Top 71 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.
- Chart updated: 04/12/2024 07:15
- (Created: 06/08/2017 04:40).
- Chart size: 71 albums.
There are 3 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 71 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 14 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
Buy album 
- #Sponsored
The debut is more consistent perhaps, as this has a few less great tracks, but the highs on this album are skyscraping, and represent a huge maturation of sound for the band. They would never have been able to pull off a song as subtle as Hannah Hunt before, nor make a pop song with as much texture and trademark quirkiness as Diane Young. While some tracks are less great than others, there really isn't a bad track here, affirming this album as a modern masterpiece.
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,092
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
134
Buy album
- #Sponsored
This is insane. Circus music, funk, ska and metal meet in a perverse opus united by the crazed visions of Mike Patton and producer John Zorn. A kind of loose concept album centre. The guitars sound disgusting (in the best way) and the musicianship overall on this album is brilliant. The lyrics are dark, and often funny (though sometimes peurile). It's an album that's hard to describe and just as hard to forget once you've heard it.
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Their most emotional album, to these ears. A concept album telling a life in reverse, the music is soulful, the lyrics poetic. More Black Thought would have been nice, but the other MCs provide great verses as well - Greg Porn's unhinged verse on Stomp is a personal highlight. The themes are highly relevant even several years down the track, further securing this as a late career triumph for the Roots.
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,122
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Another underrated beauty, the finest psych-pop album contemporary to the genre's birth (at least in my opinion). Stunning harmonies, a jazzy harmonic sophistication, catchy melodies. I want This Will Be Our Year played at my wedding. Brilliant!
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,293
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
The first time I listened to this I had the lyrics in front of me, and was blown away by the way Dre and Big Boi rode the beat, and by the stunningly ambitious production within. The lyrics were funny, poignant, political, sometimes all at once. And of course, there is the immortal "Miss Jackson," a soulful, personal ballad that is rightfully one of the groups most well known songs. Simply a masterpiece!
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,054
Rank in 2000:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
I could have picked Ziggy, my other favourite. But the weirdness of the pop side here is irresistible, and the instrumental side is also haunting and beautiful. I love the use of synths here - the razor sharp tones used on Breaking Glass, the watery sheen of the guitars and keys on Sound and Vision. Overall, an experimental pop masterpiece that saw Bowie continue his domination of the '70s.
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,445
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
One of the most unique albums ever made - pure poetry. It still moves me every time I hear it. Jeff Mangum's plaintive voice brings forth his surreal imagery, accompanied by ghostly singing saws, horns, and soft acoustic guitar. Haunting, devastatingly emotional and utterly ageless, it is a transmission from an alternate reality.
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,525
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Kooky pop mixing glam, funk, kraut and synthpop into an intoxicating, darkly seductive album. Kevin Barnes' magnum opus up to this point is the document of his nervous breakdown. The fact that there are so many deliriously fun moments here is a testament to his songwriting abilities. But like the best "fun" music, the lyrics reveal the darker truth. This is a masterpiece, from the more immediate first half to the darker "Georgie Fruit" songs.
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,493
Rank in 2007:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Quite clearly the Beach Boys crowning achievement. Every song is a gem, the arrangements are absolutely stunning, and the whole album drips with an emotion that is at times painful to listen to. While the band would go on to release some other solid albums, they never topped this, although not for lack of trying (see Smile).
[First added to this chart: 06/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
45,110
Rank in 1966:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
This is a really angry album - except that you wouldn't know it for how uplifting it feels. The grooves on this thing are irresistible - Living For The City and Higher Ground in particular hold down a really shaking beat. The ballads are really good too. Certainly the album of his I've enjoyed most so far!
[First added to this chart: 12/03/2023]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,950
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 71. Page 3 of 8
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 71 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 2 | 3% | |
| 1960s | 9 | 13% | |
| 1970s | 14 | 20% | |
| 1980s | 10 | 14% | |
| 1990s | 10 | 14% | |
| 2000s | 16 | 23% | |
| 2010s | 10 | 14% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Beach Boys | 1 | 1% | |
| Frank Sinatra | 1 | 1% | |
| Rush | 1 | 1% | |
| Tame Impala | 1 | 1% | |
| Beastie Boys | 1 | 1% | |
| Beck | 1 | 1% | |
| Kate Bush | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 71 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
Top 71 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
- Top 60 Greatest Music Albums by teacherman (2011)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by hunbug (2016)
- Top 70 Greatest Music Albums by VirtualMuffin (2017)
- Top 31 Greatest Music Albums by 42pt-Futura (2019)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by Epicpenguin13 (2015)
- Top 40 Greatest Music Albums by VeVt (2024)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by archiemf (2024)
- Top 70 Greatest Music Albums by Snowball15963 (2019)
- My Personal Favorite Breakthrough Album from Each Year by henrygreen0203 (2017)
- Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by mattybennettpop (2015)
Top 71 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
Top 71 Greatest Music Albums ratings
89/100 (from 14 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 14 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 80/100  | 03/18/2023 22:49 | Moondance | | 84/100 |
| 95/100 | 03/18/2023 15:12 |  AAL2014 | | 92/100 |
| 100/100 | 09/11/2022 02:06 |  HoldenM | | 95/100 |
| 95/100 | 10/20/2021 22:19 |  Rhyner | | 99/100 |
| 100/100 | 10/20/2021 19:04 | gregthealien | | 87/100 |
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 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.
Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 71 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 1 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 71 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing all 3 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
80/100
From Moondance 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 Johnnyo 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)
100/100
From 
ForegroundNoise 10/24/2017 08:19
ForegroundNoise 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)
Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment
Your feedback for Top 71 Greatest Music Albums
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
If you enjoy our site, please consider supporting us by sparing a few seconds to disable your ad blocker.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.