Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
RoundTheBend 
Here's my old 2013 chart: http://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=31041
In 2016 I listened to something like 1,600 albums (selected first from the top 100 of each decade on this site, but then some gems and recommendations) and reassessed what music I truly thought was good in that moment, rating them song for song and averaging out the album. I feel like I only scratched the surface in some areas while in others it was liberating discoveries. Obviously there were some reassessments of known favorites.
Along the way I discovered some prejudices with my own initial gut checks... like I thought I had to put Nevermind in my top 10 (not because of popularity, but because I thought it was a top 10 album) and maybe that is true and maybe it isn't. I realize this process is ever changing, and in 6 months it might change again, but no, I don't need to have my top 10 the gut check what "should" be in my top 10. The mathematical approach I did was both blind and at times shocking. It also wasn't perfect.
Some give me a hard time for liking my "big artists", but ever since I was 14 I kind of made this decision that I like big bands... they have great discographies, and felt other artists failed at creating something with true staying power, even if it was pretty cool for the time. Somehow my favorite aesthetic is that pop (very loose use of this term) group like Nirvana or U2 who can both appeal to the blue collar and the white collar - that sweet sour pop yet not pop, the artist who happens to play in the medium of pop, if you will... or maybe it's the pop artisan who aspires to make great art. To me great art best puts a mirror against humanity and conveys emotions and discusses ideas in powerful/meaningful ways. Great musicians are those who can do it in a beautifully tonal landscape.
I've also decided to go one artist per album on my overall. There's times when I say, why would I not put a 100 album on my list just because I want another artist on my list, who maybe really has an 80 album, then I realized at the end of this project, I wouldn't be able to fit all of my 80 or higher albums on this list... or 5 lists, so here it is 1 album per artist with the lowest score of 86.6.
Well it's 2018 now... I'm ready to revamp again (sometimes I look at it and I'm disappointed and sometimes I look at it and say, yeah, that feels about right), but this time incorporating my review of western music before 1950... WIP that probably will take a year or so... idk.
Starting to add descriptors and genre's from RYM to be a little more conscious of why I love these albums. It's a bit of unconscious competency for me sometimes. I will never use the genre's pop rock, indie rock, singer/songwriter to describe anything but garbage that doesn't have enough style to be unique. Also have decided I need to stop my stream of conscious ramblings and quote more thought out writings about albums. I usually am writing on this site after a 10 hour work day and mostly sound like incoherent ramblings than anything really constructive, even if I know better. I saw someone else do this as well and thought it a nice touch to their chart. If it's in quotes and references a user, it's not my words.
- Chart updated: 02/22/2021 03:15
- (Created: 06/02/2011 05:12).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 82 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 135 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 53,000 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
Art Rock, Alternative Metal, Chamber Pop
bittersweet, angry, passionate, eclectic
"Finally, I thought, here was our White Album, Physical Graffiti, or The Wall, but we could watch its legend being constructed in real time without all the received wisdom...Mellon Collie's remarkable breadth is the best indication of Corgan's ability to let loose. You could pick five songs at random and still end up with a diverse batch of singles that would make a case for Smashing Pumpkins being the most stylistically malleable multi-platinum act of the 90s. Maybe it wouldn't sell as many copies, but picture an alternate universe where heavy rotation met the joyous, mechanized grind of "Love", "In the Arms of Sleep"'s unabashed antiquated romanticism, the Prince-like electro-ballad "Beautiful", "Muzzle"'s stadium-status affirmations, or the throttling metal of "Bodies"." - Ian Cohen, Pitchfork
Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (1995): 99.2 (adjusted for top 13)
Siamese Dream (1993): 95
Pisces Iscariot (1994): 91.7
Adore (1998): 90
Gish (1991): 88.5
Teargarden By Kaleidyscope (2010): 88
Machina/The Machines Of God (2000): 86
Oceania 2012 (83.4)
Zeitgeist (2007): 79 [First added to this chart: 02/03/2012]
bittersweet, angry, passionate, eclectic
"Finally, I thought, here was our White Album, Physical Graffiti, or The Wall, but we could watch its legend being constructed in real time without all the received wisdom...Mellon Collie's remarkable breadth is the best indication of Corgan's ability to let loose. You could pick five songs at random and still end up with a diverse batch of singles that would make a case for Smashing Pumpkins being the most stylistically malleable multi-platinum act of the 90s. Maybe it wouldn't sell as many copies, but picture an alternate universe where heavy rotation met the joyous, mechanized grind of "Love", "In the Arms of Sleep"'s unabashed antiquated romanticism, the Prince-like electro-ballad "Beautiful", "Muzzle"'s stadium-status affirmations, or the throttling metal of "Bodies"." - Ian Cohen, Pitchfork
Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (1995): 99.2 (adjusted for top 13)
Siamese Dream (1993): 95
Pisces Iscariot (1994): 91.7
Adore (1998): 90
Gish (1991): 88.5
Teargarden By Kaleidyscope (2010): 88
Machina/The Machines Of God (2000): 86
Oceania 2012 (83.4)
Zeitgeist (2007): 79 [First added to this chart: 02/03/2012]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,964
Rank in 1995:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
161
Buy album
- #Sponsored
East Coast Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Reggae
Eclectic, Introspective, Smooth, Warm
"The Carnival gathered an ambitious array of personalities into 24 disco-roots-creole dance tracks. Lauryn Hill, Pras, the Neville Brothers, Celia Cruz, Funkmaster Flex, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra all play on this 74-minute thing...Wyclef’s move from Haiti to Brooklyn (and then New Jersey) was part of a large migration of Haitians to the U.S., prompted by the repressive Duvalier regimes of the ’70s and ’80s. With the Fugees, he fused his immigration story with the DNA of New York’s housing projects and Caribbean sonics. The Carnival is an equally proud transcultural product, attesting to how dislocation and intersection mix people up. Its songs sung in Creole celebrate and affirm Haitian identity, but the album also indicates that most people have claim to multiple heritages, are the inheritors of multiple pasts." - Naomi Zeichner, Pitchfork [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
Eclectic, Introspective, Smooth, Warm
"The Carnival gathered an ambitious array of personalities into 24 disco-roots-creole dance tracks. Lauryn Hill, Pras, the Neville Brothers, Celia Cruz, Funkmaster Flex, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra all play on this 74-minute thing...Wyclef’s move from Haiti to Brooklyn (and then New Jersey) was part of a large migration of Haitians to the U.S., prompted by the repressive Duvalier regimes of the ’70s and ’80s. With the Fugees, he fused his immigration story with the DNA of New York’s housing projects and Caribbean sonics. The Carnival is an equally proud transcultural product, attesting to how dislocation and intersection mix people up. Its songs sung in Creole celebrate and affirm Haitian identity, but the album also indicates that most people have claim to multiple heritages, are the inheritors of multiple pasts." - Naomi Zeichner, Pitchfork [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Funk Rock, Alternative, Rap Rock
hedonistic, bittersweet, rhythmic, energetic
The spirit of a Los Angeles punk, linking with the beauty of humanity in a way they know how.
"You don’t have to read the Kiedis book to intuit that the Chili Peppers saw nakedness not just as lascivious romp—though, of course, there was that—but as pathway to a more unconscious, unrestrained state. They weren’t total goons; they were into mindfulness, and all that. The album opens with “The Power of Equality,” an explicitly anti-racist missive where Kiedis professes his love for Public Enemy and bellows “Say what I want, do what I can/Death to the message of the Ku Klux Klan.” “The Righteous and the Wicked” intones about a forthcoming environmental apocalypse owing to man’s selfish behavior, with Frusciante’s guitar tone sounding like a dark cloud pumped through a smokestack. Their gestures toward social justice were hardly sophisticated, less a well-reasoned dialogue than a full-throated “Racism fuckin’ sucks,” but that was the point. They were the partially-clothed id, barreling toward the funk and stumbling across inclusiveness along the way...You don’t have to read the Kiedis book to intuit that the Chili Peppers saw nakedness not just as lascivious romp—though, of course, there was that—but as pathway to a more unconscious, unrestrained state. They weren’t total goons; they were into mindfulness, and all that. The album opens with “The Power of Equality,” an explicitly anti-racist missive where Kiedis professes his love for Public Enemy and bellows “Say what I want, do what I can/Death to the message of the Ku Klux Klan.” “The Righteous and the Wicked” intones about a forthcoming environmental apocalypse owing to man’s selfish behavior, with Frusciante’s guitar tone sounding like a dark cloud pumped through a smokestack. Their gestures toward social justice were hardly sophisticated, less a well-reasoned dialogue than a full-throated “Racism fuckin’ sucks,” but that was the point. They were the partially-clothed id, barreling toward the funk and stumbling across inclusiveness along the way...Gutter-minded it seemed, lines like “what I've got you've got to get it put it in you” weren’t sly ways of suggesting he’d like to hug and kiss you. (It’s a reflection on how love—the spiritual, not physical kind—has to be *given *away, taken from a life lesson gifted by the musician and artist Nina Hagen, with whom he was briefly involved.)" - Jeremy Gordon, Pitchfork
Blood Sugar Sex Magik 1991 97.6
Californication 1999 95.6
Stadium Arcadium 2006 94.8
By The Way 2002 94.6
One Hot Minute 1995 91.5
Mother's Milk 1989 89.2
I'm With You 2011 86.9
The Getaway 2016 85.3
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan 1987 82.5
Freaky Styley 1985 81
I'm Beside You 2013 79.7 [First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
hedonistic, bittersweet, rhythmic, energetic
The spirit of a Los Angeles punk, linking with the beauty of humanity in a way they know how.
