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
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: 03/28/2024 02:45
• (Created: 11/17/2017 03:34).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 24 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 46 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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1. (=)

Força Bruta 

 Jorge Ben

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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]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

78 charts

Rank Score:

782

Rank in 1970:

50

Rank in 1970s:

405

Overall Rank:

2,107

Average Rating:

 79 (89 votes)

Comments:

4

2. (=)

Townes Van Zandt 

 Townes Van Zandt

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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:

260 charts

Rank Score:

2,296

Rank in 1969:

24

Rank in 1960s:

85

Overall Rank:

780

Average Rating:

 81 (269 votes)

Comments:

11

3. (=)

Abbey Road 

 The Beatles

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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]

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

3,625 charts

Rank Score:

65,319

Rank in 1969:

1

Rank in 1960s:

1

Overall Rank:

3

Average Rating:

 92 (4,508 votes)

Comments:

466

4. (=)

A New World Record 

 Electric Light Orchestra

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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:

373 charts

Rank Score:

3,122

Rank in 1976:

11

Rank in 1970s:

133

Overall Rank:

567

Average Rating:

 80 (458 votes)

Comments:

31

5. (=)

Sunflower 

 The Beach Boys

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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:

243 charts

Rank Score:

1,266

Rank in 1970:

37

Rank in 1970s:

276

Overall Rank:

1,377

Average Rating:

 78 (424 votes)

Comments:

27

7. (=)

Sticky Fingers 

 The Rolling Stones

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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:

1,590 charts

Rank Score:

19,296

Rank in 1971:

5

Rank in 1970s:

19

Overall Rank:

58

Average Rating:

 86 (1,862 votes)

Comments:

134

8. (=)

After The Gold Rush 

 Neil Young

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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:

1,519 charts

Rank Score:

16,294

Rank in 1970:

2

Rank in 1970s:

22

Overall Rank:

82

Average Rating:

 86 (1,738 votes)

Comments:

129

9. (=)

Forever Changes 

 Love

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Love Forever Changes. This album has a mystical, haunting feeling that is unique to it. When making this album, Arthur Lee was absolutely convinced he was going to die. If you listen closely to the lyrics this album reads like a farewell letter. Lee attempts to warn us that are own ideologies will be our own undoing, as he reflects on his own life and what he wants out of his final moments. This is all backed up by one of the most beautiful orchestral arrangements ever put to vinyl as well as an occasional searing guitar dripping with feedback. Love is the best of the summer of love. [First added to this chart: 11/22/2017]

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

1,439 charts

Rank Score:

17,163

Rank in 1967:

5

Rank in 1960s:

18

Overall Rank:

72

Average Rating:

 85 (1,587 votes)

Comments:

150

10. (=)

Pet Sounds 

 The Beach Boys

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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:

2,777 charts

Rank Score:

45,123

Rank in 1966:

2

Rank in 1960s:

5

Overall Rank:

11

Average Rating:

 88 (3,192 votes)

Comments:

354

11. (=)

Bridge Over Troubled Water 

 Simon & Garfunkel

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Simon and Garfunkel may have hated each other's guts at this point, but that did not stop them from making a flawless album with some of the best vocal harmonies put to vinyl. The title track is a stunning song that is especially wonderful as it is a love song that can be applied to anyone special in your life-friends, family, and strangers alike. This album has songs that will make you jump out of your bed and dance like no one is watching, in addition to songs reflecting on the struggle of living in America in the 1960s. [First added to this chart: 11/21/2017]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,234 charts

Rank Score:

13,200

Rank in 1970:

4

Rank in 1970s:

30

Overall Rank:

107

Average Rating:

 84 (1,484 votes)

Comments:

95

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Total albums: 95. 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	22	22%
1970s	54	54%
1980s	8	8%
1990s	5	5%
2000s	3	3%
2010s	4	4%
2020s	4	4%

Artist	Albums	%
The Beatles	7	7%
The Beach Boys	5	5%
Electric Light Orchestra	4	4%
Jorge Ben	3	3%
Stevie Wonder	3	3%
The Rolling Stones	3	3%
Neil Young	3	3%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	42	42%
	37	37%
	6	6%
	6	6%
	4	4%
	2	2%
	1	1%
Show all

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest fallers
Down 1 from 96th to 97th Expensive Shit by Fela Kuti & Africa 70
Down 1 from 97th to 98th OK Computer by Radiohead
Down 1 from 98th to 99th Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey

New entries
Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake

Leavers
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs by Marty Robbins

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

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• RYM Average Rating by Imaybeparanoid (2016)
• BEA Top 100 Reorganized According To My Taste by bonnequestion (2024)
• Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by rafaelcalazans (2023)
• Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 1234567890 (2011)
• Top 100 Albums Between 1966-1975 by StefanR10 (2020)
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 46 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
90/100	04/02/2023 16:57	Johnnyo	2,013	80/100
90/100	04/02/2023 16:14	Tamthebam	550	85/100
90/100	04/02/2023 14:29	Goliath	348	86/100
85/100	11/07/2022 21:08	Applerill	976	75/100
100/100	06/05/2022 16:04	EyeKanFly	207	88/100

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 91.2/100, a mean average of 91.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.7.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

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Rating:  

90/100

From Johnnyo 04/02/2023 16:57

Great chart.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From mrmcrook 03/26/2021 01:09

Love your notes. Gave me good insight to a few I'll be checking out

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

From BLO 12/07/2020 00:03

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) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From leniad 12/05/2020 03:29

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) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

90/100

From BraddlesHendo 12/05/2020 02:04

I’m going out to buy that Chicago album ASAP . Great list

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From StefanR10 12/04/2020 21:22

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) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From sssvnnn 12/04/2020 20:09

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

"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) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From seb7 12/04/2020 15:57

Almost perfect list. I agree with almost every pick!

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Rating:  

100/100

From ThuramThugood 04/19/2020 02:33

Pretty good. Not a fan of Fleet Foxes myself, as they remind me of stroking stoats in the West Country. Good to see Forever Changes by Love ranked so high.

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