Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by CharlieBarley

Welcome one, welcome all. These are some of my favourite albums of all time. Each album means something to me, even the relatively new ones. Just over half of them I discovered in the period of the early 1990s when I was aged 15-20, although not all of those albums are 90's albums. That was when I got into music in a big way, as many teenagers do. Then current music and many classic albums. And my personal discovery of music is ongoing. For me, music is a form of connection with something greater, of solace, of self-expression and a way of channelling feelings. There are many memories here. And new ones are still being created. I have tried to make this chart represent periods from many different stages in my life also. It is subject to change as I remember other albums I like or as I discover new, or even older albums. Enjoy!

• Chart updated: 3 days ago
• (Created: 08/06/2016 19:37).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 87 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 93 out of 100 (from 120 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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1. (=)

Highway 61 Revisited 

 Bob Dylan

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Awesome album from Mr Dylan and now my favourite album of his, replacing Blonde on Blonde. It is a real barnstormer of an album. The music has a dynamic quality, it's sublime and the lyrics are pure poetry. A truly fantastic album. [First added to this chart: 10/31/2016]

Year of Release:

1965

Appears in:

2,351 charts

Rank Score:

28,730

Rank in 1965:

2

Rank in 1960s:

9

Overall Rank:

28

Average Rating:

 89 (2,791 votes)

Comments:

226

2. (=)

The Joshua Tree 

 U2

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A superb album with one of my all-time favourite opening tracks of an album. Very atmospheric. The three opening tracks to this album are awesome. And every track on here is just great. For me it's faultless. They play so well together as a band. And there isn't a duff track on it. It's a legendary album and they have a lot of good albums. Some great albums in fact. This will always be a favourite. The lyrics, the music and Bono singing like he is trying to break out of prison, to paraphrase Andrea Corr. Hard to beat. Will always be a top-tier album for me. One of a kind. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2016]

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

1,848 charts

Rank Score:

19,171

Rank in 1987:

1

Rank in 1980s:

6

Overall Rank:

52

Average Rating:

 83 (2,432 votes)

Comments:

227

3. (=)

The Beatles (The White Album) 

 The Beatles

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Just a fantastic schizophrenic record to play no matter what mood you're in. It has happy songs, sad songs, crazy songs, celebratory songs and fun songs. It doesn't take itself too seriously even though it can be a serious record at times.
Too many favourites to pick out songs. It's best played from start to finish. And I rarely skip Revolution 9, I love that one it's definitely different and it's fun. Interesting note: this is Slash from Guns n Roses' favourite Beatles album. I saw him say it on a documentary. You can see why, it totally rocks and it casts a goofy spell over you.
Terrific album. I play it quite a lot. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2016]

Year of Release:

1968

Appears in:

2,916 charts

Rank Score:

40,169

Rank in 1968:

1

Rank in 1960s:

6

Overall Rank:

14

Average Rating:

 89 (3,798 votes)

Comments:

340

4. (=)

Wish You Were Here 

 Pink Floyd

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First heard this in the early nineties when lent the album by my friend's older brother. I came home one weekend night, drunk, and played it on repeat whilst I slept. I heard it once through before I fell asleep. When I woke up I played it again. I loved it instantly. Now it is like an old friend. I love the overall sentiment of the album, of missing an absent friend, for them Syd Barrett. It's stirring without being sentimental. I also like the tracks relating to dealing with overnight massive fame from Dark Side of the Moon and dealing with the record company machine. For me, listening to it is like a spiritual experience. It's both mellow yet sad and righteously angry without being aggressive. And, apart from family, what could be more important than friendship? I think this will always be one of my favourite albums. I am very attached to it. And I had the good fortune of seeing it played live, in its entirety by tribute band The Australian Pink Floyd Show in 2015, the 40th anniversary year of the album's release. It was sublime. They have many good albums but this one moves me the most, and almost more than any other album. A special record. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2016]

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

2,967 charts

Rank Score:

47,232

Rank in 1975:

1

Rank in 1970s:

2

Overall Rank:

6

Average Rating:

 91 (4,015 votes)

Comments:

310

5. (=)

Hunky Dory 

 David Bowie

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Got to be my fave Bowie album but it's a hard choice. He did so many good albums. This was my first Bowie vinyl and I think it was the first Bowie studio album of his I heard.

One of the strongest opening tracks of all time in Changes. Life On Mars soars above the heavens, Queen Bitch Rocks, Bewley Brothers is introspective.

Ok there are some controversial lyrics, especially in Quicksand. I don't think reading Nietzsche did him any favours, but he can be forgiven. Let's face it Bowie was not altogether stable. That's one of the reasons I like him.

Altogether I don't think he made a better album. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2016]

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

1,840 charts

Rank Score:

20,787

Rank in 1971:

3

Rank in 1970s:

14

Overall Rank:

46

Average Rating:

 87 (2,422 votes)

Comments:

159

6. (=)

Lionheart 

 Kate Bush

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You can't beat Kate Bush! This is easily my favourite album of hers. It is so quintessentially Kate Bush. And a very mature album for such a young person, as she was then. It is bold, playful and eccentric. It has some lovely songs, like Wow, Coffee Homeground, and in The Warm Room. Plus it has funny moments like Hammer Horror. My favourite track is the opener, Symphony In Blue, but every track is a winner. All her albums are great. She is a pioneer. And very talented. But, then, we all knew that. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2016]

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

161 charts

Rank Score:

637

Rank in 1978:

49

Rank in 1970s:

465

Overall Rank:

2,498

Average Rating:

 74 (264 votes)

Comments:

13

7. (=)

