Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by garycottier 
- Chart updated: 10/02/2017 17:15
- (Created: 07/10/2016 15:06).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 17 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 45 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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The most famous and influential album ever(and probably album sleeve). Revolver, was a stunning record, but it was a stunning collection of songs, Sgt. Pepper, was a stunning LP, the first Beatles album that had to be listened to in one sitting, from start to finish. Each of the band members are on top form. John, with, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, being for the benefit of Mr. Kite, and of course, a day in the life. Paul too, who at this time was at his creative peak gives us, fixing a hole, she's leaving home, and, lovely Rita. George contributes, within you,without you, which, if push came to shove, would be my favourite all time Beatles song. Even Ringo too, who weighs in with his greatest Beatle moment on, with a little help from my friends. Sgt. Pepper, is without doubt a masterpiece, the most important album in the history of rock. It's perfect.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1967
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Rank Score:
40,371
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Dylan's 'thin wild mercury Sound' dominates this album. Recorded in Nashville, blonde on blonde, is the brilliant follow up to Dylan's game changing LP, highway 61 revisited. This time, it's a double, and it's full of fantastic songs, some of Dylan's best, including, just like a woman, absolutely sweet Marie, visions of Johanna, and the epic closing track, sad eyed lady of the lowlands. Blonde on blonde, may not be quite as important and significant as, highway 61, but it is one of his best records, his ultimate Americana album, up to that point, and has a rustic, smokey feel to it. Maybe that's the 'thin wild mercury sound' Dylan was referring to. Either way, it's brilliant, and my favourite Bob Dylan album. Superb.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1966
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Rank Score:
23,273
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Rufus Wainwright's third album is his masterpiece. Want one, is a truly special record with a superb set of songs that incorporates Wainwright's love of the baroque and bombast, but at the same time, the folk influence from his parents(Loudon Wainwright and Kate Mcgariggle) is equally present. The album showcases the length and depth of Wainwright's musical ambition and features some of his best songs such as, I don't know what it is, vibrate, go or go ahead, beautiful child, and, dinner at eight, a vitriolic and yet loving song about Rufus' strained relationship(at least at that time) with his father. Want one, is a special record full of colour, vibrancy and invention. It's brilliant.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
435
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Bob Dylan's giant leap forward. Although previous album, bringing it all back home, dedicated one side to 'electric' songs, Highway 61 revisited, goes the whole hog. And this time the sound is rawer, grittier and a lot more fiery. Dylan's lyrics too have been taken to another level and this album is probably the peak of his more 'surreal' lyric writing. Some of Dylan's most celebrated songs feature here, including, tombstone blues(the Sun's not yellow, it's chicken, brilliant), ballad of a thin man, and the epic closing track, desolation row. The opening track though is the clincher. Like a rolling stone, is arguably Dylan's greatest and most important song, it's one of rock's true masterpieces. In 1965, Bob Dylan was untouchable, he was at his best and most prolific in terms of the quality of songs he was writing. If there could only be one album to sum Bob Dylan's genius up, it would be this one. Whether it's your favourite Dylan album or not(and, blonde on blonde, is actually mine), highway 61 revisited, is still his best and most significant record. Superb.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,025
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Nothing the Beatles had done prior to, revolver, could have prepared anyone for the sounds and songs on that glorious record. This was a completely different Beatles. Gone were the juvenile leanings of young love, and were replaced by a much more mature, realistic and even cynical outlook on the world around them. For the first time the personalities of each Beatle were on full display, and Paul McCartney, for so long in John Lennon's shadow when it came to songwriting, was now an equal of his senior band mate. The quality of the music is astounding. Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, I'm only sleeping, for no one, here, there and everywhere, and, tomorrow never knows, are among the Beatles greatest recordings. For all it's brilliance though, I do find that, unlike it's successor, Sgt. Pepper would be, revolver, is really less an album and more a collection of great songs. None of the songs sound like they should be on the same record. I mean, you could listen to, revolver, on random play and it wouldn't make any difference to the listening experience. In fact, i used to own this album in cassette form and the track order was completely different, and to be honest it sounded like a more coherent record. Still, you cannot complain about the quality of those great songs. Revolver, was a watershed in music history, nothing like it had come before, and nothing would ever be the same again. Quite simply, a masterpiece.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1966
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Rank Score:
46,064
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The greatest Rolling Stones album. Exile on main st., is the record the stones were destined to make. A blurry, messy, even sloppy masterpiece, full of all the debauchery and hedonism that any great rock'n'roll record should be about. Some people's complaint of this album is there are no great songs on it. I completely disagree. Rocks off, tumbling dice, loving cup, and, shine a light, are up there with any Stones songs, in my opinion. The whole album flows through a murky stream of Americana. Rock, blues, folk, and country are all represented here. Exile on main st., was the climax of an extraordinary period of creativity, beginning with, beggars banquet, in 1968. The Rolling Stones might still release some great songs and even great albums, but they would never be this consistently great again. If they had split up after this record, their legendary status would have been secure, maybe even more so. Exile on main st., is music's rock'n'roll masterpiece.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1972
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Rank Score:
18,229
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Billy Joel had already had a fair amount of success, especially with the, piano man, single, but he had hardly set the world on fire. So, the stranger, was really an important record for Joel, he needed a hit album. With Phil Ramone in the producers chair Joel recorded what is without doubt his best album. Full of fantastic songs such as, movin' out, only the good die young, and, she's always a woman, the stranger, was a stunning LP. Just the way you are, one of Joel's most covered songs wasn't even meant to be on the album, but fortunately for Joel was talked into it by Linda Rondstadt. The icing on this album's cake though is the epic, scenes from an Italian restaurant, a song inspired by the medley on side two of the Beatles, Abbey road, album, it's a brilliant track, possibly Joel's greatest song. The stranger, went on to be Billy Joel's most successful album. It's also his best.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1977
