Faller Down 2 from 14th to 16th
Metallica
by Metallica
Faller Down 1 from 12th to 13th
Back In Black
by AC/DC

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
88/100 (from 17 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
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80/100
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08/25/2022 10:08 joedec  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 7183/100
  
90/100
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06/27/2022 22:40 Rm12398  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 9989/100
  
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06/27/2022 18:44 Johnnyo  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,00579/100
  
85/100
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06/27/2022 08:35 wizardalien  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 3188/100
  
90/100
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04/10/2022 04:16 Moondance  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 45084/100

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This chart is rated in the top 10% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 87.9/100, a mean average of 89.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.1/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 5.5.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing all 8 comments |
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Rating:  
80/100
From 08/25/2022 10:09
Pretty cool list overall. I'm pleasantly surprised that you ranked Metallica's And Justice For All in your top 5.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 06/27/2022 18:44
Excellent chart
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 04/10/2022 04:21
Fabulous chart Fade2Black. Loved your opening comment - 'there are no rules to govern taste'. I really liked seeing Boy & Bear & Jeff Buckley and some golden oldies - Sticky Fingers, Tapestry, Tea For The Tillerman, Harvest (ie my vintage). You have canvassed all the decades and found lots of musical gems.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 09/17/2021 02:59
interesting.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 09/16/2021 22:18
Great list. 7 albums in common but so many other albums and artists that never quite made my top 100 but are on my decade and year lists. Love that Powderfinger & The Tea Party are in there. Like your notes as well.
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Rating:  
90/100
From 07/10/2017 16:41
This is extremely interesting to browse. Your 3 favourite bands judging by the number of albums are some of my favourites too! Lots of things to discover here, and a strong possibility I'll rerate chart when I try Powderfinger and Live.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 11/20/2016 17:26
Let It Bleed my favorite Stones
Love Sabbath and The Beatles of Course and Metallica has turned into one of the most underated bands of all time
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 01/26/2016 01:00
13 albums and 12 artists in common! And I'm happy to see that you've just added Soundgarden's Superunknown to your list.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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