Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by SoundVisions 
My personal favorites out of what I've listened to
Classics 1-26
Great 27-82
Very Good 83-100
- Chart updated: 09/28/2023 21:45
- (Created: 02/24/2017 05:53).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 15 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 38 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Life-changing
This band (particularly Robert Smith) finally get it right, which makes the album even more satisfying to listen to. The musical elements of the album work so well with the lyrical elements. On top of that, the intricate simplicity of the music (Williams' drumming, Smith's guitar) is amazing. Gallup's phenomenal base playing really carries this album and cements his status as one of the best bassists of all time. All in all, this record is atmospheric, groovy, and beautiful.
Best: "Pictures of You", "Lullaby", "Fascination Street" (especially the bassline), the opening riff of "Prayers for Rain"
Rating: 10
"And let's move to the beat, like we know that it's over" [First added to this chart: 09/12/2017]
This band (particularly Robert Smith) finally get it right, which makes the album even more satisfying to listen to. The musical elements of the album work so well with the lyrical elements. On top of that, the intricate simplicity of the music (Williams' drumming, Smith's guitar) is amazing. Gallup's phenomenal base playing really carries this album and cements his status as one of the best bassists of all time. All in all, this record is atmospheric, groovy, and beautiful.
Best: "Pictures of You", "Lullaby", "Fascination Street" (especially the bassline), the opening riff of "Prayers for Rain"
Rating: 10
"And let's move to the beat, like we know that it's over" [First added to this chart: 09/12/2017]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,371
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Life-changing
Nearly perfect in every way, with phenomenal music, lyrics, and production. Very relevant and prescient themes of 21st century life, creating essentially Black Mirror: The Album.
Best tracks: "Let Down", "Lucky", "Karma Police"
Rating: 10
"One day I am gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless" [First added to this chart: 03/23/2017]
Nearly perfect in every way, with phenomenal music, lyrics, and production. Very relevant and prescient themes of 21st century life, creating essentially Black Mirror: The Album.
Best tracks: "Let Down", "Lucky", "Karma Police"
Rating: 10
"One day I am gonna grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless" [First added to this chart: 03/23/2017]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
59,075
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Rank in 1990s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
A beautiful album, everything works very well together.
Best: "Videotape", "Nude", "15 Step"
Rating: 10
"How come I end up where I started? How come I end up where I went wrong? I won't take my eyes off the ball again, First you reel me out and then you cut the string" [First added to this chart: 12/19/2017]
Best: "Videotape", "Nude", "15 Step"
Rating: 10
"How come I end up where I started? How come I end up where I went wrong? I won't take my eyes off the ball again, First you reel me out and then you cut the string" [First added to this chart: 12/19/2017]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
40,210
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This album's existence is incredible. I wish I had more to say about it
Best: "Sir Duke"
Rating: 10 [First added to this chart: 02/25/2022]
Best: "Sir Duke"
Rating: 10 [First added to this chart: 02/25/2022]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,742
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
Best: "Drive", "Nightswimming", "Try Not to Breathe"
Rating: 10
"Hey kids, shake a leg, Maybe you're crazy in the head" [First added to this chart: 10/12/2017]
Rating: 10
"Hey kids, shake a leg, Maybe you're crazy in the head" [First added to this chart: 10/12/2017]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,493
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Comments:
Available from
I think I'll see this album as perfect from now on
Rating: 10 [First added to this chart: 04/15/2019]
Rating: 10 [First added to this chart: 04/15/2019]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,752
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Available from
Life-changing
A truly epic record. Listening to it feels like a journey. It explores the full breadth of human emotion and a wide variety of genres. This album is a testament to Billy Corgan's genius and his ability to build a world out of sound
Best: "Tonight, Tonight", "Zero", "1979"
Rating: 9.5
"you know you're never sure, but you're sure you could be right, if you held yourself up to the light" [First added to this chart: 03/26/2017]
A truly epic record. Listening to it feels like a journey. It explores the full breadth of human emotion and a wide variety of genres. This album is a testament to Billy Corgan's genius and his ability to build a world out of sound
Best: "Tonight, Tonight", "Zero", "1979"
Rating: 9.5
"you know you're never sure, but you're sure you could be right, if you held yourself up to the light" [First added to this chart: 03/26/2017]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,259
Rank in 1995:
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Available from
A remarkable, breath-taking, dreamy masterpiece. The opener is stellar, and the concept of the second half is very interesting. Her voice reminds me of a Disney Princess
Best: "Running up that Hill (A Deal with God)"
Rating: 9.5
[First added to this chart: 04/09/2019]
Best: "Running up that Hill (A Deal with God)"
Rating: 9.5
[First added to this chart: 04/09/2019]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,774
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
Life-changing
Liz Fraser's indecipherable warble is perfect (even more so than Michael Stipe's in REM's early catologue), and the music is so dreamy and colorful.
