Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by YikYak 
Music is really cool. Because no two people ever have the exact same favorites and rankings. It's not like ranking baseball teams, where the number of World Series wins and Hall-of-Famers really determine how legendary your team is. Music is completely open to interpretation and opinion, which is amazing.
I chose my favorites and did not take albums specifically based on commercial success, critical acclaim, or legacy. Everything on here is my personal opinion. Of course, I haven't listened to everything and there is still a lot I have on my album bucket list.
I have a personal bias to guitar-based rock and concept albums.
I considered limiting my chart to one album per artist, but I didn't want to do that. I love a lot of albums by a few artists, like Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd, where I have at least 4 of their albums on my list. I wouldn't be able to choose just one album for these artists. A one album per artist limit would not show what I truly consider the 100 greatest albums of all time.
My tastes have changed considerably since I started really listening to music, so this chart will always evolve. Right now, I feel pretty satisfied with it, but tomorrow, I may not. The chart is going to change again and again. It is pretty much impossible to rank my favorites, so this is essentially the 100 albums that have stuck with me the most. And even these I could easily switch out for others, especially ones near the bottom.
Chart of the Day on: July 20th, 2016, March 15th, 2018, April 20th, 2022, February 18th, 2023, September 7th, 2023
- Chart updated: 12/02/2023 23:15
- (Created: 05/06/2016 12:45).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 39 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 92 out of 100 (from 85 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from United States. (Remove this filter)
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QOTSA came back and brought arguably the best album of this decade. This album tells a real-life story of Josh Homme when he underwent a botched knee operation and was supposed brain-dead. The B-side of this is stronger than the A-side, which is pretty unique among my favorites. I Appear Missing is easily the most underrated song of the decade and is arguably the best.
Key Track(s): I Sat By the Ocean, If I Had a Tail, My God Is the Sun, Fairweather Friends, Smooth Sailing, I Appear Missing, ...Like Clockwork
Key Lyric: "Where are you hiding, my love?
Cast off like a stone.
Feelings raw and exposed when I'm out of control
Pieces were stolen from me
Or dare I say, given away?" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Key Track(s): I Sat By the Ocean, If I Had a Tail, My God Is the Sun, Fairweather Friends, Smooth Sailing, I Appear Missing, ...Like Clockwork
Key Lyric: "Where are you hiding, my love?
Cast off like a stone.
Feelings raw and exposed when I'm out of control
Pieces were stolen from me
Or dare I say, given away?" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,339
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
82
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All I have to say about this album is it starts at 100 and never lets up.
Key Track(s): Intertiatic ESP, Roulette Dares, Drunkship of Lanterns, Eria Tarka, Televators, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt
Key Lyric: "Dolls wreck the minced meat of pupils
Cast in oblong arms length
The hooks have been picking their scabs
Where wolves hide in the company of men" [First added to this chart: 06/25/2016]
Key Track(s): Intertiatic ESP, Roulette Dares, Drunkship of Lanterns, Eria Tarka, Televators, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt
Key Lyric: "Dolls wreck the minced meat of pupils
Cast in oblong arms length
The hooks have been picking their scabs
Where wolves hide in the company of men" [First added to this chart: 06/25/2016]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,543
Rank in 2003:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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For a while, I just thought of this as the "spaceman album". It deserves more than that. A lot more. Each song perfectly transitions into the next.
Key Track(s): Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades, I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light, Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't, The Quiet Things that No One Ever Knows, The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot, Jaws Theme Swimming, Play Crack The Sky
Key Lyric: "My lungs are fresh and yours to keep,
Kept clean and they will let you breathe.
Is this the way a toy feels when its batteries run dry?
I am the watch you always wear but you forget to wind." [First added to this chart: 03/10/2017]
Key Track(s): Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades, I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light, Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't, The Quiet Things that No One Ever Knows, The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot, Jaws Theme Swimming, Play Crack The Sky
Key Lyric: "My lungs are fresh and yours to keep,
Kept clean and they will let you breathe.
Is this the way a toy feels when its batteries run dry?
I am the watch you always wear but you forget to wind." [First added to this chart: 03/10/2017]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,516
Rank in 2003:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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In my opinion, the best metal album ever made. It's essentially the only metal album I find relaxing, so I consider it a stoner metal album, if that's a thing. QOTSA frontman Josh Homme used to play guitar here.
Key Track(s): Gardenia, Asteroid, Super Scoopa and Mighty Scoop, Space Cadet, Demon Cleaner, Whitewater
Key Lyric: "If only one thing that you'll know
Impostors from the show,
They'll try to trick you into,
Normal treatment,
Oh don't you listen to them say,
Shush them all away
I am the demon cleaner,
Madman saver,
I am the the freedom bleeder,
Standing naked here to say,
I'm the only way" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Key Track(s): Gardenia, Asteroid, Super Scoopa and Mighty Scoop, Space Cadet, Demon Cleaner, Whitewater
Key Lyric: "If only one thing that you'll know
Impostors from the show,
They'll try to trick you into,
Normal treatment,
Oh don't you listen to them say,
Shush them all away
I am the demon cleaner,
Madman saver,
I am the the freedom bleeder,
Standing naked here to say,
I'm the only way" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,672
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Kinda like a mix of The Doors and The Strokes, just way before The Strokes...
