Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
Brad1770 
Wow I’ve really been neglecting this list, its way out of kilter
2023 note to self - Fix This Chart
- Chart updated: 03/27/2023 02:15
- (Created: 08/25/2017 08:30).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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Released: March 1988
32:50
Producer: Steve Albini
Recorded: November 1987 at Downtown Recorders , South End Boston and December 1987 at Q Division, Somerville, Massachusetts
Fact 1: The album was made for the total sum of $9,000
Fact 2: Steve Albini would insist that Kim Deals backing vocals for "Where Is My Mind" and lead vocals for "Gigantic" be recorded in a bathroom to achieve a real echo effect [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
32:50
Producer: Steve Albini
Recorded: November 1987 at Downtown Recorders , South End Boston and December 1987 at Q Division, Somerville, Massachusetts
Fact 1: The album was made for the total sum of $9,000
Fact 2: Steve Albini would insist that Kim Deals backing vocals for "Where Is My Mind" and lead vocals for "Gigantic" be recorded in a bathroom to achieve a real echo effect [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,535
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
112
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Released: July 1986
38:23
Producer: Don Gehman
Recorded: April to May 1986 at Belmont Mall Studios , Belmont Indiana
Fact 1:The source for the title of the album according to Peter Buck is from the 1964 film "A Shot in the Dark " . Inspector Clouseau opens car door and falls into a fountain , Maria: "You should get out of these clothes immediately. You'll catch your death of pneumonia, you will " , Clouseau: "Yes, I probably will. But it's all part of LIFES RICH PAGENT , you know?".
Fact 2: Lifes Rich Pageants track listing omits 2 songs ( Superman and Underneath The Bunker) and promises a different running order to what actually appears on the final record [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
38:23
Producer: Don Gehman
Recorded: April to May 1986 at Belmont Mall Studios , Belmont Indiana
Fact 1:The source for the title of the album according to Peter Buck is from the 1964 film "A Shot in the Dark " . Inspector Clouseau opens car door and falls into a fountain , Maria: "You should get out of these clothes immediately. You'll catch your death of pneumonia, you will " , Clouseau: "Yes, I probably will. But it's all part of LIFES RICH PAGENT , you know?".
Fact 2: Lifes Rich Pageants track listing omits 2 songs ( Superman and Underneath The Bunker) and promises a different running order to what actually appears on the final record [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,499
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Released: June 1985
39:44
Producer: Joe Boyd
Recorded: February to March 1985 at Livingston Studios London
Fact 1: Stipe revealed to Melody Maker that he had been listening to a lot of Appalachian folk music prior to the recording of Fables and had become fascinated by the oral tradition of local legends being passed down the generations
Fact 2: 'Green Grow The Rushes ' was stemmed from a pact Stipe and Natalie Merchant made to write songs about the genocide of American Indians [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
39:44
Producer: Joe Boyd
Recorded: February to March 1985 at Livingston Studios London
Fact 1: Stipe revealed to Melody Maker that he had been listening to a lot of Appalachian folk music prior to the recording of Fables and had become fascinated by the oral tradition of local legends being passed down the generations
Fact 2: 'Green Grow The Rushes ' was stemmed from a pact Stipe and Natalie Merchant made to write songs about the genocide of American Indians [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,597
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Released: September 1987
39:51
Producer: Scott Litt and R.E.M
Recorded: March 30 to May 2nd at Sound Emporium Nashville Tennessee
Fact 1:Rejected suggestions for the album title include 'R.E.M No.5 ' , 'Table of Content' , 'Mr Evil Breakfast' , 'Skin Up ' and 'Last Train to Disneyland'.
Fact 2: "It's the End of the World (and I Feel Fine) is either my favorite song on the record or my least favorite , I'm still deciding " Peter Buck to Rolling Stone 27/08/1987 [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
39:51
Producer: Scott Litt and R.E.M
Recorded: March 30 to May 2nd at Sound Emporium Nashville Tennessee
Fact 1:Rejected suggestions for the album title include 'R.E.M No.5 ' , 'Table of Content' , 'Mr Evil Breakfast' , 'Skin Up ' and 'Last Train to Disneyland'.