"You don’t have to read the Kiedis book to intuit that the Chili Peppers saw nakedness not just as lascivious romp—though, of course, there was that—but as pathway to a more unconscious, unrestrained state. They weren’t total goons; they were into mindfulness, and all that. The album opens with “The Power of Equality,” an explicitly anti-racist missive where Kiedis professes his love for Public Enemy and bellows “Say what I want, do what I can/Death to the message of the Ku Klux Klan.” “The Righteous and the Wicked” intones about a forthcoming environmental apocalypse owing to man’s selfish behavior, with Frusciante’s guitar tone sounding like a dark cloud pumped through a smokestack. Their gestures toward social justice were hardly sophisticated, less a well-reasoned dialogue than a full-throated “Racism fuckin’ sucks,” but that was the point. They were the partially-clothed id, barreling toward the funk and stumbling across inclusiveness along the way...You don’t have to read the Kiedis book to intuit that the Chili Peppers saw nakedness not just as lascivious romp—though, of course, there was that—but as pathway to a more unconscious, unrestrained state. They weren’t total goons; they were into mindfulness, and all that. The album opens with “The Power of Equality,” an explicitly anti-racist missive where Kiedis professes his love for Public Enemy and bellows “Say what I want, do what I can/Death to the message of the Ku Klux Klan.” “The Righteous and the Wicked” intones about a forthcoming environmental apocalypse owing to man’s selfish behavior, with Frusciante’s guitar tone sounding like a dark cloud pumped through a smokestack. Their gestures toward social justice were hardly sophisticated, less a well-reasoned dialogue than a full-throated “Racism fuckin’ sucks,” but that was the point. They were the partially-clothed id, barreling toward the funk and stumbling across inclusiveness along the way...Gutter-minded it seemed, lines like “what I've got you've got to get it put it in you” weren’t sly ways of suggesting he’d like to hug and kiss you. (It’s a reflection on how love—the spiritual, not physical kind—has to be *given *away, taken from a life lesson gifted by the musician and artist Nina Hagen, with whom he was briefly involved.)" - Jeremy Gordon, Pitchfork
Blood Sugar Sex Magik 1991 97.6
Californication 1999 95.6
Stadium Arcadium 2006 94.8
By The Way 2002 94.6
One Hot Minute 1995 91.5
Mother's Milk 1989 89.2
I'm With You 2011 86.9
The Getaway 2016 85.3
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan 1987 82.5
Freaky Styley 1985 81
I'm Beside You 2013 79.7 [First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,719
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[jazz, rock, classical, electronic... it really doesn't fit a mold]
atmospheric, dense, mysterious, melancholic
"To term this music 'post-rock' would be an insult; Sigur Rós are pre-whatever comes this century. Piano, flutes, tremolo, horns, feedback, and that godly amazing voice scrubs souls pure with the black volcanic sands from the beaches of Vík. Birgisson's invented lyrical language of Hopelandish may be crying in tongues or even plain gibberish, but sheer emotions like this cleanse as universally as sodium laureth sulfate.
Sigur Rós make this bombastic claim on their website: 'We are simply gonna change music forever, and the way people think about music. And don't think we can't do it, we will.'" -Brent DiCrescenzo, Pitchfork
Agaentis Byrjun Sigur Ros 1999 1 97.5
Kveikur Sigur Ros 2013 8 85
( ) Sigur Ros 2002 15 80
Takk... Sigur Ros 2005 11 80 [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
atmospheric, dense, mysterious, melancholic
"To term this music 'post-rock' would be an insult; Sigur Rós are pre-whatever comes this century. Piano, flutes, tremolo, horns, feedback, and that godly amazing voice scrubs souls pure with the black volcanic sands from the beaches of Vík. Birgisson's invented lyrical language of Hopelandish may be crying in tongues or even plain gibberish, but sheer emotions like this cleanse as universally as sodium laureth sulfate.
