Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
Strangel 
These albums are my favourites. This is not meant to be a 'Greatest Album's' chart, although I would strongly argue for each of my chosen albums in being considered for a greatest albums list. My interest is more toward the alternative/indie and electronic genres with a tendency toward experimentation in the music. I also need to be able to comfortably immerse myself in the music. So while I appreciate, and want to explore the work of Autechre (for example), I get far more pleasure from listening to Burial which has more reverie to the sound rather than almost pure math and tech. Aphex Twin, in fact, manages to bridge these aspects perfectly.
It might be noted that Radiohead dominates the list which simply expresses my belief that they have the uncanny ability to release album after album of near perfect alternative music, shifting the landscape of what's possible whilst always remaining relevant. I don't apologise for this. They are that good.
- Chart updated: 02/07/2024 05:15
- (Created: 07/04/2016 14:26).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 31 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 50 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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I think this album is the seed of alternative music. This was Music taking charge of its own destiny through the conduit of 4 Liverpudlians.
Rating: 98/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: Tomorrow Never Knows [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Rating: 98/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: Tomorrow Never Knows [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Year of Release:
1966
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Rank Score:
57,016
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477
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I heard this album just before Nevermind, and just after Metallica's Black album. I feel like it is the bridging album between escaping the contained world of heavy metal and expanding my horizons through the grunge era and off into the world of alternative/indy music and ultimately the truly expansive world of Radiohead. For this reason it holds a special place in my music loving heart.
Vedder takes us into his world of alienation and personal difficulties with such an engaging depth of beauty. I'll never forget seeing him projecting his soul outward live on stage in Melbourne as he stared me in the eyes with an intensity that I had never seen before from a front-man as he sang Alive. Perhaps Jim Morrison may have outdone him but I'm not so sure.
Rating: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: Black, for me is the most complete song on this album. When somebody pulls out their acoustic guitar and starts playing this around a campfire I am immediately transfixed. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Vedder takes us into his world of alienation and personal difficulties with such an engaging depth of beauty. I'll never forget seeing him projecting his soul outward live on stage in Melbourne as he stared me in the eyes with an intensity that I had never seen before from a front-man as he sang Alive. Perhaps Jim Morrison may have outdone him but I'm not so sure.
Rating: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: Black, for me is the most complete song on this album. When somebody pulls out their acoustic guitar and starts playing this around a campfire I am immediately transfixed. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Year of Release:
1991
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Rank Score:
20,080
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If you've grown up with Radiohead, following their progress as a band, you are incredibly fortunate. Their evolution, and willingness to continuously expand their creative output, has meant that the anticipation of what their next LP has to offer is a truly incredible journey for a fan to be on. AMSP's bones are structurally provided by many years of Thom Yorke's musical doodling but the sound is magnificently filled out by Johnny Greenwood's orchestral compositions while the other band member's contribute in their usually understated way to provide another classic album.
Rating: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: The prominent orchestral arrangements. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Rating: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: The prominent orchestral arrangements. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Year of Release:
2016
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Rank Score:
17,121
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This fantastic album is like a maths lesson for your subconscious, delivered by a digital lecturer with a good sense of rhythm and abstract time signatures. It is a piece of electronic art that is only held back by its tendency to jolt you too far out of your comfort zone at times requiring you to take the occasional breather. After a few listens you begin to appreciate the melodic genius that shines through the intricacy of the work. This is where the accessibility of James’ work makes it more appealing to me than Autechre. To be able to make complex electronic art less cold to the listener is what makes him a bit of a genius in my opinion.
[First added to this chart: 10/25/2016]
Year of Release:
2014
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Rank Score:
2,041
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This album has entered my list at the expense of Burial’s EPs on their own which gives me room to add other deserving albums. I want to highlight Kindred and Truant/Rough Sleeper as the 2 EPs on this compilation that tower above the others. They have so much to offer the avid, immersive listener of electronic music. They really do seem to tell a story, but not the same story. There is always a new story floating throughout with each new listen.
