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...

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I've always found it funny that all these critics want to annoint everyone that has a pen the new Dylan, but no one calls a dude with a six string noise machine the new Neil Young. Neil's body of work will equal ANYONE's on the planet and this is his best. 22 years later he kicks Cinnamon Girls ass on Weld. But this is where the magic with Crazy Horse begins. [First added to this chart: 09/16/2011]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,380
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Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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Over the past year I've developed a fascination with Joni Mitchell. I love her classic period. On Court and Spark the songs are uplifting (the opposite of Blue, not to trash that classic which could take this place when I listen to it again) and her voice...wow! [First added to this chart: 10/24/2011]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,132
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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It's 1995 and I'm sitting on the back porch during our beer of the week/album nights (miss you Buschman!) and You Oughta Know hits the airwaves. I've got a thing for anger. Not made up, metal, hate my dad, the devil is the way b.s. anger. I'm talkin' you screwed up my head, I loved you, I want you dead (unless you kiss me first) anger. This is it. The whole album. It's a little over-produced but so was Nevermind. Right Through You and Ironic are probably better songs than You Oughta Know, and that's saying something. A great record for a really bad mood. [First added to this chart: 11/11/2011]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,176
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Rank in 1990s:
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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 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 %


Bob Dylan 3 3%
The Beatles 3 3%
The Rolling Stones 3 3%
The Kinks 3 3%
Miles Davis 2 2%
Ramones 2 2%
The Who 2 2%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 49 49%
United Kingdom 40 40%
Canada 3 3%
Mixed Nationality 3 3%
Australia 2 2%
Jamaica 2 2%
Ireland 1 1%
Live? Albums %
No 96 96%
Yes 4 4%

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
88/100 (from 97 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
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06/19/2023 20:06 MadhattanJack  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 15484/100
 
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06/19/2023 10:40 Tamthebam  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 54985/100
  
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10/11/2022 05:20 leniad  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 68785/100
  
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10/10/2022 21:26 Moondance  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 45184/100
  
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10/10/2022 21:19 iannicolson  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 31290/100

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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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Rating:  
95/100
From 10/11/2022 05:20
great picks
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Rating:  
85/100
From 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.
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Rating:  
100/100
From 10/10/2022 11:26
Great work put on here 👏
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Rating:  
95/100
From 10/22/2020 18:28
Best List I've seen
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100/100
From 10/22/2020 18:05
Great commentary and one of the better lists here
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Rating:  
100/100
From 10/22/2020 09:12
better than last time.
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100/100
From 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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Rating:  
85/100
From 01/15/2018 15:58
So nice and diverse. Loveit
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Rating:  
100/100
From 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.
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Rating:  
90/100
From 09/08/2017 12:45
10 bonus points for Psychedelic Furs.
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Best Ever Albums
1. OK Computer by Radiohead
2. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
3. Abbey Road by The Beatles
4. Revolver by The Beatles
5. Kid A by Radiohead
6. In Rainbows by Radiohead
7. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
8. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
9. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
10. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico
11. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
12. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin
13. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles
14. Nevermind by Nirvana
15. Funeral by Arcade Fire
16. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
17. The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths
18. Doolittle by Pixies
19. To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
20. London Calling by The Clash
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