Sigur Rós make this bombastic claim on their website: 'We are simply gonna change music forever, and the way people think about music. And don't think we can't do it, we will.'" -Brent DiCrescenzo, Pitchfork
Agaentis Byrjun Sigur Ros 1999 1 97.5
Kveikur Sigur Ros 2013 8 85
( ) Sigur Ros 2002 15 80
Takk... Sigur Ros 2005 11 80 [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
Year of Release:
1999
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,234
Rank in 1999:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Grunge, Punk, Alternative
aggressive, rebellious, alienation, nihilistic
To me, there are few acts like Nirvana who emote more honestly, without any remnant of trying to. Emotionally, Nirvana writes some of the most raw and genuine music. On the same level of, say, The Doors. Yet somehow, song for song, I feel they are better with conveying some of that emotional rage/pain/feeling out of control/everything is screwed/hopelessness.
"Nevermind is drenched in the filthy Pacific Northwest roar that slapped Cobain into action as a teen, but it's as catchy as any of the radio giants that caught his ear as a kid. It's driven by pain as naked and personal as the riot grrrl bands whose company he kept and as fuck-around goofy as the Seattle contemporaries who both reveled in and mercilessly parodied machismo. And despite the fact that none of those modes would seem to fit together on the same album, let alone all of them, it's all hammered into a still-disarming whole, a collection of anthems that retain the idiosyncrasies of the very weird band that made them. It helped that Cobain had yet to be disabused of the idea that you could be an idiosyncratic indie kid and a rock star without compromising on either front." -Jess Harvell, Pitchfork
"A dynamic mix of sizzling power chords, manic energy and sonic restraint, Nirvana erects sturdy melodic structures — sing-along hard rock as defined by groups like the Replacements, Pixies and Sonic Youth — but then at-tacks them with frenzied screaming and guitar havoc. When Cobain revs into high punk gear, shifting his versatile voice from quiet caress to raw-throated fury, the decisive control of bassist Chris Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl is all that keeps the songs from chaos. If Nirvana isn’t onto anything altogether new, Nevermind does possess the songs, character and confident spirit to be much more than a reformulation of college radio’s high-octane hits." - Ira Robbins, Rolling Stone
Nevermind 1991 96.9
MTV Unplugged In New York 1994 95.7
In Utero 1993 95.4
Bleach 1989 91.1
Incesticide 1992 87.6
From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah 1996 75 [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
aggressive, rebellious, alienation, nihilistic
To me, there are few acts like Nirvana who emote more honestly, without any remnant of trying to. Emotionally, Nirvana writes some of the most raw and genuine music. On the same level of, say, The Doors. Yet somehow, song for song, I feel they are better with conveying some of that emotional rage/pain/feeling out of control/everything is screwed/hopelessness.
"Nevermind is drenched in the filthy Pacific Northwest roar that slapped Cobain into action as a teen, but it's as catchy as any of the radio giants that caught his ear as a kid. It's driven by pain as naked and personal as the riot grrrl bands whose company he kept and as fuck-around goofy as the Seattle contemporaries who both reveled in and mercilessly parodied machismo. And despite the fact that none of those modes would seem to fit together on the same album, let alone all of them, it's all hammered into a still-disarming whole, a collection of anthems that retain the idiosyncrasies of the very weird band that made them. It helped that Cobain had yet to be disabused of the idea that you could be an idiosyncratic indie kid and a rock star without compromising on either front." -Jess Harvell, Pitchfork
"A dynamic mix of sizzling power chords, manic energy and sonic restraint, Nirvana erects sturdy melodic structures — sing-along hard rock as defined by groups like the Replacements, Pixies and Sonic Youth — but then at-tacks them with frenzied screaming and guitar havoc. When Cobain revs into high punk gear, shifting his versatile voice from quiet caress to raw-throated fury, the decisive control of bassist Chris Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl is all that keeps the songs from chaos. If Nirvana isn’t onto anything altogether new, Nevermind does possess the songs, character and confident spirit to be much more than a reformulation of college radio’s high-octane hits." - Ira Robbins, Rolling Stone
Nevermind 1991 96.9
MTV Unplugged In New York 1994 95.7
In Utero 1993 95.4
Bleach 1989 91.1
Incesticide 1992 87.6
From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah 1996 75 [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
41,986
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Funk Metal, Rap Metal, Alternative Metal
political, aggressive, protest, conscious
"Probably the first album to successfully merge the seemingly disparate sounds of rap and heavy metal, Rage Against the Machine's self-titled debut was groundbreaking enough when released in 1992, but many would argue that it has yet to be surpassed in terms of influence and sheer brilliance -- though countless bands have certainly tried. This is probably because the uniquely combustible creative relationship between guitar wizard Tom Morello and literate rebel vocalist Zack de la Rocha could only burn this bright, this once. While the former's roots in '80s heavy metal shredding gave rise to an inimitable array of six-string acrobatics and rhythmic special effects (few of which anyone else has managed to replicate), the latter delivered meaningful rhymes with an emotionally charged conviction that suburban white boys of the ensuing nu-metal generation could never hope to touch. As a result, syncopated slabs of hard rock insurrection like "Bombtrack," "Take the Power Back," and "Know Your Enemy" were as instantly unforgettable as they were astonishing. Yet even they paled in comparison to veritable clinics in the art of slowly mounting tension such as "Settle for Nothing," "Bullet in the Head," and the particularly venomous "Wake Up" (where Morello revises Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" riff for his own needs) -- all of which finally exploded with awesome power and fury. And even listeners who were unable (or unwilling) to fully process the band's unique clash of muscle and intellect were catered to, as RATM were able to convey their messages through stubborn repetition via the fundamental challenge of "Freedom" and their signature track, "Killing in the Name," which would become a rallying cry of disenfranchisement, thanks to its relentlessly rebellious mantra of "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" Ultimately, if there's any disappointment to be had with this near-perfect album, it's that it still towers above subsequent efforts as the unequivocal climax of Rage Against the Machine's vision. As such, it remains absolutely essential." - Eduardo Rivadavia
