Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
eclab 
I try to judge albums in a context-independent way - i.e. I don't intend to take originality/influence into account, otherwise "Revolver" or something would be at the top. The best albums, to me, don't have to be influential, nor even especially original or distinctive. They just have to sound great.
- Chart updated: 07/10/2026 01:45
- (Created: 10/12/2011 15:01).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 66 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 119 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Pure magic from beginning to end, and easily my favourite album. "Only Skin" and "Emily" are the best two songs I've ever heard, and the other three tracks are amazing.
I can understand if you don't like Joanna's voice; it took me many listens to appreciate it. These days, I would actually contend that she's a superb vocalist, in the same sense as (classic, mid-sixties) Bob Dylan: their vocals are so expressive and genuine, regardless of the harsh timbre.
9.85 [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
I can understand if you don't like Joanna's voice; it took me many listens to appreciate it. These days, I would actually contend that she's a superb vocalist, in the same sense as (classic, mid-sixties) Bob Dylan: their vocals are so expressive and genuine, regardless of the harsh timbre.
9.85 [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
2006
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,250
Rank in 2006:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
I continually find myself getting halfway through this album and feeling like it must be about to end, because it's already had far more quality material by that point than most band's careers. But nope, it's only been about 20 minutes.
9.7 [First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
9.7 [First added to this chart: 12/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
30,000
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
It opens with a track so good it started modern rock music and the quality holds up throughout.
9.6 [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
9.6 [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,206
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
If there's a more joyful album than this I'm yet to hear it.
9.6 [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
9.6 [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,380
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Much like "Doolittle" it's banger after banger.
9.6 [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
9.6 [First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
28,907
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Despite a few dud tracks, the overall sequence is wonderful (including Revolution 9).
9.5 [First added to this chart: 04/30/2013]
9.5 [First added to this chart: 04/30/2013]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
35,340
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
9.5
[First added to this chart: 07/17/2012]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
37,429
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
9.5
[First added to this chart: 10/13/2011]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,337
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
9. (=)
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9.5
[First added to this chart: 10/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,226
Rank in 1993:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
9.5
[First added to this chart: 04/05/2015]
Year of Release:
2015
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29,101
Rank in 2015:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 17 | 17% | |
| 1970s | 26 | 26% | |
| 1980s | 13 | 13% | |
| 1990s | 11 | 11% | |
| 2000s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2010s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2020s | 7 | 7% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 6 | 6% | |
| Joanna Newsom | 4 | 4% | |
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 4% | |
| Van Morrison | 3 | 3% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 3% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 3 | 3% | |
| Neil Young | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
Up 7 from 92nd to 85th |
Up 2 from 84th to 82nd |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
Down 1 from 82nd to 83rd |
Down 1 from 83rd to 84th |
Down 1 from 85th to 86th |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 119 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 07/31/2026 16:55 | Cheddar | 16 | 100/100 |
| ! | 07/31/2026 15:35 | Olli | 20 | 72/100 |
| ! | 02/11/2025 14:49 | DrewHamster | 314 | 79/100 |
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 5% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.8/100, a mean average of 88.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.0/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.8.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 9 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 14 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 07/31/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5390): By eclab
BestEverAlbums 07/31/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5390): By eclab“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by ) 1. (2006) 2. by (1965) 4. (1970) 5. by (1979) 6. by (1968) 7. by (1967) 8. by (1968) 9. by (1993) 10. by (2015) 11. by (1975) 12. by (1969) 13. by (1972) 14. by (1975) 15. by (2010) 16. by (1973) 17. by (1968) 18. by (2012) 19. by (1966)…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 07/23/2025 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5018): By eclab
BestEverAlbums 07/23/2025 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5018): By eclab“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by eclab () 1. Ys by Joanna Newsom (2006) 2. Doolittle by Pixies (1989) 3. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan (1965) 4. Moondance by Van Morrison (1970) 5. London Calling by The Clash (1979) 6. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles (1968)…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 05/31/2024 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4601): By eclab
BestEverAlbums 05/31/2024 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4601): By eclab“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by eclab () 1. Ys by Joanna Newsom (2006) 2. Doolittle by Pixies (1989) 3. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan (1965) 4. Moondance by Van Morrison (1970) 5. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles (1968) 6. Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen…”
View forum post →Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From
Cheddar 07/31/2026 16:56 | #315496
I love the variety in time period of this list and that you are willing to put recent albums that you love in here since not everyone does that. (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
C0NB9NN 05/31/2024 14:29 | #303791
34 albums in common. Always nice to see Born To Run ranked very high. Very nice chart. (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Moondance 12/23/2022 20:25 | #292167
We have a lot in common and a lot not in common - which is a healthy sign of individual taste. I was somewhat surprised to see that your chart has only 2 Australian artists (both from the 2010's) - when Aussie music has been punching way above its weight since the 1970's! (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
leniad 04/01/2022 19:25 | #283708
just great selections (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
indieshins 03/04/2021 22:34 | #266975
indieshins 03/04/2021 22:34 | #266975
I have mad respect for any chart that includes Joanna, let alone having Ys as the top album. She's an incredible artist who doesn't always get the love I think she deserves.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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