Top 56 Greatest Music Albums
by catalam1234 
LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE READING THIS and IF YOU ENJOY IT! ;)
Here's some of the most interesting, musically rich, deep and overrall brilliant albums that the genre of hip hop has given.
The music in this list is grimy, jazzy, rock infused, R&B and soul flavoured, experimental, futuristic, organic, funky, spriritual, etc. Also, you'l find here a great variety of styles, sounds, lyricism and characters. Enough to drown yourself into and discover the genre.
When listening to an album you need to dechiper what the MC's is telling, I highly recommend checking the Genius.com page.
- Chart updated: 10/19/2018 22:15
- (Created: 09/09/2016 13:18).
- Chart size: 56 albums.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1990s. (Remove this filter)
It has the most precise flows, memorable verses and remarcable cadences of any rap album. It has some of the most recognizables grimey beats of all time, perfectly flavoured with soul & jazz. It is the most important album of the East Coast hip hop revival of the early to mid 90’s.
It shows that rap as an music is as well rounded, dense and masterful as other genres of music, while topping it all with near perfect poetry.
IT REPRESENTS: The best to come out of the Golden Era of the genre. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
It shows that rap as an music is as well rounded, dense and masterful as other genres of music, while topping it all with near perfect poetry.
IT REPRESENTS: The best to come out of the Golden Era of the genre. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,851
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It represents a crucial moment of time for black music and civil rights history: LA in the fall of ‘92, after the April riots and the Rodney King trial. It shows how beautiful music can flourish among violence, poverty and frustration. It brought rap to the forefront of music, taking the struggles of predominately black hoods and putting them on the face of white America.
It broke ground musically, creating and mastering a sound branded G Funk. The music is at times slow, at times frentic, showing samples of classic funk records and layered synths.
It drowns the listener in a never heard before mellow groove, in sharp contrast with the well-worn themes and the violent and pessimistic lyrics.
IT REPRESENTS: The ultimate masterpiece of West Coast hip hop. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
It broke ground musically, creating and mastering a sound branded G Funk. The music is at times slow, at times frentic, showing samples of classic funk records and layered synths.
It drowns the listener in a never heard before mellow groove, in sharp contrast with the well-worn themes and the violent and pessimistic lyrics.
IT REPRESENTS: The ultimate masterpiece of West Coast hip hop. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,628
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It's the most convention-shattering album in the genre and one of the most influential albums of the '90s, along with Nevermind and The Chronic. This is a work of tremendous variety and consistency that offers an eclectic yet atmospheric production full of kung-fu and obscure jazz samples to match a colorful cast of hugely talented MCs, each one holding their own distinctive style and personality.
From the first song to the last one, each MC submerges the listener in a menacing state of mind full of martial arts metaphors, pop culture references, bizarre threats of violence and a truly twisted sense of humor.
IT REPRESENTS: The groundwork for the rebirth of New York hip-hop in the hardcore age. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
From the first song to the last one, each MC submerges the listener in a menacing state of mind full of martial arts metaphors, pop culture references, bizarre threats of violence and a truly twisted sense of humor.
IT REPRESENTS: The groundwork for the rebirth of New York hip-hop in the hardcore age. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,313
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It's not only a smooth, entrancing and textured ode to hip hop, but also one of popular's music first entirely sample-based album. With a pretty wide array of source material, this album introduces the listener to a deep, endlessly intriguing world, one full of hypnotic repetitions, headbobbing grooves, cavernous reverb melodies and some of the most wonderful and alluring tones ever put to tape.
Transcending the creator's motives, this is also a meditation on mortality, not a physical one, but an artistic one. It revives lots of forgotten vinyl and obscure artists and gives them a hazy and vital new life.
IT REPRESENTS: THE landmark for instrumental hip hop, electronica and sample culture. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Transcending the creator's motives, this is also a meditation on mortality, not a physical one, but an artistic one. It revives lots of forgotten vinyl and obscure artists and gives them a hazy and vital new life.
IT REPRESENTS: THE landmark for instrumental hip hop, electronica and sample culture. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1996
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,060
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It's New York on a windy cold night, where the best MCs of the town reunite in and around clandestine basements to spit gritty story-songs and battle with rhymes built on elaborate metaphors, being martial arts, chess and mysticism the clear favorites. It's a cruel but real depiction of the low lives of New York and the evils that corrupt the very pillars of the city. It's an album that sent MCs into hiding in 1995.