"When I first gingerly slid it into my walkman and wandered the halls of corporate offices (which I cleaned) - watching the tie-wearing goons go about their pointless lives it felt very groovy to have a revolution plugged into your ears. That's where the resonance of this album lies with me. Although it's impact has faded as the years have gone by, and the band themselves are now figureheads of a moronic consumerist pseudolution - it's metallic hooks and spitting anger have aged well." - CrazyFoxMachine, RYM
"Secondly, somebody had to be this political at the same time. The politics on Rage Against the Machine sound almost quaint today - 'fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' carrying more of a reminder of a 14 year old not wanting to do his homework than the Buddhist martyr on the album's artwork - but the majority of the political music that had found serious success before this had never been violently angry. It had been quietly fuming, perhaps; more often it was either resigned or hopeful, as the songwriters tried to put themselves up as sages capable of rising above it all. And at times, it had attempted to offer up some kind of debate, cramming just a little too much information into what was still essentially a pop song." - Iai, RYM
Sometimes this type of political outspokenness is seen as immature and limited. de la Rocha takes a look at America and Capitalism in 1991, along with it's dark past that people have always questioned at one level or another, but with an almost Marxist fervor most people didn't even think was possible in America until the last few years. It's important to have artists give us a mirror, and this album does a great job at that - plus the funk metal is fantastic.
Rage Against The Machine 1992 96
The Battle Of Los Angeles 1999 89.1
Renegades 2000 87
Evil Empire 1996 79 [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
political, aggressive, protest, conscious
"Probably the first album to successfully merge the seemingly disparate sounds of rap and heavy metal, Rage Against the Machine's self-titled debut was groundbreaking enough when released in 1992, but many would argue that it has yet to be surpassed in terms of influence and sheer brilliance -- though countless bands have certainly tried. This is probably because the uniquely combustible creative relationship between guitar wizard Tom Morello and literate rebel vocalist Zack de la Rocha could only burn this bright, this once. While the former's roots in '80s heavy metal shredding gave rise to an inimitable array of six-string acrobatics and rhythmic special effects (few of which anyone else has managed to replicate), the latter delivered meaningful rhymes with an emotionally charged conviction that suburban white boys of the ensuing nu-metal generation could never hope to touch. As a result, syncopated slabs of hard rock insurrection like "Bombtrack," "Take the Power Back," and "Know Your Enemy" were as instantly unforgettable as they were astonishing. Yet even they paled in comparison to veritable clinics in the art of slowly mounting tension such as "Settle for Nothing," "Bullet in the Head," and the particularly venomous "Wake Up" (where Morello revises Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" riff for his own needs) -- all of which finally exploded with awesome power and fury. And even listeners who were unable (or unwilling) to fully process the band's unique clash of muscle and intellect were catered to, as RATM were able to convey their messages through stubborn repetition via the fundamental challenge of "Freedom" and their signature track, "Killing in the Name," which would become a rallying cry of disenfranchisement, thanks to its relentlessly rebellious mantra of "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" Ultimately, if there's any disappointment to be had with this near-perfect album, it's that it still towers above subsequent efforts as the unequivocal climax of Rage Against the Machine's vision. As such, it remains absolutely essential." - Eduardo Rivadavia
"When I first gingerly slid it into my walkman and wandered the halls of corporate offices (which I cleaned) - watching the tie-wearing goons go about their pointless lives it felt very groovy to have a revolution plugged into your ears. That's where the resonance of this album lies with me. Although it's impact has faded as the years have gone by, and the band themselves are now figureheads of a moronic consumerist pseudolution - it's metallic hooks and spitting anger have aged well." - CrazyFoxMachine, RYM
"Secondly, somebody had to be this political at the same time. The politics on Rage Against the Machine sound almost quaint today - 'fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' carrying more of a reminder of a 14 year old not wanting to do his homework than the Buddhist martyr on the album's artwork - but the majority of the political music that had found serious success before this had never been violently angry. It had been quietly fuming, perhaps; more often it was either resigned or hopeful, as the songwriters tried to put themselves up as sages capable of rising above it all. And at times, it had attempted to offer up some kind of debate, cramming just a little too much information into what was still essentially a pop song." - Iai, RYM
Sometimes this type of political outspokenness is seen as immature and limited. de la Rocha takes a look at America and Capitalism in 1991, along with it's dark past that people have always questioned at one level or another, but with an almost Marxist fervor most people didn't even think was possible in America until the last few years. It's important to have artists give us a mirror, and this album does a great job at that - plus the funk metal is fantastic.
