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 28 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 59 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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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:
12,017
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Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 04/27/2020]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,488
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Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 11/25/2021]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
24,985
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Comments:
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Sophisticated and sexy, this knocked me over when my flatmate played this to me in the late 70s. I already loved the Dan but this was a big leap forward. These guys hit their peak with this and it is a record I am always only happy to return to.
[First added to this chart: 11/01/2016]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,117
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Listened to this on You Tube and was just blown away. I now have my own copy and it has quickly become a firm favourite. Love the big sound and production. Thanks to BEA for the recommendation.
[First added to this chart: 04/27/2020]
Year of Release:
2014
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,776
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A great collection of pop songs, from standards to new material. Although Carole King was not the strongest of singers she brought an emotional intensity that made the old sound fresh and the new instant classics. I think this album has worn well over the past 40 plus years.
[First added to this chart: 11/02/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,468
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Buy album
- #Sponsored
I never understand why this group attract so much scorn and derision. This debut album was a prized possession when I was 14 and I still respect it today. They wrote some great songs, sang and harmonised beautifully. Whilst Horse with no Name was the big hit I always preferred Sandman, I need you and well most of the rest of the album. Great acoustic guitar as well.
[First added to this chart: 11/01/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
571
Rank in 1971:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 11/05/2016]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,992
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 04/27/2020]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,136
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
This is great all the way through. Harbour lights will forever remind me of Wellington and the first person to break my heart. Boz wrote his very best here; the uptempo numbers dominate but the ballads really deliver the main punch.
[First added to this chart: 11/01/2016]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
760
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Total albums: 29. Page 1 of 3
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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% | |
| Beyoncé | 2 | 2% | |
| 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 11thRemain In Light by Talking Heads |
| Up 36 from 68th to 32ndSilk Degrees by Boz Scaggs |
| Up 32 from 36th to 4thThe Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 38 from 50th to 88thThe Bends by Radiohead |
| Down 28 from 8th to 36thAll Things Must Pass by George Harrison |
| Down 23 from 23rd to 46thAqualung by Jethro Tull |
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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 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 59 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 02/05/2025 19:01 |  NowhereMan | 292 | 82/100 |
| ! | 02/05/2025 09:37 |  MadhattanJack | 266 | 85/100 |
| ! | 01/31/2025 18:50 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 10/31/2024 06:19 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 |
| ! | 10/30/2024 23:56 | Crusaderlord | 23 | 90/100 |
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 14% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 87.4/100, a mean average of 87.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.7/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.3.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From Crusaderlord 10/30/2024 23:56 | #305827
A really great chart, i own a large majority of these, but there are a few here i should try out.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 10/17/2022 14:07 | #290562
Great chart. Full of absolute classics and some less well known albums. Love it
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
DommeDamian 03/08/2022 09:21 | #282507
DommeDamian 03/08/2022 09:21 | #282507
Improvement from last time. Amazing job.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
DriftingOrpheus 04/28/2021 05:56 | #269062
DriftingOrpheus 04/28/2021 05:56 | #269062
Awesome chart! I love the inclusion of Sinatra as well. He's oddly underepresented on this platform. I'll have to catalog some of his stuff in the near future. Insightful notes as well!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
StefanR10 05/30/2020 14:46 | #252579
StefanR10 05/30/2020 14:46 | #252579
There are some classics and i like tehme very much. Most of the Artists I know, i give you a good rating not to good but appreciate it.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
TerryTezza 05/21/2020 05:31 | #251772
TerryTezza 05/21/2020 05:31 | #251772
A brilliant selection of albums with many in my Top 100. Great taste in music and great to see you include Simple Minds' album 'New Gold Dream'. Really like the story telling too and as with my selection it is based on personal taste and experiences over the years.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
desh79 04/28/2020 06:43 | #250614
desh79 04/28/2020 06:43 | #250614
Very nice mixture of genres and eras.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From DommeDamian 08/30/2019 20:15 | #241975
DommeDamian 08/30/2019 20:15 | #241975
Still a damn great chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Brad1770 10/18/2017 06:20 | #199630
Brad1770 10/18/2017 06:20 | #199630
Solid , love Rumours included high up and a Portis Head Album further in
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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