Fact 2: "It's the End of the World (and I Feel Fine) is either my favorite song on the record or my least favorite , I'm still deciding " Peter Buck to Rolling Stone 27/08/1987 [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,776
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Released: February 1998
39:55
Producer: Robert Schneider
Recorded: July-September 1997 at Pet Sounds Studio Denver Colorado
Fact 1: On February 13 1998 Rolling Stones Ben Ratliff gave 'In The Aeroplane Over The Sea' an underwhelming 3.0 stars out of 5 stating " For those not completely sold on its folk charm , Aeroplane is thin-blooded , woolgathering stuff ".
Fact 2: In 2011 Rolling Stone recast the record with a near-perfect four and a half stars and surmising " As a whole, Aeroplane is a fragile , creaky, dignified, and ballsy record , one that would spawn its own passionate cult" . [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
39:55
Producer: Robert Schneider
Recorded: July-September 1997 at Pet Sounds Studio Denver Colorado
Fact 1: On February 13 1998 Rolling Stones Ben Ratliff gave 'In The Aeroplane Over The Sea' an underwhelming 3.0 stars out of 5 stating " For those not completely sold on its folk charm , Aeroplane is thin-blooded , woolgathering stuff ".
Fact 2: In 2011 Rolling Stone recast the record with a near-perfect four and a half stars and surmising " As a whole, Aeroplane is a fragile , creaky, dignified, and ballsy record , one that would spawn its own passionate cult" . [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
39,447
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Released: June 2013
58:59
Producer: Jack Shirley and Defheaven
Recorded: January 2013 at Atomic Garden Studios , East Palo Alto California
Fact 1:George Clarke named the album "Sunbather" because "that's the feeling it gives me , it is the sadness and the frustration and the anger that comes with striving for perfection , dreaming of warmth and love despite the pain of idealism " .
Fact 2:The pink and orange colors on the album cover are meant to resemble the color seen on the inside of one's eyelids when lying in the sun . [First added to this chart: 08/28/2017]
58:59
Producer: Jack Shirley and Defheaven
Recorded: January 2013 at Atomic Garden Studios , East Palo Alto California
Fact 1:George Clarke named the album "Sunbather" because "that's the feeling it gives me , it is the sadness and the frustration and the anger that comes with striving for perfection , dreaming of warmth and love despite the pain of idealism " .
Fact 2:The pink and orange colors on the album cover are meant to resemble the color seen on the inside of one's eyelids when lying in the sun . [First added to this chart: 08/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,700
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Released: September 1987
20:28
Producer: Garry Smith
Recorded: March 1987 at Fort Apache Studios, Massachusetts
Fact 1: The title Come On Pilgrim has a religious tie. Frank Black took the “Levitate Me” lyrics 'Come on, pilgrim / You know He loves you' from Christian musician Larry Norman, who was his idol as a teenager. It was later suggested the line become the name of the release and the band agreed
Fact 2: In fact here are four songs with overt religious references or language in "Caribou", "Nimrod's Son", "The Holiday Song" and "Levitate Me" [First added to this chart: 12/23/2017]
20:28
Producer: Garry Smith
Recorded: March 1987 at Fort Apache Studios, Massachusetts
Fact 1: The title Come On Pilgrim has a religious tie. Frank Black took the “Levitate Me” lyrics 'Come on, pilgrim / You know He loves you' from Christian musician Larry Norman, who was his idol as a teenager. It was later suggested the line become the name of the release and the band agreed
Fact 2: In fact here are four songs with overt religious references or language in "Caribou", "Nimrod's Son", "The Holiday Song" and "Levitate Me" [First added to this chart: 12/23/2017]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,102
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Released: August 1994
51:43
Producers: Jeff Buckley and Andy Wallace
Recorded: 1993 to 1994 at Bearsville Recording Studio Woodstock New York
Fact 1: Grace includes 7 original Jeff Buckley compositions , 1 cover performed with his band and 2 covers performed solo ("Lilac Wine" written by
James Shelton 1950 , "Hallelujah" written by Leonard Cohen 1984 and " Corpus Christi Carol" an Early Modern English hymn from around 1504 however Jeff Buckley's version was based on a version by opera singer Janet Baker (Buckley is quoted as thus:"The Carol is a fairy-tail about a falcon who takes the beloved of a singer to an orchard , the singer goes looking for her and arrives at a chamber where his beloved lies next to a bleeding knight and a tomb with Christs body in it " )
