Top 64 Greatest Music Albums by 
ForegroundNoise 
My old tutor sits opposite me, the wrinkled contours of his face and erratic white wisps of hair blurring the boundaries between him and the old mahogany office surrounding us. Before he speaks, he seems for a moment to be no less a part of the furniture than the armchair he sits in. He starts suddenly, a thought occurring to him.
“Do you remember that first classics society meeting, right when you first got here? Where you had to bring a poem or painting or something and talk to us all about it?” The words break the silence in a flurry, as if he’s afraid someone is about to catch him in the act.
“Yes.” My tone betrays my anticipation.
“Well, I bet no-one ever told you what that whole thing was really all about did they?” He is leaning in now, the smile plastered across his face so infectious it starts to illuminate the dark room.
“You see the problem is, is that everyone is looking the art. There, ha!” he nods to himself; a finger points upwards. “That’s your first mistake.” I raise an eyebrow in response, but he is submerged in thought, eyes cast down to the carpet.
“Some people are worried about the art. They want the right bit of art not the wrong bit; they want to show off how clever they are that they know this bit of art and you don’t. Some aren’t so fussed about it; they just pick whatever they like. Some even take a look at it all and think ‘No not for me, I don’t think so’, and try and take the whole thing apart. Show us a scrap of paper with a scribble on it. ‘I’m not playing your game’ - oh yes you are! See what they don’t know, is that as soon as they were invited to play they were playing it. All of us were. The art was never the important bit, I was never looking at the art, I was looking at YOU.”
With the final word his eyes move back to me. The finger points forward.
“Yes, you, there! Whatever you picked, whatever you did, you can't help but give us a reflection of yourself. That's what I was looking for. Not the art. I wasn’t looking at what you were saying about it. I was looking at what it was saying about you.”
***
I've fallen out of love with this chart in recent times, probably because there's something a little too overwhelming in having to represent my favourites out of every album ever. The problem that arises with these colossal, era-spanning anthologies is that they find it hard to strike a balance between acknowledging the cultural context and subsequent limitations of some of these records, and just eulogising the past.
Lately I've found it much more rewarding to focus on my decade and year charts so this one might be left to gather dust for a while. As of 2021/05/13 I've given up trying to order these from best to bestest, and instead have decided to list out some favourites ordered (roughly) by genre; this is NOT in order of favourite to 64th favourite. More extensive decade lists to follow as soon as I can.
Much love,
FN xx
- Chart updated: 08/11/2024 11:15
- (Created: 09/28/2017 14:21).
- Chart size: 64 albums.
There are 47 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 64 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 93 out of 100 (from 87 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 United Kingdom. (Remove this filter)
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____________________________________________________________________________
neofolk
(Durtro, 55;27)
"I see the twinkling stars
I drop a photograph
I bend to pick it up
My heart leaps as I see your face
Stare up at me from the paper
As if still alive on this earth
When I return my eyes to the stars
They gather
They pucker
And are blind
And are blind"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/19/2021]
neofolk
(Durtro, 55;27)
"I see the twinkling stars
I drop a photograph
I bend to pick it up
My heart leaps as I see your face
Stare up at me from the paper
As if still alive on this earth
When I return my eyes to the stars
They gather
They pucker
And are blind
And are blind"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/19/2021]
4
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___________________________________________________________________________
progressive folk • psychedelic folk • freak folk
(Dawn, 42:08)
"Chastity chaser virile for the virgin's virtue
Excite her exciter you better go before you bleed and he hurts you"
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/16/2018]
progressive folk • psychedelic folk • freak folk
(Dawn, 42:08)
"Chastity chaser virile for the virgin's virtue
Excite her exciter you better go before you bleed and he hurts you"
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/16/2018]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,574
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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___________________________________________________________________________
progressive folk
(Harvest, 41:25)
"What a lovely day
What a day to play
At living
What a mess we make
What a trust we break
Not giving
Our wings to our children
O how we fail them
O how we nail them"
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/16/2018]
progressive folk
(Harvest, 41:25)
"What a lovely day
What a day to play
At living
What a mess we make
What a trust we break
Not giving
Our wings to our children
O how we fail them
O how we nail them"
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/16/2018]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
828
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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____________________________________________________________________________
contemporary folk
(Island, 28:22)
"Which will you hope for?
