Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by hairymarx1 
My key criteria for selection are innovation and originality, mainly within the various strands of electronic and psychedelic-based music, which are my major areas of interest.
The fourth, often overlapping criteria, are that albums engage on an emotional and intellectual level and have a consistent conceptual narrative thread running through them.
Entries 51-100 are subject to frequent change. I made the conscious decision to omit compilations, classical and jazz releases. Maximum of one album per artist.
I would like to thank the music critic Pierro Scaruffi (www.scaruffi.com) for introducing me to some of the artists in this chart who have made my life richer as a result.
- Chart updated: 08/04/2016 22:45
- (Created: 03/16/2011 02:09).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 127 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 86 out of 100 (from 119 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 57,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1990s. (Remove this filter)
Buy album 
- #Sponsored
One of the most musically accomplished bands of their time (and of any time), Bardo Pond produced this brilliant album that comprises a maelstrom of guitar distortions and manic drumming underscored by repetitively brutal, cosmic and supersonic drones. The overall soundscape is one that merges the post-rock and avante-garde experimentalism of say, Sonic Youth, the acid jam of Grateful Dead, the powerhouse blues of MC5 and the shoegazing of My Bloody Valentine. This is one of the key albums of the 1990s - it's reputation grows with the passage of time.
[First added to this chart: 08/09/2011]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Musically and technically as clinically executed as anything produced by Can, Tortoise add a modern twist to the classical minimalist/jazz & prog-Canterbury genres. Despite the albums fusing of a multitude of influences - Miles Davis, Soft Machine, Steve Reich, Ennio Morricone - there is enough rhythmic experimentation by way of funk, dub and even caribbean timbres that give the music a wonderfully flowing and distinct richness.
[First added to this chart: 07/31/2011]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,536
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Slowdive continue with the philosophy laid down by My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins but with 'Just For A Day', the band took their music to new ethereal extremes. Never has the synthesis of the Dream Pop and Shoegaze genres been so perfectly realized than on this album. The result is a symphonic psychedelic sound of beauty that encompasses hypnotizing harmonies and breathtaking soundscapes, the results of which are deeply psychological and mystical. This album is one of the most daring achievements of British rock ever.
[First added to this chart: 03/16/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,166
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
This album is a psychedelic and schizophrenic extravaganza that synthesized Red Crayola's anarchic freakouts with contemplative and meditative new-age type sermons. The sound of Mercury Rev though, is not merely an imitation or some kind of nostalgic tribute to an age of 'acid' West coast "trip", but is an imaginative and chaotic vision of the human condition that is tempered by fits of neurosis and decadent atmospheres. 'Yerself Is Steam' is one of the most important and influential records of psychedelic rock.
[First added to this chart: 03/16/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,814
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
With 'Incunabula', the Manchester duo Autechre created a distinctive form of postmodern electronic music that was a vast improvement on the standard techno/'chill-out' music of the period. What separates Autechre from the crowd is the carefully calibrated nature of their music which they emphasize by their use of soft 'organic' rhythms. These rhythms skilfully bridge synth-pop, Indian classical music, the minimalism of Terry Riley, the ambiance of Brian Eno, the electronic pop sensibilities of Kraftwerk and the transcendental psychedelic explorations of Tangerine Dream. In short, the music of Autechre is akin to a 'design in sound' that is both meticulous and intricate as well as pioneering.
[First added to this chart: 06/17/2012]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
'Loveless' is the greatest of the band's two masterpieces. It remains arguably the ultimate exploration of textures in rock music, perfectly blurring the distinction between 'noise' and 'symphony'. This album sounds like no other and provided the springboard for many more of the (inferior) bands of the Shoegaze movement.
[First added to this chart: 03/16/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
28,507
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 10/30/2011]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 07/31/2011]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Stereolab's sound on this album is a fresh take on the Neu and Velvet Underground influences of their earlier period. Laetitia Sadier's prominent surreal vocals act as a kind of instrument in which unpredictable electronic rhythms and beautifully subtle arrangements act as a kind of accompanying role to a series of hypnotic and acid instrumental scores. The effect is a new form of postmodern 1960s lounge music that skillfully blends classical elements with an approach that veers towards easy-listening.
[First added to this chart: 03/16/2011]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,326
Rank in 1993:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Low create mezmerizing psalm-like hypnotic minimilist music that is way ahead of its time. The languid guitar sound, soft harmonies and radiant melodies are modernist variations of the themes first coined by Nick Drake that also hint at the Cowboy Junkies, Luna and Galaxie 500. Key track: Lullaby.
