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.

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29. (=)

Undertow 

 Tool

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For fifteen years I had this album pegged as a top five. Maynard's anger and pain needed an outlet. I identified. Millions agreed. I don't feel they've improved on the formula. This is before Tool wanted to grow up and become King Crimson. They were already fully realized. [First added to this chart: 09/16/2011]

Year of Release:

1993

Appears in:

290 charts

Rank Score:

1,527

Rank in 1993:

20

Rank in 1990s:

216

Overall Rank:

1,137

Average Rating:

 79 (520 votes)

Comments:

16

49. (=)

Siamese Dream 

 The Smashing Pumpkins

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1991 is where I personally start with "modern" albums. Where grunge shows up and rescues the world from hair metal and the same twelve blues riffs we were stuck with since Let It Bleed. The volume turns up, the guitars distort and great songs like Cherub Rock, Today and Silverfuck just blast everything off the airwaves. This album along with Nevermind, 10, Core, Superunknown and Independent Worm Saloon make listening to new music an event again. Billy Corgan was probably the best songwriter of the bunch. Great distorted guitars. Great Lyrical Bents. Brilliant album [First added to this chart: 03/02/2017]

Year of Release:

1993

Appears in:

1,617 charts

Rank Score:

17,796

Rank in 1993:

1

Rank in 1990s:

9

Overall Rank:

55

Average Rating:

 85 (1,953 votes)

Comments:

152

50. (=)

Dry 

 PJ Harvey

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Damn she's hot! [First added to this chart: 09/16/2011]

Year of Release:

1992

Appears in:

296 charts

Rank Score:

1,326

Rank in 1992:

20

Rank in 1990s:

239

Overall Rank:

1,296

Average Rating:

 79 (358 votes)

Comments:

17

51. (=)

Achtung Baby 

 U2

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The album that proved they were still viable. The album before they became the bloated behemoth they've morphed into. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2011]

Year of Release:

1991

Appears in:

1,320 charts

Rank Score:

11,809

Rank in 1991:

5

Rank in 1990s:

21

Overall Rank:

110

Average Rating:

 80 (1,833 votes)

Comments:

146

54. (=)

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Nevermind 

 Nirvana

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The savior of rock? In 1992 we all thought so. It didn't come out of my disc player for about 6 months. A Boston rip off as a hit single and enough pissed off energy to qualify as the "Never Mind The Bullocks" of the 90's. But don't blame grunge on this album. Cobain KNOWS how to play the guitar. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2011]

Year of Release:

1991

Appears in:

3,227 charts

Rank Score:

37,695

Rank in 1991:

1

Rank in 1990s:

2

Overall Rank:

13

Average Rating:

 87 (4,337 votes)

Comments:

413

75. (=)

Never Been Caught 

 The Mummies

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If I ever had a rock band...meaning I didn't have to learn to play to good, write lyrics as poetry, have a beat and could yell any old shit that just came to my little 'ol brain...that group of misfits would probably sound a lot like The Mummies "Never Been Caught". This is as much fun as the first time I heard Rocket To Russia and Fun House. Loud, obnoxious, recorded so low-fi you probably couldn't find a crappy enough tape recorder to replicate the sonic impact of this garage record. I call it that because it sounds like something that was found out in the garage. Great record. Great band!! [First added to this chart: 03/02/2017]

Year of Release:

1992

Appears in:

13 charts

Rank Score:

64

Rank in 1992:

265

Rank in 1990s:

2,705

Overall Rank:

17,044

Average Rating:

 78 (7 votes)

Comments:

1

86. (=)

OK Computer 

 Radiohead

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To those of you who get pissed that old shits like me don't put in more 'modern' albums, well, if they had songs, musicianship and production this good we would. Radiohead had the Bends two years earlier, but this is wear it all came together. Pink Floyd on meth instead of ludes. [First added to this chart: 09/28/2011]

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

4,428 charts

Rank Score:

63,464

Rank in 1997:

1

Rank in 1990s:

1

Overall Rank:

1

Average Rating:

 92 (5,642 votes)

Comments:

855

88. (=)

