Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by ThuramThugood 
NB. This is still a work in progress
Comments will be added in Lockdown 2027!
Will eventually make this a custom chart and will make it one artist per chart, to reduce the amount of Belle & Sebastian, Radiohead and Nick Cave!
- Chart updated: 40 hours ago
- (Created: 05/15/2017 21:11).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 13 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 29 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Album rating: 95.50
(955/10)
The closest anyone has got to album perfection. Even my least favourite track (Faust Arp) is still a strong effort.
I never expected any band to match OK Computer. It’s only in the past 18 months that my preference for In Rainbows has now usurped their 1997 effort. I’m more likely to reach for In Rainbows. OK Computer remains a wonderful relic. In Rainbows has more of a timeless grace.
1. "15 Step" – 97
2. "Bodysnatchers" – 98
3. "Nude" - 97
4. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" - 99
5. "All I Need" - 93
6. "Faust Arp" - 86
7. "Reckoner" - 100
8. "House of Cards" - 89
9. "Jigsaw Falling into Place” - 98
10. "Videotape" - 98 [First added to this chart: 02/24/2020]
(955/10)
The closest anyone has got to album perfection. Even my least favourite track (Faust Arp) is still a strong effort.
I never expected any band to match OK Computer. It’s only in the past 18 months that my preference for In Rainbows has now usurped their 1997 effort. I’m more likely to reach for In Rainbows. OK Computer remains a wonderful relic. In Rainbows has more of a timeless grace.
1. "15 Step" – 97
2. "Bodysnatchers" – 98
3. "Nude" - 97
4. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" - 99
5. "All I Need" - 93
6. "Faust Arp" - 86
7. "Reckoner" - 100
8. "House of Cards" - 89
9. "Jigsaw Falling into Place” - 98
10. "Videotape" - 98 [First added to this chart: 02/24/2020]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
43,867
Rank in 2007:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Album Rating: 94.00
(846/9)
Released in 1991, it wasn’t until the late 90s when I, as a 16 year old, snuck into pubs and bars with fake ID before stumbling on to the last bus home to be serenaded to sleep by Blue Lines. It used to be my preventative hangover cure and I am still convinced that I’ve never woken up with a sore head after listening to all 45:04 of this brilliance before bedtime.
1. "Safe from Harm” ft. Shara Nelson - 99
2. "One Love" ft. Horace Andy - 91
3. "Blue Lines" - ft. Adrian Thaws (Tricky) - 92
4. "Be Thankful for What You've Got" - 93
5. "Five Man Army” - 97
6. "Unfinished Sympathy" ft. Shara Nelson - 98
7. "Daydreaming" ft. Tricky - 84
8. "Lately" ft. Shara Nelson - 96
9. "Hymn of the Big Wheel" ft. Neneh Cherry & Horace Andy - 94 [First added to this chart: 02/18/2020]
(846/9)
Released in 1991, it wasn’t until the late 90s when I, as a 16 year old, snuck into pubs and bars with fake ID before stumbling on to the last bus home to be serenaded to sleep by Blue Lines. It used to be my preventative hangover cure and I am still convinced that I’ve never woken up with a sore head after listening to all 45:04 of this brilliance before bedtime.
1. "Safe from Harm” ft. Shara Nelson - 99
2. "One Love" ft. Horace Andy - 91
3. "Blue Lines" - ft. Adrian Thaws (Tricky) - 92
4. "Be Thankful for What You've Got" - 93
5. "Five Man Army” - 97
6. "Unfinished Sympathy" ft. Shara Nelson - 98
7. "Daydreaming" ft. Tricky - 84
8. "Lately" ft. Shara Nelson - 96
9. "Hymn of the Big Wheel" ft. Neneh Cherry & Horace Andy - 94 [First added to this chart: 02/18/2020]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,210
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Album Rating: 93.47
(1,402/15)
1. "Debaser" - 94
2. "Tame" - 98
3. "Wave of Mutilation" - 92
4. "I Bleed" - 87
5. "Here Comes Your Man" - 94
6. "Dead" - 85
7. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - 99
8. "Mr. Grieves" - 94
9. "Crackity Jones" - 97
10. "La La Love You" - 90
11. "No. 13 Baby" - 93
12. "There Goes My Gun" - 92
13. "Hey" - 100
14. "Silver" - 87
15. "Gouge Away" - 100 [First added to this chart: 04/15/2020]
(1,402/15)
1. "Debaser" - 94
2. "Tame" - 98
3. "Wave of Mutilation" - 92
4. "I Bleed" - 87
5. "Here Comes Your Man" - 94
6. "Dead" - 85
7. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - 99
8. "Mr. Grieves" - 94
9. "Crackity Jones" - 97
10. "La La Love You" - 90
11. "No. 13 Baby" - 93
12. "There Goes My Gun" - 92
13. "Hey" - 100
14. "Silver" - 87
15. "Gouge Away" - 100 [First added to this chart: 04/15/2020]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
31,534
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Album Rating: 93.10
(931/10)
Yes, this 1969 album is intentionally a more commercial sound than the brilliant, Nico assisted, 1967 effort. Yes, as a body of art it is inferior. Yes, it’s not technically as good. But, as much I love Velvet Underground & Nico, I prefer the highs of this 1969 album and there are no lows.
