Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
AwaitingAndrew 
These are my personal favorite albums! I know there are people who won't agree with some inclusions on the list, but these albums were discovered by me at just the right time in my life or were otherwise just too good to ignore. The top ten albums are my quintessential list of perfect and meaningful albums where I can never skip a single track, and so I've provided commentary on each of them. The list will move around periodically as my mood changes, but the albums will remain mostly the same. 2023: I've finally updated this again nearly three years after my last update!
- Chart updated: 07/03/2025 03:45
- (Created: 06/07/2016 19:17).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 7 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 23 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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The best from one of the all-time greatest bands in my opinion. This is their beginning to becoming more commercially accessible, as evidenced in such tracks as Your Own Special Way, but it undoubtedly remains a progressive rock record. The instrumentals on Wind and Wuthering are insanely good. I always hated that it was Steve Hackett's last record with the band, their least recognized member but quite possibly the most essential. You'll read more about my growing up with Phil Collins and Genesis a bit later on my list.
Favorite Track: Afterglow [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Track: Afterglow [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,337
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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I'll never forget driving back to campus from a late night out in college and screaming along to Able Bodies from front to back at the top of my lungs. It's funny how I discovered FIL opening for a band I went to see, and FIL absolutely blew the other band out of the water. Joey is such a phenomenal musician and, by all accounts, human being, and I've had the pleasure of meeting him after all but one of the 5 times I've seen FIL live.
Favorite Track: Anything [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Track: Anything [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
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Country Sleep is one I don't remember the story behind my getting into it. But it jumped into my top 10 the day it was my soundtrack, the day I learned one of my high school teachers, who had been rather inspirational in my life, had passed away. I literally listened to this album three times in a row without pause. I feel that this is one album many BEA members would really enjoy if they knew about it and gave it a listen. The longing in Winston Yellen's voice is transparent through the speakers.
Favorite Track: 22 [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Track: 22 [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
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I got into Illuminate and my #5 album at about the same time, they mean more or less the same to me, and they are the main albums that got me through high school. But Illuminate is just such a cohesive effort, and any moment Mindy White's voice appears on this record is Heaven.
"Don't you ever get lonely?"
Favorite Track: A Fine Evening For A Rogue [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
"Don't you ever get lonely?"
Favorite Track: A Fine Evening For A Rogue [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
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Copeland is one of my all-time favorite bands, and You Are My Sunshine was my introduction in high school. This album is a little bit darker and perhaps a bit less accessible than Lydia's Illuminate - an album which also happens to feature Aaron Marsh of Copeland on a track. I learned Strange and Unprepared on piano and played and sang it at a high school talent show in which I placed second.
Favorite Track: On The Safest Ledge [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Track: On The Safest Ledge [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
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I'll be completely honest. I don't remember the first time I heard this album front to back. But good Lord is this album Heaven. That voice. The guitar. Jeff Buckley gave us one of the greatest albums ever before tragically moving on to the next life. It just says it all that Thom Yorke and Radiohead composed Fake Plastic Trees after seeing Buckley in concert.
Favorite Tracks: Lover, You Should've Come Over [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Tracks: Lover, You Should've Come Over [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,877
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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It was probably early 2005, and I heard Who I Am Hates Who I've Been on VH1's Top 20 Countdown which my sister always watched, and just stopped in my tracks to listen to as much of it as they would play. I remember one of my classmates liked Relient K so I asked him what album it was from, and then I bought the CD. I still need to add this to my record collection, but I have two CDs as my original copy became way too scratched up from the countless listens. This is the album that introduced me to alternative and pop punk music, and it's the reason most of the rest of these albums even get to be on my list. I don't know where I'd be without it.
Favorite Track: When I Go Down [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Track: When I Go Down [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
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Foo Fighters: there's not really a backstory here. I've always enjoyed Foo, as have many of the friends that I've kept close in my life. The Colour And The Shape is undeniably their best. There's not a bad track on this album. Everlong is one of the greatest songs of all time.
Favorite Track: Everlong [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Track: Everlong [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,635
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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My mom often played either the classic rock or the mix stations as I was growing up, which meant I heard a good amount of Phil Collins. Then, Tarzan came out, and I loved it and its soundtrack. Then a few years later, Brother Bear and I was hooked again. Like him or not, I don't think anyone can deny that Collins reaches greater heights with Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. This album is the pinnacle of the 1980s for me: its sound is on the surface often in tune with the Phil Collins I grew up loving as a child yet at the same time is so much more complex.