Which can it be?
Which will you take, now
If you won't take me?"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/03/2017]
contemporary folk
(Island, 28:22)
"Which will you hope for?
Which can it be?
Which will you take, now
If you won't take me?"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/03/2017]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,624
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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____________________________________________________________________________
alternative rock • art rock
(EMI, 66:43)
"You'd love my bed,
You took the other instead"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
alternative rock • art rock
(EMI, 66:43)
"You'd love my bed,
You took the other instead"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/14/2017]
Year of Release:
1999
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,169
Rank in 1999:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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____________________________________________________________________________
progressive rock • art rock
(Island, 41:59)
"Blood rack barbed wire
Politicians' funeral pyre
Innocents raped with napalm fire"
"BWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH BADUPP BAP BAP BAAAAAAAAA" should be a difficult hook to convey in writing but to anyone who's heard "21st Century Schizoid Man" a couple times it's likely to be one that's branded into the far reaches of their skull.
The composition of this record is unapologetically big personality; with just a handful of tracks to play with, there's no room for punchy, atmospheric mood-builders. We're treated to five prog ballads each not wasting a moment to wrench your attention from the hands of its predecessor. In contrast to the joyous big-band cacophony that brings to close the opening track, "I Talk to the Wind"'s lead flute dances and shimmers between its warm, soft notes and tentative hi-hat. In this song, as with all the cuts, Peter Sinfield's pastoral and poetic lyrics cut through the instrumentation with devastating effect, notable highlight being the cryptic and alarming "said the straight man to the late man/where have you been?". However, the frightened yelp of "I fear tomorrow I'll be crying" that brings side one to a close deserves special attention, somehow distilling all the pained dread of the cover art into a single line.
I know that for some the sparseness of "Moonchild" can be turn off, and admittedly it's not a track I'd try to drown out the noise of rush-hour whilst being packt like sardines in a crushd tin train. But when given due attention, even here King Crimson reward their listeners; every passing second of quiet serves to tee up the immense impact of the title track.
King Crimson were by no means the first prog band, but this is unequivocally the first prog masterpiece.
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
progressive rock • art rock
(Island, 41:59)
"Blood rack barbed wire
Politicians' funeral pyre
Innocents raped with napalm fire"
"BWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH BADUPP BAP BAP BAAAAAAAAA" should be a difficult hook to convey in writing but to anyone who's heard "21st Century Schizoid Man" a couple times it's likely to be one that's branded into the far reaches of their skull.
The composition of this record is unapologetically big personality; with just a handful of tracks to play with, there's no room for punchy, atmospheric mood-builders. We're treated to five prog ballads each not wasting a moment to wrench your attention from the hands of its predecessor. In contrast to the joyous big-band cacophony that brings to close the opening track, "I Talk to the Wind"'s lead flute dances and shimmers between its warm, soft notes and tentative hi-hat. In this song, as with all the cuts, Peter Sinfield's pastoral and poetic lyrics cut through the instrumentation with devastating effect, notable highlight being the cryptic and alarming "said the straight man to the late man/where have you been?". However, the frightened yelp of "I fear tomorrow I'll be crying" that brings side one to a close deserves special attention, somehow distilling all the pained dread of the cover art into a single line.
I know that for some the sparseness of "Moonchild" can be turn off, and admittedly it's not a track I'd try to drown out the noise of rush-hour whilst being packt like sardines in a crushd tin train. But when given due attention, even here King Crimson reward their listeners; every passing second of quiet serves to tee up the immense impact of the title track.