Welcome To Sky Valley 

 Kyuss

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There's about a 1/2 dozen Queens of the Stone Age/Kyuss albums that could find it's way in here. Rated R would be another favorite. Stoner Metal is growing on me. [First added to this chart: 10/12/2022]

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

262 charts

Rank Score:

1,582

Rank in 1994:

33

Rank in 1990s:

212

Overall Rank:

1,097

Average Rating:

 80 (342 votes)

Comments:

17

95. (=)

Parklife 

 Blur

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You know that episode of South Park where Chef's parents exercise the spirit of Kenny out of Cartman and it ends up in the Roast? I think that's what happened here with the spirit of 60's Ray Davies, only there was a victim child for the spirit to enter. Just a great record start to finish. [First added to this chart: 10/24/2011]

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

1,030 charts

Rank Score:

7,568

Rank in 1994:

10

Rank in 1990s:

41

Overall Rank:

202

Average Rating:

 80 (1,389 votes)

Comments:

73

98. (=)

Jagged Little Pill 

 Alanis Morissette

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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:

738 charts

Rank Score:

5,173

Rank in 1995:

7

Rank in 1990s:

64

Overall Rank:

329

Average Rating:

 77 (1,025 votes)

Comments:

77

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Total albums: 11. Page 1 of 2

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Country	Albums	%
	49	49%
	40	40%
	3	3%
	3	3%
	2	2%
	2	2%
	1	1%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

Title	Source	Type	Published	Country
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s	daftpunter	1970s decade chart	2014
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	Madrocker	Overall chart	2019
The Top 100 Albums	VH1	Overall chart	2001
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s	Madrocker	1970s decade chart	2019
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	P H Dias	Overall chart	2012
Top 100 Albums (Online Amalgam)	musicologist97	Custom chart	2019
The Greatest Rock Albums	uDiscoverMusic	Overall chart	2015
Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums	Virgin	Overall chart	2000
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	ekingshill	Overall chart	2017
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	jeffrey-hodgson	Overall chart	2018

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 98 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
85/100  !	03/20/2025 16:45	SomethingSpecial	1,104	85/100
95/100  !	07/03/2024 17:43	C0NB9NN	20	85/100
80/100  !	06/19/2023 20:06	MadhattanJack	265	85/100
90/100  !	06/19/2023 10:40	Tamthebam	649	85/100
95/100  !	10/11/2022 05:20	leniad	673	85/100

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 6% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.5/100, a mean average of 86.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.7/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 16.9.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 21 members

C0NB9NN

Larcx13

JoeyBones1986

Dankel

TrekkiELO

joathome

WildHorses

sammac

Cymro2011

btener11

pecan3141

ProfessorSquid

Facetious

astelioeswills

jhuik

Daminoutrek76

Johnnyo

Triple Seis

BrandonB

GARY

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 75 comments |
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Rating:  

95/100

From C0NB9NN 07/03/2024 17:42 | #304153

Brilliant picks. Finally someone who sees My Aim Is True as such a great album. And shout out to ranking Queen up there. The boys sure did know how to perform an album. Dark Side, London Calling, Born To Run, all the greats up there. And who cares if you don’t have enough “modern” albums up there. Agree on a lot of your points too, especially about The Rolling Stones. And I can’t believe how much we match we Abbey Road being my number one. All this being said, great list.

27 albums in common.

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Rating:  

95/100

From leniad 10/11/2022 05:20 | #290352

great picks

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Rating:  

85/100

From Moondance 10/10/2022 21:29 | #290343

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 Larcx13 10/10/2022 11:26 | #290324

Great work put on here ?

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Rating:  

95/100

From stuartdurrant 10/22/2020 18:28 | #259585

Best List I've seen

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Rating:  

100/100

From BraddlesHendo 10/22/2020 18:05 | #259584

Great commentary and one of the better lists here

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Rating:  

100/100

From DommeDamian 10/22/2020 09:12 | #259558

better than last time.

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Rating:  

100/100

From DommeDamian 05/10/2018 20:26 | #214549

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 LedZep 01/15/2018 15:58 | #205742

So nice and diverse. Loveit

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Rating:  

100/100

From Arthurknight 01/07/2018 10:51 | #204788

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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