Favorite Track: Man Of Our Times [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Track: Man Of Our Times [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,806
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Anberlin's Final Tour stop in Charlotte in November 2014 is my all-time favorite concert experience, even though I am thrilled that it is no longer actually their final tour. Dismantle.Repair. and (*Fin) are my favorite back-to-back songs on any album in history, and hearing them performed live never fails to disappoint. My favorite band for a long time, perhaps even still today.
Favorite Track: (*Fin) [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
Favorite Track: (*Fin) [First added to this chart: 06/07/2016]
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 | 6 | 6% | |
| 1960s | 6 | 6% | |
| 1970s | 16 | 16% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1990s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2000s | 24 | 24% | |
| 2010s | 29 | 29% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Genesis | 5 | 5% | |
| Anberlin | 4 | 4% | |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| From Indian Lakes | 4 | 4% | |
| Copeland | 4 | 4% | |
| Foo Fighters | 3 | 3% | |
| Night Beds | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 12 from 92nd to 80th Oncle Jazz by Men I Trust |
| Up 6 from 98th to 92nd Dizzy Up The Girl by Goo Goo Dolls |
| Up 6 from 97th to 91st The Phantom Of The Opera At The Royal Albert Hall by Andrew Lloyd Webber |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 9 from 27th to 36th Sometimes by City And Colour |
| Down 8 from 43rd to 51st Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music by Ray Charles |
| Down 7 from 83rd to 90th ...But Seriously by Phil Collins |
| New entries |
|---|
| All 'N All by Earth, Wind & Fire |
| The Great Reunion by Louis Armstrong / Duke Ellington |
| In Motion by Copeland |
| Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Let It Be by The Beatles |
| Only By The Night by Kings Of Leon |
| Kid A by Radiohead |
| The Joshua Tree by U2 |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | AwaitingAndrew | 2010s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | AwaitingAndrew | 2000s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | TinyBlueMusic | Overall chart | 2021 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | jackq | Overall chart | 2023 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | AwaitingAndrew | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | tim0505 | Overall chart | 2025 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | MetaKoopa99 | Overall chart | 2023 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Rivera | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Dakatalbum | Overall chart | 2019 |  |
| my top 100 on 2011/01/01 |  paladisiac | Custom chart | 2017 | |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
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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 23 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/24/2025 18:16 | Johnnyo | 2,557 | 80/100 |
| ! | 03/02/2025 11:20 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 07/17/2024 15:06 | Alfaro | 2 | 75/100 |
| ! | 09/02/2023 04:14 | LoxiasV | 4 | 89/100 |
| ! | 12/08/2021 20:52 |  rockbluesfolkjaz | 74 | 87/100 |
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 89.1/100, a mean average of 88.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.7.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From Johnnyo 09/24/2025 18:17 | #311042
Quite a varied chart you have here. I like it.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From rockbluesfolkjaz 12/08/2021 20:53 | #277255
rockbluesfolkjaz 12/08/2021 20:53 | #277255
Interesting chart. A lot of quality music I must check out soon, besides the few that are on my list!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From pctrooper 11/22/2019 20:48 | #245087
Your chart is really unique and I like it a lot. Very dreamy stuff here. I have never listened to Lydia, but gave Illuminate a try based on some of your other picks. Usually this style turns me off a bit but I thought the album was really intense and fascinating.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
PanheadWarrior 10/19/2019 07:36 | #243895
PanheadWarrior 10/19/2019 07:36 | #243895
Such an amazing chart! I checked out Night Beds because of this chart and I'm enjoying it! I also spent some more time listening to From Indian Lakes because of this chart. Great band! And I love a lot of the lesser known releases from Relient K, Underoath, Copeland, Acceptance, Lydia, Tenth Avenue North, and Anberlin. A lot of great, underrated albums in there. You also had a great mix from all eras. Abbey Road is my favorite Beatles album too! And Animals is my favorite Pink Floyd album as well! I don't share the same love for Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, but do prefer those to a lot of BEA favorites from those eras. Overall, fantastic chart! Thanks for sharing the comments as well.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Thad 02/27/2018 03:09 | #209711
Grace is a cool choice at #1. I still maintain Buckley has one of the greatest voices of all time. This is also reminding me I need to get into Genesis more.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
jqyelton0216 10/25/2017 01:33 | #200041
jqyelton0216 10/25/2017 01:33 | #200041
Wow, I love your chart. It feels very personal and honest to your tastes. I love bands like Copeland, Anberlin and Relient K--but also have great respect for influential giants like Radiohead, The Beach Boys, and Jeff Buckley. This is a great mix
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
LedZep 05/12/2017 20:05 | #190704
LedZep 05/12/2017 20:05 | #190704
Don't like post Gabriel Genesis but the chart is very nice, a lot of new things to check out!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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