Rage Against The Machine 1992 96
The Battle Of Los Angeles 1999 89.1
Renegades 2000 87
Evil Empire 1996 79 [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,030
Rank in 1992:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Power Pop, Geek Rock, Pop Punk
playful, bittersweet, introspective, alienation
"At the time of its release, the group's influences were discussed endlessly -- the dynamics of the Pixies, the polished production reminiscent of Nevermind, the willful outsider vibe borrowed from indie rock -- but few noted how the group, under the direction of singer/songwriter Rivers Cuomo, synthesized alt-rock with a strong '70s trash-rock predilection and an unwitting gift for power pop, resulting in something quite distinctive. Although the group wears its influences on its sleeve, Weezer pulls it together in a strikingly original fashion, thanks to Cuomo's urgent melodicism, a fondness for heavy, heavy guitars, a sly sense of humor, and damaged vulnerability, all driven home at a maximum volume. While contemporaries like Pavement were willfully, even gleefully obscure, and skewed toward a more selective audience, Weezer's insecurities were laid bare, and the band's pop culture obsessions tended to be universal, not exclusive. Plus, Cuomo wrote killer hooks and had a band that rocked hard -- albeit in an uptight, nerdy fashion -- winding up with direct, immediate music that connects on more than one level. It's both clever and vulnerable, but those sensibilities are hidden beneath the loud guitars and catchy hooks." - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic
OH jeez - after all these years, this album still is quirky and musically fun enough that I just can't not want to listen to it still. And Say It Ain't So is still easily the best song they ever wrote - emotionally and mentally... and that baseline and guitar parts... jeez. Just fantastic. As an album over all, it's fantastic for what it is, and song for song pretty solid.
There are other albums of theirs, but I choose not to recognize them...
Weezer (The Blue Album) 1994 95.5
Everything Will Be Alright In The End 2014 93
Weezer (The Green Album) 2001 92.5
Weezer (The Red Album) 2008 92.5
Pinkerton 1996 91
Maladroit 2002 88
Weezer (The White Album) 2016 83.5
Make Believe 2005 80 [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
playful, bittersweet, introspective, alienation
"At the time of its release, the group's influences were discussed endlessly -- the dynamics of the Pixies, the polished production reminiscent of Nevermind, the willful outsider vibe borrowed from indie rock -- but few noted how the group, under the direction of singer/songwriter Rivers Cuomo, synthesized alt-rock with a strong '70s trash-rock predilection and an unwitting gift for power pop, resulting in something quite distinctive. Although the group wears its influences on its sleeve, Weezer pulls it together in a strikingly original fashion, thanks to Cuomo's urgent melodicism, a fondness for heavy, heavy guitars, a sly sense of humor, and damaged vulnerability, all driven home at a maximum volume. While contemporaries like Pavement were willfully, even gleefully obscure, and skewed toward a more selective audience, Weezer's insecurities were laid bare, and the band's pop culture obsessions tended to be universal, not exclusive. Plus, Cuomo wrote killer hooks and had a band that rocked hard -- albeit in an uptight, nerdy fashion -- winding up with direct, immediate music that connects on more than one level. It's both clever and vulnerable, but those sensibilities are hidden beneath the loud guitars and catchy hooks." - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic
OH jeez - after all these years, this album still is quirky and musically fun enough that I just can't not want to listen to it still. And Say It Ain't So is still easily the best song they ever wrote - emotionally and mentally... and that baseline and guitar parts... jeez. Just fantastic. As an album over all, it's fantastic for what it is, and song for song pretty solid.