Key Track(s): See No Evil, Venus, Marquee Moon, Elevation, Torn Curtain
Key Lyric: "I remember
Ooo how the darkness doubled
I recall
Lightning struck itself
I was listening
Listening to the rain
I was hearing
Hearing something else" [First added to this chart: 11/08/2016]
Key Track(s): See No Evil, Venus, Marquee Moon, Elevation, Torn Curtain
Key Lyric: "I remember
Ooo how the darkness doubled
I recall
Lightning struck itself
I was listening
Listening to the rain
I was hearing
Hearing something else" [First added to this chart: 11/08/2016]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,620
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
16. (=)
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...Speaking of the Strokes-Everyone's favorite garage rock record - one of the best debuts of all time.
Key Track(s): Is This It, Barely Legal, Someday, Last Nite, Hard to Explain, Take It or Leave It
Key Lyric: "I say the right things but act the wrong way
I like it right here but I cannot stay
I watch the TV; forget what I'm told
Well, I am too young, and they are too old
Oh, man, can't you see I'm nervous, so please
Pretend to be nice, so I can be mean
I miss the last bus, we take the next train
I try but you see, it's hard to explain" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Key Track(s): Is This It, Barely Legal, Someday, Last Nite, Hard to Explain, Take It or Leave It
Key Lyric: "I say the right things but act the wrong way
I like it right here but I cannot stay
I watch the TV; forget what I'm told
Well, I am too young, and they are too old
Oh, man, can't you see I'm nervous, so please
Pretend to be nice, so I can be mean
I miss the last bus, we take the next train
I try but you see, it's hard to explain" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29,906
Rank in 2001:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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The first scream in Them Bones sets the tone right away and it never lets up.
Key Track(s): Them Bones, Dam that River, Down in a Hole, Rooster, Dirt, Angry Chair, Would?
Key Lyric: "Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
Oh, you don't understand who they thought I was supposed to be
Look at me now I'm a man who won't let himself be" [First added to this chart: 05/13/2016]
Key Track(s): Them Bones, Dam that River, Down in a Hole, Rooster, Dirt, Angry Chair, Would?
Key Lyric: "Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
Oh, you don't understand who they thought I was supposed to be
Look at me now I'm a man who won't let himself be" [First added to this chart: 05/13/2016]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,495
Rank in 1992:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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For a while, this was my favorite. It has such a cool concept: it's the story of a man who gets trashed, goes out, does a lot of stuff (good and bad), then gets a hangover, which goes away. This album took a few listens, but soon grew to become a favorite of mine.
Key Track(s): Feel Good Hit of the Summer, The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret, Auto Pilot, Better Living Through Chemistry, Monsters in the Parasol, In the Fade, I Think I Lost My Headache
Key Lyric: "The blue pill opens your eyes
Is there a better way?
A new religion prescribed
To those without the faith
A hero holding a knife
And blood is not enough
Is it too late to go back?
Is it too late to go?" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Key Track(s): Feel Good Hit of the Summer, The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret, Auto Pilot, Better Living Through Chemistry, Monsters in the Parasol, In the Fade, I Think I Lost My Headache
Key Lyric: "The blue pill opens your eyes
Is there a better way?
A new religion prescribed
To those without the faith
A hero holding a knife
And blood is not enough
Is it too late to go back?
Is it too late to go?" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,925
Rank in 2000:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
22. (=)
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Perfect album for pretty much every situation: driving, studying, relaxing, working out, partying. So many classics on here. I almost started to think that I didn't like this album as much. Well, I was wrong.
Key Track(s): Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Come As You Are, Breed, Lithium, Drain You, Something in the Way
Key Lyric: "Underneath the bridge
The tarp has sprung a leak
And the animals I've trapped
Have all become my pets
And I'm living off of grass
And the drippings from the ceiling
It's okay to eat fish
'Cause they don't have any feelings" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Key Track(s): Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Come As You Are, Breed, Lithium, Drain You, Something in the Way
Key Lyric: "Underneath the bridge
The tarp has sprung a leak
And the animals I've trapped
Have all become my pets
And I'm living off of grass
And the drippings from the ceiling
It's okay to eat fish
'Cause they don't have any feelings" [First added to this chart: 05/09/2016]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,576
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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The indie rock album that inspired Kurt Cobain and the grunge movement. How does that exactly happen?