1. "Candy Says" Yule - 93
2. "What Goes On" Reed - 95
3. "Some Kinda Love" Reed - 81
4. "Pale Blue Eyes" Reed - 99
5. "Jesus" Reed with Yule - 90
6. "Beginning to See the Light" Reed - 100
7. "I'm Set Free" Reed - 99
8. "That's the Story of My Life" Reed - 87
9. "The Murder Mystery" Reed, Morrison, Yule, and Tucker - 92
10. "After Hours" Tucker - 95 [First added to this chart: 10/22/2020]
(931/10)
Yes, this 1969 album is intentionally a more commercial sound than the brilliant, Nico assisted, 1967 effort. Yes, as a body of art it is inferior. Yes, it’s not technically as good. But, as much I love Velvet Underground & Nico, I prefer the highs of this 1969 album and there are no lows.
1. "Candy Says" Yule - 93
2. "What Goes On" Reed - 95
3. "Some Kinda Love" Reed - 81
4. "Pale Blue Eyes" Reed - 99
5. "Jesus" Reed with Yule - 90
6. "Beginning to See the Light" Reed - 100
7. "I'm Set Free" Reed - 99
8. "That's the Story of My Life" Reed - 87
9. "The Murder Mystery" Reed, Morrison, Yule, and Tucker - 92
10. "After Hours" Tucker - 95 [First added to this chart: 10/22/2020]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,525
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Album Rating: 92.67
(556/6)
1.Monologue: Ike's Rap. 98
2.Our Day Will Come. 92
3.The Look Of Love. 92
4.Medley: Monologue/Ike's Mood I. 100
5.You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. 96
6.Runnin' Out Of Fools. 78 [First added to this chart: 05/20/2020]
(556/6)
1.Monologue: Ike's Rap. 98
2.Our Day Will Come. 92
3.The Look Of Love. 92
4.Medley: Monologue/Ike's Mood I. 100
5.You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. 96
6.Runnin' Out Of Fools. 78 [First added to this chart: 05/20/2020]
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Album Rating: 92.36
(1,016/11)
1. "I Wanna Be Adored" 4:52 - 96
2. "She Bangs the Drums" 3:42 - 98
3. "Waterfall" 4:37 - 98
4. "Don't Stop" 5:17 - 74
5. "Bye Bye Badman" 4:04 - 91
6. "Elizabeth My Dear" 0:53 - 87
7. "(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister" 3:25 - 90
8. "Made of Stone" 4:10 - 100
9. "Shoot You Down" 4:10 - 85
10. "This Is the One" 4:58 - 98
11. "I Am the Resurrection" 8:12 - 99 [First added to this chart: 04/18/2020]
(1,016/11)
1. "I Wanna Be Adored" 4:52 - 96
2. "She Bangs the Drums" 3:42 - 98
3. "Waterfall" 4:37 - 98
4. "Don't Stop" 5:17 - 74
5. "Bye Bye Badman" 4:04 - 91
6. "Elizabeth My Dear" 0:53 - 87
7. "(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister" 3:25 - 90
8. "Made of Stone" 4:10 - 100
9. "Shoot You Down" 4:10 - 85
10. "This Is the One" 4:58 - 98
11. "I Am the Resurrection" 8:12 - 99 [First added to this chart: 04/18/2020]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,044
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 05/05/2020]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,806
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 04/16/2020]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,748
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Album Rating: 91.73
(1,009/11)
1. "Death with Dignity" - 94
2. "Should Have Known Better" - 98
3. "All of Me Wants All of You" - 97
4. "Drawn to the Blood" - 93
5. "Eugene" - 85
6. "Fourth of July" - 100
7. "The Only Thing" - 92
8. "Carrie & Lowell" - 85
9. "John My Beloved" - 88
10. "No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross" - 86
11. "Blue Bucket of Gold" - 91 [First added to this chart: 04/23/2020]
(1,009/11)
1. "Death with Dignity" - 94
2. "Should Have Known Better" - 98
3. "All of Me Wants All of You" - 97
4. "Drawn to the Blood" - 93
5. "Eugene" - 85
6. "Fourth of July" - 100
7. "The Only Thing" - 92
8. "Carrie & Lowell" - 85
9. "John My Beloved" - 88
10. "No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross" - 86
11. "Blue Bucket of Gold" - 91 [First added to this chart: 04/23/2020]
Year of Release:
2015
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,242
Rank in 2015:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Album Rating: 91.73
(1,009/11)
1.I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. 92
2.Kamera. 90
3.Radio Cure. 100
4.War On War. 79
5.Jesus, Etc. 96
6.Ashes Of American Flags. 94
7.Heavy Metal Drummer. 95
8.I'm The Man Who Loves You. 93
9.Pot Kettle Black. 87
10.Poor Places. 98
11.Reservations. 84 [First added to this chart: 04/15/2020]
(1,009/11)
1.I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. 92
2.Kamera. 90
3.Radio Cure. 100
4.War On War. 79
5.Jesus, Etc. 96
6.Ashes Of American Flags. 94
7.Heavy Metal Drummer. 95
8.I'm The Man Who Loves You. 93
9.Pot Kettle Black. 87
10.Poor Places. 98
11.Reservations. 84 [First added to this chart: 04/15/2020]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,155
Rank in 2002:
Rank in 2000s:
