Top 70 Greatest Music Albums by indieshins

UPDATE 2022: Slowly going through the process of updating this chart - I thought I'd do that rather than create an entirely new one. This new chart will hopefully give a more complete picture of my musical tastes and the development of it since I first made this chart. I hope to have a good variety of eras and genres, and a good mix of objective and subjective picks.

I have two sides to my musical identity: first, left-field, experimental, artsy, alternative, cerebral. Second, accessible, catchy, fun, possibly mainstream (though not necessarily). Often, a favourite album will have elements of both. In any case, I intend to represent both sides amply here.

Notes will be added gradually over time.

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Buy album United States
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I tend to tell people this is my favourite album. It's probably Radiohead's most beautiful album (AMSP cuts it close), with the various guitar effects and the influences of dub coming to the fore beautifully. I love the way that many of the songs are based around a recurring motif which is then layered upon, creating a hypnotic, spacious and relaxing atmosphere. Additionally, Thom's vocals are exquisite on this album. They sound very much as if he is in the room with you, confessing his deepest feelings - but in a way that implies he is understanding of your own feelings. An album I can put on at any time and cheer up. Masterful. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
51,470
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Buy album United States
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Often considered Costello's masterpiece, and with good reason. It's an absolute masterclass in writing sophisticated pop from beginning to end. The snake-like groove on opener Beyond Belief accompanies one of the man's best lyrics, rich with metaphor and wordplay. To boot, the song's melody is completely through composed, never quite repeating. Further delights abound - the accordion led "novelette" The Long Honeymoon, the wonderfully eccentric ... And In Every Home, Human Hands (my personal favourite), and the eerie closer "The Town Cryer." This is near perfect from start to finish, and really rewards close listening. A masterpiece of baroque pop. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1982
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Rank Score:
2,238
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Buy album United States
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... Speaking of baroque pop, it doesn't get much better than this. I am absolutely convinced that had this been released in 1967 as intended, history would have turned very differently, with The Beach Boys emerging as the true competitors to The Beatles. To me, it trumps Sgt Pepper's (good as that album is) in nearly every way. The suite like structure of the album, with tracks flowing into one another; the dazzling, kalaidoscopic arrrangements, unlike anything in pop. This is a truly mind-blowing musical experience, even with Brian's voice not being what it was. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,372
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Buy album United States
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Underrated, underrated, underrated. My favourite hip-hop album, period. I don't know why exactly it speaks to me so deeply, but every time I put this album on, I struggle to find fault with it. Gone are the silly punchlines of Gambino's previous efforts, replaced with pointed social commentary on the numbing effects of the internet in the modern world. A silver-spoon concept, sure, but that's Gambino. The screenplay that accompanied the album really added to my experience, explaining the reason the album felt like one of two halfs - the more hard hitting, party ready first half, and the incredibly abstract, moody second half. In any case, it flows beautifully, and is an absolute treat no matter how many times I hear it. In fact, excuse me while I go give it a spin. It's been a while! [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,580
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Buy album United States
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To me, the tightest and best album of the Dan's initial run (though I haven't heard Aja and Gaucho yet). It features many of my favourite Steely Dan songs, including Razor Boy, My Old School and Your Gold Teeth. As usual, the songwriting and playing are fantastic, but I feel it has a bit more of an overt edge than some of their later work, particularly through "Skunk" Baxter's guitar solos. I enjoy every moment on this album. It's wonderful. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1973
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Rank Score:
2,262
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Buy album United States
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The most popular jazz album of all time for a reason. Just absolutely gorgeous. It's so relaxing in it's harmonic simplicity and sense of space, the focus being more on melody and emotion than on technicality. This was one of the core philosophical innovations that Miles was partially responsible for in jazz, along with Coltrane and others, and this is one of the defining examples of it. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,191
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Buy album United States
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Brilliant beats, brilliant rhymes. I remember the first time I heard "Accordion." It was that beat that drew me in - so blisteringly original and hypnotic. Then DOOM's instantly recognizable flow blended so perfectly with the instrumental. I was hooked. It's quite an experimental album, but with time, it reveals itself as being incredibly entertaining and layered, both lyrically and musically. This is another of my favourite hip-hop albums. I can put it on and discover something new each time, or I can simply groove to it in the background. An album for all occasions. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,214
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Buy album United States
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No other album makes me feel like this. It's scarily isolating. It blocks out the world around it in the most blissful way possible, but it can be a bit disturbing for the same reason if you're in the wrong mood. However, in the right mood, there's nothing like it. It's absolutely brilliant, and strangely catchy in a more oblique way than it's still solid, but more uneven follow up. Aussie psych rock at it's best. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,926
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Buy album United States
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Just majestic. Every song is interesting and oddly beautiful, backed by that compelling wreck of a voice and some of the most insane guitar work I've ever heard by the fabulous Marc Ribot. Downtown Train does feel a little out of place as the most conventional sounding song here, but that's part the magic of this album - the normal becomes abnormal because of what surrounds it. Amazing! [First added to this chart: 12/03/2023]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,191
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Buy album United States
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This album is all a blur - all I remember is that I really enjoyed it. It's messy, spontaneous, but most of all catchy. Maybe it's not Deerhoof's best, but it's the one I've gotten into the most so far. I've yet to check out their other albums, but I've heard good things. Anyway, this is here for being a brilliantly original and fun listening experience. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
139
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Total albums: 70. Page 1 of 7

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Top 70 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade Albums %


1930s 0 0%
1940s 0 0%
1950s 2 3%
1960s 9 13%
1970s 13 19%
1980s 10 14%
1990s 10 14%
2000s 16 23%
2010s 10 14%
2020s 0 0%
Artist Albums %


John Zorn 1 1%
Rush 1 1%
Deerhoof 1 1%
The Fiery Furnaces 1 1%
Vampire Weekend 1 1%
Peter Gabriel 1 1%
Prince 1 1%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 45 64%
United Kingdom 16 23%
Australia 4 6%
Mixed Nationality 2 3%
Canada 2 3%
Sweden 1 1%

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Top 70 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
89/100 (from 14 votes)
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03/18/2023 22:49 Moondance  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 45184/100
  
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03/18/2023 15:12 AAL2014  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 16392/100
  
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09/11/2022 02:06 HoldenM  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 47395/100
  
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10/20/2021 22:19 Rhyner  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,38299/100
  
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10/20/2021 19:04 gregthealien  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1387/100

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This chart is rated in the top 4% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.2/100, a mean average of 91.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 91.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.7.

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Top 70 Greatest Music Albums comments

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Rating:  
80/100
From 03/18/2023 22:51
Cool chart - cool comments. Continue to enjoy your adventure through the amazing albums of the past 60+ years. Looking forward to seeing you complete a top 100.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 04/15/2018 06:41
This is a very good chart and I particularly like the time that you have dedicated to explaining why each album qualifies.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 10/24/2017 08:19
Love the unique picks with the comments to justify them, what I look for in a great chart!!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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Best Ever Albums
1. OK Computer by Radiohead
2. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
3. Abbey Road by The Beatles
4. Revolver by The Beatles
5. Kid A by Radiohead
6. In Rainbows by Radiohead
7. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
8. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
9. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
10. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico
11. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
12. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin
13. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles
14. Nevermind by Nirvana
15. Funeral by Arcade Fire
16. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
17. The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths
18. Doolittle by Pixies
19. To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
20. London Calling by The Clash
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