Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by BLO 
Here's my personal list of favorite albums. I understand I don't have much past the 70's, so let me know if there's anything newer you think I'd like!
Here are the albums on this list that I consider the most underappreciated that I think you should check out:
Forca Bruta
Our Mother the Mountain
Sunflower
Piper Oz the Hound
You Don't Mess Around with Jim
Cold Fact
Coming from Reality
Evensong
Heron
Reves/yosoy
Chicago/Chicago II
Exuma
American III: Solitary Man
Un Segundo MTV Unplugged
- Chart updated: 01/16/2026 07:45
- (Created: 11/17/2017 03:34).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 26 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 48 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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An absolute masterpiece and triumph of Brazillian music. Jorge Ben had shown his brilliance before this point numerous times, but this album is an explosion of beauty and pure joy. I cannot understand a single word he says, but I understand every feeling he wants me to feel. The melodies are hypnotic and the rhythms are infectious. If you are a fan of rock, soul, or samba I implore you to listen to this album. It is so fresh and magical, there's nothing else like it.
[First added to this chart: 08/15/2019]
Country is a genre that tends to get a lot of hate, and rightfully so much of the time. The genre has devolved into either right-wing propaganda or extremely basic cash-grabs about sappy love stories or vague descriptions of country life. Townes Van Zandt however understood the genre better than anyone else. The songs on this album aren't about riding your horse across a prairie or dry humping an American flag. They're about working class struggles, drug addiction, or the simple beauty in watching an old woman wash clothes. Townes sings all the songs in his Texas accent, and plays his acoustic guitar with a Texas accent as well. His words paint pictures more beautiful than any artist could ever put to paper.
[First added to this chart: 12/10/2019]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,410
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The Beatles' last hurrah is a joyous celebration of the creativity and innovation of their past albums, while blazing trails that would take music into new directions in the 1970s. Abbey Road has impeccable production by 1960's standards. The sweet, ear filling melodies on songs like "Something" or "Here Comes the Sun" are enchanting and soothing. "I Want You" invented Doom Metal before Heavy Metal was considered a genre.
Most of all, this album has a carefree, youthful energy that never fails to bring me back up on a bad day. This is my deserted desert island album. [First added to this chart: 11/16/2017]
Most of all, this album has a carefree, youthful energy that never fails to bring me back up on a bad day. This is my deserted desert island album. [First added to this chart: 11/16/2017]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
56,235
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This album may not have greatly written lyrics that make you ponder your own existence, or musicians with legendary skills, but what this album does better than any other album is something more fundamental. The melody. Each song flows wonderfully and every word, while generic, fits perfectly with every note. The string sections in each song never feel overblown, and create such a lifting atmosphere.
[First added to this chart: 11/16/2017]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,014
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If you were to tell a Pet Sounds fan that this album was one where all the Beach Boys wrote their own songs (with surprisingly few Wilson tunes) they would probably scoff and walk away, avoiding this album at all costs. However, this album has easily the most luscious vocal harmonies and production compared to any other Beach Boys albums. Also, just about every band member has their own moments of brilliance on this project. "Deidre" is easily the best example of just how beautiful a Beach Boys vocal harmony can be.
[First added to this chart: 11/16/2017]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,253
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Listening to Gene Clark's other work, it's hard to believe that he had something like this album inside of him. His other solo works sound like mid-tier Byrd albums. But something happened to Mr. Clark when he made this album. It's almost as if suddenly he poured his entire pure, misunderstood soul into the recording booth, backed by soaring, lush instrumentation. His vocal performance on this album is unlike anything I have ever heard, especially on "Strength of Strings" and "Some Misunderstanding". He sounds so vulnerable, so desperate, yet so powerful and wise. It breaks my heart that Gene Clark died thinking this album was a failure. I hope David Geffen has trouble sleeping at night for what he did to Clark and his magnum opus.
[First added to this chart: 02/24/2022]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,656
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My rating for this album is based on the "special edition" of the album, which has all of the tracks from the movie in order. The power this album has is indescribable. It takes most of the best Talking Heads songs, and somehow makes perfect 10's into perfect 11's. Whenever I throw on this album, I cannot even describe the energy and occasional beauty that this album displays. I struggle to even describe why this album is so great, just listen to it.
[First added to this chart: 09/04/2021]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,248
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Neil Young tends to fluctuate from heavy rock that drips with deeply distorted guitar tones to sweet country folk. On this album his folky side prevails with the best results of his career. The perfect album for driving through a cold country side at 11pm. A majority of the songs are sweet ballads that slow dance with the listener, and the rest are the aforementioned heavy rockers. However, unlike with You Don't Mess Around with Jim, this album transitions between fast rock songs and slow folk songs perfectly.
