Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Weepingguitarman 
Keeping it one album per artist for the sake of variety, but I'm including recommendations (ACO = Also Check Out) in the notes for other favorites of mine. There is still so much music I want to listen to, so if you don't see your favorite band on here, let me know! Maybe (probably) I just haven't heard of them/gotten around to listening to them yet.
I'll try to include notes for as many as I can, but I'm going to be changing and adding to this chart all the time, so it won't be fast.
- Chart updated: 10/05/2020 03:15
- (Created: 09/07/2016 03:42).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 16 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 92 out of 100 (from 42 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This album took a while to grow on me, and I think, ironically, a lot of that has to do with how little it has to hide from you. The lyrics are poetic, but not to the point of being dense or difficult. The melodies are beautiful, but simple. Joni is a good guitarist and pianist, but not in a way that’s flashy. Some albums feel like they’re buried underground, and you slowly unearth them with listen after listen. With this album, it’s all right there for you. You just get to know it, and become comfortable with it, until eventually you realize how perfectly everything comes together.
ACO: Hissing of Summer Lawns [First added to this chart: 12/23/2016]
ACO: Hissing of Summer Lawns [First added to this chart: 12/23/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,075
Rank in 1971:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
108
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Every song on this album makes me happy. Even the sad ones.
ACO: s/t and Hug Of Thunder [First added to this chart: 10/10/2016]
ACO: s/t and Hug Of Thunder [First added to this chart: 10/10/2016]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,143
Rank in 2002:
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The much awaited follow-up to the multi-platinum Harvest, this album is a part of what gets called the Ditch Trilogy, alongside Time Fades Away and Tonight's the Night. Even if you haven't listened to it, you may have heard about what a departure it is from the accessibility of songs like Heart of Gold and Old Man. To a degree, that's true, but mostly I think that's kind of a load of crap. Songs like Walk On and See The Sky About To Rain are just as welcoming as anything on Harvest. Songs like Vampire Blues, Revolution Blues, and the title track are rooted in the guitar jams of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, and the spectacular Ambulance Blues and Motion Pictures are as heart-wrenching as the most sincere cuts off After The Gold Rush. Neil Young puts a lot of himself into every album he makes (at least on the good ones), but this one might have the most of him in it.
ACO: If this isn't the Neilest album, then it's got to be Tonight's the Night. [First added to this chart: 02/04/2018]
ACO: If this isn't the Neilest album, then it's got to be Tonight's the Night. [First added to this chart: 02/04/2018]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,913
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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I have seen actual movies that were less cinematic than this album. Godspeed makes music that contains grand, sweeping sections of orchestration layered and intercut with personal interviews and field recordings. I have yet to find anything that sounds quite like them.
ACO: 'Allelujah! and Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada [First added to this chart: 10/10/2016]
ACO: 'Allelujah! and Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada [First added to this chart: 10/10/2016]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,801
Rank in 2000:
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Higher on this list I call Bob Dylan the greatest songwriter of all time. If you disagree with that, so be it, but one of the only other artists I think a reasonable case could be made for is Mr. Leonard Cohen. This album is my evidence. I mean, come on. It opens with Suzanne. That alone must be a pretty convincing argument, but by no means does it stop there. In my opinion, the next track, Master Song, is even better, and by far the most joyous and sing-alongable track, So Long Marianne, opens up the second half of the album. Rather than raving over every track (which I easily could), I’ll provide an example.
I like to think that music is for communicating that which cannot be put into words. Leonard Cohen calls that belief into question, though: he is, for the most part, a writer. The music on this album, while beautiful in its simplicity, mostly serves as a backdrop for the most moving, poignant lyrics I’ve ever heard. Listen to Sisters of Mercy, and you can see Cohen sitting in an armchair as two stranded backpackers crash in his bed. You can feel how the trust they place in him saves his life more than the shelter from the storm he provided saved theirs. You can feel the warm seeping back into his bones, and all of this is accomplished by his poetry as much or more than by the instrumentation. This is what makes Cohen’s songs so powerful.
ACO: Songs of Love and Hate, where the dark undertones on this album bubble to the surface in full force [First added to this chart: 08/13/2017]
I like to think that music is for communicating that which cannot be put into words. Leonard Cohen calls that belief into question, though: he is, for the most part, a writer. The music on this album, while beautiful in its simplicity, mostly serves as a backdrop for the most moving, poignant lyrics I’ve ever heard. Listen to Sisters of Mercy, and you can see Cohen sitting in an armchair as two stranded backpackers crash in his bed. You can feel how the trust they place in him saves his life more than the shelter from the storm he provided saved theirs. You can feel the warm seeping back into his bones, and all of this is accomplished by his poetry as much or more than by the instrumentation. This is what makes Cohen’s songs so powerful.