There are other albums of theirs, but I choose not to recognize them...
Weezer (The Blue Album) 1994 95.5
Everything Will Be Alright In The End 2014 93
Weezer (The Green Album) 2001 92.5
Weezer (The Red Album) 2008 92.5
Pinkerton 1996 91
Maladroit 2002 88
Weezer (The White Album) 2016 83.5
Make Believe 2005 80 [First added to this chart: 06/01/2011]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,871
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[classical/scat/overtone/percussive vocals]
"A surprisingly good collaboration from two virtuosos of their given instruments. Bobby McFerrin, the master of the voice, and Yo-yo Ma, the master of the cello, combined to perform various pieces, from classical, traditional, and contemporary classical sectors. Some of the McFerrin compositions are quite amazing simply as compositions to begin with, but when the cello and vocal performances are added, they become something even more exciting. More than likely, the main highlight on the album is Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," which is performed on a dual line by both musicians and allows an ample chance to note the amazing virtuosity of McFerrin, once you can distinguish the voice from the cello (yes, they follow the lines that close). For any fan of either musician, it's a wonderful find of an album." - Adam Greenberg, AllMusic [First added to this chart: 07/08/2016]
"A surprisingly good collaboration from two virtuosos of their given instruments. Bobby McFerrin, the master of the voice, and Yo-yo Ma, the master of the cello, combined to perform various pieces, from classical, traditional, and contemporary classical sectors. Some of the McFerrin compositions are quite amazing simply as compositions to begin with, but when the cello and vocal performances are added, they become something even more exciting. More than likely, the main highlight on the album is Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," which is performed on a dual line by both musicians and allows an ample chance to note the amazing virtuosity of McFerrin, once you can distinguish the voice from the cello (yes, they follow the lines that close). For any fan of either musician, it's a wonderful find of an album." - Adam Greenberg, AllMusic [First added to this chart: 07/08/2016]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Alternative, Power Pop, Post-Grunge
energetic, sentimental, anthemic, passionate
In Your Honor is a close second. This one just has a magic to it, but the other has a more interesting collection (disc one being all pedal to the metal and disc two being surreal living room music)... hard to choose.
In Your Honor 2005 95.2
The Colour And The Shape 1997 94.2
Wasting Light 2011 91.8
One By One 2002 91.3
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace 2007 91.2
Sonic Highways 2014 90.6
Foo Fighters 1995 90.4
Concrete And Gold 2017 88.1
There Is Nothing Left To Lose 1999 87.2
Saint Cecilia 2015 79.9 [First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
energetic, sentimental, anthemic, passionate
In Your Honor is a close second. This one just has a magic to it, but the other has a more interesting collection (disc one being all pedal to the metal and disc two being surreal living room music)... hard to choose.
In Your Honor 2005 95.2
The Colour And The Shape 1997 94.2
Wasting Light 2011 91.8
One By One 2002 91.3
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace 2007 91.2
Sonic Highways 2014 90.6
Foo Fighters 1995 90.4
Concrete And Gold 2017 88.1
There Is Nothing Left To Lose 1999 87.2
Saint Cecilia 2015 79.9 [First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,080
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Ambient Pop, Electronic, Experimental
Atmospheric, nocturnal, abstract, futuristic [First added to this chart: 02/03/2012]
Atmospheric, nocturnal, abstract, futuristic [First added to this chart: 02/03/2012]
Total albums: 19. 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 | 1 | 1% | |
| 1950s | 6 | 6% | |
| 1960s | 16 | 16% | |
| 1970s | 10 | 10% | |
| 1980s | 17 | 17% | |
| 1990s | 19 | 19% | |
| 2000s | 26 | 26% | |
| 2010s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Juanes | 1 | 1% | |
| Jeff Buckley | 1 | 1% | |
| Beck | 1 | 1% | |
| Pearl Jam | 1 | 1% | |
| Sigur Rós | 1 | 1% | |
| Van Morrison | 1 | 1% | |
| Elvis Presley | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
67 | 67% | |
 |
21 | 21% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
- Top Scrobbled Artists by RoundTheBend (2024)
- My Top Rated Artists by RoundTheBend (2016)
- Top Rated Albums 1-100 by RoundTheBend (2016)
- Top Rated Albums 101-200 by RoundTheBend (2017)
- My Old (2013) Top Albums by sethmadsen by RoundTheBend (2016)
- Best Album per Year by RoundTheBend (2022)
- If The BEA Overall Chart Had A One Album Per Artist Rule... by
Romanelli (2015) - The Solo Artist by RoundTheBend (2017)
- My Favorite Debuts by RoundTheBend (2016)
- Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by jchurd601 (2012)
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
88/100 (from 135 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 135 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100/100  | 04/05/2024 10:52 |  spigelwii | | 100/100 |
95/100 | 05/25/2021 09:27 | BlueNote | | 74/100 |
 100/100 | 02/17/2021 05:37 |  pjohnsongolf | | 89/100 |
| 90/100 | 01/08/2021 08:34 |  DriftingOrpheus | | 91/100 |
| 95/100 | 01/04/2021 14:31 |  EyeKanFly | | 88/100 |
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 12% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 87.8/100, a mean average of 87.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.0/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 11.4.
Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 12 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 82 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
100/100
From spigelwii 04/05/2024 10:52
spigelwii 04/05/2024 10:52
A really incredible chart, and a shining example of what we should all be striving for on this site. Very inspirational to me as I continue to rate and review all the music that I've collected over the years.
Oh, and your choices? The first one that jumped out was Get Behind Me Satan as the best White Stripes album. You are OBVIOUSLY a person of excellent taste.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From WillyMac 03/29/2021 14:42
Very eclectic and wide-ranging. I love your choices from the 1950s and the way you don't go overboard on the 1970s like so many charts on this site. Your inclusion of compilation albums was surprising to me... both surprising to see them, and surprisingly good choices.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From EyeKanFly 01/04/2021 14:35
EyeKanFly 01/04/2021 14:35
I rated your chart 85/100 back in 2013 and I think I gotta come back and bump that up a bit. I don't personally follow the 1-album-per-artist rule and I'm also not huge on adding compilations, but the amount of thought and effort you've put into the notes for every album here really shows. One thing I love is how even though you've limited yourself to a album per artist, you've also ranked the other albums (at least for the top half or so of the chart). This gives a fuller picture of your preferences, which is really incredible. You get the best of both worlds: diversity of artists PLUS a true ranking of your favorite albums even. There's some fantastic stuff here, lot's in common but also a lot I need to revisit or check out for the first time.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
ExTeaSea 11/27/2020 04:08
ExTeaSea 11/27/2020 04:08
Interesting chart! 20 artists in common. Love your notes for Mellon Collie. Some of the best notes for any album on this site. It's my all time favorite album.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
salahshoori 09/21/2020 03:52
salahshoori 09/21/2020 03:52
It's an outstanding chart. It would be a crime if I rated your chart any less than perfect.
Our tastes might differ a little and that's the way it should be, what would be the point of user charts if all the users had the same taste in music?
I don't agree with your way of rating albums though. I believe an album should be an experience as a whole. A "great" album has to be able to change your state, mentally. A collection of 10/10 songs isn't necessarily a great album IMHO.
Thanks for sharing!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From WillyMac 08/23/2020 13:28
Hard to knock virtually any of your choices (that I've heard). Loved that you ranked other albums by the same band, and find them very different than how I would rank most of them, but appreciate that your perspective is unique. Thx.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From RoundTheBend 06/18/2020 03:15
RoundTheBend 06/18/2020 03:15
Thanks for all the kind comments. I have updated this charts comments/descriptors, etc. over the past 4 years, but not the rankings/inclusions much. I desperately need to revamp since I have a spreadsheet/took a more deliberate approach on music I like, but wasn't as pencil headed about. I'm just afraid to touch anything... haha.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Jameth 06/15/2020 19:03
Jameth 06/15/2020 19:03
I don’t think I’ve been here since last year, and I’m honestly a little stunned at all the power pop and alternative...given how much classical and jazz you seem to listen to. But hey, it’s your chart, so kick it your way.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
StefanR10 06/15/2020 12:12
StefanR10 06/15/2020 12:12
Good work I like it a little bit much of compilations but ok they have great songs on it. So I gone you 85 points.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From LankyLen 10/16/2019 11:41
Points for Mellon Collie and Graceland I’m the top 10. I can’t justify a greatest hits collection on the list though, although those songs are great.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment
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.
| Best Artists of 1976 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Stevie Wonder | |
| 2. David Bowie | |
| 3. Ramones | |
| 4. Eagles | |
| 5. Boston | |
| 6. Genesis | |
| 7. Rush | |
| 8. Bob Dylan | |
| 9. The Modern Lovers | |
| 10. Joni Mitchell | |
| 11. Thin Lizzy | |
| 12. Electric Light Orchestra | |
| 13. Rainbow | |
| 14. AC/DC | |
| 15. Steely Dan | |
| 16. Led Zeppelin | |
| 17. Queen | |
| 18. Jean Michel Jarre | |
| 19. Jorge Ben | |
| 20. Aerosmith |