[First added to this chart: 01/10/2018]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,586
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I don't think I can really say anything about this one. You've already listened to it and you know it's amazing.
[First added to this chart: 11/18/2017]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
38,115
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Unconditional love, sex, kickass riffs, drugs, and country blues. Easily the best Stones album. Can't You Hear Me Knocking and Wild Horses are easily the highlights.
[First added to this chart: 11/16/2017]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,687
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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 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 21 | 21% | |
| 1970s | 56 | 56% | |
| 1980s | 7 | 7% | |
| 1990s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2000s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2010s | 4 | 4% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 7 | 7% | |
| Electric Light Orchestra | 5 | 5% | |
| The Beach Boys | 5 | 5% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 3% | |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 3% | |
| Jorge Ben | 3 | 3% | |
| Neil Young | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
42 | 42% | |
 |
37 | 37% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 100th to 99thNorman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey |
| Up 1 from 99th to 98thBryter Layter by Nick Drake |
| New entries |
|---|
| The Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia |
| Leavers |
|---|
| +'Justments by Bill Withers |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | BLO | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | |
| RYM Average Rating | Imaybeparanoid | Custom chart | 2016 | |
| OVERALL CHART | pentapolin | Custom chart | 2014 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  1234567890 | Overall chart | 2011 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Nkelleyslc | Overall chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  dmercado | 1970s decade chart | 2018 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | LosWochos | Overall chart | 2021 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  Glitterboiii | 1970s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | gelud | Overall chart | 2014 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | tim0505 | Overall chart | 2025 | |
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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 48 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/31/2025 18:43 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,093 | 85/100 | |
| 08/04/2024 01:05 | BorderFreeAndrew | 110 | 81/100 | |
| 04/02/2023 16:57 | Johnnyo | 2,576 | 80/100 | |
| 04/02/2023 16:14 |  Tamthebam | 651 | 85/100 | |
| 04/02/2023 14:29 |  Goliath | 350 | 86/100 |
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 91.1/100, a mean average of 91.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.2/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.5.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From Tamthebam 01/09/2026 05:55 | #312538
Tamthebam 01/09/2026 05:55 | #312538
Brilliant chart dominated by the 70's but so is my Top 100. I think even as time passes the albums we grew up with still hold a special place they capture memories, THanks.,
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From BorderFreeAndrew 08/04/2024 01:16 | #304641
I can't fault you for having 54% of your chart from the 70's. (39% of mine is too) What I've found after many years of listening to all the music eras with an open mind is that the 70's, more than any other decade, was a treasure trove of obscure and forgotten classics. And it's nice to see some of them here, along with some of the more well-known canon. The only album on your list I haven't heard is your #59, Evensong. So judging by the quality of the other entries, I will definitely be checking it out!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 04/02/2023 16:57 | #295707
Great chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From mrmcrook 03/26/2021 01:09 | #267762
Love your notes. Gave me good insight to a few I'll be checking out
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From BLO 12/07/2020 00:03 | #262180
Thanks for your comment Boltzmann! I can see why the wording of my description confused you, but I have obviously listened to every album front to back on every one of my charts. I meant that I hadn't listened to most of the albums in the top 500 or so in the overall chart, and thus don't be angry if I don't put Loveless or whatever on my chart.
I'm sorry you found my chart "bland". Feel free to hit me with any recommendations that aren't dull!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From leniad 12/05/2020 03:29 | #262002
like a lot of your choices but i think half 1970s is a lot, and the 70s are my favourite decade jajaja
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From BraddlesHendo 12/05/2020 02:04 | #262000
I’m going out to buy that Chicago album ASAP . Great list
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
StefanR10 12/04/2020 21:22 | #261990
StefanR10 12/04/2020 21:22 | #261990
Really cool here. I found one new album from a band from Mexico but the rest is everything i can go with. Beatles, Radiohead, Neil Young and David Bowie superb collection.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
sssvnnn 12/04/2020 20:09 | #261977
sssvnnn 12/04/2020 20:09 | #261977
Very classical and Beatlesque chart...
I like it. You love good songs and melodies: Same as me.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Boltzmann 12/04/2020 17:18 | #261935
Boltzmann 12/04/2020 17:18 | #261935
"Here is a list of my favorite albums, I haven't listened to them all"... that's not how that works, I'd say drop one of these sentences. Impressive how your chart is still extremely predictable and bland.
Sunflower by The Beach Boys is great though, and indeed underappreciated. This mf was making shoegazing in the '70s.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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