As the English writer Mark Fisher so evocatively puts it;
“Burial's London is a wounded city, populated by ecstasy casualties on day release from psychiatric units, disappointed lovers on night buses, parents who can't quite bring themselves to sell their Rave 12 inches at a carboot sale, all of them with haunted looks on their faces, but also haunting their interpassively nihilistic kids with the thought that things weren't always like this. It is like walking into the abandoned spaces once carnivalised by Raves and finding them returned to depopulated dereliction. Muted air horns flare like the ghosts of Raves past. Broken glass cracks underfoot. MDMA flashbacks bring London to unlife in the way that hallucinogens brought demons crawling out of the subways in Jacob’s Ladder’s New York. Audio hallucinations transform the city’s rhythms into inorganic beings, more dejected than malign. You see faces in the clouds and hear voices in the crackle. What you momentarily thought was muffled bass turns out only to be the rumbling of tube trains”.
Some of the purely ambient tracks kick off this album which makes for a long intro to the subtle beats of my preferred tracks and prevent the album from being a top 10 contender for me. [First added to this chart: 01/23/2024]
As the English writer Mark Fisher so evocatively puts it;
“Burial's London is a wounded city, populated by ecstasy casualties on day release from psychiatric units, disappointed lovers on night buses, parents who can't quite bring themselves to sell their Rave 12 inches at a carboot sale, all of them with haunted looks on their faces, but also haunting their interpassively nihilistic kids with the thought that things weren't always like this. It is like walking into the abandoned spaces once carnivalised by Raves and finding them returned to depopulated dereliction. Muted air horns flare like the ghosts of Raves past. Broken glass cracks underfoot. MDMA flashbacks bring London to unlife in the way that hallucinogens brought demons crawling out of the subways in Jacob’s Ladder’s New York. Audio hallucinations transform the city’s rhythms into inorganic beings, more dejected than malign. You see faces in the clouds and hear voices in the crackle. What you momentarily thought was muffled bass turns out only to be the rumbling of tube trains”.
Some of the purely ambient tracks kick off this album which makes for a long intro to the subtle beats of my preferred tracks and prevent the album from being a top 10 contender for me. [First added to this chart: 01/23/2024]
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Sam Beam announced himself to the music world with this masterpiece of personal reflection and poetic story-telling set to a stripped-back acoustic guitar. Many an evening I spent sitting on the front verandah of my inner-city house, listening to the peace-inducing melody of this album as I watched the world go by. It is one of the few albums that legitimately transports you to another, better world and it still sits as his best effort despite the slick production and added band members on future releases. In fact, it's the 4-track bedroom recordings that bets capture his contemplative poetry and is what his fans are most drawn to. I have seen him live twice. The first time was after his second album and every track he performed was quiet and there was a respect from the crowd as our focus was drawn to him. The second time I saw him there were more of his upbeat, band-assisted songs and it wasn't until his quieter songs were performed that the crowd were truly captivated.
RATING: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: The highlight is the poetic reflection. Take the time to simply listen to the lyrics while the music transports you from the background. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
RATING: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: The highlight is the poetic reflection. Take the time to simply listen to the lyrics while the music transports you from the background. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Year of Release:
2002
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Rank Score:
999
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I've read some reviews describing this album as lacking in warmth, or too distant from their roots as a 5-piece rock outfit, or too much of a Thom Yorke project. Yet, I truly find KoL to be an incredibly intimate album that rewards full immersion with headphones. It is also a real tribute to the artistic flexibility of each member to be able to work so cohesively to enhance each track with their more subtle contributions. Much like with In Rainbows, The King of Limbs shines in their 'Live From the Basement' session. Watch the YouTube recording of this session to see just how brilliant these tracks really are. You'll come away with a whole new respect for what they have created. Once viewing this you realise that it is a mistake to think that much of the album as 'just' electronic. Instead it is driven by a cohesive, percussive tapestry. It is an album that showcases rhythm as its driving influence.
