Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by Jaymantheman 
Enjoy! I started out as
a huge Genesis/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel fan in the 1980's, and the prog rock was easing me out of listening to metal bands such as Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Helix, Quiet Riot, etc. The poppy Police, Crowded House and Alt Rock followed and having a soft spot for female vocal, especially Kate Bush, with the help of music videos (Cloudbusting... anyone?)
By the late 80's, I was liking the darker stuff. Industrial, goth and anything electronic and new. I NEEDED new! I liked hearing new artists and any music pushing boundaries. But, at the same time, I was also getting into jazz classics. I am talking about NIN, PWEI, Bjork (and The Sugarcubes) along with John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Dave Brubeck. I was a little late getting into The Cure, Depeche Mode and Joy Division but I didn't want to be late getting into the next "scene". I was loving the shoegaze sound, then along came grunge that kinda killed shoegaze (which I still love today!).
Don't get me wrong... Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden were all great and I spent big $$ on all the Cd's and concerts, but my fav's were still Swervedriver, Catherine Wheel and Ride, Curve.
I was not one to ever get into The Beatles or Stones or early 60's/70's rock. I like some, tried some, and I know these are the starting points of what music is today. In and out of Bob Dylan, and got into his albums more in 2000's. I rarely listen to those old Genesis albums, and can't believe today I loved Phil Collins so much, no I cannot believe it's true. I remember though, those records I played so much that the songs are still special, those deep album cuts that never got the airplay still hold special parts in my heart and memory.
Oh well, like the Stranger in The Big Lebowski, I'm rambling. And I didn't get to say anything about Wilco, The National or the so-called shoegaze comeback (what... again?) which will fade as fast as it...oh, there it goes.
- Chart updated: 12/25/2025 10:45
- (Created: 09/10/2017 21:01).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 12 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 85 out of 100 (from 8 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
26,299
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
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Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,107
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,137
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Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
63,449
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Rank in 1990s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,586
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Rank in 1960s:
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Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,946
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Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,016
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,791
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
28,827
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,125
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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 | 2 | 2% | |
| 1960s | 4 | 4% | |
| 1970s | 6 | 6% | |
| 1980s | 21 | 21% | |
| 1990s | 33 | 33% | |
| 2000s | 20 | 20% | |
| 2010s | 8 | 8% | |
| 2020s | 6 | 6% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Wilco | 4 | 4% | |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| Nine Inch Nails | 3 | 3% | |
| The Cure | 3 | 3% | |
| The National | 3 | 3% | |
| Ride | 2 | 2% | |
| Nirvana | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
50 | 50% | |
 |
34 | 34% | |
| |
5 | 5% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 5 from 80th to 75thLoveless by My Bloody Valentine |
| Up 5 from 69th to 64thHeartbeat City by The Cars |
| Up 3 from 100th to 97thBoxer by The National |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 30 from 68th to 98thLesser Matters by The Radio Dept. |
| Down 19 from 75th to 94thThe Greatest by Cat Power |
| Down 4 from 57th to 61stBeing There by Wilco |
| New entries |
|---|
| Songs Of A Lost World by The Cure |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | TheNowhereGuy | Overall chart | 2020 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s |  covecove | 1990s decade chart | 2022 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | alert23 | Overall chart | 2025 |  |
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| If The BEA Overall Chart Had A One Album Per Artist Rule... |  Romanelli | Custom chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | rnanderson8 | Overall chart | 2019 | |
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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.
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 8 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 01/25/2025 14:11 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,098 | 85/100 |
| ! | 10/13/2019 05:48 | pctrooper | 332 | 88/100 |
| ! | 07/06/2018 09:03 | Juneof44 | 54 | 83/100 |
| ! | 05/28/2018 10:32 |  Graeme2 | 213 | 94/100 |
| ! | 04/29/2018 21:43 | PeterSmith | 68 | 82/100 |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From pctrooper 10/13/2019 05:52 | #243689
Duke is your favorite Genesis album? Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's definitely in my bottom 5. I think I remember hearing it was one of Tony Banks's favorite albums too. It just seems sort of half-baked and ambiguous in its overall sound and concept, like there's good stuff there, but something is kinda missing and I can't get into it all the way. "Duchess" is an amazing song, though. Overall, I feel like I enjoy most of the albums on this chart, but not many that I'm really really into, if you know what I mean. I sort of feel the same about Wilco. I like their music, but I feel like I can't quite immerse myself in it or "get it" completely. Perhaps that will change one day.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Graeme2 05/28/2018 10:35 | #215700
Graeme2 05/28/2018 10:35 | #215700
Nice one. Few classics on here I really should have listened to by now from the likes of NiN and Big Star.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From PeterSmith 05/10/2018 20:48 | #214550
Yeah Jaymantheman - been there and done that often enough - aaarrrgh
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From PeterSmith 04/29/2018 21:43 | #213895
Thanks for your comments on my chart - yeah I've heard Disintegration and it is a top album, but prefer Head On The Door. Hadn't noticed my lack of female artists - I like lots including Kate Bush, Portishead, Amy Winehouse. I've got a few on your albums and Artists and have over 20 of your chart on my wishlist - including PJ Harvey. Stuff I've only been hearing in the last few years for the first time is bumping my historical stuff out, so you're right there.
I like your chart here and I've added a few to my wishlist.
You should consider adding some comments to your choices - why you like, top tracks, think it helps when considering others choices and gives an insight into your choosing.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Ashmark 02/22/2018 00:35 | #209151
Nice list with a lot of good Canadian music. Like the Amanda Palmer pick too!
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From 
Repo 09/18/2017 09:13 | #198177
Repo 09/18/2017 09:13 | #198177
Never really dove into Sky Blue Sky. Will check it out this week. I definitely love the guitar, and it's definitely Wilco's "classic rock" album. Just great hearing them rock out at times. and have fun. Plus I pick up a Television influence on the guitar player which is really cool.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Repo 09/16/2017 05:16 | #198068
Repo 09/16/2017 05:16 | #198068
Oh cool. Makes a lot of sense. What do u think of AM? I LOVE that album, but it's completely different from the rest of their discog. I was a HUGE Uncle Tupelo fan at the time so I bought it right when it came out & it became a staple in my car for years. Love all the early Wilco a lot.
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From Repo 09/16/2017 03:41 | #198065
Repo 09/16/2017 03:41 | #198065
Interesting seeing Sky Blue Sky so high! (Especially since u rank it higher than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) Was Sky Blue Sky your first Wilco album?! or do you really like the new guitar player?
Great chart! Lots of modern classics.
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