The sonic template of this work masterfully mirrors the MC's dark tinted rhymes: it's grotesque, creepy and eerie, perfectly evoking the calm of the streets during a snowstorm. The beats move up and down, varying between spastic, cerebral and ominous. It's violent.
IT REPRESENTS: The most potent distillation of the Wu-Tang aesthetic and essence. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
The sonic template of this work masterfully mirrors the MC's dark tinted rhymes: it's grotesque, creepy and eerie, perfectly evoking the calm of the streets during a snowstorm. The beats move up and down, varying between spastic, cerebral and ominous. It's violent.
IT REPRESENTS: The most potent distillation of the Wu-Tang aesthetic and essence. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,380
Rank in 1995:
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It's an unmatched piece of brilliant storytelling that's an authentic reflection of a dark period in time for NY and the people that lived in. The scenes painted in here are chaotic, over the top and outrageously violent, but thanks to the MC's delivery and sharp observationism, always seem to be firmly rooted in reality.
Showing the desperation of a young man during the waning of the crack era, the album plays as a portrayal of a drug dealer’s reflections of self and internal conflicts, which by the end of the album costs him a high price.
All of this would be an all-too-bleak vision of life if it wasn't for the MC's funny vein and humor, which help dissipate the darkness and give the work some breezy air, carried by the few songs which are purposely light hearted and smooth.
The music is easy going and dreamy some times, hard pounding the others. The mixture between a lo-fi East Coast edge, polished pop instincts and ear-catching up-beat moments create an interesting juxtaposition, on par with the themes of the album. It would prove to be a genre-shaping style for some good 10 years of hip hop.
This detailed canvas is carried by the MC's wit, unparalleled ease with language and indisputable technical skill, all along with his star-like charisma and larger than life persona. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Showing the desperation of a young man during the waning of the crack era, the album plays as a portrayal of a drug dealer’s reflections of self and internal conflicts, which by the end of the album costs him a high price.
All of this would be an all-too-bleak vision of life if it wasn't for the MC's funny vein and humor, which help dissipate the darkness and give the work some breezy air, carried by the few songs which are purposely light hearted and smooth.
The music is easy going and dreamy some times, hard pounding the others. The mixture between a lo-fi East Coast edge, polished pop instincts and ear-catching up-beat moments create an interesting juxtaposition, on par with the themes of the album. It would prove to be a genre-shaping style for some good 10 years of hip hop.
This detailed canvas is carried by the MC's wit, unparalleled ease with language and indisputable technical skill, all along with his star-like charisma and larger than life persona. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,184
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
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It's a bumping hip hop masterpiece that's minimalistic and refreshing, hard hitting and smooth, and always sporting a clean, full and lively jazzy swagger. The atmosphere is warm and fluid, never losing a single step throughout the whole work, a true statement of the quality of its songwriting.
The other key ingredient is the chemistry between the MC's, each one sporting their wit and style, but so in tune with each other that they sound like flip sides of the same personality, fluidly trading off on rhymes and rhythms.
It's a work full of spontaneous humor, purity and identity that approaches pop through jazz and a lot of soul.
IT REPRESENTS: The quintessential fusion between jazz and hip hop. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
The other key ingredient is the chemistry between the MC's, each one sporting their wit and style, but so in tune with each other that they sound like flip sides of the same personality, fluidly trading off on rhymes and rhythms.
It's a work full of spontaneous humor, purity and identity that approaches pop through jazz and a lot of soul.
IT REPRESENTS: The quintessential fusion between jazz and hip hop. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,959
Rank in 1991:
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It's an album that presents a bleak image of a futuristic city where pop culture references, anime, comic books and conspiracy theories are a normal topic of conversation. All of this imagery is provided by two young MCs who spill fast and furious rhymes haphazardly all over the music, which is low budget, uncompromising and intelligent, but most of all, original.
The work presents a plethora of sounds that build dissonant but melodic songs, full of heavy percussion, refined embellishments and distant synthesizers, giving a dark tone to the music, thus accompanying the lyrics of the MC's, partly vivid and challenging, partly abstract and introspective.
From sitar loops, to stuttering drumbeats, clipped horns and acid-drenched, psychedelic guitars, the production work is outstanding, evoking a sort of beautiful-dystopia, a la Blade Runner.
It's an album that doesn't just take chances, it shatters conventions.
