Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
NowhereMan 
31 years of age.
RECOMMENDATIONS ALWAYS WELCOME.
I will be tidying this up at some point - many of these chart notes were published over a decade ago; I need to refine and amend accordingly. I am also in the process of amending and reviewing ratings of various albums - many ratings have held steadfast from when I first joined this wonderful website in 2009.
ORDER CHANGES REGULARLY.
My top artists: (Bracketed numbers are for own personal reference)
1. The Beatles - an audio best friend; they make the world a lot brighter and optimistic. The absolute pinnacle. The best thing the world has produced. Colossal. (13/13)
---------------------------
2. Electric Light Orchestra (9/11)
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(Interchangeable order)
The Rolling Stones (6/9)
Pink Floyd (5/8)
Led Zeppelin (4/6)
The Smiths (8/8)
Neil Young (17/21)
The Velvet Underground (4/5)
Bob Dylan (16/23)
The Who (7/7)
David Bowie (8/14)
Oasis (10/10)
The Beach Boys (5/11)
Radiohead (7/8)
Simon & Garfunkel (6/6)
The Kinks (5/6)
Bruce Springsteen (8/12)
Arcade Fire (6/8)
The Stone Roses (1/2)
R.E.M (2/9)
Brian Eno (2/5)
The Tallest Man On Earth (2/2)
Tame Impala (4/4)
Fleetwood Mac (4/5)
Paul Simon (14/16)
John Lennon (6/6)
Paul McCartney (17/17)
George Harrison (5/9)
Wings (6/6)
Nick Drake (3/3)
The Flaming Lips (2/5)
Weezer (4/5)
Wilco (2/5)
The National (3/5)
Cream (4/4)
Coldplay (3/4)
Van Morrison (1/3)
Arctic Monkeys (3/5)
The Cure (2/7)
Genesis (1/7)
The War on Drugs (1/3)
The Strokes (1/5)
Belle & Sebastian (2/5)
My ratings on an album can be based on the emotion it evokes within me, the quality of the musicianship, the amount of nostalgia it summons, it's importance in within the wider and more broad pantheon of music. Even something as simple as how many times it gives me goosebumps across the length of an entire listen.
ONE ALBUM PER ARTIST - it is also most certain I have heard a an abundance of other material by each artist only the one I will have chosen is the one that I am digging the most currently and resonates the most to me at this point in my life.
More chart notes to come.
Thanks for viewing.
- Chart updated: 05/20/2025 13:45
- (Created: 10/18/2011 23:28).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 92 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 86 out of 100 (from 120 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1970s. (Remove this filter)
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Prolific as hell. What an artist. Any style he can do it to a monumental standard. For the time this is the current pick. Some of his best melodies and guitar work can be discovered here. I know it seems that every other album is deemed “underrated” on this site, but these collection of songs truly are.
[First added to this chart: 05/20/2025]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
849
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15
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The overlooked seventies effort from Floyd. Ironically, the best. Gilmour's guitar playing is at it's most consistent and mesmerising, whilst the lyrics are open for interpretation. A compelling listen.
This album really did help those countless hours of study and revision I had to endure once upon a time at school. [First added to this chart: 10/18/2011]
This album really did help those countless hours of study and revision I had to endure once upon a time at school. [First added to this chart: 10/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,356
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Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 12/02/2024]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,440
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Buy album
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No hits can be found in this package - but a wonderful synthesis of genres can be. Excellent cuts of Doo-wop, Prog and Jazz-Rock are waiting to be unearthed.
[First added to this chart: 06/08/2023]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,981
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Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 12/09/2020]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,963
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Buy album
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The Stones at their peak. The final 4 tracks on this ensures to me it is one of the greatest second sides of an album ever. Who could of thought that this rough rock outfit could pen and perform such charming, beautiful melodies. Absolutely no filler here. Each individual effort is dripping in substance. I always discover something new everytime I listen to this. It's a class act from a band at their peak.
[First added to this chart: 10/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,590
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Buy album
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My first Gabriel Genesis listen. Heard Invisible Touch and found it a try hard and that it simply didn't offer much. This however, despite taking me a few listens puts on such a good show. Dancing With The Moonlight, especially the opening 2 minutes and 22 seconds, is incredible. The instrumentation, especially the synths across the spectrum here are wonderful and eery. Gabriel's vocals throughout piercing and powerful. A wonderful journey that I can't get enough of at the minute. Undoubtedly British. Furthermore the conclusion to the album is magical with a revisit back to Moonlit Knight. Brilliant acoutics.
[First added to this chart: 08/12/2014]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,714
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Comments:
Buy album
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The funnest album. Absolutely brilliant. I was surprised at how rich in tune and melody a lot of the songs off this album were; note Lost In The Supermarket, Lover's Rock, The Card Cheat and I'm Not Down; which drives relentlessly brilliantly from start to finish. I genuinely think the title track here is one of the weaker examples of the album. One of the most enjoyable things ever; it's infectious.