Sure, it suffers a little for not having the 'fullness' of sound that they are capable of but I just love their willingness to explore new territory. I find myself returning to this album time and again on my train commute as it works so well when closing out the world around.
Rating: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: For sheer transcendent beauty; Codex, which needs more recognition as a Radiohead classic.
For the audiophiles who love masterful layers of cacophonous instrumentation; Bloom - it will have your mind swirling. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Sure, it suffers a little for not having the 'fullness' of sound that they are capable of but I just love their willingness to explore new territory. I find myself returning to this album time and again on my train commute as it works so well when closing out the world around.
Rating: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: For sheer transcendent beauty; Codex, which needs more recognition as a Radiohead classic.
For the audiophiles who love masterful layers of cacophonous instrumentation; Bloom - it will have your mind swirling. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,046
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I had been lamenting the fact that I was seeking, yet struggling to find, electronic artists that could have me completely hooked like Burial, Aphex Twin, and Four Tet. These 3 artists had given me a slight addiction to electronic music which had grown, firstly, from my experience of the UK rave scene at the turn of the century, and the fascination with Thom Yorke's experimental forays. Where were the artists that churned out consistently brilliant albums, perhaps displaying a touch of genius in their art? Most albums I delved into were inconsistent or had sections I could easily skip.
But then I stumbled across Immunity while exploring the Metacritic website and was intrigued by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. It grabbed me immediately with its driving baselines and the sizzling, fizzing electronic beats that have you immediately in the zone. It's as if you take off on a journey into outerspace, not in a rocket, but a smooth moving aircraft that breaks through the earth's atmosphere at the midpoint of the album when track 5, Abandon Window, gently appears and you can shut off the engines and drift through space and into a sublime orbit as Form By Firelight, the 6th track takes over. Throughout the album Hopkins has managed to conjure an otherworldly ambience that brings me back to the album whenever I am looking for a complete disengagement from the rat-race.
I have listened to Hopkins' earlier stuff and he seems to be evolving his sound more and more which makes me eager to hear what he produces in future releases.
Rating: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: The sizzling, fizzing beats are at their best on Open Eye Signal. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
But then I stumbled across Immunity while exploring the Metacritic website and was intrigued by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. It grabbed me immediately with its driving baselines and the sizzling, fizzing electronic beats that have you immediately in the zone. It's as if you take off on a journey into outerspace, not in a rocket, but a smooth moving aircraft that breaks through the earth's atmosphere at the midpoint of the album when track 5, Abandon Window, gently appears and you can shut off the engines and drift through space and into a sublime orbit as Form By Firelight, the 6th track takes over. Throughout the album Hopkins has managed to conjure an otherworldly ambience that brings me back to the album whenever I am looking for a complete disengagement from the rat-race.
I have listened to Hopkins' earlier stuff and he seems to be evolving his sound more and more which makes me eager to hear what he produces in future releases.
Rating: 95/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: The sizzling, fizzing beats are at their best on Open Eye Signal. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Year of Release:
2013
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Rank Score:
1,229
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Perhaps not as highly acclaimed as Homogenic, Vespertine is,in my opinion, her most accomplished masterpiece. As far as being a well-conceived album it is consistent to a theme of beautifully, contemplative, chilled reverie. It represents the 'Ice' in Iceland in all it's natural, mythical beauty. And like the first melt of the ice as the sun rises longer each day, the songs flow effortlessly from one to the next, taking you along for the ride. I love the composition of all the ethereal percussion and instrumentation which, combined with her elfin voice, creates an otherworldly ambience.
Rating: 94/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: I've always connected best with Pagan Poetry on this album. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Rating: 94/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: I've always connected best with Pagan Poetry on this album. [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,623
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Muse's most epic foray into the realms of the mystical human condition and our place in the grand scheme of things; how we've messed up and are seemingly separating ourselves from the once inextricable connection we had with the planet. It's a modern existentialist manifesto of sorts and was Muse at their peak before they slowly became caricatures of themselves.
