Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
imimesis 
There are (still) so many albums that I want to hear, so I have undoubtedly missed something that will someday be in this list. As such, this reflects what I intentionally and carefully listened to and what stands apart from the crowd in some artistic or classic sense.
While I would like to keep the list to one album per artist, that just isn't possible when an artist is so good that they put out consistently excellent albums.
One final note: I recently moved Revolver to the top of the list and moved Modern Vampires of the City from #1 to #4. Absolute ranking is hard and anything in the top 10 could be arguably #1.
That is all for now.
- Chart updated: 12/22/2025 13:15
- (Created: 12/30/2015 17:08).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 21 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 54 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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[First added to this chart: 12/30/2015]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
49,624
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/30/2015]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,340
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/30/2015]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
42,274
Rank in 2000:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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I surprised myself in putting this at the very top. Really, the "best album of all time"? Well, I'll just say that if the guiding principles of The Beatles, Paul Simon, Radiohead and Spoon mean anything (which they do in my book), then Vampire Weekend has somehow synthesized the pop/rock band, singer-songwriter, album-as-art elements so well as to give us this absolute gem, with perfect or near-perfect song from very beginning to very end.
[First added to this chart: 12/30/2015]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,294
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/30/2015]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,565
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/30/2015]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,840
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 01/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
37,234
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/31/2015]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,760
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 12/30/2015]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,324
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 01/29/2016]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,657
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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 | 4 | 4% | |
| 1960s | 13 | 13% | |
| 1970s | 22 | 22% | |
| 1980s | 14 | 14% | |
| 1990s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2000s | 14 | 14% | |
| 2010s | 12 | 12% | |
| 2020s | 5 | 5% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 3% | |
| Sufjan Stevens | 3 | 3% | |
| Kate Bush | 2 | 2% | |
| Aphex Twin | 2 | 2% | |
| Joni Mitchell | 2 | 2% | |
| Arcade Fire | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
49 | 49% | |
 |
33 | 33% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 43 from 93rd to 50th Love Deluxe by Sade |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 3 from 68th to 71st Cosmo's Factory by Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Down 3 from 69th to 72nd Crazy Rhythms by The Feelies |
| Down 3 from 70th to 73rd Michigan by Sufjan Stevens |
| New entries |
|---|
| 50 Words For Snow by Kate Bush |
| London Calling by The Clash |
| Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake by Small Faces |
| Rain Dogs by Tom Waits |
| Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen |
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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 54 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 10/27/2025 16:32 | stangetzaway | 173 | 89/100 |
| ! | 10/27/2025 08:56 |  MadhattanJack | 260 | 85/100 |
| ! | 01/25/2025 14:14 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 09/12/2024 16:49 | thepurplemartin | 10 | 82/100 |
| ! | 03/01/2024 11:50 |  ffudnebbuh | 654 | 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).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 4% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.2/100, a mean average of 89.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.9.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 21 comments |
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From thepurplemartin 09/12/2024 16:53 | #305255
Not enough Beatles
In all seriousness though, I see the IDM near the bottom, curious as to how early Amon Tobin stacks against Boards and Aphex with you. Also I’m a bit surprised to see Wish You Were Here that high but no Dark Side. Great list though, much respect to the classics (definitely my biggest gap in music knowledge) but some good contemporary stuff as well.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From leniad 07/02/2022 05:56 | #286955
really liked your chart, i can say you like folk and not the go to albums from some artists, good taste friend
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Moondance 08/18/2021 01:57 | #272609
Congratulations on a well considered and diverse list - and I couldn't agree more on the need to give credit to the female artists in the album world. I would also suggest that music outside the USA/UK bastions, need to be better acknowledged - something you have given thought to. Good to see Australians bands getting a mention - 3 in your top 100 is a good start (lol). Cheers!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From mianfei 12/08/2020 08:00 | #262250
A very good chart, Steeleye Span is particularly noteworthy. Although I have not fully heard them, the Books, Ella Fitzgerald and Wanda Jackson are worth noting as well. There are a few over-familiar choices here, but they are more than balanced by the number of exceptional records like ‘Divers’, ‘Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven’, ‘Dummy’, ‘Hounds of Love’, and ‘Hejira’.
Some you may not have heard of but really would be worth your time to listen to:
— ‘New York Tendaberry’ by Laura Nyro
— ‘Parallelograms’ by Linda Perhacs
— ‘The Christ Tree’ by the Trees Community
— ‘St. Radigunds’ by Spirogyra
— ‘Swing the Statue’ by Victoria Williams
— ‘Native Speaker’ by Braids
— ‘Love Agenda’ by Band of Susans
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
StefanR10 12/06/2020 18:10 | #262158
StefanR10 12/06/2020 18:10 | #262158
Really interesting and good chart very unique and I found something new thank you for Over-the-rhine and Steeleye Span.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From zrommeke 12/06/2020 17:58 | #262157
Totally my cup of tea, and more!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
jnfbn 12/06/2020 17:45 | #262155
jnfbn 12/06/2020 17:45 | #262155
Great chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From LedZep 03/27/2019 23:02 | #234099
LedZep 03/27/2019 23:02 | #234099
Some of my 2nd tier favourites here, bands that aren't in my top 100 but could be on a different day. From Yo La Tengo and St. Vincent to Aphex Twin and Glass. Seems like the only thing I'm not a fan of here is Vampire Weekend lol. A great chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
flyingcitrus 03/27/2019 15:16 | #234084
flyingcitrus 03/27/2019 15:16 | #234084
I like the amount of female artists here and I think that's an underrated aspect of a good chart and honestly something mine could be more inclusive of, too. I appreciate how much non-western music here too--a lot of good stuff to dig into!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Rivera 03/27/2019 13:41 | #234082
Outstanding chart: very diverse and interesting.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of the 1990s | |
|---|---|
| 1. Radiohead | |
| 2. Nirvana | |
| 3. The Smashing Pumpkins | |
| 4. Neutral Milk Hotel | |
| 5. Oasis | |
| 6. Pearl Jam | |
| 7. My Bloody Valentine | |
| 8. R.E.M. | |
| 9. Nick Cave | |
| 10. Björk | |
| 11. Weezer | |
| 12. Richard David James | |
| 13. Pavement | |
| 14. Portishead | |
| 15. Jeff Buckley | |
| 16. Blur | |
| 17. Elliott Smith | |
| 18. Nas | |
| 19. Red Hot Chili Peppers | |
| 20. Massive Attack |