King Crimson were by no means the first prog band, but this is unequivocally the first prog masterpiece.
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29,616
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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____________________________________________________________________________
Canterbury scene • art rock
(Virgin, 39:31)
"I pull out the wires of the telephone
I hurt in the head and
I hurt in the acting bone
Now
I smash up the telly with remains of the broken phone"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 08/12/2018]
Canterbury scene • art rock
(Virgin, 39:31)
"I pull out the wires of the telephone
I hurt in the head and
I hurt in the acting bone
Now
I smash up the telly with remains of the broken phone"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 08/12/2018]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,214
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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____________________________________________________________________________
post-rock
(Verve, 42:44)
"Shake my head
Turn my face to the floor
Dead to respect
To respect to be born
Lest we forget who lay"
For the longest time I've had Slint's Spiderland as my no#1 pick, but after a great deal of reflection I've come to realise that its more melancholic twin deserves the top spot.
Though their shared 6-track, 40-or-so minute format results in Spiderland and Laughing Stock being often lumped together under the umbrella label of 'post-rock', a quick venture into this album's opening 17 seconds of amplifier hiss tells you you're a million miles away from the bustling fairground of "Breadcrumb Trail". Instead we are alone in a quiet room with Mark Hollis as he contemplates his suicide by hanging. Right from the offset, the idea that the two albums are opposite sides of the same coin is clear: where Slint's guitars screech, Talk Talk's lull; where McMahan's voice screams, Hollis' quivers. Spirit of Eden is considered by many to be the culmination of Talk Talk's transformation from the new wave sound they first emerged with, and there's no denying the quality in tracks like "Eden" and "I Believe in You". But for me, their swansong Laughing Stock (1991) captures the manic brilliance of the band right at the moment of their dissolution.
Take opening track "Myrrhman" for example: Hollis' obscure and muted lyrics punctuated by dissonant and shapeless instrumentation might seem baffling, or even over-indulgent at first; I certainly used to think so. But by the end of its delicate and pained string section it becomes clear that the reason Talk Talk disorientated you was just so they could pick you apart all the more easily.
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
post-rock
(Verve, 42:44)
"Shake my head
Turn my face to the floor
Dead to respect
To respect to be born
Lest we forget who lay"
For the longest time I've had Slint's Spiderland as my no#1 pick, but after a great deal of reflection I've come to realise that its more melancholic twin deserves the top spot.
Though their shared 6-track, 40-or-so minute format results in Spiderland and Laughing Stock being often lumped together under the umbrella label of 'post-rock', a quick venture into this album's opening 17 seconds of amplifier hiss tells you you're a million miles away from the bustling fairground of "Breadcrumb Trail". Instead we are alone in a quiet room with Mark Hollis as he contemplates his suicide by hanging. Right from the offset, the idea that the two albums are opposite sides of the same coin is clear: where Slint's guitars screech, Talk Talk's lull; where McMahan's voice screams, Hollis' quivers. Spirit of Eden is considered by many to be the culmination of Talk Talk's transformation from the new wave sound they first emerged with, and there's no denying the quality in tracks like "Eden" and "I Believe in You". But for me, their swansong Laughing Stock (1991) captures the manic brilliance of the band right at the moment of their dissolution.
Take opening track "Myrrhman" for example: Hollis' obscure and muted lyrics punctuated by dissonant and shapeless instrumentation might seem baffling, or even over-indulgent at first; I certainly used to think so. But by the end of its delicate and pained string section it becomes clear that the reason Talk Talk disorientated you was just so they could pick you apart all the more easily.
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,013
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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____________________________________________________________________________
post-rock
(Circa, 51:11)
"You stand apart
With the sinking sunlight
I just came to watch you smile"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
post-rock
(Circa, 51:11)
"You stand apart
With the sinking sunlight
I just came to watch you smile"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,141
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
____________________________________________________________________________
post-rock
(Chemikal Underground, 65:13)
"We could go into town and spend some money.
