Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
JulianR 
Hey!
I am quite excited to discuss literally anything about music ("literal" used in the literal, not figurative sense). I don't really know anyone that listens to the breadth and depth of music that I do. So if you disagree with something I say, or just want to talk about music, totally message me. Also if you want recommendations, or have some for me, totally message me or comment. Thank you!
Just as a heads up, the descriptions for these albums could have been written yesterday, or 18 months ago. They may not be totally reflective of my opinions on them now, though they were at one point at least.
Chart of the Day: 2/21/18, 4/23/19
Questions, comments, concerns, and especially recommendations are all heavily encouraged
Thanks
- Julian
- Chart updated: 02/07/2020 06:45
- (Created: 12/14/2016 01:31).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 72 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 92 out of 100 (from 106 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from Bob Dylan. (Remove this filter)
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Blues Rock
95/100
CA: 7/10
In 1961, Bob Dylan released his first album. Only 5 years after that, he was putting out what is widely considered some of the greatest music of all time, with Blonde on Blonde the obvious highlight. A a little under a decade later, he was back with the masterpiece Blood on the Tracks (along with Desire, which is also pretty good). A bit over another decade later and he had the stellar comeback Oh Mercy. And then another ten years, and along comes Time Out Of Mind. This is not just a return to form as it might be with any other (normal) artist. This is his third return to form. And despite the fact that he had three heydays under his belt, this one could very well be his best yet. Its swamped in reverbed-out organs and wavering, twangy blues guitar notes floating in the distance. Dylan was apparently dissatisfied with the production, but I don't know how; it sounds like the most original blues album ever made because of it.
The lyricism is also some of the best and most personal since Blood On the Tracks (aside from a few excellent songs on Oh Mercy). It's all old age and heartache on this one. Dylan perfectly depicts the slow lull of old age, especially on the lengthy, burning closer Highlands. The song perfectly mirrors his lyricism, and adds a whole other layer to them; it too "drifts from scene to scene", wandering lost in the highlands, aging and slowing. Some are more urgent, as with Its Not Dark Yet, and they are done excellently as well. Yet the highlights are probably the ones that deal with love, which feel just as personal and compelling as they did 30 years ago. Make You Feel My Love is the high point of the album in this regard, with both gorgeous lyricism and a wonderful piano based melody to go with it. [First added to this chart: 04/28/2018]
95/100
CA: 7/10
In 1961, Bob Dylan released his first album. Only 5 years after that, he was putting out what is widely considered some of the greatest music of all time, with Blonde on Blonde the obvious highlight. A a little under a decade later, he was back with the masterpiece Blood on the Tracks (along with Desire, which is also pretty good). A bit over another decade later and he had the stellar comeback Oh Mercy. And then another ten years, and along comes Time Out Of Mind. This is not just a return to form as it might be with any other (normal) artist. This is his third return to form. And despite the fact that he had three heydays under his belt, this one could very well be his best yet. Its swamped in reverbed-out organs and wavering, twangy blues guitar notes floating in the distance. Dylan was apparently dissatisfied with the production, but I don't know how; it sounds like the most original blues album ever made because of it.
The lyricism is also some of the best and most personal since Blood On the Tracks (aside from a few excellent songs on Oh Mercy). It's all old age and heartache on this one. Dylan perfectly depicts the slow lull of old age, especially on the lengthy, burning closer Highlands. The song perfectly mirrors his lyricism, and adds a whole other layer to them; it too "drifts from scene to scene", wandering lost in the highlands, aging and slowing. Some are more urgent, as with Its Not Dark Yet, and they are done excellently as well. Yet the highlights are probably the ones that deal with love, which feel just as personal and compelling as they did 30 years ago. Make You Feel My Love is the high point of the album in this regard, with both gorgeous lyricism and a wonderful piano based melody to go with it. [First added to this chart: 04/28/2018]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,333
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
27
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95/100
[First added to this chart: 05/16/2018]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,642
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Blues Rock • Folk-Rock
95/100
CA: 7/10
"He built a fire on main street
And shot it full of holes"
One of the more emotional albums I've ever heard, in that Dylan is able to create such a wide variety of feelings, each executed perfectly. Overall, I would probably describe the album as melancholy, or maybe heartbroken, but as I write this I'm listening to Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, so I may be biased by that.
Musically, it represents the best Dylan has ever done. To be frank, Dylan's straight blues of Highway 61 Revisited just wasn't that great. It had some good songs, but he's just not really a blues man in that way. The songs I enjoy on that album most (excluding Like a Rolling Stone, of course) are Ballad of a Thin Man and Desolation Row. Ballad of a Thin Man seems to be the song most similar to the feel of Blonde on Blonde. It is more complex, less derivative of basic blues. The balladry of Desolation Row also has a similar feel to parts of this album. Basically I think what I'm saying is that Dylan sounds his best when he sounds like Blonde on Blonde. The organ gives the album a much softer and more beautiful feel throughout, making tracks like I Want You, Just like a Woman, and the closer feel like beautiful folk songs but with more behind them than your average folk song. This allows the lyrics to really dominate, and agian, I think they are Dylan at his best. He drops most of the absurd surrealism of previous releases and sings quite a few much more personal songs. You can tell he's not just making words, he's telling us about himself. And he does it gorgeously.
BM:
The intro of "Fourth Time Around", where the gorgeous classical guitars come in [First added to this chart: 09/19/2017]
95/100
CA: 7/10
"He built a fire on main street
And shot it full of holes"
One of the more emotional albums I've ever heard, in that Dylan is able to create such a wide variety of feelings, each executed perfectly. Overall, I would probably describe the album as melancholy, or maybe heartbroken, but as I write this I'm listening to Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, so I may be biased by that.
