Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
AvalancheGrips 
Top Songs (somewhat in order):
The Avalanches- Live At Dominoes
Songs: Ohia- Farewell Transmission
Swans- Bring The Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture
Grizzly Bear- Sleeping Ute
Low- Fly
Viet Cong- Death
Swans- Finally, Peace
Swans- A Piece Of The Sky
Against All Logic- Cityfade
Sudan Archives- Home Maker
Viagra Boys- Baby Criminal
Fleet Foxes- Third Of May
Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation
Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Storm
Denzel Curry- Melt Session #1
Denzel Curry- Walkin
Talking Heads- Born Under Punches
Black Country, New Road- The Place Where He Inserted the Blade
Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Dead Flag Blues
Radiohead- How To Disappear Completely
Komm, Susser Todd- Arianne
Marty Robbins- Big Iron
Kendrick Lamar- These Walls
Kendrick Lamar- Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst
Radiohead- There, There
MGMT- Siberian Breaks
Black Midi- Slow
MGMT- Little Dark Age
Low- White Horses
Kendrick Lamar- Wesley's Theory
Grizzly Bear- Yet Again
Big Thief- Time Escaping
Injury Reserve- Outside
Nina Simone- Sinnerman
Black Country, New Road- Haldern
- Chart updated: 05/24/2023 02:45
- (Created: 01/13/2018 01:55).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 29 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 66 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Low's previous album, Double Negative, felt underdeveloped in some ways. It's still very good nonetheless, but many of the tracks seem to build tension without any sort of catharsis. They just peter out and often the next song in the track list feels like the catharsis of the previous song (e.g. "Poor Sucker" feels like it is building tension but it leads directly into "Rome", which is a very climactic song, but "Poor Sucker" just kind of dies).
That feeling does not linger on Hey What, thank God. Right off the bat, with "White Horses", the intensity is full throttle. This song builds and builds until the sheer noise destroys you. All the while, their voices are completely gorgeous and angelic even. This song introduces the contrast between the harsh, massive noise of the album and the lush harmonies of Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk. Two of the highlights for me are "All Night" and "Disappearing". Their climaxes are simultaneously so crushing and so uplifting. And that might be the theme of this album. As heavy as it gets, their voices will still be there lifting you up.
Favorite Tracks: "White Horses", "All Night", "Disappearing", "Hey", "The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)" [First added to this chart: 12/03/2021]
That feeling does not linger on Hey What, thank God. Right off the bat, with "White Horses", the intensity is full throttle. This song builds and builds until the sheer noise destroys you. All the while, their voices are completely gorgeous and angelic even. This song introduces the contrast between the harsh, massive noise of the album and the lush harmonies of Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk. Two of the highlights for me are "All Night" and "Disappearing". Their climaxes are simultaneously so crushing and so uplifting. And that might be the theme of this album. As heavy as it gets, their voices will still be there lifting you up.
Favorite Tracks: "White Horses", "All Night", "Disappearing", "Hey", "The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)" [First added to this chart: 12/03/2021]
Year of Release:
2021
Appears in:
Rank Score:
983
Rank in 2021:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
8
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Favorite Tracks: "Myrrhman", "Ascension Day", "After the Flood", "Taphead", "New Grass"
[First added to this chart: 01/12/2018]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,244
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Favorite Tracks: "Mojo Pin", "Grace", "So Real", "Lover, You Should've Come Over", "Dream Brother"
[First added to this chart: 07/09/2018]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,221
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Favorite Tracks: "ナイトクルージング", "In The Flight", "Smilin' Days, Summer Holidays", "Yurameki in the Air", "Long Season"
[First added to this chart: 11/23/2019]
Year of Release:
1999
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,676
Rank in 1999:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 11/23/2019]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,480
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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It is probably a bold leap to put this album so high, so early. But this album is near perfect and a massive improvement over their first album, Schlagenheim, and that album is near perfect as well. There is quite a lot to say about this album, despite only being 8 songs long.
Cavalcade starts with "John L", which is the most insane and unhinged piece of music I have ever heard. The instrumentation is hectic and disjointed and vocals are monotone and calm. This makes sense when you read into the lyrics. They are about the leader of a cult named John L (50), likely an allusion to the John Frum cargo cult. Cult leaders are often charismatic and well-spoken. They can calmly tell groups the most batshit insane things and many will follow them. This is why the calm demeanor of Geordie's vocals backed by hectic, grandiose instrumentation makes complete sense.
"Marlene Dietrich" is a complete departure from the sound of "John L" and from black midi's usual style altogether. It is a beautiful ballad about one of the most influential actresses of the 20th century, Marlene Dietrich. The bossa nova style guitars really took me by surprise and the other instruments came in and plastered a smile on my face. Geordie's vocals are very melodic, a shocking development considering his past performances.
"Chondromalacia Patella" is the perfect combination of the insane instrumentation of "John L" and the gentle crooning of "Marlene Dietrich". The middle jazzy section is another very pleasant moment on the record, with Geordie singing calmly. Then, the tension builds before releasing this amazing, high-pitched climax that ends the song. And the final descending note makes me laugh every time.
