Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by Cosmo 
This chart is a collection of pieces of my musical psyche...I guess I've tried to create a list of the greatest albums *within my own taste*. There are a few compilation albums included, but only if they are coherent samples of non-album songs, like Hatful of Hollow or the Smile Sessions, for example.
I am often drawn to music that I find beautiful and imaginative, not necessarily influential. The heavy emphasis on 2010s records is owed to it being the music of my time, and thus I have been able to live in its landscape and feel its effects more deeply than, say, 1970s music.
Still very much a work-in-progress.
I hope you like it!
- Chart updated: 11/26/2021 18:15
- (Created: 08/21/2017 23:40).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 9 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 29 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1950s. (Remove this filter)
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Favorite Track: "I Get Along Without You Very Well"
[First added to this chart: 01/13/2018]
Year of Release:
1954
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,658
Rank in 1954:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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"When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies?
When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies."
Favorite Tracks: In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning, Deep In A Dream, I Get Along Without You Very Well [First added to this chart: 08/21/2017]
When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies."
Favorite Tracks: In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning, Deep In A Dream, I Get Along Without You Very Well [First added to this chart: 08/21/2017]
Year of Release:
1955
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,608
Rank in 1955:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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Favorite Tracks: Paradise, The Very Thought of You, At Last
[First added to this chart: 09/07/2017]
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Favorite Tracks: Young and Foolish, Peace Piece, What Is There To Say?
[First added to this chart: 09/05/2017]
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Favorite Tracks: Begin The Beguine, Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye, Always True To You In My Fashion
[First added to this chart: 11/18/2021]
Year of Release:
1956
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,144
Rank in 1956:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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"Oh the tricks your mind can play."
Favorite Tracks: "Only the Lonely" [First added to this chart: 09/07/2017]
Favorite Tracks: "Only the Lonely" [First added to this chart: 09/07/2017]
Year of Release:
1958
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,298
Rank in 1958:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
"I'd sacrifice anything, come what might
For the sake of having you near."
Favorite Track: "I've Got You Under My Skin" [First added to this chart: 09/05/2017]
For the sake of having you near."
Favorite Track: "I've Got You Under My Skin" [First added to this chart: 09/05/2017]
Year of Release:
1956
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,867
Rank in 1956:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Favorite Track: "Jeru"
[First added to this chart: 09/07/2017]
Year of Release:
1957
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,488
Rank in 1957:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 8. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1960s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1970s | 10 | 10% | |
| 1980s | 11 | 11% | |
| 1990s | 8 | 8% | |
| 2000s | 10 | 10% | |
| 2010s | 38 | 38% | |
| 2020s | 7 | 7% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Smiths | 5 | 5% | |
| Beach House | 4 | 4% | |
| Tame Impala | 3 | 3% | |
| Slowdive | 3 | 3% | |
| Cocteau Twins | 3 | 3% | |
| Radiohead | 3 | 3% | |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
52 | 52% | |
 |
32 | 32% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 8 from 78th to 70thFrank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely by Frank Sinatra |
| Up 7 from 38th to 31stPang by Caroline Polachek |
| Up 5 from 80th to 75thBlue Day by Slowdive |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 20 from 40th to 60thHouse Of Balloons by The Weeknd |
| Down 18 from 63rd to 81stSaturdays = Youth by M83 |
| Down 8 from 68th to 76thElectric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience |
| New entries |
|---|
| The Beach Boys Today! by The Beach Boys |
| Leavers |
|---|
| London Calling by The Clash |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 84 Music Albums of the 2010s | Cosmo | 2010s decade chart | 2019 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  LukasAntoine00s | Overall chart | 2025 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  quincytejani | Overall chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  Franz-Aussie | Overall chart | 2018 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | benschrier00 | Overall chart | 2019 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | martinjaa | Overall chart | 2025 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | juanr1096 | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | TheNowhereGuy | Overall chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s |  flamingyesdept | 2010s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Most listened to Albums by BEA members 2014 - 2024 |  Liedzeit | Custom chart | 2024 |  |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/24/2025 09:51 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 12/24/2021 20:17 |  sssvnnn | 2,865 | 83/100 |
| ! | 11/26/2021 20:21 |  Larcx13 | 1,145 | 86/100 |
| ! | 09/16/2020 01:01 |  jnfbn | 310 | 96/100 |
| ! | 09/15/2020 23:28 | Lgk21 | 141 | 95/100 |
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 90.0/100, a mean average of 91.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 91.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.1.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 3 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing all 9 comments |
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(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From Larcx13 11/26/2021 20:21 | #276724
Larcx13 11/26/2021 20:21 | #276724
Good list to find some more recent stuff
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Lgk21 09/15/2020 23:30 | #258266
Cool stuff, I like that you have so many 2010s albums.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
EyeKanFly 09/15/2020 17:08 | #258259
EyeKanFly 09/15/2020 17:08 | #258259
Great chart, unafraid to go heavy on great recent albums! Love to see Telstar on here too
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Keatownrodriguez 09/15/2020 14:54 | #258245
Keatownrodriguez 09/15/2020 14:54 | #258245
Thought it was a pretty good list with lots of classic albums... then I saw A Brief Inquiry and was mega impressed!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 09/28/2019 09:01 | #243141
ForegroundNoise 09/28/2019 09:01 | #243141
What a breath of fresh air this chart is!! It's nice to see someone unafraid to put modern picks right up there with the classics, '7' is such a good pick for no.1 (definitely my favourite Beach House album too). As far as I can tell a large part of the governing rule of what sways you is how 'beautiful' an album is, so here's a few picks I think'll be up your street:
Joanna Newsom - Ys
Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
Arthur Russell - World Of Echo
Jim O'Rourke - Eureka
Fishmans - Long Season
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From boppare 05/28/2019 13:16 | #236828
Happy to see Ceres & Calypso so high up :)!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
jdenny2018 06/03/2018 00:19 | #216047
jdenny2018 06/03/2018 00:19 | #216047
Great list!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
LedZep 12/08/2017 00:55 | #202800
LedZep 12/08/2017 00:55 | #202800
Fantastic. Can’t disagree with all the Smiths albums/compilations. Every single of these 6 deserves to be on my chart too, but I have 3 per artist rule. Although the chart is mainly indie, there are several hidden gems and unexpected picks, as well as some classics you can’t disagree with. Great chart all in all.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From stangetzaway 09/09/2017 01:25 | #197615
A great eclectic bunch and some fine jazz picks in there. Keep it up!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of the 1980s | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Smiths | |
| 2. Prince | |
| 3. Pixies | |
| 4. The Cure | |
| 5. Talking Heads | |
| 6. U2 | |
| 7. Metallica | |
| 8. Kate Bush | |
| 9. R.E.M. | |
| 10. The Stone Roses | |
| 11. Sonic Youth | |
| 12. Michael Jackson | |
| 13. Bruce Springsteen | |
| 14. Iron Maiden | |
| 15. Prince And The Revolution | |
| 16. Tom Waits | |
| 17. Joy Division | |
| 18. New Order | |
| 19. Talk Talk | |
| 20. Rush |