RATING: 94/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
RATING: 94/100
ALBUM HIGHLIGHT: [First added to this chart: 07/05/2016]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,224
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Total albums: 100. Page 3 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 7 | 7% | |
| 1970s | 7 | 7% | |
| 1980s | 5 | 5% | |
| 1990s | 29 | 29% | |
| 2000s | 34 | 34% | |
| 2010s | 17 | 17% | |
| 2020s | 1 | 1% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Radiohead | 8 | 8% | |
| Metallica | 4 | 4% | |
| The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
| Aphex Twin | 4 | 4% | |
| Nirvana | 3 | 3% | |
| Tool | 3 | 3% | |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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42 | 42% | |
| |
41 | 41% | |
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6 | 6% | |
| |
5 | 5% | |
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3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
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1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
89/100 (from 50 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 50 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 90/100  | 11/19/2023 10:55 |  Bach | | 78/100 |
| 95/100 | 06/17/2020 14:47 |  DriftingOrpheus | | 91/100 |
| 75/100 | 10/07/2019 23:23 | pctrooper | | 88/100 |
| 100/100 | 08/30/2019 10:38 | Timooosterink | | 90/100 |
| 90/100 | 06/26/2019 12:35 | Granny-Smith | | 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 5% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.7/100, a mean average of 86.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 17.2.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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100/100
From Timooosterink 08/30/2019 10:38
Love your chart! I agree on amok it is a very underated album.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Granny-Smith 06/26/2019 12:36
I like your chart. Have a lot Artists and Albums in common.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
Paule 03/06/2019 11:36
Paule 03/06/2019 11:36
Good list! We share the Radiohead "problem". I suggest you to dive into some older Krautrock and Ambient music. You will find a lot of Radioheads work is influenced by that stuff and there are some gems to be found.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Kurtco 01/29/2019 18:22
We have 31 albums and 21 artists in common... It's very funny!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Kurtco 01/29/2019 18:18
I find your chart very interesting and complete. You have musical tastes very similar to mine. Radiohead is one of my favorite bands!
I'm glad you like Icelandic music: Sigur Rós and Björk. I agree with you that "Vespertine" is Björk's best album: It's a real masterpiece. You put a lot of recent music in your chart and it's nice to see AMOK of Atoms For Peace in your rankings. This is surely one of Thom Yorke's underrated albums. I'm really happy to see artists not very well known as Burial, Nick Cave or Amon Tobin who are part of my favorite artist. The 90s are really well represented in your chart with great artists like Nirvana, Aphex Twin, Tool or Massive Attack. Really very good job and very good choice!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
guzguzgarbit 01/21/2019 20:08
guzguzgarbit 01/21/2019 20:08
Good choices, great descriptions, great diversity (even with 8 Radiohead albums!). I particularly appreciate the presence of some electronic (Four Tet, Jon Hopkins, Burial...) among all the rock picks.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
jhuik 11/16/2018 14:00
jhuik 11/16/2018 14:00
I don't agree with your top ten, or some other picks, or (as has been noted by others) the excess of Radiohead, but who gives a shit about my opinion. I love the passion in your descriptions and the personalized responses. Great chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Strangel 07/19/2018 01:19
Strangel 07/19/2018 01:19
Ahh well, what can you do? They're that good. It's not like Pablo Honey is on the chart just coz Radiohead. Pablo Honey was an objectively average to good album and thus hasn't got anywhere near this chart. Their subsequent albums were all objectively created to a much higher level and the artistic merit of each universally critically acclaimed. Subjectively (which is what this chart mainly expresses), the music deeply resonates with me so why wouldn't their very best be difficult to supplant by another artist's work?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From fps74 07/18/2018 05:04
Radiohead! Radiohead everywhere!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
foxytreeko 07/09/2018 14:11
foxytreeko 07/09/2018 14:11
Great list, love your descriptions. We have 13 albums and 16 artists in common
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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