Disintegration 

 The Cure

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Words can't express how much this album meant to me when I was a mixed-up, depressed teenager, living in the suburbs, in the early 90's. I quickly bought up all The Cure's albums upon hearing this. The opening track, Plainsong, is my favourite song of theirs and whenever I get the chance I play this very loud. I find it an emotional album. And deep and ethereal in tone. It has an elegiac quality which charms the listener and lifts it out of being simply depressing. Smith is a genius. And this is a perfect album. [First added to this chart: 08/06/2016]

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

1,818 charts

Rank Score:

27,437

Rank in 1989:

2

Rank in 1980s:

4

Overall Rank:

31

Average Rating:

 86 (2,025 votes)

Comments:

152

8. (=)

What's Going On 

 Marvin Gaye

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Just an exceptional album from one of the Kings of Motown. I first heard this album when volunteering on a radio station, quite a few years ago, and a radio Technician was playing it. I knew it was held in high esteem by the music critics but I had never heard it. I knew What's Going On and Robert Palmer's cover of Mercy Mercy Me but I had no idea how good this album was. Musically its sublime, but it is also very satisfying on a spiritual level. Glad I discovered it. [First added to this chart: 10/18/2016]

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

1,618 charts

Rank Score:

19,966

Rank in 1971:

4

Rank in 1970s:

15

Overall Rank:

48

Average Rating:

 85 (1,926 votes)

Comments:

144

9. (=)

After The Gold Rush 

 Neil Young

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What can I say about 'After The Gold Rush'? Apart from that I love it. I first played this at a very traumatic time in my life aged 17. It was my parents' vinyl. Anyway this album spoke to me at that time like no other album. I played it incessantly. I'm surprised I didn't wear it out. It is emotional, sensitive, world-weary and easily my favourite Neil Young album, although I haven't heard them all yet. Harvest, Tonight's The Night, and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere are my next favourites. I've been playing it ever since. Mr Young's music, like the old Carlsberg Lager adverts, reaches parts of me other music artists can't reach. Well, I don't drink anymore but I still listen to Neil Young. [First added to this chart: 10/18/2016]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,568 charts

Rank Score:

15,698

Rank in 1970:

2

Rank in 1970s:

23

Overall Rank:

82

Average Rating:

 86 (1,766 votes)

Comments:

129

10. (=)

Parallel Lines 

 Blondie

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Pure childhood nostalgia. I was a child of the late 70s/early 80s and what a great time to be alive. Star Wars, E.T. and Indiana Jones were on at the Pictures and music was awesome and there was plenty of cheese to boot. Parallel Lines was never cheesy though, just perfect. A favourite of my Dad's, who had a serious crush on Deborah Harry, he used to play it in the car when I was very small. Right from the angry, vibrant opening of Hanging On The Telephone you are in for a real treat of an album. Never fails to make me smile. [First added to this chart: 10/18/2016]

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

831 charts

Rank Score:

6,239

Rank in 1978:

2

Rank in 1970s:

68

Overall Rank:

274

Average Rating:

 81 (960 votes)

Comments:

61

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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	3	3%
1960s	16	16%
1970s	31	31%
1980s	16	16%
1990s	23	23%
2000s	3	3%
2010s	5	5%
2020s	3	3%

Artist	Albums	%
David Bowie	4	4%
Bob Dylan	4	4%
Kate Bush	2	2%
The Cure	2	2%
Stevie Wonder	2	2%
Various Artists	2	2%
U2	2	2%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	45	45%
	43	43%
	4	4%
	3	3%
	1	1%
	1	1%
	1	1%
Show all

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 6 from 37th to 31st My 21st Century Blues by Raye

Biggest fallers
Down 1 from 31st to 32nd (What's The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis
Down 1 from 32nd to 33rd Grace by Jeff Buckley
Down 1 from 33rd to 34th Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers

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

Other overall charts by CharlieBarley

Title	Source	Type	Published	Country
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	CharlieBarley		2025

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 120 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
90/100	02/08/2025 07:26	SomethingSpecial	628	85/100
95/100	08/12/2024 20:20	pedro1976	96	85/100
95/100	05/05/2024 02:15	matterhornrider	73	92/100
100/100	01/31/2024 20:26	Moondance	471	85/100
95/100	01/19/2024 20:48	dihansse	311	84/100

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 92.9/100, a mean average of 93.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.6.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

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From CharlieBarley 05/13/2024 17:05

Hey RTB! HOW You doing Bud?!
Good to see you on here.

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Rating:  

100/100

From RoundTheBend 05/13/2024 05:14

Great new chart mate! Good to see you still active.

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From CharlieBarley 05/05/2024 06:14

Thanks MHR!

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Rating:  

95/100

From matterhornrider 05/05/2024 02:17

Nice Top 100, with diversity in Music genres and covering so many decades. I loved your commentary as well. Cheers

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From CharlieBarley 01/31/2024 21:00

Thanks Moondance.
Nice comment. I do try and be honest about my tastes.
I will have to check your chart out, see if I have read it.
Have a good day Bud.

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Rating:  

100/100

From Moondance 01/31/2024 20:27

There is so much to like about this chart. The intro is spot on - how music is a connection to something greater in one's life (& that's why certain albums, often dismissed by the masses, can find a home in someone's greatest 100 chart). Your chart speaks honestly (no peer pressure) and it is the kind of chart I like to spend time with and will read from no.1 to no.100. Definitely one of my favourite charts on this site. Nicely put together CB - could very well be my first 100!

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From CharlieBarley 01/20/2024 01:41

I know! It was a good discovery

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Rating:  

95/100

From dihansse 01/19/2024 20:48

Funny that you discovered Out Of Time on Belgian radio ;)

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From CharlieBarley 06/18/2023 10:27

Thanks SN!

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Rating:  

95/100

From StreakyNuno 06/18/2023 01:01

Great chart, good to see wywh in top 3

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