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 Mixed Nationality. (Remove this filter)
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(Real) Shoegaze • Noise Pop
95/100
Cover Art: 10/10
If You Like This: Panda Riot - Infinity Maps; Chapterhouse - Whirlpool
"When I look at you
Ohh, I don't know what's real"
Never has an album been so synonymous with a genre, yet so unique within it. Shoegaze is (essentially by definition) Loveless. So I will be talking about what shoegaze is, too. I think the term Shoegaze suffers from a debilitating lack of clarity. Does shoegaze include Slowdive's "Souvlaki" and Ride's "Nowhere" (the only two other albums usually conflated with the core of shoegaze), despite the former being ethereal and dreamy, and the latter essentially being jangly alt-rock? All three of these "core" albums sound so different enough that is hard to imagine them all being in the same genre/subgenre that is shoegaze. If it's that broad, does it include The Jesus and Mary Chain and the Sonic Youth? No, at least to me. My interpretation is actually quite narrow. Ride is just britpop with effects added. Slowdive is often shoegaze, though not always. Other "not real shoegaze bands" include The Cocteau Twins, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Swervedriver, Lush. Even "Just for a Day" and "Isn't Anything" are albums I would consider more post-punk than shoegaze.
Whatever shoegaze is or isn't, I know that Loveless is its heart and soul. To me, the story of Loveless and shoegaze is a sad tale; the genre was essentially started and ended with this album. The shoegaze genre was catapulted into the closest to mainstream it would ever get, yet, Loveless was also the very artistic and commercial pinnacle of the genre it essentially spawned. It was over before it started; every album afterwards would be compared to Loveless, and no album would ever measure up. Even Kevin Shields himself took 20+ to build up the courage to release a follow-up (one that was nonetheless, pretty good).
The album itself creates such interesting collages; each and every track (aside from touched, which kinda sucks) is so brilliant and beautifully noisy. There feel like numerous and constantly shifting layers of noise, so much so that tune and rhythm become secondary to the sheer power of the cacophony. I don't think I could even hum any of the songs on this album besides Soon and maybe Only Shallow. Yet I love (haha, get it, love) every one. Blasting this album is one of the coolest things I can do. It's something to get absolutely lost in. And it seems like it gets even better the louder it gets; as the volume goes up, one can begin to hear more layers under the layers and layers of sound already there. It's truly wondrous.
PS: I once saw a comment on this album that said it is the only album that is perfect forwards and backwards. I'm not sure if it's as good, but listening to it backwards is a surprisingly similar experience, and one I would recommend everyone try at least once. It's on youtube if you look for it. [First added to this chart: 07/11/2017]
95/100
Cover Art: 10/10
If You Like This: Panda Riot - Infinity Maps; Chapterhouse - Whirlpool
"When I look at you
Ohh, I don't know what's real"
Never has an album been so synonymous with a genre, yet so unique within it. Shoegaze is (essentially by definition) Loveless. So I will be talking about what shoegaze is, too. I think the term Shoegaze suffers from a debilitating lack of clarity. Does shoegaze include Slowdive's "Souvlaki" and Ride's "Nowhere" (the only two other albums usually conflated with the core of shoegaze), despite the former being ethereal and dreamy, and the latter essentially being jangly alt-rock? All three of these "core" albums sound so different enough that is hard to imagine them all being in the same genre/subgenre that is shoegaze. If it's that broad, does it include The Jesus and Mary Chain and the Sonic Youth? No, at least to me. My interpretation is actually quite narrow. Ride is just britpop with effects added. Slowdive is often shoegaze, though not always. Other "not real shoegaze bands" include The Cocteau Twins, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Swervedriver, Lush. Even "Just for a Day" and "Isn't Anything" are albums I would consider more post-punk than shoegaze.
Whatever shoegaze is or isn't, I know that Loveless is its heart and soul. To me, the story of Loveless and shoegaze is a sad tale; the genre was essentially started and ended with this album. The shoegaze genre was catapulted into the closest to mainstream it would ever get, yet, Loveless was also the very artistic and commercial pinnacle of the genre it essentially spawned. It was over before it started; every album afterwards would be compared to Loveless, and no album would ever measure up. Even Kevin Shields himself took 20+ to build up the courage to release a follow-up (one that was nonetheless, pretty good).
The album itself creates such interesting collages; each and every track (aside from touched, which kinda sucks) is so brilliant and beautifully noisy. There feel like numerous and constantly shifting layers of noise, so much so that tune and rhythm become secondary to the sheer power of the cacophony. I don't think I could even hum any of the songs on this album besides Soon and maybe Only Shallow. Yet I love (haha, get it, love) every one. Blasting this album is one of the coolest things I can do. It's something to get absolutely lost in. And it seems like it gets even better the louder it gets; as the volume goes up, one can begin to hear more layers under the layers and layers of sound already there. It's truly wondrous.
PS: I once saw a comment on this album that said it is the only album that is perfect forwards and backwards. I'm not sure if it's as good, but listening to it backwards is a surprisingly similar experience, and one I would recommend everyone try at least once. It's on youtube if you look for it. [First added to this chart: 07/11/2017]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
33,788
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
308
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Art Rock • Avant-garde
90/100
CA: 5/10
IYLT: Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
"I...
Wish that
I was born a thousand years ago"
A truly groundbreaking album. Even 50 years later, there is still nothing quite like it; something so explosive and radical. It takes a bit to get used to, but it really is quite amazing when it does.
BM:
The crescendo on Heroin [First added to this chart: 08/26/2017]
90/100
CA: 5/10
IYLT: Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
"I...
Wish that
I was born a thousand years ago"
A truly groundbreaking album. Even 50 years later, there is still nothing quite like it; something so explosive and radical. It takes a bit to get used to, but it really is quite amazing when it does.
BM:
The crescendo on Heroin [First added to this chart: 08/26/2017]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
46,012
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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90/100
[First added to this chart: 01/16/2018]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,051
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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90/100
[First added to this chart: 09/10/2018]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,227
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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90/100
[First added to this chart: 06/20/2019]
Total albums: 5. 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 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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