Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
quizking 
Christmas edit, now mostly sorted - big time, first proper overhaul since 2017 perhaps. more 21st century, less 70's. Waiting for the stats at bottom of the page to update to reflect this, not sure how often an update happens, monthly?
- Chart updated: 12/26/2022 11:45
- (Created: 10/14/2011 21:53).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 25 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 34 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Very, very surprised that gerry rafferty doesn't appear in more charts here. Personal reason for preferring this (only slightly) to the possibly better known "city to city" is that i bought night owl first time around, and only got city to city later. Reminds me to search out "snakes and ladders" which is sitting in a box of vinyl in an attic somewhere.
[First added to this chart: 10/14/2011]
1
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Thanks to ffudnebbuh for pointing out that we're the only BEA members with both this and the pixies "doolittle" in our top 100s (or at least were). Ronstadt is my favourite female vocalist - and the best interpreter of other people's songs ever. And she has had such a long and varied career, there are some albums by her that I still need to track down.
[First added to this chart: 10/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
297
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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I've been compiling lists of favourite albums for over forty years, 23rd is the highest placing yet for "countdown" - and it still gets played at quizking mansions more than most others on this chart.
[First added to this chart: 10/15/2011]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,251
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Several who albums are in or close to my charts, but no rolling stones; I maintain that who albums have coherence, and stones albums just have stand out tracks. Personal opinion - hey that's what these charts are for. [top 100 track - won't get fooled again]
[First added to this chart: 10/14/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
24,144
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Hurrah; in my line of work (am a quizmaster, presenter, m.c. amongst other stuff) I get to play background music at functions and in bars; you might be surprised at how popular this album is, a) with those old enough to va?guely remember it first time around, and b) with the youngsters who also like fleet foxes (me too, see elsewhere on this chart) and mumford & sons (who i just don't get at all). Also of course popular with (relative)oldsters such as myself.
[First added to this chart: 10/14/2011]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,676
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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An extraordinary album, 20 tracks squeezed on to one piece of vinyl, no filler. Also one of the first ever gigs I went to.
[First added to this chart: 10/14/2011]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,025
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
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Comments:
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I love your songs, Father John Misty. (Well, these songs anyway - some of his early solo stuff is grim).
[First added to this chart: 02/19/2016]
Year of Release:
2015
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,181
Rank in 2015:
Rank in 2010s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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Ah, I was there first time around, and remember a great gig at the brixton academy in 1990. I think they played the exact same set list the following evening, but in reverse alphabetical order. [top 100 track - here comes your man]
? [First added to this chart: 10/14/2011]
? [First added to this chart: 10/14/2011]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
37,450
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
After first "getting" tom waits back in the '80's, this just wasn't on my radar as what he was about. And indeed, mr. waits is on record as not liking his own early material - still, we have both changed, and now it's to my liking if not his, and switches with "one from the heart" every now and then as my favourite of his. [top 100 track - martha]
[First added to this chart: 10/14/2011]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,475
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 12/24/2022]
Total albums: 100. Page 3 of 10
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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 | 34 | 34% | |
| 1980s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1990s | 8 | 8% | |
| 2000s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2010s | 11 | 11% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Steely Dan | 4 | 4% | |
| The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| Leonard Cohen | 3 | 3% | |
| David Bowie | 3 | 3% | |
| Gerry Rafferty | 2 | 2% | |
| k.d. lang | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
87/100 (from 34 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 34 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100/100  | 04/16/2023 19:08 |  melisandre | | 88/100 |
 85/100 | 04/27/2020 17:04 | WillyMac | | 86/100 |
| 95/100 | 01/24/2017 21:56 | Seab | | 93/100 |
| 95/100 | 06/23/2016 03:48 |  sageamagoo | | 92/100 |
| 90/100 | 04/10/2016 02:01 |  jwammo12 | | 89/100 |
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 18% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 87.2/100, a mean average of 88.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.0.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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85/100
From WillyMac 04/27/2020 17:10
Very good chart. The only criticism I have is it's a little heavy on the 70s. But there's a good variety of artists, only a handful of whom I question. Most are excellent musicians. Considering the strange hate that many members are giving to the very best album of Leonard Cohen covers that exists, your ranking of Jennifer Warnes at #3 is not only surprising but courageous - love it.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From sageamagoo 06/23/2016 03:48
sageamagoo 06/23/2016 03:48
Great list, love the personal comments
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
buzzdainer 03/27/2016 19:00
buzzdainer 03/27/2016 19:00
Happy to see Closing Time and Doolittle getting well-deserved love. Great chart, and I enjoy your comments!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From 
poppmusic 03/20/2015 14:45
poppmusic 03/20/2015 14:45
Would've liked this chart better if you weren't always putting down good (if popular) tracks! I think that since I'm a rock fan who didn't grow up during that 60s/70s/80s I don't have to deal as much with "overplayed" syndrome.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From edubs 03/20/2015 13:57
Great work here - the notes are very fun to read.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From manurock 03/20/2015 09:58
Despite having a different musical taste (though not so different as you also like albums that "hold together" as one and we share 18 artists) and being from different generations, I really enjoyed reading your chart and I love to see so many '70's albums, some I have never heard of, others I find key classics.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
Oselju 03/20/2015 08:15
Oselju 03/20/2015 08:15
Very good chart.
Donald Fagen as first and a lot of excellent choices.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From ThisisaCall 07/19/2014 06:42
Great notes and list!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From joathome 02/18/2014 17:10
Very good chart by a 70's music fan !
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From edubs 10/23/2013 14:17
though 70s-centric, it still manages to be eclectic and interesting. enjoyed the notes!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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