Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Paule Unknown

Hello there! Still working on the list... Suggestions welcome!

I mainly evaluate the art of songwriting and composition as I listen to it. I'm less concerned with things like social impact of an album. A completely honest list would contain all Radiohead and all Björk albums, but a slight restriction doesn't hurt, eh?

There are 18 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 92 out of 100 (from 34 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.

Share this chart
Share | |
Collector's summaryLog in or register to discover the great albums that are missing from your music collection!
Sort by
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Oh hello there... Radiohead again.... No surprises eh?

What is there to say about OK Computer? It's definitely much better than OK. It contains some of the best pop/rock songs ever written. It came up with new ways to make britpop/rock guitar band music sound interesting after it had become the most predictable type of music out there. I guess the reason it is not higher on the list for me personally is the fact that it does not feel as cohesive as Kid A and In Rainbows.. If I had to be completely honest it would probably be number 5 on the list.
[First added to this chart: 08/03/2016]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
77,370
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
12. (=)
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Who is it, that never lets you down? The answer here is Björk, Björk!

To me, Medulla is the quintessential Björk album. Other artists write a song and the only unique thing about it is, if anything, the voice. Björk, has the most unique voice of them all but on top of that invents a new dimension in the recording and production process on every single album. To me, this album stands out among all her other awesome records. Choirs wrap you in velvet before some intense beatboxing wakes you up and then the throatsinging, while at first a bit hard to listen to, quickly becomes a highlight of the album.
[First added to this chart: 08/03/2016]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,343
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
What is this album...? Hitting a table with a fish, that's exactly what this album is.

Just watch the interview and making of video. This guy was a perfectionist and you only get it after the tenth time he hits an item with another item and is still not satisfied with the sound of the two items clashing. If you start to pay attention to how the "blocks of sound" are crafted, mixed and intertwined, you are welcomed into a new way of listening and consuming music and sound. And the words will send chills down your spine. It's a cinematic experience. I kind of feel like this album is what "fear" and "anxiety" sounds like. Powerful.
[First added to this chart: 08/03/2016]
Year of Release:
2006
Appears in:
Rank Score:
895
Rank in 2006:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Dirty sax.

What a mean, terrifying and dirty sax this guy is playing. This album really makes you feel the horrors of being torn apart by bullets. This is my personal post-war hippie album. Never again. Please, humans, stop it.
[First added to this chart: 03/19/2019]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
678
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
The pairing of my favorite two "jazz" albums is kind of hilarious. Not quite the same type of music, is it? That is why I am generally not interested in music genre. The Spanish chord thing will always get my emotions stirring. The genius instrumentals from Gil Evans and Miles Davis take this type of sound to the next level. [First added to this chart: 08/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1960
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,873
Rank in 1960:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Mark Hollis I know you are hidden somewhere in my room singing songs that is a bit creepy but it is you so go ahead! [First added to this chart: 12/18/2018]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,063
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
What can we do against this (global) heat? Save the Rainforest and start with Diet of Worms

This heat - like global warming- has mainly lurked in the background over the years but this doesn’t undermine their significance. To me, their music is about understanding where everything I love came from and why I love what I love. There is a nod/link to Can’s Krautrock but it is more modern, certainly futuristic for its time. And it is defined as playing free from restrictions but looking for strong emotions and crescendos. The impact of This Heat is felt on all of my top 3 albums from this list and the spirit of it is present in all my favorite albums. Like going on an adventure but lingering a bit to enjoy it more.
[First added to this chart: 05/04/2019]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
881
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Pyramid glasshouse [First added to this chart: 08/03/2016]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,685
Rank in 2001:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 04/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
497
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2019]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,745
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 2 of 10

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 0 0%
1950s 1 1%
1960s 9 9%
1970s 15 15%
1980s 17 17%
1990s 14 14%
2000s 20 20%
2010s 21 21%
2020s 3 3%
Artist Albums %


Radiohead 4 4%
Björk 3 3%
Can 2 2%
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 2 2%
Scott Walker 2 2%
Talk Talk 2 2%
PJ Harvey 2 2%
Show all
Country Albums %


United Kingdom 24 24%
United States 18 18%
Germany 8 8%
Mixed Nationality 7 7%
Australia 4 4%
Iceland 4 4%
France 4 4%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 98 98%
Yes 2 2%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Climber Up 26 from 46th to 20th
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
by Brian Eno & David Byrne
Climber Up 21 from 40th to 19th
Illuminations
by Buffy Sainte-Marie
Biggest fallers
Faller Down 2 from 19th to 21st
You Won't Get What You Want
by Daughters
Faller Down 2 from 20th to 22nd
★ (Blackstar)
by David Bowie
Faller Down 2 from 21st to 23rd
Loud City Song
by Julia Holter

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)


Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!


Why register?


Register now - it only takes a moment!

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
92/100 (from 34 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
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 34 ratings for this chart.

Sort ratings
RatingDate updatedMemberChart ratingsAvg. chart rating
 
95/100
 Report rating
10/15/2023 14:15 Tamthebam  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 54985/100
  
90/100
 Report rating
03/25/2023 02:49 mickilennial  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 71877/100
  
95/100
 Report rating
03/24/2023 21:23 Rm12398  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 9989/100
  
100/100
 Report rating
03/24/2023 09:22 LedZep  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,07784/100
  
85/100
 Report rating
06/20/2022 17:55 Applerill  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 97675/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)

This chart is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 92.0/100, a mean average of 93.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.5.

Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

Showing all 5 members who have added this chart as a favourite

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 18 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)

Rating:  
95/100
From 03/24/2023 21:25
A unique and intriguing list with a lot of time and effort clearly involved in the making of it. Will definitely check out some of these I am unfamiliar with. Thank you!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 03/24/2023 10:27
Yeah easily one of the best charts around. Excellent choices from the well known artists. Your Funeral My Trial, White Chalk, The Seer - all 3 are my personal faves by the artists and Confusion is Sex is an underrated one too. "Cool experimental 80s albums" is a fantastic niche to explore, a lot of great picks like Einstürzende Neubauten, Tuxedomoon, Laibach, Glenn Branca and Lydia Lunch. There were several albums which caught me off guard, like the new Širom, Scott Walker's experimental phase albums, Talabot's ƒIN... Never expected to see them in the chart which has 2 Radiohead albums in the top 5 (nothing against Radiohead though, those are great albums!) There are at least 20-ish albums I've never even heard of, which is exactly what I want out of BEA charts.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 05/28/2021 16:04
Can’t fault this chart. Simply a collection of stunning albums and I love the commentary. Great stuff
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 04/02/2020 05:28
There is so much to be thankful on this list. First, you put so much passion into your comments. Second, there is a lot of variety, from countries to genres. And third, it seems you're still searching for more music to amaze you.

I didn't see any Mexican artists there so let me suggest 3 artists and let's see if they make the cut:
1) Santa Sabina's El mar abierto en la sangre. Great art-rock band that mixes goth aesthetics with jazz and choral sounds.
2) La Barranca's La Rueda de los Tiempos. It is rock, with a twist of Mexican and Latin American folk.
3) Cafe Tacvba's Revés/Yo Soy. They are the biggest Mexican rock band and this album is just insane: the first one (Revés) is just a collection of instrumental pieces, including the participation of the Kronos Quartet; the second (Yo Soy), was a collection of honest pop-rock songs. Warning: This one is not on Spotify but it is available on Youtube.

If you check them out tell me your opinion.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 03/23/2020 21:49
The writing is nice and all, but the title sentences really steps it up! They're often simple and quirky, but manages to hit the soft and funny spots in the feels, making every pick feel natural and obvious. And I don't usually comment on specifically the picks, but this is brilliant; Julia Holter, Can, Björk, Fishmans, Swans, Dead Can Dance, Tuxedomoon, Fela Kuti, Faust, Exuma, Jenny Hval. This is kinda uncanny. Thanfully this is not completely familiar, so there's tons to discover! An absolutely wonderful chart!

As you asked, some recommendations (a few wild and/or freaky ones to spice things up):

Pom Pom by Ariel Pink
Tricentennial 2076 by Vyto B
Unorthodox Behaviour by Brand X
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 03/11/2020 13:45
Nice chart! Very unique and original, with interesting comments, good job!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 03/11/2020 13:04
We share not only top spots for well respected acts like Radiohead, Can, Portishead, Bjork, King Crimson and Fela Kuti

But also all the lesser known stuff; Moondog, Exuma, Fishmans, This Heat, Ground Zero, Peter Brotzmann, Jenny Hval, Faust etc

superb chart
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 03/11/2020 11:10
Nice chart! I would recommend listening to Gorillaz
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 06/24/2019 12:17
Kid A over OKC and LONG SEASON, phenomenal
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 06/05/2019 11:04
Impressive list. Twelve artists but only three albums in common, though there are quite a few I have wanted to check out.

I wonder if you have heard ‘Winter Songs’ by Art Bears – an offshoot of Henry Cow that actually surpasses them with Dagmar Krause’s proto-Björk wail and some of the most intense, yet mysterious guitar and piano work ever put to record.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 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

Anonymous
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
Log in or register to assign a rating or leave a comment for this chart.
Popular  Charts
1. The Top 100 Albums by VH1 (2001)
2. The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time by New Music Express (2013)
3. 200 Greatest Albums of All Time by Uncut (2016)
4. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone (2020)
5. The Definitive 200 by National Association of Recording Merchandisers (2007)
6. Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums by Virgin (2000)
7. Top 100 Albums by ABC (2006)
8. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Melody Maker (2000)
9. The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time by Consequence of Sound (2022)
10. Mojo Readers: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made by Mojo (1996)
11. Greatest 100 Albums of All Time by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums with NME (2006)
12. The Greatest Rock Albums by uDiscoverMusic (2015)
13. Die 20 besten Alben der Geschichte by Musikexpress.de (2011)
14. Die 100 besten Alben der Musikgeschichte by radioeins (2019)
15. Die 100 Alben des Jahrhunderts by Spex (2000)
16. Die 100 besten Platten des Jahrhunderts by Wiener (1999)
17. The 100 Greatest Albums Of All Time by Absolute Radio (2012)
18. 100 Greatest Albums Ever by Q (2006)
19. Top 90.3 Listener Voted Albums by KEXP (2008)
20. 100 Greatest Albums Of All Time by The Sound (2018)
Back to Top