Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by daftpunter 
When I was five my mom bought me a 45 of Pleasant Valley Sunday that I played on my little multi-disk player with my Peter Pan 45's. In the fifth grade my buddy Owen turned me on to Kiss and Queen. Some guy at a record store recommended to my Mom Sweet's Desolation Boulevard and K.C. and the Sunshine Band. My high school buddy's dad owned an AOR station so we had access to a ton of music (though half the albums were worthless because Dad would put finger nail polish on the album cuts to control the dj's). That's also where I developed my nervous twitch when I hear the Beatles too often. We discovered the Rolling Stone Record Guide, The Trouser Press Record Guide, and Robert Christgau (the 1001 albums/songs books have been added to the reference of late). For my freshman year in college Grandmom gave me $1000 for spending money for the year that I blew in about three weeks at the local record store(ooh, that reminds me, I've GOT to listen to Damn the Torpedoes soon!). Over the past thirty years I've put together a collection of music reflecting the eclectic and clasic, usually without ever having heard the music I'd purchased. But the collection is diverse, consisting of about 2500 pieces of vinyl and 1500 cd's. I've discovered the Public library system that has given me access to inumerable albums. And you'll notice that the list doesn't have a bunch of surprises, accepting maybe the order. Because great is still great. The top 20 have been pretty consistant over the years. The next 80 are an incomplete and ever changing array. As far as the more recent albums not making the charts, I direct you to the decade (and soon yearly) charts. Albums that supplant truly classic works have a truly high standard to achieve. It's taken decades for some albums to click.
I'm beginning to warm to Cage The Elephant, The Black Keys, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard ...some other similar bands so there's still hope for some 2000's to make it to the list. Thanks to my boys for their recommendations.
Alright...it's time. 10 year anniversary of this list and it's a bit stale. Maybe not a great word...how about dated. Commenters are right...there IS great music made in this century. Great albums? I'm going to start working through the year album charts and find some gems I've recently discovered. Probably 1500 albums....maybe more since...and note...I won't subscribe to a music service. I have to OWN an album before I rate it. Are YOU that into albums? Damn that was pretentious. New list coming! Midway through another year and I STILL can't touch my top ten...
- Chart updated: 10/12/2022 05:45
- (Created: 09/16/2011 08:34).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 74 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 97 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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There's no live recording of the original band with John Cale and this is still incredible. And Lou craps all over the Eagles to Dallas fans in what sounds like Gilly's. Cool.
[First added to this chart: 09/18/2011]
5
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Years and years of reading critics chastise the masters of metal took their toll and this writer's young mind back in the 70's and 80's, denying me the pleasure of the riffs of Tony Iommi. Good. Because like my young sons I get to experience the brilliance of the original lineup as I near 50. The power of the original four albums is something that must be felt in Volume. I mean ear melting volume.
[First added to this chart: 11/09/2013]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,735
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There was a time when a new 'stones album was like going into Baskin Robbins and saying "surprise me". Country Honk is a scream (they're actually not trying to crap on country as Keith is best buddies with Gram Parsons at this time) but they do hit every cliche in one song. You Can't Always Get What You Want, Let It Bleed, Midnight Rambler...this is a greatest hits package on it's own. The drugs were really starting to take their hold. Proof drugs are better experienced through headphones than the needle.
[First added to this chart: 09/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1969
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Rank Score:
18,800
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Ok, so Dimone said to put on side one of Led Zeppelin 4 and the next thing you heard was Kashmir. Stupid right? Actually...disappointing. I would have loved to have heard When The Levee Breaks instead. Or they could have just got the album right. And Stairway IS as effin great as we thought it was. Tell the next snot nose, winy, rap wanna-be that tells you it sucks to cram it. He's wrong. So's my wife.
[First added to this chart: 09/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
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Rank Score:
44,376
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The best of the college radio albums. They WERE truly original. Tuneful yet mysterious. Try 'Catapult'. Actually better than Radio Free Europe...but not by much.
[First added to this chart: 09/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,660
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Before Pretty In Pink launched these guys into the mainstream, this band was cool, raw and cutting edge. The avant guard style saxophone was originated by Captain Beefheart and The Stooges, but I believe it was perfected on this album. Tremendous punk inspired beats with hard edged guitars and Richard Butler's one-too-many Lucky Strike voice. I'm into it like a train.
[First added to this chart: 11/25/2011]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
597
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The greatest thrash metal band's album before the turned into the 400th best arena rock band.