Musically, it represents the best Dylan has ever done. To be frank, Dylan's straight blues of Highway 61 Revisited just wasn't that great. It had some good songs, but he's just not really a blues man in that way. The songs I enjoy on that album most (excluding Like a Rolling Stone, of course) are Ballad of a Thin Man and Desolation Row. Ballad of a Thin Man seems to be the song most similar to the feel of Blonde on Blonde. It is more complex, less derivative of basic blues. The balladry of Desolation Row also has a similar feel to parts of this album. Basically I think what I'm saying is that Dylan sounds his best when he sounds like Blonde on Blonde. The organ gives the album a much softer and more beautiful feel throughout, making tracks like I Want You, Just like a Woman, and the closer feel like beautiful folk songs but with more behind them than your average folk song. This allows the lyrics to really dominate, and agian, I think they are Dylan at his best. He drops most of the absurd surrealism of previous releases and sings quite a few much more personal songs. You can tell he's not just making words, he's telling us about himself. And he does it gorgeously.
BM:
The intro of "Fourth Time Around", where the gorgeous classical guitars come in [First added to this chart: 09/19/2017]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,841
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 3. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 13 | 13% | |
| 1970s | 12 | 12% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1990s | 25 | 25% | |
| 2000s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2010s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Flaming Lips | 5 | 5% | |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 3 | 3% | |
| Kanye West | 3 | 3% | |
| Talk Talk | 3 | 3% | |
| Radiohead | 3 | 3% | |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
58 | 58% | |
 |
26 | 26% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 60th to 61st The Glow Pt. 2 by The Microphones |
| Down 1 from 61st to 62nd Souvlaki by Slowdive |
| Down 1 from 62nd to 63rd Yank Crime by Drive Like Jehu |
| New entries |
|---|
 Turn On The Bright Lightsby Interpol |
| In The Flat Field by Bauhaus |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
92/100 (from 106 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).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 106 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100/100  | 01/22/2023 22:16 | Rm12398 | | 89/100 |
80/100 | 07/13/2022 22:08 |  Applerill | | 75/100 |
85/100 | 12/10/2020 00:38 | ars2458 | | 78/100 |
100/100 | 06/14/2020 12:47 | BraddlesHendo | | 91/100 |
90/100 | 03/30/2020 09:20 | RomanRelic | | 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 92.0/100, a mean average of 92.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 10.3.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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100/100
From Rm12398 01/22/2023 22:17
What a chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Juneof44 04/29/2021 06:58
I really appreciate your effort, a solid chart and i love the rating to the cover
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Foxforce5 02/05/2021 03:26
Thanks for the hard work. I came to your chart after reading your comments about Rubber Soul and Bringing It All Back Home being ‘transitional’ albums and thought to myself ‘there’s someone with a similar pair of ears’!
Anyhow, your comments inspired me to listen to the ‘transitional’ Bon Iver album, and I’ll give Lorde another go. I mean listening is what it’s all about, right?
In answer to your question on Mezzanine, Pet Sounds is better produced, so now you know.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From ars2458 12/10/2020 00:38
Wow, I truly love FEFEA and Age of Adz, but I don't have the depth on older stuff. I am going to give those specific albums a chance. I have listened to Bowie and Pink Floyd, but not those albums, so maybe I will hear something different this time.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Vegetariat 02/03/2020 10:16
Great list with wonderful notes and recommendations. Your description of Loveless and Shoegaze is as touching as it is true. You're right about Touched, haha
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From mianfei 12/16/2019 13:05
Although the list is really an odd mix of soul/hip of and progressive rock/post-rock (if I am not mistaken, I did see a similar combination somewhere else on this site on an earlier browse last autumn), there is not that much of real note in the chart.
However, the lack of really unusual albums and a grouping of genres that is merely on the “eccentric” side is certainly compensated for by some impressive notes, which substantially add to the rating.
Some albums you might not have heard that I could attempt to recommend based on your taste:
— ‘Yeti’ by Amon Düül II
— ‘H to He Who Am the Only One’ and ‘Pawn Hearts’ by Van der Graaf Generator
— ‘A Return to the Inner Experience’, ‘This Timeless Turning’ and ‘Moonbathing on Sleeping Leaves’ by Sky Cries Mary
— ‘Gala’ and ‘Spooky’ by Lush
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From bonnequestion 12/04/2019 12:41
Very nice and unique chart, very inspiring! And also, good job on all those comments.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Timooosterink 12/04/2019 10:20
Really nice chart, maybe you like Gorillaz?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
kynes 12/04/2019 09:07
kynes 12/04/2019 09:07
the final cut getting some deserved appreciation is nice to see! i will always have respect for users who take the time to write significant blurbs for many of the records in their charts
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From pctrooper 11/12/2019 23:34
Not a huge fan of all these albums, but I really like the chart with its descriptions and stuff.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of the 2000s | |
|---|---|
| 1. Radiohead | |
| 2. Arcade Fire | |
| 3. The Strokes | |
| 4. Coldplay | |
| 5. Sufjan Stevens | |
| 6. Arctic Monkeys | |
| 7. Wilco | |
| 8. Muse | |
| 9. Animal Collective | |
| 10. The White Stripes | |
| 11. Kanye West | |
| 12. Phil Elverum | |
| 13. Interpol | |
| 14. Modest Mouse | |
| 15. Queens Of The Stone Age | |
| 16. Madvillain | |
| 17. Godspeed You! Black Emperor | |
| 18. LCD Soundsystem | |
| 19. The National | |
| 20. The Flaming Lips |