We could go to the pictures, go and see something funny.
Share a popcorn and when it's finished we could go to the pub at night.
And get right pissed and go home and have a fight"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
post-rock
(Chemikal Underground, 65:13)
"We could go into town and spend some money.
We could go to the pictures, go and see something funny.
Share a popcorn and when it's finished we could go to the pub at night.
And get right pissed and go home and have a fight"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,831
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 19. Page 1 of 2
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Top 64 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 5 | 8% | |
| 1970s | 19 | 30% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 13% | |
| 1990s | 15 | 23% | |
| 2000s | 13 | 20% | |
| 2010s | 4 | 6% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Robert Wyatt | 1 | 2% | |
| Harold Budd | 1 | 2% | |
| Current 93 | 1 | 2% | |
| Dinosaur | 1 | 2% | |
| Modest Mouse | 1 | 2% | |
| Portishead | 1 | 2% | |
| Sigur Rós | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
32 | 50% | |
| |
19 | 30% | |
 |
3 | 5% | |
 |
3 | 5% | |
 |
2 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 64 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Top 64 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | simlavoie | Overall chart | 2021 | |
| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums |  Dingerbell | Overall chart | 2020 | |
| AOTYs ranked | Onater | Custom chart | 2018 | |
| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums |  gbass | Overall chart | 2018 | |
| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | luis | Overall chart | 2014 |  |
| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | The Tourist | Overall chart | 2010 | |
| Top 40 Greatest Music Albums | 112806 | Overall chart | 2023 | |
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Top 64 Greatest Music Albums ratings
93/100 (from 87 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 87 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100/100  | 12/25/2024 18:33 | Exist-en-ciel | | 99/100 |
 85/100 | 01/06/2023 08:58 | Johnnyo | | 80/100 |
| 95/100 | 07/09/2022 03:54 | leniad | | 85/100 |
| 85/100 | 04/09/2022 08:31 |  Applerill | | 75/100 |
| 100/100 | 11/09/2021 18:39 |  seb7 | | 91/100 |
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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 93.4/100, a mean average of 93.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 94.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.7.
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Top 64 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 22 members
Top 64 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 47 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)
From 
Hayden 02/17/2023 15:37
Hayden 02/17/2023 15:37
Thanks— hoping you find a couple gems in there (a lot suit your chart's taste— I think you'll find at least 4-5 records you'll really enjoy). I've been meaning to update that chart for quite some time. Needs a bit of a new coat of paint— maybe in a month or two. One of the main concepts for that chart was originally 'uniquely/weirdly made albums', but I like what it turned into. Bit of a different world going on with those cuts.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Johnnyo 01/06/2023 08:58
Really good chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From leniad 07/09/2022 03:55
love your chart, some albums i like that never swa so high in others list
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From seb7 11/09/2021 18:39
seb7 11/09/2021 18:39
Man, I love this chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From sirps 05/29/2021 02:00
Very nice, lots of interesting stuff!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
Jbalbinolr 05/02/2021 15:46
Jbalbinolr 05/02/2021 15:46
Amazing chart, I love the presentation and short descriptions
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From HotZappsBoogaloo 04/26/2020 18:48
I could instantly tell I was going to give this chart 100
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
urmom22 02/13/2020 10:08
urmom22 02/13/2020 10:08
Thanks for the chart comment. Love all the album notes too!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
AMEIER 01/12/2020 22:16
AMEIER 01/12/2020 22:16
First of all, thank you so much for your comment in my page! I really was touched by your words.
About your chart here, I have to admit that I don't know 80% of this. The ones I do I know the value and know that they are great! Also, I feel like you are a powerhouse of music knowledge and would love to keep trading more information and passion for this! Last but not least, wish you to complete this with 100 albums. cheers!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
pa 10/30/2019 17:30
pa 10/30/2019 17:30
thanx mate :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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