"Slow" is one of black midi's most well-written songs. The soft-loud dynamics are just perfect on the song. There's a real sense of urgency, which makes sense given the lyrical themes, that of wanting to die quickly instead of degrading over time. Cameron's vocals also show improvement over those of Schlagenheim.
"Diamond Stuff" is one of the most cerebral songs on the album. It starts out really slow, almost excruciatingly slow. The beginning reminds me of a Tool song from the album Fear Inoculum with its drawn back vocals and oriental sounding instruments, I don't know a better word for it. Then, the second half kicks in with a massive snare hit that echoes loud. And the following two minutes are serene and utterly blissful. The backing vocals are angelic and the guitar and drums sound like something from In Rainbows or A Moon Shaped Pool. "Diamond Stuff" is probably in my top three favorite songs from this album.
The KEXP performance of "Dethroned" had me very hyped for the studio version. However, I was somewhat disappointed with the mix and the sound of the song upon first listening to it. There is no horn section, which is what makes the KEXP version so fucking good. Since then, I have come around on the studio version, mostly because of the final section, which is much more transcendental than the live version. All-in-all, "Dethroned" is a very solid song, with or without horns. And I'm glad both versions exist.
"Hogwash and Balderdash" is my least favorite song on the album, which isn't saying much considering it's still a banger. It's another insane, jazzy song with a more straightforward rock approach. It's fast paced and all over the place. There isn't much more to say.
"Ascending Forth" is an epic prog piece that reminds me of acts such as Genesis and King Crimson. Geordie wanders through the song with more melodic and somber vocals. The song has many crescendos and falls accompanied by a soft acoustic guitar riff that carries on through the whole song. The song has many instruments never before used by black midi. The songs ends with a grand crescendo of horns and strings. This is one of the greatest finales to an album I have listened to.
Black midi shows a true maturation in their sound. With real vocals and genuinely beautiful moments juxtaposed with insane moments, black midi has really honed in on their style, just 4 years into their careers. I hope they keep going in different directions, I have a lot of faith in them. Solid 10/10 for this album.
Favorite Tracks: "John L", "Marlene Dietrich", "Chondromalacia Patella", "Slow", Ascending Forth" [First added to this chart: 06/01/2021]
Cavalcade starts with "John L", which is the most insane and unhinged piece of music I have ever heard. The instrumentation is hectic and disjointed and vocals are monotone and calm. This makes sense when you read into the lyrics. They are about the leader of a cult named John L (50), likely an allusion to the John Frum cargo cult. Cult leaders are often charismatic and well-spoken. They can calmly tell groups the most batshit insane things and many will follow them. This is why the calm demeanor of Geordie's vocals backed by hectic, grandiose instrumentation makes complete sense.
"Marlene Dietrich" is a complete departure from the sound of "John L" and from black midi's usual style altogether. It is a beautiful ballad about one of the most influential actresses of the 20th century, Marlene Dietrich. The bossa nova style guitars really took me by surprise and the other instruments came in and plastered a smile on my face. Geordie's vocals are very melodic, a shocking development considering his past performances.
"Chondromalacia Patella" is the perfect combination of the insane instrumentation of "John L" and the gentle crooning of "Marlene Dietrich". The middle jazzy section is another very pleasant moment on the record, with Geordie singing calmly. Then, the tension builds before releasing this amazing, high-pitched climax that ends the song. And the final descending note makes me laugh every time.
"Slow" is one of black midi's most well-written songs. The soft-loud dynamics are just perfect on the song. There's a real sense of urgency, which makes sense given the lyrical themes, that of wanting to die quickly instead of degrading over time. Cameron's vocals also show improvement over those of Schlagenheim.
"Diamond Stuff" is one of the most cerebral songs on the album. It starts out really slow, almost excruciatingly slow. The beginning reminds me of a Tool song from the album Fear Inoculum with its drawn back vocals and oriental sounding instruments, I don't know a better word for it. Then, the second half kicks in with a massive snare hit that echoes loud. And the following two minutes are serene and utterly blissful. The backing vocals are angelic and the guitar and drums sound like something from In Rainbows or A Moon Shaped Pool. "Diamond Stuff" is probably in my top three favorite songs from this album.
The KEXP performance of "Dethroned" had me very hyped for the studio version. However, I was somewhat disappointed with the mix and the sound of the song upon first listening to it. There is no horn section, which is what makes the KEXP version so fucking good. Since then, I have come around on the studio version, mostly because of the final section, which is much more transcendental than the live version. All-in-all, "Dethroned" is a very solid song, with or without horns. And I'm glad both versions exist.
"Hogwash and Balderdash" is my least favorite song on the album, which isn't saying much considering it's still a banger. It's another insane, jazzy song with a more straightforward rock approach. It's fast paced and all over the place. There isn't much more to say.
"Ascending Forth" is an epic prog piece that reminds me of acts such as Genesis and King Crimson. Geordie wanders through the song with more melodic and somber vocals. The song has many crescendos and falls accompanied by a soft acoustic guitar riff that carries on through the whole song. The song has many instruments never before used by black midi. The songs ends with a grand crescendo of horns and strings. This is one of the greatest finales to an album I have listened to.