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 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 7 | 7% | |
| 1970s | 12 | 12% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1990s | 32 | 32% | |
| 2000s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2010s | 12 | 12% | |
| 2020s | 8 | 8% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Belle And Sebastian | 6 | 6% | |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 5% | |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| Isaac Hayes | 3 | 3% | |
| The National | 3 | 3% | |
| Pixies | 2 | 2% | |
| Cocteau Twins | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
42 | 42% | |
 |
40 | 40% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 20 from 47th to 27th Dear Catastrophe Waitress by Belle And Sebastian |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 27th to 28th Nino And Radiah by Nino Ferrer |
| Down 1 from 28th to 29th Expensive Shit by Fela Kuti & Africa 70 |
| Down 1 from 29th to 30th Nevermind by Nirvana |
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| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | KILLALLHIPPIES | Overall chart | 2014 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  meruizh | Overall chart | 2018 |  |
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| BEA's Top 100 re-ranked |  EyeKanFly | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| My Ranking of the BEA top 100 |  sszwalbenest | Custom chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | chriskarman | Overall chart | 2021 |  |
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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 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 29 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 11/08/2025 09:55 |  MadhattanJack | 260 | 85/100 |
| ! | 10/21/2025 20:30 |  pedro1976 | 107 | 85/100 |
| ! | 09/11/2025 23:11 | cronadigallina | 51 | 87/100 |
| ! | 06/24/2025 16:21 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 02/14/2025 14:05 | DrewHamster | 317 | 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 6% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.4/100, a mean average of 89.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.0.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 1 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 13 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From Johnnyo 04/30/2025 07:54 | #308767
Just my opinion, for what it’s worth, but I’d encourage you not to make this a custom chart. It’s one of the best overall charts on the site and having, for example, 5 albums by nick and the band in your chart just reflects how great they have been over a long career.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From DrewHamster 11/04/2024 19:21 | #305884
How do you rate songs on a scale of one hundred? Like what are your criteria?
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From 
AlvaroIesus 05/20/2024 04:19 | #303621
AlvaroIesus 05/20/2024 04:19 | #303621
Rating every single song in comments as a review is annoying, bro.
Bot type sh*t.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (4 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
From StreakyNuno 05/15/2024 18:56 | #303548
Can you stop putting your rating song after song on every album you get to impose your opinion? Limit yourself to a qualitative opinion.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (4 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From 
LedZep 02/28/2024 10:52 | #302273
LedZep 02/28/2024 10:52 | #302273
Great to see a fellow Nick Cave fan
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 12/28/2023 10:32 | #300715
Absolutely adore this chart. Just a suggestion but I think that you should leave the chart as it is rather than one entry per artist. If this is your top 100 albums ever, I'd keep it at that.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From meltchett 06/23/2023 08:24 | #297740
Great Chart. Love the forensic level of rating.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From StreakyNuno 02/14/2023 22:47 | #294025
Pink Floyd????
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -2 votes (1 helpful | 3 unhelpful)
From EyeKanFly 01/22/2021 17:21 | #264861
EyeKanFly 01/22/2021 17:21 | #264861
Great chart, maybe leans a little too heavily into certain artists but hey, that's cool. They're certainly artists that I love, particularly B&S.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ExTeaSea 01/12/2021 02:31 | #264224
ExTeaSea 01/12/2021 02:31 | #264224
I apparently need to fully get into and appreciate Belle and Sebastian. Good chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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