Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by iannicolson 
Decided to update my chart as my opinions have certainly changed since 2016. I want to thank BEA for introducing me to so much good music. Many of my new selections are a result of seeking out albums recommended by so many of you. As ever this is just a snap shot of how I feel in March 2021, I'm sure there will be more changes in the future. January 2025: Updated.
- Chart updated: 01/30/2025 04:15
- (Created: 11/02/2016 01:46).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 27 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 58 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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A traditional start. An album that wowed me the first time I heard it. Clever, diverse and packed with memorable tunes. It has held my respect and admiration for over 40 years.
[First added to this chart: 11/01/2016]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
55,799
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An album just stuffed with great songs. Yes there are moments of whimsy, such as Octopus's Garden but these are balanced by the sublime ballads like Something. They may have been falling apart as a band but they were still all capable of making important contributions to Abbey Road, effectively their final team effort. George confirmed his growing strength as a writer that would be even better displayed with his first solo outing.
[First added to this chart: 11/02/2016]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
53,444
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Available from
What a way to follow up Dark Side. This is equally brilliant. A wonderful tribute to Sid. Sad, beautiful and biting at times. This album proved that the Floyd were on a creative high in the 70s. Improves with every listen. Pure class.
[First added to this chart: 11/05/2016]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
41,544
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Available from
[First added to this chart: 04/27/2020]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
40,411
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Has grown in my estimation over the past few years so that it is now my favourite Stones album. There are just so many strong songs that still sound fresh. The Stones were in the middle of their purple patch. Rock at its finest.
[First added to this chart: 11/02/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,970
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My first Stones album bought when it came out in 1972. I loved it from its rocking start all the way through its bluesy brilliance. Side 2 was perfection for me. My favourite Stones album for over 40 years but now just eclipsed by its predecessor in my affections. Both truly great musical collections that have stood the test of time.
[First added to this chart: 11/02/2016]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,196
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Available from
Rumours deserves its success; popular and admirable. Three songwriters at the top of their game. Packed full of great songs that you will never forget. It is always tough deciding which singer impresses the most; they were all, despite personal upheavals, at their very best.
[First added to this chart: 11/01/2016]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29,117
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Available from
What can you say about an absolute classic? Totally deserving of all the praise and unlike Rolling Stone magazine I am not going to change my opinion just to suit passing trends,. This is a timeless masterpiece and will certainly outlast what this century has had to offer so far.
[First added to this chart: 04/27/2020]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
40,128
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This album turned me into a Radiohead fan. It was the first of their albums that I bought, now I own them all. I had thought of them as an up their own arses Oxbridge band but this album taught me so much. I was smitten from the start. I now recognise the band as probably the most important of the last 25 years. In Rainbows is simply beautiful and a joy to listen to.
[First added to this chart: 11/02/2016]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
40,157
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There is a reason this sold by the truckload. Wonderful tunes and great lyrics. Cecilia can still raise a smile. It took me a long time to accept the brilliance of this album but the songs won me over. The title track must rank as one of the greatest songs of all time. Even my High School Music Teacher, who normally only played classical music to his disinterested students, loved this. Truly a masterpiece.
[First added to this chart: 11/02/2016]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,682
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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 | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 9 | 9% | |
| 1970s | 42 | 42% | |
| 1980s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1990s | 13 | 13% | |
| 2000s | 8 | 8% | |
| 2010s | 6 | 6% | |
| 2020s | 3 | 3% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 5 | 5% | |
| Van Morrison | 4 | 4% | |
| Radiohead | 3 | 3% | |
| Pet Shop Boys | 3 | 3% | |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 3% | |
| Sade | 3 | 3% | |
| Neil Young | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
53 | 53% | |
| |
29 | 29% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
Up 41 from 52nd to 11th |
Up 36 from 68th to 32nd |
Up 32 from 36th to 4th |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
Down 38 from 50th to 88th |
Down 28 from 8th to 36th |
Down 23 from 23rd to 46th |
| New entries |
|---|
| Leavers |
|---|
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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).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 58 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 02/05/2025 19:01 |  NowhereMan | 293 | 82/100 |
| ! | 02/05/2025 09:37 |  MadhattanJack | 358 | 86/100 |
| ! | 01/31/2025 18:50 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,090 | 86/100 |
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 9% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.1/100, a mean average of 87.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.1.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 8 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 08/16/2025 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5042): By iannicolson
BestEverAlbums 08/16/2025 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5042): By iannicolson“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by iannicolson () 1. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) 2. Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969) 3. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) 4. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie (1972) 5. Sticky…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 02/05/2025 09:00 in Chart of the day (#4851): By iannicolson
BestEverAlbums 02/05/2025 09:00 in Chart of the day (#4851): By iannicolson“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by iannicolson () 1. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) 2. Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969) 3. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) 4. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie (1972) 5. Sticky…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 10/17/2022 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4010): By iannicolson
BestEverAlbums 10/17/2022 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4010): By iannicolson“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by iannicolson () 1. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) 2. Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969) 3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) 4. Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones (1971) 5. Wish You Were Here by Pink…”
View forum post →Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From
Strangel TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/15/2018 23:45 | #216843
Strangel TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/15/2018 23:45 | #216843
What I love about this chart is that you’ve obviously been deeply moved by certain albums over a number of ‘eras’. You’ve got a broader span of listening history than many on this site. For example, anything pre-1990 has minimal significance to me on a personal/developmental level due to the 90s being my era of maturation and appreciation of the finer details of an artist’s musical integrity. As such I’ve had to back-track on many of the pre-90s classics with the advent of streaming. But you’ve obviously been touched by many albums at their height. I love your recognition of the gradual impact repeat listens of Radiohead have had on you to alter a pre-conceived opinion of them. I wish more naysayers were willing to open themselves up to their genius in this way. It is also noted that Off the Wall is followed by The Wall in this chart... I guess Jacko left the picture at this point...
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 0
From
zrommeke 03/02/2017 20:44 | #186682
Personally I prefer the second part of this chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
From
CharlieBarley 01/08/2017 17:39 | #182038
CharlieBarley 01/08/2017 17:39 | #182038
Great chart: Floyd, Bowie, Neil Young, Stones. But good to see the likes of Depeche Mode and B-52s as well. 24 albums in common which I think is good. The differences are good too, variety is what makes it all so interesting. Can't say I've ever got into Steely Dan but one of my favourite (Scottish) bands are named after one of their songs: Deacon Blue. Maybe I could spin a couple of SD's hits on YouTube? Anyway refreshing chart, man, good notes and both informative and enlightening. I enjoyed reading this chart.
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From
Moondance 10/17/2022 09:12 | #290555
We have 19 albums in common including some BEA outliers ¬ Silk Degrees, Aja, New Gold Dream ~ and I am guessing we have traversed a similar musical journey of discovery from the mid 60's on. I was somewhat surprised to see no albums/artists from either NZ or Australia in your chart. I did enjoy reading your personal comments.
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From
bobbyb5 02/23/2017 06:48 | #186187
bobbyb5 02/23/2017 06:48 | #186187
Nice. As usual with me, I often have many of the same artists as other people but different albums by them. I have Wild Planet, you have The B-52s. I have Last Night by Moby, you have Play. You have Heaven or Las Vegas, I have Pink Opaque. This ALWAYS happens. Heh heh.
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