Best: "Heaven or Las Vegas" (unintelligible yet very melodic vocals, guitar solo), "Cherry-colored Funk", "Pitch the Baby"
Rating: 9.5 [First added to this chart: 07/11/2018]
Liz Fraser's indecipherable warble is perfect (even more so than Michael Stipe's in REM's early catologue), and the music is so dreamy and colorful.
Best: "Heaven or Las Vegas" (unintelligible yet very melodic vocals, guitar solo), "Cherry-colored Funk", "Pitch the Baby"
Rating: 9.5 [First added to this chart: 07/11/2018]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,408
Rank in 1990:
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Comments:
Available from
You could listen to the soundtrack alone and have a pretty good understanding of what the movie is about.
Best: "Love Theme", "Blade Runner Blues"
Rating: 9.5 [First added to this chart: 08/15/2021]
Best: "Love Theme", "Blade Runner Blues"
Rating: 9.5 [First added to this chart: 08/15/2021]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,377
Rank in 1994:
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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 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 4 | 4% | |
| 1970s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1980s | 15 | 15% | |
| 1990s | 40 | 40% | |
| 2000s | 14 | 14% | |
| 2010s | 18 | 18% | |
| 2020s | 1 | 1% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4% | |
| Slowdive | 4 | 4% | |
| Modest Mouse | 3 | 3% | |
| The Cure | 3 | 3% | |
| Bon Iver | 3 | 3% | |
| Björk | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
51 | 51% | |
 |
38 | 38% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
Down 1 from 74th to 75th |
Down 1 from 75th to 76th |
Down 1 from 76th to 77th |
| Leavers |
|---|
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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 38 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 11/06/2023 11:17 | cronadigallina | 53 | 87/100 |
| ! | 11/01/2023 23:43 |  hoyquarlow | 34 | 88/100 |
| ! | 11/01/2023 13:59 |  Goliath | 352 | 86/100 |
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 9% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.0/100, a mean average of 86.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 11.1.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 2 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 4 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 11/01/2023 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4390): By SoundVisions
BestEverAlbums 11/01/2023 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4390): By SoundVisions“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by SoundVisions () 1. Disintegration by The Cure (1989) 2. OK Computer by Radiohead (1997) 3. In Rainbows by Radiohead (2007) 4. Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder (1976) 5. Automatic For The People by R.E.M. (1992) 6. Perfect From Now…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 03/10/2023 09:00 in Chart of the day (#4154): By SoundVisions
BestEverAlbums 03/10/2023 09:00 in Chart of the day (#4154): By SoundVisions“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by SoundVisions () 1. Disintegration by The Cure (1989) 2. OK Computer by Radiohead (1997) 3. In Rainbows by Radiohead (2007) 4. Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder (1976) 5. Automatic For The People by R.E.M. (1992) 6. Perfect From Now…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 06/13/2022 08:00 in Chart of the day (#3884): By SoundVisions
BestEverAlbums 06/13/2022 08:00 in Chart of the day (#3884): By SoundVisions“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by SoundVisions () 1. Disintegration by The Cure (1989) 2. OK Computer by Radiohead (1997) 3. In Rainbows by Radiohead (2007) 4. Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder (1976) 5. Automatic For The People by R.E.M. (1992) 6. Perfect From Now…”
View forum post →Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From
RoundTheBend TOP 100 COMMENTER 04/29/2018 22:18 | #213898
RoundTheBend TOP 100 COMMENTER 04/29/2018 22:18 | #213898
If basic means not full of pretentious cooler than thou/I only listen to this to impress pitchfork/RYM type music, then yeah, this chart is lacking. Thank you for not being pretentious.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 3
From
Brad1770 TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/18/2018 04:42 | #205926
Brad1770 TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/18/2018 04:42 | #205926
Fellow R.E.M fan also, nice to see 7 of their albums on your list. I note there’s no “Fables” within your 7 , of course it’s a matter of opinion but personally I adore this album and have as my number 2 R.E.M album just behind “Life’s Rich Pageant “
Overall I think it’s an excellent list
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2
From
CharlieBarley 10/25/2017 22:01 | #200076
CharlieBarley 10/25/2017 22:01 | #200076
What's not to like? Very good chart, many of my favourites you have put your honest favourite s you're not out to impress anyone. That is commendable. There are quite a few I used to have on my chart like Achtung Baby, Mellon Collie & By The Way. They may edge back in one day. I like the fact that it's not a top 100. You have simply made a list of your favourite albums. And I enjoyed the notes. Regarding the number 1 album Let Down is my favourite Radiohead song. Glad to see it's also one of yours.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
From
RoundTheBend TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/20/2018 18:12 | #206084
RoundTheBend TOP 100 COMMENTER 01/20/2018 18:12 | #206084
My first chart was dominated by R.E.M. too! https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=31041
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 2
From
WillyMac 08/23/2020 13:34 | #257357
Excellent. There are a few albums I don't know so you've given me some listening to do.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
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