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Rank Score:
6,616
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Before, born to run, was released, Bruce Springsteen was on the verge of being dropped by his record company. His first two albums, although artistic achievements, hadn't sold as much as Colombia had hoped. The 'future of rock'n'roll', which John Hammond had seen just before he signed Springsteen up, was certainly dependent on his next release. Springsteen was as aware of this as anyone. So for, born to run, he pulled out all the stops, he threw everything at it, even the kitchen sink. Born to run, is a majestic record. It's the ultimate Bruce Springsteen album. Full of iconic 'boss' tracks such as, tenth avenue freeze out, she's the one, and, back streets, in fact every song is a masterpiece. The crowning glories though are the stunning, thunder road, and the brilliant title track. Born to run, was everything Springsteen and his record company had hoped. It was a huge success, and fortunately for Bruce and for us, the 'future of rock'n'roll' was in safe hands.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1975
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Rank Score:
14,247
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Appetite for destruction, was simply one of the most exciting rock'n'roll records ever made. It's an exhilarating ride through the sleaze and debauchery of late eighties Los Angeles. Influenced by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and the Sex Pistols, Guns'n'roses were raw, gritty and dangerous. They epitomized everything that a heavy rock band should be about. They had a charismatic frontman in Axl Rose, a visually memorable guitar god in Slash, and a couple of other rock star types in Duff Mckagan and the Keith Richards like Izzy Stradlin', but most of all, they had the songs. Welcome to the jungle, paradise city, and, sweet child 'o mine, are three of the greatest tracks in hard rock, and the other nine were just as strong. Appetite for destruction, was the most important rock albums of the late eighties. It set the band on the road to superstardom. It's just a pity they blew it.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1987
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Rank Score:
10,453
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The Wall, Pink Floyd's epic masterpiece was in essence Roger Waters' baby. In all but name it was a Waters solo album. It's definitely ambitious, certainly pretentious, but it is also a mesmerising and captivating record. It is one of those records that needs to be listened to from start to finish. It's a wonderful musical journey. The majority of the songs work best in the context of the album, but there are some great individual tracks too. Mother, nobody home, and, comfortably numb, are all superb songs, as of course the U.K. No:1 hit, another brick in the wall part 2. The Wall, walks a fine line between triumph and disaster, but just about manages to stay on the right side of the track. It's my favourite Pink Floyd album.
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2016]
Year of Release:
1979
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Rank Score:
23,316
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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 | 2 | 2% | |
| 1960s | 17 | 17% | |
| 1970s | 30 | 30% | |
| 1980s | 14 | 14% | |
| 1990s | 28 | 28% | |
| 2000s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 4% | |
| The Beatles | 3 | 3% | |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 3% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 3% | |
| Leonard Cohen | 2 | 2% | |
| David Bowie | 2 | 2% | |
| Radiohead | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
48 | 48% | |
 |
37 | 37% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
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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).
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Showing latest 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 45 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 04/08/2025 12:02 |  greatson | 905 | 80/100 |
| ! | 01/27/2025 16:52 | DrewHamster | 314 | 79/100 |
| ! | 07/19/2024 21:44 |  AlvaroIesus | 74 | 77/100 |
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).
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This chart is rated in the top 3% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.9/100, a mean average of 89.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.7/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.2.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 2 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 06/16/2018 08:00 in Chart of the day (#2428): By garycottier
BestEverAlbums 06/16/2018 08:00 in Chart of the day (#2428): By garycottier“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by garycottier () 1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) 2. Blonde On Blonde by Bob Dylan (1966) 3. Want One by Rufus Wainwright (2003) 4. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan (1965) 5. Revolver by The Beatles (1966) 6.…”
(2 mentions across Chart of the Day topics)View latest topic →
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 07/13/2016 19:45 | #171238
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 07/13/2016 19:45 | #171238
I love your notes for the first several albums on your chart, and I hope you continue to add to those. They provide really great perspective for your choices, and they give me extra incentive to check out Want One, an album I haven't yet heard. Blonde on Blonde is an album we obviously agree on, and I'm also happy to see R.E.M. and the Rolling Stones amply represented here. Overall a really strong chart!!
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From
Brad1770 TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/26/2017 10:58 | #203916
Brad1770 TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/26/2017 10:58 | #203916
Fellow R.E.M fan here , really interesting to see you have Up at 26 over all and your number 1 ranked R.E.M album . I really dig Up and completely understand its appeal , having said that IMO its far from their best release. Finally I've been reading your great commentary to the R.E.M catalogue and its really good stuff , none better so please keep up the great work.
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From
stangetzaway 07/13/2016 12:37 | #171211
Hi And thank you for your kind remarks vis a vis my top 100. Its not bad but I'm by no means a prolific listener so I'm pretty sure your's is more representative and better balanced. Must give Wainright a go and nice to see Blonde on Blonde close to the top. No doubt in my mind the most fascinating album ever to be released.
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From
WildHorses 08/21/2017 04:32 | #196440
WildHorses 08/21/2017 04:32 | #196440
Excellent. Comment on exile on main street is spot on.
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From
Rich150 TOP 100 COMMENTER 11/27/2016 14:48 | #179211
Ten in common in our top 100's (currently)...many more I will be listening to and rating, others I own and haven't yet rated (or are not in my top 100). This chart has given me plenty to consider, which is what this is all about.
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