[First added to this chart: 07/04/2013]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,029
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You know the reason Pretenders 2 sucked was heroin. Then Honeyman-Scott od's, then Farndon two weeks later. What a WASTE! Drugs suck. Know why? Cause they kill my heros. Some no-talent loser wants to kill himself, fine. When someone like Honeyman-Scott dies from Junk then I feel cheated. And the solo(s) on "Private Life" is the best EVER. That's right, EVER. You heard me. I get pissed every time I think of the waste...
[First added to this chart: 09/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1980
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Rank Score:
2,988
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It's easy to call this a country album, it's got a peddle steel guitar on half the tracks, right? So did "Comes A Time" but no one called Neil Young country. He's a singer song writer like Paul Simon meets D. Boon. And Donald and Lydia still haven't done it. And I'm pretty sure John didn't want them to because that woulda been one ugly kid.
[First added to this chart: 09/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,035
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Like listening to a Japanese reactor core melting. But here's the thing. It's not. The base of all Pere Ubu's recording is rock and roll. They songs have beats, hooks, great guitar work and whatever the hell it is Alan Ravenstein creates on his synth. You'd swear it's the soundtrack to the Chernobol meltdown with the village idiot shrooming, doing whippits an singing through a voicebox. Then you force yourself to listen for the 11th time and you start realizing this is a MAGNIFICENT rock band. They've never released an album not worth owning.
[First added to this chart: 09/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
571
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Total albums: 100. Page 7 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 3 | 3% | |
| 1960s | 15 | 15% | |
| 1970s | 52 | 52% | |
| 1980s | 19 | 19% | |
| 1990s | 11 | 11% | |
| 2000s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 3% | |
| The Kinks | 3 | 3% | |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 3% | |
| The Beatles | 3 | 3% | |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 2 | 2% | |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 2% | |
| Ramones | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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- Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by P H Dias (2012)
- Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s by Siromynian (2024)
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
88/100 (from 97 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 97 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
80/100  | 06/19/2023 20:06 |  MadhattanJack | | 84/100 |
90/100 | 06/19/2023 10:40 |  Tamthebam | | 85/100 |
 95/100 | 10/11/2022 05:20 | leniad | | 85/100 |
| 85/100 | 10/10/2022 21:26 | Moondance | | 84/100 |
| 100/100 | 10/10/2022 21:19 | iannicolson | | 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 7% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.4/100, a mean average of 86.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 17.0.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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95/100
From leniad 10/11/2022 05:20
great picks
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Moondance 10/10/2022 21:29
Loved the commentary on the soundtrack of your life + music. I can appreciate the joy and wonder of your journey. Good to see Aztec Camera among the usual suspects.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Larcx13 10/10/2022 11:26
Larcx13 10/10/2022 11:26
Great work put on here 👏
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95/100
From stuartdurrant 10/22/2020 18:28
Best List I've seen
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From BraddlesHendo 10/22/2020 18:05
Great commentary and one of the better lists here
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 10/22/2020 09:12
DommeDamian 10/22/2020 09:12
better than last time.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From DommeDamian 05/10/2018 20:26
DommeDamian 05/10/2018 20:26
Small amount in common, but still a fair bunch of great albums. Very good descriptions too, sir.
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85/100
From 
LedZep 01/15/2018 15:58
LedZep 01/15/2018 15:58
So nice and diverse. Loveit
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100/100
From 
Arthurknight 01/07/2018 10:51
Arthurknight 01/07/2018 10:51
Ah thank you for the very kind words! The descriptions are in progress, the other 90 will be eventually covered; I’m very gradual with these things, I’m sure you’d be the one to understand.
I very much like your chart too. Your opening description I find very eloquent, and I much adore anyone who takes the time to tell the stories about their experiences of music because it is so vital in the sharing of ones love and appreciation of an artform that carries as much value in when, where and how we listen to it as the songs themselves. Many of the albums you have here were once on my chart since supplanted - to use your words. Shoot out the Lights, for instance, is a long favourite of mine. Thank you for sharing what only years and years of dedicate listening could produce.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
bobbyb5 09/08/2017 12:45
bobbyb5 09/08/2017 12:45
10 bonus points for Psychedelic Furs.
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| Best Ever Artists | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Beatles | |
| 2. Radiohead | |
| 3. Pink Floyd | |
| 4. David Bowie | |
| 5. Bob Dylan | |
| 6. Led Zeppelin | |
| 7. The Rolling Stones | |
| 8. Arcade Fire | |
| 9. The Velvet Underground | |
| 10. Kendrick Lamar | |
| 11. Nirvana | |
| 12. Neil Young | |
| 13. The Smiths | |
| 14. Miles Davis | |
| 15. The Beach Boys | |
| 16. Kanye West | |
| 17. Pixies | |
| 18. R.E.M. | |
| 19. Jimi Hendrix | |
| 20. Bruce Springsteen |