ACO: Songs of Love and Hate, where the dark undertones on this album bubble to the surface in full force [First added to this chart: 08/13/2017]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,224
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Write ups for albums in the overall top 10 feel a little redundant, so I'll just say that if you just crawled out of the cave you've been living in for the last 15 years, check this one out. If you've written Arcade Fire off, try coming into with fresh eyes and a healthy sense of nostalgia.
ACO: Reflektor. It's a little divisive, but IMO it's amazing. [First added to this chart: 10/10/2016]
ACO: Reflektor. It's a little divisive, but IMO it's amazing. [First added to this chart: 10/10/2016]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
41,731
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Comments:
Total albums: 6. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 9 | 9% | |
| 1970s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1980s | 17 | 17% | |
| 1990s | 23 | 23% | |
| 2000s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2010s | 14 | 14% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Big Thief | 1 | 1% | |
| Swans | 1 | 1% | |
| Nina Simone | 1 | 1% | |
| John Coltrane | 1 | 1% | |
| My Bloody Valentine | 1 | 1% | |
| Pink Floyd | 1 | 1% | |
| The Beach Boys | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
70 | 70% | |
 |
19 | 19% | |
| |
6 | 6% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 38 from 41st to 3rd Karma by Pharoah Sanders |
| Up 37 from 51st to 14th If You're Feeling Sinister by Belle And Sebastian |
| Up 30 from 100th to 70th Ys by Joanna Newsom |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 23 from 11th to 34th The Wall by Pink Floyd |
| Down 22 from 5th to 27th Deathconsciousness by Have A Nice Life |
| Down 19 from 23rd to 42nd Let Love In by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
92/100 (from 42 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).
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Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 42 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
85/100  | 07/13/2022 22:08 |  Applerill | | 75/100 |
95/100 | 12/28/2020 02:19 | jeitee | | 75/100 |
90/100 | 12/27/2020 18:23 |  pjohnsongolf | | 89/100 |
100/100 | 12/27/2020 09:15 |  Mercury | | 95/100 |
 100/100 | 06/03/2020 21:38 |  ssteve | | 92/100 |
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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 91.9/100, a mean average of 92.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.5.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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95/100
From jeitee 12/28/2020 02:20
love the notes on a lot of these albums. looking forward to seeing if you add notes to ys and loud city song
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From pjohnsongolf 12/27/2020 18:23
pjohnsongolf 12/27/2020 18:23
Great chart man! I will definitely check some stuff out!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
NowhereMan 12/27/2020 11:08
NowhereMan 12/27/2020 11:08
A really great read revisiting. Picked up a few new recommendations too; thanks!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Johnnyo 01/02/2019 07:45
Really love your chart and the notes against each entry really add to the enjoyment. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
foxytreeko 09/05/2018 21:12
foxytreeko 09/05/2018 21:12
One of my favorite charts I have ever seen on this site, I love your picks and descriptions of what each of these albums mean to you! Can't wait until you finish commenting on the rest of your chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Komorebi-D 03/12/2018 04:23
Komorebi-D 03/12/2018 04:23
Dude this chart is work of art. I adore every single title on here except for three and that’s only because I haven’t heard them. We practically have the exact same taste. This is excellent!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
Antonio-Pedro 02/13/2018 23:48
Antonio-Pedro 02/13/2018 23:48
I'm so happy I dug upon this chart, there is so much beauty in your notes on the middle to the end part, makes justice to the whole list, also loved your annotation on Steve reich's record, really wll thought and is probably going to get me to listen to it again.
Also I'm a very personal person with my notes, and as much as there some personal touch here I think you have a quite cool feature to present your favorite records in an objective way, as you're telling them their own inner beauties, that's cute, I like it.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Lgk21 01/03/2018 23:11
This is a great chart in part because of the great selections of albums but also because of the quality of your descriptions.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
HoldenM 01/03/2018 21:47
HoldenM 01/03/2018 21:47
Nary a bad record in sight.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
ForegroundNoise 01/03/2018 12:35
ForegroundNoise 01/03/2018 12:35
AHHhhh what an incredible chart!! Especially the notes!! Love the #1 pick and the inclusion of Blood Visions, I'm sure you know way more stuff than I do but in case you haven't listened, check out these underground beauties:
Rodan - Rusty
Bark Psychosis - Hex
This Heat - Deceit
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
Fishmans - Long Season
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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