Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by cmoshier 
*amended (7/12/20): I decided to go with one album per artist just to make it a little more eclectic. The ranking is pretty loose; beyond like the top 25, it's pretty arbitrary. And I'm gonna keep doing the little write ups for each one.
- Chart updated: 11/13/2024 01:15
- (Created: 08/12/2017 00:40).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 16 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 31 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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[First added to this chart: 10/31/2022]
Year of Release:
2019
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,536
Rank in 2019:
Rank in 2010s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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I can't claim to be the biggest Mats fan, but there's just something about this record that is emotionally resonant with me like nothing else. Oddly enough, it took me a bit to find Let It Be, but the first song I heard of theirs was 'Left Of The Dial' when I was 11 or 12; I don't mean to throw this phrase around because I think a lot of people do, but it truly changed my life. It defined anemoia, before I even knew what that was. It's difficult to describe, but I always go back to this band (and this record specifically) because they just are such singular voice; it evokes something different in me. There's this persistent sense of longing that just never ceases to move me on a visceral level. I learned that music for me is not an intellectual pursuit. This is a band who's arc of maturity and emotional awareness can be clearly tracked; Westerberg just has so much heart, and I think Let It Be in context was by far the band's biggest swing. And for a group of midwestern guys who could've just as easily been written off as drunken frat boys to write a song as progressive and as truly empathetic as 'Androgynous' is incredibly touching to me. It captures the whole experience and all the emotions of the time in your life when you're feeling things the most. And to think that almost 30 years later, a teenaged version of myself can stumble upon a record like this, when he really needed it, speaks volumes about it's universality. The word that keeps popping into my head is 'important'; a very important record found at a very important time.
[First added to this chart: 08/12/2017]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,456
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I have 'shine out in the wild kindness' tattooed on my body. I wish I could've told him what his work meant to me. RIP DCB.
[First added to this chart: 01/30/2018]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,078
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Rank in 1990s:
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The other record that I wouldn't dream of changing anything about. There's myriad articles, interviews, and a great Todd Haynes doc about why The Velvet Underground are the greatest. I'm trying to avoid the cliché, but there really is something new and great to appreciate every time you hear it.
[First added to this chart: 09/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,523
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Average Rating:
Comments:
5. (4) 1
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I wouldn't change a thing on this record, and it's only grown to me in relevance. You see their revival with zoomers, and it makes perfect sense. I have a lot of respect for this band and where they've been, really after reading Meet Me in the Bathroom and understanding how profound the ripple effect was. A true shot heard 'round the world.
[First added to this chart: 06/24/2022]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
28,111
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Southern Gothic written by teenagers that somehow stays perfect. I highly recommend Lance Bangs' documentary if you haven't seen it
[First added to this chart: 09/09/2017]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,072
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 10/31/2022]
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Just a pretty record, the first that made me realize the difference between vinyl and digital music. I'm far from an analog purist, but I always can appreciate when someone's able to create something special with the dimensionality of their music. It's audio warmth; a little bit of sentimentality attached to this one, that never hurts either.
[First added to this chart: 09/09/2017]
Year of Release:
2008
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,067
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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Tough one, because I used to have Double Nickels on the Dime, but this one feels more like the moment where a really great band got it exactly right. It's perfect, distilled Minutemen.
[First added to this chart: 06/24/2022]
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[First added to this chart: 10/31/2022]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,026
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
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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 | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 6 | 6% | |
| 1970s | 22 | 22% | |
| 1980s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1990s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2000s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2010s | 20 | 20% | |
| 2020s | 1 | 1% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Can | 1 | 1% | |
| Scratch Acid | 1 | 1% | |
| The Beatles | 1 | 1% | |
| Miles Davis | 1 | 1% | |
| New Order | 1 | 1% | |
| Palace Brothers | 1 | 1% | |
| The Velvet Underground & Nico | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
70 | 70% | |
 |
17 | 17% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 59 from 60th to 1stPurple Mountains by Purple Mountains |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 1st to 2ndLet It Be by The Replacements |
| Down 1 from 2nd to 3rdAmerican Water by Silver Jews |
| Down 1 from 3rd to 4thThe Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico |
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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 31 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/20/2025 14:51 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,097 | 85/100 |
| ! | 12/24/2024 21:57 | Exist-en-ciel | 153 | 97/100 |
| ! | 07/28/2024 18:49 |  MadhattanJack | 276 | 85/100 |
| ! | 07/21/2023 03:12 |  Tamthebam | 650 | 85/100 |
| ! | 12/14/2022 23:49 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 |
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 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.7/100, a mean average of 92.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.2/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.1.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 16 comments |
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From 
DommeDamian 07/28/2024 08:44 | #304580
DommeDamian 07/28/2024 08:44 | #304580
This rocks, you rock.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Tamthebam 07/21/2023 03:15 | #298249
Tamthebam 07/21/2023 03:15 | #298249
Only 4 albums in common but that is because you employ the one album per artist rule .... I just not brave enough to do that my chart would be decimated if I did that .... but I respect your choices and overall it is a very interesting read
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Moondance 12/14/2022 23:58 | #291981
Great chart - love the one album/artist concept; love the comments and how the albums soundtrack key moments in your life; love your sentimental attachment to albums that are real outliers; love how uniquely this chart reflects who you are (no BEA group think here!). Love how you have canvassed the decades. My only criticism would be it is a bit too US heavy - but hey, you were born in the USA. Oh, loved (but don't agree) on your putting Darkness ahead of Born To Run. Got a real kick out of you putting 'Another Self Portrait' ahead of about 20 other Dylan albums. Finally, would have liked to have seen a few more Australian albums in the top 100. Anyway, certainly one of my favourite BEA user charts for sure!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 12/14/2022 16:23 | #291977
Great unique and persona; chart. Love it
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Larcx13 12/14/2022 15:39 | #291975
Larcx13 12/14/2022 15:39 | #291975
Love Let It Be at number 1 and the Strokes at number 3. One album per artist is tough too. Descriptions also a plus. 100.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Rm12398 11/05/2022 10:05 | #291061
The comments on all your picks give a fantastic insight into why you chose them. Was great to read through. Really nice chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Keatownrodriguez 10/05/2020 02:47 | #259009
Keatownrodriguez 10/05/2020 02:47 | #259009
Man I'd love to see you come comment on all of these albums because the descriptions for the albums you chose to do so on are amazing and got me to listen to some great new records. Amazing chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From DommeDamian 10/04/2020 09:29 | #258984
DommeDamian 10/04/2020 09:29 | #258984
*claps*
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From RioBravo 07/14/2020 16:44 | #255568
Well deserved nod to ZamRock at the end. Many great choices overall. Congrats!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 11/09/2019 20:14 | #244602
ForegroundNoise 11/09/2019 20:14 | #244602
Even though some of it isn't my thing I love love love this chart. Nice mix of stuff and your write-ups add so much personality too. Great stuff!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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