Black midi shows a true maturation in their sound. With real vocals and genuinely beautiful moments juxtaposed with insane moments, black midi has really honed in on their style, just 4 years into their careers. I hope they keep going in different directions, I have a lot of faith in them. Solid 10/10 for this album.
Favorite Tracks: "John L", "Marlene Dietrich", "Chondromalacia Patella", "Slow", Ascending Forth" [First added to this chart: 06/01/2021]
Year of Release:
2021
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,241
Rank in 2021:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Favorite Tracks: "Farewell Transmission", "I've Been Riding With The Ghost", "Just Be Simple", "Almost Was Good Enough", "The Old Black Hen"
[First added to this chart: 11/03/2021]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,330
Rank in 2003:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 07/09/2018]
Year of Release:
2008
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,480
Rank in 2008:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Favorite Songs: "TNT", "I Set My Face To The Hillside", "The Equator", "The Suspension Bridge At Iguazu Falls", "In Sarah, Mencken, Christ, and Beethoven There Were Women and Men"
[First added to this chart: 11/29/2021]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,682
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/24/2022]
Year of Release:
2022
Appears in:
Rank Score:
888
Rank in 2022:
Rank in 2020s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 3 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 3 | 3% | |
| 1970s | 15 | 15% | |
| 1980s | 4 | 4% | |
| 1990s | 20 | 20% | |
| 2000s | 22 | 22% | |
| 2010s | 23 | 23% | |
| 2020s | 13 | 13% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Swans | 4 | 4% | |
| Black Midi | 3 | 3% | |
| Radiohead | 3 | 3% | |
| Can | 3 | 3% | |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor | 3 | 3% | |
| Black Country, New Road | 2 | 2% | |
| Gorillaz | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
49 | 49% | |
 |
26 | 26% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 82nd to 83rd For The First Time by Black Country, New Road |
| Down 1 from 83rd to 84th Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief |
| Down 1 from 84th to 85th Nymphs by Nicolas Jaar |
| New entries |
|---|
 Mezzanineby Massive Attack |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Heaven Or Las Vegasby Cocteau Twins |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
91/100 (from 66 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 66 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 85/100  | 08/28/2023 10:14 |  Tamthebam | | 85/100 |
| 75/100 | 02/07/2023 20:32 | Moondance | | 84/100 |
| 90/100 | 02/07/2023 20:04 | Johnnyo | | 80/100 |
| 90/100 | 02/07/2023 17:33 |  Keatownrodriguez | | 94/100 |
| 90/100 | 02/07/2023 15:47 | Weepingguitarman | | 95/100 |
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 91.3/100, a mean average of 91.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.1/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.3.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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85/100
From Tamthebam 08/28/2023 10:15
Tamthebam 08/28/2023 10:15
A young persons chart only 22 albums from the 60's, 70's & 80's but your descriptions are brilliant so that lifts the chart to 85/100
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Johnnyo 02/07/2023 20:04
Great descriptions accompanying the entries. Good chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Keatownrodriguez 02/07/2023 17:33
Keatownrodriguez 02/07/2023 17:33
That's a lot of depressing albums. Also, Komm Susser Tod is definitely one of the greatest songs ever!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 10/31/2022 22:52
DommeDamian 10/31/2022 22:52
I was right, this thing DOES increase in quality based on fascinating descriptions.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From AvalancheGrips 08/10/2022 20:11
AvalancheGrips 08/10/2022 20:11
@leniad
I have heard all of those albums actually lol. Bitches Brew by Miles Davis is just outside of my top 100 and was on here for a little bit. Jazz on its own isn't my favorite, I love it when it's incorporated with other genres, à la progressive rock, post-rock, Hip-Hop
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From leniad 08/10/2022 17:20
you really like swans jajaja, also you already consider ants from up there in top 10, interesting, good chart overall
want to know if you have heard jazz? if not here are 3 albums i recommend you
The black saint and the sinner lady- charles mingus
ins a silent way - miles davis
a love supreme - john coltrane
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Rm12398 08/10/2022 16:57
Fantastic chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
seb7 02/09/2022 19:13
seb7 02/09/2022 19:13
cool picks
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Jbalbinolr 02/06/2022 02:30
Jbalbinolr 02/06/2022 02:30
Very modern chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
Larcx13 02/06/2022 01:25
Larcx13 02/06/2022 01:25
Nice descriptions on your top picks.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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| Best Artists of 1977 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Fleetwood Mac | |
| 2. David Bowie | |
| 3. Pink Floyd | |
| 4. Television | |
| 5. Sex Pistols | |
| 6. Steely Dan | |
| 7. Billy Joel | |
| 8. Bob Marley & The Wailers | |
| 9. Bob Marley | |
| 10. The Clash | |
| 11. Iggy Pop | |
| 12. Kraftwerk | |
| 13. Wire | |
| 14. Ramones | |
| 15. Elvis Costello | |
| 16. Electric Light Orchestra | |
| 17. Talking Heads | |
| 18. Meat Loaf | |
| 19. Suicide | |
| 20. Fela Kuti |