[First added to this chart: 10/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
32,484
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Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
The most relaxing thing I have ever heard. Fall asleep to this all the time. It's all things natural. It's tranquil, dreamy, timid. Perfect for slowing down the pace of your day and just chilling out. Flows beautifully.
[First added to this chart: 08/13/2014]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,165
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Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Didn't really get this one for a while; I found it pretty mundane and a bit of a bore if I'm honest until it hit me when God Is Love swamped my headphones whilst I was looking out upon a picturesque Atlantic Ocean on holiday. It's an album full of so much affection and love, made all the more poignant by Gaye's untimely death. Another that ought to be higher. Nobody dislikes this album, it's pretty impossible in my mind.
[First added to this chart: 10/18/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,557
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Total albums: 24. Page 1 of 3
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 16 | 16% | |
| 1970s | 24 | 24% | |
| 1980s | 13 | 13% | |
| 1990s | 18 | 18% | |
| 2000s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2010s | 11 | 11% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Electric Prunes | 1 | 1% | |
| Dizzy Gillespie | 1 | 1% | |
| Tracy Chapman | 1 | 1% | |
| The Tallest Man On Earth | 1 | 1% | |
| Primal Scream | 1 | 1% | |
| The Zombies | 1 | 1% | |
| Nick Drake | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
50 | 50% | |
| |
36 | 36% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 50th to 51st Be Here Now by Oasis |
| Down 1 from 51st to 52nd Parachutes by Coldplay |
| Down 1 from 52nd to 53rd 18 Months by Calvin Harris |
| New entries |
|---|
 London 0 Hull 4by The Housemartins |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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| Most listened to Albums by BEA members 2014 - 2024 |  Liedzeit | Custom chart | 2024 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | NowhereMan | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | tim0505 | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| Rearrange Top 100 |  Larcx13 | Custom chart | 2020 |  |
| BEA's Top 100 re-ranked |  EyeKanFly | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| My Ranking of the BEA top 100 |  sszwalbenest | Custom chart | 2021 | |
| Those That Deserve More Recognition : | NowhereMan | Custom chart | 2023 | |
| Going With My Gut: The Overall Chart Top 100 Re-ranked |  CharlieBarley | Custom chart | 2024 | |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
86/100 (from 120 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 120 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 85/100  | 01/25/2025 14:13 | SomethingSpecial | | 85/100 |
| 90/100 | 01/16/2025 18:06 |  seb7 | | 91/100 |
| 100/100 | 12/24/2024 20:36 | Exist-en-ciel | | 99/100 |
| 85/100 | 11/07/2024 11:35 |  pedro1976 | | 85/100 |
| 75/100 | 09/19/2024 12:52 |  LedZep | | 84/100 |
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 has a Bayesian average rating of 86.1/100, a mean average of 84.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.1/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 14.6.
Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 92 comments |
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90/100
From seb7 01/16/2025 18:06
seb7 01/16/2025 18:06
very cool, a lot for me to listen to...
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From pedro1976 11/07/2024 11:35
pedro1976 11/07/2024 11:35
cool chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Moondance 12/07/2022 23:56
I really love this chart - it speaks honesty & passion. I like the one album/artist concept. I like the acknowledgement that each decade brings a worthy share of worthy albums. I enjoyed the comments very much. I really like it that we only have 8 albums in common, but 24 artists in common - including songwriters that rarely make it to a top 100 chart - eg Cat Stevens, Don McLean. Donovan, Dave Gray & Tallest Man On Earth. And I especially love your love of Dylan - your album rankings pretty much match mine, except I would have BOTT at no.1.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
Jbalbinolr 05/02/2021 23:06
Jbalbinolr 05/02/2021 23:06
Pretty balanced list, very good!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Mercury 11/26/2020 21:33
Mercury 11/26/2020 21:33
Coming back to this and it made me smile. Thanks for the shoutout on the Shallow Grave Write up. I notice no grade for The Wild Hunt - but 2 for Shallow Grave. *thinking emoji*
Anyway, I love the love for the Beatles. You are to the Beatles what I am to Bob Dylan. Lol
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From vancevisuals 07/06/2020 21:11
Surprisingly only 6 in common but I did not limit myself to one per
Love the chart nonetheless
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
StefanR10 07/06/2020 13:52
StefanR10 07/06/2020 13:52
A good one. Respect your chart and you have some mostly unkown bands here. Interesting is your number 1 with the beatles. One German band is ok but I like the German bands very much maybe you could include one more. But Nevertheless good chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
BozoTyrannus 05/15/2020 13:42
BozoTyrannus 05/15/2020 13:42
Tremendous selection. I respect any chart that introduces me to something new in the top ten.
And the more love for Eno the better.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Timooosterink 03/09/2020 20:52
Nice chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
salahshoori 01/26/2020 14:08
salahshoori 01/26/2020 14:08
Amazing list. I agree with what others said about compliations though.
BTW I agree that S.F. Sorrow sounds way ahead of its time.
I would recommend you to listen to Depeche Mode's Violator, I think you will find it fascinating.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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