Key Track(s): Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven, There Goes My Gun, Hey, Gouge Away
Key Lyric: "If Man is 5, if Man is 5, if Man is 5
Then the Devil is 6, then the Devil is 6,
Then the Devil is 6, then the Devil is 6, and if the Devil is 6
Then God is 7, then God is 7, then God is 7" [First added to this chart: 08/06/2016]
Key Track(s): Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven, There Goes My Gun, Hey, Gouge Away
Key Lyric: "If Man is 5, if Man is 5, if Man is 5
Then the Devil is 6, then the Devil is 6,
Then the Devil is 6, then the Devil is 6, and if the Devil is 6
Then God is 7, then God is 7, then God is 7" [First added to this chart: 08/06/2016]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
33,276
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 53. 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 | 15 | 15% | |
| 1970s | 11 | 11% | |
| 1980s | 6 | 6% | |
| 1990s | 27 | 27% | |
| 2000s | 30 | 30% | |
| 2010s | 11 | 11% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Queens Of The Stone Age | 6 | 6% | |
| Radiohead | 5 | 5% | |
| Pink Floyd | 5 | 5% | |
| The Beatles | 5 | 5% | |
| Nirvana | 4 | 4% | |
| Muse | 3 | 3% | |
| Cage The Elephant | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 63rd to 64th Black Holes And Revelations by Muse |
| Down 1 from 64th to 65th Lullabies To Paralyze by Queens Of The Stone Age |
| Down 1 from 65th to 66th Boston by Boston |
| New entries |
|---|
 Fever To Tellby Yeah Yeah Yeahs |
| Let England Shake by PJ Harvey |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Stories From The City, Stories From The Seaby PJ Harvey |
| The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
92/100 (from 85 votes)
where:
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 85 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 90/100  | 02/19/2023 04:28 | Moondance | | 85/100 |
| 90/100 | 02/18/2023 16:15 | Johnnyo | | 80/100 |
| 85/100 | 04/25/2022 17:09 |  Cytoma | | 90/100 |
| 95/100 | 04/20/2022 13:50 | wizardalien | | 88/100 |
| 95/100 | 11/30/2021 19:44 |  Mercury | | 95/100 |
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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 92.2/100, a mean average of 91.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.0/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.2.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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90/100
From Moondance 02/19/2023 04:38
With 17 artists and 10 albums in common, there is a shared love of certain artists/albums. There is also a big divide between us in other music preferences - which to quote you: "Music is completely open to interpretation and opinion, which is amazing".
That said, I find this chart and the comments within it to be some of the best I have seen on this site ~ & I greatly appreciate the time & effort required to make insightful, considered commentary.
Love that you have 3 albums from Australia, including a few outliers. Although not in my top 100, I do have Atlas Genius in my year chart ~ so we are in quite a distinguished minority group there ~ all power to us!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Johnnyo 02/18/2023 16:16
Really great chart. Great comments too. I keep on trying to get my act together to add more description to my charts but always get distracted. Great job
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
sssvnnn 02/28/2021 18:37
sssvnnn 02/28/2021 18:37
good chart.
Very good top 10.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From mrmcrook 02/17/2021 03:52
Well done. Best of all lists I've looked at. Know and love 80% of whats on it. Will be checking out that which I haven't heard. Double thumbs up. Great notes as well.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
jdenny2018 11/06/2018 17:52
jdenny2018 11/06/2018 17:52
"Music is really cool" should be the motto for this website.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
ForegroundNoise 11/06/2018 09:42
ForegroundNoise 11/06/2018 09:42
I'd already given this chart a rating but since it's chart of the day I'll leave a comment.
Love the passion that comes through on your chart. Even though I'd disagree with that interpretation of Kid A (I'd give that distinction to HTTT since it was the album that Thom Yorke wrote a lot of lyrics about shielding yuor child from the cruelty of the world after the birth of his firstborn) I share your love of that album and our chart's descriptions are spookily similar! - nice to see a like-minded music fan.
Since you are a self-professed lover of 'guitar-based rock and concept albums' then I'll give you a rec in that order: The Microphones' 'The Glow Pt.2' has a loose concept of a figure who feels disconnected from the world of modernity (I Want Wind To Blow, My Roots Are Strong And Deep, I Want To Be Cold, I Felt My Size) who experiences love and loss (I Am Bored, I Felt Your Shape) before resolving to reconnect to the elemental world through his suicide (Samurai Sword) with the album closing to the sound of the narrator's blood pouring back into the earth from whence he came (My Warm Blood).
This one's a personal favourite I think you'd enjoy but feel free to check out my chart since I think there's a number of things there you might like!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
60/100
From 
Boltzmann 03/16/2018 15:42
Boltzmann 03/16/2018 15:42
This comment is beneath your viewing threshold.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -4 votes (1 helpful | 5 unhelpful)
90/100
From n8rob 03/16/2018 15:34
Dang, good stuff!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From SamNassiri98 03/16/2018 14:48
A lot of albums in common which is good but the ranking leaves a lot to be desired. I appreciate the effort you took in writing above each album.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Ulf 03/16/2018 09:56
Really great stuff with great descriptions!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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