Fact 2: The lyrics to the track "Grace" were written after Buckley said goodbye to his girlfriend at an airport one rainy day [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
51:43
Producers: Jeff Buckley and Andy Wallace
Recorded: 1993 to 1994 at Bearsville Recording Studio Woodstock New York
Fact 1: Grace includes 7 original Jeff Buckley compositions , 1 cover performed with his band and 2 covers performed solo ("Lilac Wine" written by
James Shelton 1950 , "Hallelujah" written by Leonard Cohen 1984 and " Corpus Christi Carol" an Early Modern English hymn from around 1504 however Jeff Buckley's version was based on a version by opera singer Janet Baker (Buckley is quoted as thus:"The Carol is a fairy-tail about a falcon who takes the beloved of a singer to an orchard , the singer goes looking for her and arrives at a chamber where his beloved lies next to a bleeding knight and a tomb with Christs body in it " )
Fact 2: The lyrics to the track "Grace" were written after Buckley said goodbye to his girlfriend at an airport one rainy day [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,229
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Released: May 2013
55:06
Producers: Aaron Dessner , Bryce Dessner and Marcus Paquin
Recorded: September 2012 – February 2013 at at Clubhouse Recording Studios Rineback , New York and Dreamland Recording Studios West Hurley, New York
Fact 1: Matt Berninger discussing the track "Don't Swallow the Cap" - 'One person thought it was "Don't Swallow the Cat," and they thought it was an Alice in Wonderland reference. Some people thought it was a druggy reference. And some people have interpreted it as "don't swallow the cap on a mushroom," like LSD. I honestly don't know. It just sounded good'
Fact 2: The final track "Hard to Find," which has the line "You can all just kiss off into the air " which is a direct Violent Femmes reference - 'Yeah. I just stole that , I do that a lot, where I'll sing other people's lyrics while I'm trying to figure out melodies' (Matt Berninger 2013) [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
55:06
Producers: Aaron Dessner , Bryce Dessner and Marcus Paquin
Recorded: September 2012 – February 2013 at at Clubhouse Recording Studios Rineback , New York and Dreamland Recording Studios West Hurley, New York
Fact 1: Matt Berninger discussing the track "Don't Swallow the Cap" - 'One person thought it was "Don't Swallow the Cat," and they thought it was an Alice in Wonderland reference. Some people thought it was a druggy reference. And some people have interpreted it as "don't swallow the cap on a mushroom," like LSD. I honestly don't know. It just sounded good'
Fact 2: The final track "Hard to Find," which has the line "You can all just kiss off into the air " which is a direct Violent Femmes reference - 'Yeah. I just stole that , I do that a lot, where I'll sing other people's lyrics while I'm trying to figure out melodies' (Matt Berninger 2013) [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,058
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Released:
Producer:
Recorded:
Fact 1:
Fact 2: [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Producer:
Recorded:
Fact 1:
Fact 2: [First added to this chart: 08/25/2017]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,808
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 52. Page 1 of 6
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 4 | 4% | |
| 1970s | 9 | 9% | |
| 1980s | 36 | 36% | |
| 1990s | 31 | 31% | |
| 2000s | 8 | 8% | |
| 2010s | 12 | 12% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Pixies | 3 | 3% | |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 3% | |
| The Cure | 3 | 3% | |
| Weezer | 2 | 2% | |
| Sonic Youth | 2 | 2% | |
| The Breeders | 2 | 2% | |
| The Smiths | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 2 from 44th to 42nd If I Should Fall From Grace With God by The Pogues |
| Up 1 from 89th to 88th Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs |
| Up 1 from 88th to 87th Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 28 from 22nd to 50th The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico |
| Down 28 from 63rd to 91st The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple |
| Down 1 from 91st to 92nd Born Sandy Devotional by The Triffids |
| New entries |
|---|
 When The Pawn...by Fiona Apple |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Primary Coloursby The Horrors (UK) |
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