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2011]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,510
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 18. Page 1 of 2
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 24 | 24% | |
| 1970s | 35 | 35% | |
| 1980s | 17 | 17% | |
| 1990s | 18 | 18% | |
| 2000s | 4 | 4% | |
| 2010s | 2 | 2% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 1 | 1% | |
| Penguin Cafe Orchestra | 1 | 1% | |
| Eagles | 1 | 1% | |
| Spiritualized® | 1 | 1% | |
| Matching Mole | 1 | 1% | |
| Suicide | 1 | 1% | |
| The Stooges | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  The Gollux | Overall chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  paologabriel | Overall chart | 2025 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  melisandre | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | hairymarx1 | 1970s decade chart | 2011 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  AfterHours | Overall chart | 2025 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Hammy | Overall chart | 2014 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | daly350 | Overall chart | 2013 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | boyd94 | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | The Gollux | 1970s decade chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  Kalos | Overall chart | 2020 | |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
- Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.
- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
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 119 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/24/2025 10:01 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 02/24/2022 05:35 |  DriftingOrpheus | 78 | 91/100 |
| ! | 10/22/2020 04:59 | Szyfman | 174 | 85/100 |
| ! | 06/18/2020 03:22 |  RoundTheBend | 372 | 92/100 |
| ! | 03/11/2020 08:48 | LittleMatt | 107 | 80/100 |
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 has a Bayesian average rating of 85.7/100, a mean average of 81.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 85.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 22.0.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 42 members
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 127 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 RoundTheBend 06/18/2020 03:22 | #253785
RoundTheBend 06/18/2020 03:22 | #253785
The actual reason is because he was an ass to me.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
dihansse 03/28/2018 18:51 | #211873
dihansse 03/28/2018 18:51 | #211873
many recs to seek out
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
JulianR 02/18/2018 22:17 | #208766
JulianR 02/18/2018 22:17 | #208766
You know, I decided to actually look into claims of plagirization of scaruffi. And I have decided that while this guy certainly mimicks him very closely, he is in fact stating his own opinions and beliefs. That doesn't mean that he doesn't fall prey to the same meaningless pretentious verbosity that scaruffi does, but I dont think he is downright stealing scaruffi's work, just heavily imitating. He still deserves a poor score for being both unoriginal and uninteresting, but not the 5/100 that he previously recieved from me.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From JulianR 10/27/2017 00:51 | #200130
JulianR 10/27/2017 00:51 | #200130
Scaruffi imitation at its most mediocre. See skeeter's comment below
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From voland 06/01/2017 15:59 | #191809
Thanks for Rickie Lee Jones. Never heard of her before. But it's very beautiful music.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From skeeter 04/20/2017 14:09 | #189574
The reason for all the low ratings on this chart is that its creator Daniel Margrain aka hairymarx1 plagiarized all the analysis and comments of the albums from Piero Scaruffi. He's also done this repeatedly elsewhere on this site, Amazon and his own website. See Scaruffi's website that he mentions in his introduction on here as being the music critic who "introduced him to some of the artists in the chart" (of course without giving credit for all the plagiarized reviews) and type in keywords "Daniel Margrain" and "plagiarist" in the search engine to see the full details and extent of this. I pointed this out before but since this site only displays the 10 most recent comments for a chart I guess the notice needs a boost now.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
CharlieBarley 02/07/2017 02:38 | #185038
CharlieBarley 02/07/2017 02:38 | #185038
One of the most refreshing charts I have read. Mine, by comparison is much more mainstream, I am finding. Love that you are a fan of psychedelic rock. I had no idea there were so many psych artists. I can't wait to discover some of these. I have got a few of these albums but not many. I am just getting into PIL and Metal Box is going to be my next purchase. I love Lydon gone psychotic, which seems to be his default setting. I also like Velvets, Neil young, Pink Floyd and Ms Patti Smith - I own 2 box sets of hers but only have Horses on my 70s chart. Maybe I should put it in my Top 100. I like that you stick to your guns, I love your notes (I read them all whilst listening to Joni Mitchell) and I admire your originality. I can only wait to see if reading this shakes up my charts a bit. Good work! Only reason it's not 100/100 is I only know a small amount of these albums. Only 5 albums in common but vive la difference! Is very good though.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -2 votes (0 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
From zrommeke 02/06/2017 18:30 | #185009
Definitely not the easiest chart, but I like it a lot!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From Josian 02/06/2017 18:15 | #185008
Very interesting list, thanks ;)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From 
phantom1305 02/06/2017 11:27 | #184991
phantom1305 02/06/2017 11:27 | #184991
I'm confused what's with all the low ratings?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Your feedback for Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
If you enjoy our site, please consider supporting us by sparing a few seconds to disable your ad blocker.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