IT REPRESENTS: A blueprint for hip hop's underground scene ever since. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
The work presents a plethora of sounds that build dissonant but melodic songs, full of heavy percussion, refined embellishments and distant synthesizers, giving a dark tone to the music, thus accompanying the lyrics of the MC's, partly vivid and challenging, partly abstract and introspective.
From sitar loops, to stuttering drumbeats, clipped horns and acid-drenched, psychedelic guitars, the production work is outstanding, evoking a sort of beautiful-dystopia, a la Blade Runner.
It's an album that doesn't just take chances, it shatters conventions.
IT REPRESENTS: A blueprint for hip hop's underground scene ever since. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
"A lushly impenetrable jungle of sonic allusions transforms the nightmare of the crack era into a dream of cream skimmed and warmed for the bathtub -a dream with its own internal logic, moral weight, and commitment to beauty. It's an illusion, as any project denizen caught in the crossfire knows. But materially and metaphorically, Wu-Tang's power to create this illusion provides a way out of the hell underneath -especially, but not exclusively, for them".
- Robert Christgau [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
- Robert Christgau [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,860
Rank in 1995:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
It's one of the most forward-looking hip hop records ever released, an album that mixes its motifs of fear and curiosity with progressive and immaculate production. The music is deeply rooted in funk and combines a Southern freshed-out flavor with spirituality and ethereality.
From the psychedelic guitars, soulful pianos, horns, strings, deep double-bass and chunky harmonicas (!), to the verses delivered by the two MCs, everything is distilled to perfection.
Lyrically, much of this work features poetic introspection about the desolation of the human condition, whether that includes drug addiction, precarious relationships, fear of overreaching technology or death.
Of course, the silver lining of that oppressive atmosphere is the "light at the end of the tunnel" that the artists see: meditation, friendship and love. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
From the psychedelic guitars, soulful pianos, horns, strings, deep double-bass and chunky harmonicas (!), to the verses delivered by the two MCs, everything is distilled to perfection.
Lyrically, much of this work features poetic introspection about the desolation of the human condition, whether that includes drug addiction, precarious relationships, fear of overreaching technology or death.
Of course, the silver lining of that oppressive atmosphere is the "light at the end of the tunnel" that the artists see: meditation, friendship and love. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,958
Rank in 1998:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 26. Page 1 of 3
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Top 56 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1970s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1980s | 6 | 11% | |
| 1990s | 26 | 46% | |
| 2000s | 17 | 30% | |
| 2010s | 7 | 13% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Kanye West | 6 | 11% | |
| OutKast | 5 | 9% | |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 3 | 5% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 3 | 5% | |
| De La Soul | 2 | 4% | |
| Public Enemy | 2 | 4% | |
| Jay-Z | 2 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 56 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 4 from 25th to 21stReasonable Doubt by Jay-Z |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 2 from 21st to 23rdThe Blueprint by Jay-Z |
| Down 1 from 23rd to 24thThe Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem |
| Down 1 from 24th to 25thThe Money Store by Death Grips |
Top 56 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | brundogg | Overall chart | 2011 | |
| Best Hip-Hop | rlang36 | Custom chart | 2017 |  |
| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | tgodd2.0 | Overall chart | 2010 | |
| Top 40 Greatest Music Albums | James3000 | Overall chart | 2016 | |
| Top 40 Greatest Music Albums | Ccothron52 | Overall chart | 2010 | |
| The Professor's Nerd Hop |  ProfessorSquid | Custom chart | 2013 |  |
| Hip-Hop |  Onater | Custom chart | 2017 |  |
| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | normshorg | Overall chart | 2018 | |
| Top Hip-Hop/R&B Albums of the 1990s | nas062080 | Custom chart | 2013 | |
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Top 56 Greatest Music Albums ratings
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 2 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/27/2025 15:57 | DrewHamster | 315 | 79/100 | |
| 01/05/2017 01:38 | Seab | 2,001 | 93/100 |
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Top 56 Greatest Music Albums comments
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corenfro 01/04/2017 02:39 | #181663
corenfro 01/04/2017 02:39 | #181663
I liked the list once I realized it was a best 40 hip hop albums of all time.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From catalam1234 09/09/2016 13:29 | #174602
Yes, this is a 40 Best Hip Hop albums of all Time, with some mini-reviews of the 5 Very Best. If you're interested in knowing my opinon on certain albums on this list, just PM me.
PS. Could not wait until being allowed to make Custom Charts. When I reach that point, i'll make the Custom chart and modify this to put the best albums of all time, ALL Genres.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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