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

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My first Favorite Album. It was a tough decision to make dethroning this album from the top spot, but Kendrick just went off too hard. This I consider one of my gateway albums, along with Demon Days and To Pimp A Butterfly. After listening to these three albums, I started taking my music taste more seriously. I listened to a lot of Tool and Chevelle freshman year, very edgy and heavy stuff. But I was finally moving out of my edgy preteen phase, this was sophomore year of high school. Now I'm a junior in college and still hold these three albums at the apex of my listening journey. But Since I Left You was special to me for some reason back then. It was genuinely unlike anything I had ever heard in my life, and I loved it so. I couldn't believe how forward it sounded for something created the year before my birth, and then I found out that it was entirely sampled and reworked to sound this way. Just Amazing. This album was literally life changing for me, I know that gets thrown around a lot but my life got considerably better when I ditched the edginess.

As for the content and accomplishments of this record, it's obviously second only to To Pimp A Butterfly in my opinion. Each track flows seamlessly into the next creating a suite that just cruises along. It feels like I'm listening to a party vicariously through music, complete with drugs, alcohol, dancing, and heartbreak. And that heartbreak might be what elevates this album even further. There are moments of melancholy and longing that give great depth to this album. Like yeah we're partying but I still have feelings and dreams and desires and I really wanted to get with that girl back there. These moments immerse you further into the party, like you're taking a breather outside or at a side table to cry and watch sadly at the dancefloor. It just feels so real alongside the fact that the tracks are absolute bangers.

"Live At Dominoes" is my favorite track of all time. It feels like the finale of this album, the final dance; and "Extra Kings" is just the epilogue, the ride home. But really "Live At Dominoes" feels like the last dance ever, like it's at the end of the world. It's frantic and unending, with moments of distortion and confusion. The bassline is so killer and the drumbeat is so satisfying. I think towards the end there's is some time signature trickery but I won't pretend to understand that stuff, it just makes the ethos of this track cooler. On its own, it's a crazy banger; and in the context of the album, I think it is the greatest spiritual finale to an album ever.

Favorite Songs: "Since I Left You", "Close To You", "A Different Feeling", "Electricity", "Live At Dominoes"
[First added to this chart: 01/12/2018]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,838
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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There is an empty feeling to this record. Obviously not in a bad way, but in a way that has you longing for meaning. This album is much less overtly political than their other works. I think the best interpretation I can put to this album is that it is what life feels like. There are nostalgic moments, triumphant moments, somber moments, comforting moments, off-putting moments, happy moments, and sad moments. These are all captured on this record pretty much exclusively through instrumentation.

The opening section of "Storm" fills the listener with extreme triumph, a feeling that Godspeed You! can make you feel like no other band. When this feeling dies down, there comes a musical climax fit for history books. Few songs give me a grander smile than when the drums and wailing guitars come in on this climax. It is probably the highlight of the album and it is just 10 minutes in. After this climax, the instruments make you feel as if you are being chased and then, "Welcome to Arco AM/PM mini-market!". The following piano section gives you a feeling of loss and emptiness. These are some of the best sounding pianos I think I have ever heard.

Then, more goddamn trains, just like F#A#∞, and more drones, just like F#A#∞. Godspeed You! have pretty much perfected the art of drone between this album and the before mentioned one. They are full of depth and aren't just random, drawn-out noises. In comes a dreary sounding sermon about meeting God. The strings in the background are full with sorrow and anguish even. And the track gets ready for another amazing climax. When this climax hits, the first thing I always notice is the tremendous bassline, it's full of attitude and life. The track speeds up exponentially before giving way to probably the most boring and unneeded section of the whole record. It just sounds like metal objects being rung and tantalized. I'm not a fan of this segment, I don't think it really adds to the track or the tone of the album, it's pretty emotionally vacuous. However, this track is still very good, if probably my least favorite on the album.

"Sleep" hits you first with a wave of nostalgia as an old man speaks on his childhood. The physical remnants of the best moments of childhood are almost no more. He is left only with the memories of these moments. Then, a longing chord comes in and builds up. I want to mention again how good the bass sounds on this album. It sounds very organic and lively in many parts, including this section before the action starts. The quiet drums and the longing guitars complement perfectly the aforementioned bass that only comes in at specific moments. The track then builds up again and this time, the drums come in full force and the guitars are louder. The tension builds until it gives into wailing guitars and fast paced drums. The wailing guitars die off and more grounded guitars come back in. The watery guitar line builds again and another climax with yet another great bassline. This climax dies off yet again and a new and very satisfying drumline comes in. This is one of my favorite moments on the record, the drums are so surprisingly groovy, contrasted with the very emotional guitars and strings. The tracks has another climax, that's like the sixth one now. The track dies and with more amazing drums and guitar distortion. This is the most emotionally gripping track on the record, even though most of it is purely instrumental.

The final song starts with a very heartwarming bluegrass song. It is pretty funny to me that this is the most catchy section of Godspeed You!'s discography. Then, more drones and some amazing glockenspiel. They sound so ethereal. Some weirdo kids start singing in French, this is another heartwarming and nostalgic part of the record. The somber strings that follow give way to another climax, the shortest one on the album. It has yet another amazing bassline and more wailing guitars. The strings return until what is my favorite moment on the album. This is some of the most comforting music that has ever fell unto my ears. The drums are so crisp and, again, the bass is so organic and twangy, it sounds so good! I can hardly take it. The guitars again have a deep sense of longing. I really wish this section were longer. The drones that follow are not the most interesting in their catalogue. I really think this album could have ended in a more satisfying way, maybe another instrumental section. Nonetheless, the album is still godly.

This is definitely the pinnacle of Godspeed You! Black Emperor's discography. Their music has never been so emotionally exhilarating as on this album. The compositional work is phenomenal, each climax and valley seems perfectly placed and spaced. This is the epitome of post-rock right here.
[First added to this chart: 07/12/2019]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,879
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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If there was ever a soundtrack for the decay of late-stage capitalism and endless wars, this would be a serious contender for that spot. In that way, this album has aged wonderfully over the past 15 or so years because things have only gotten worse since 2005. And while Humanz was a pretty abysmal project, it serves as a confirmation of all the predictions and arguments made in Demon Days, just as the Trump presidency was an unveiling of all of the largely unacknowledged failures of the American political system.

The album starts by asking, "Are we the last living souls?". As in, are we the last generation to truly be alive and feel things, like joy and excitement? This is a great foreshadowing of the coming generations that have grown increasingly depressed and anxious. Then, the album goes on to address the issue of violence among our youth, which has also become more relevant as school shootings have become more and more of a problem in this country over the span of the 2010s. Then, the album moves on to the environment with "O Green World". Again, Demon Days hits the mark now that the climate is completely failing and species are dying at unprecedented rates. "Dirty Harry" is a song about war from a soldier's perspective. This was a very relevant topic since the UK and the US were in the midst of two wars in the Middle East at the time of recording this album. Since this album, both of those wars have "ended" though America still occupies much of the Middle East, and Iraq and Afghanistan stand in complete ruin.

Demon Days takes on all of these issues with such prescience, it's almost as if Damon and Jamie had a crystal ball looking into the future. This album stands as a landmark of the 2000s and of the entire century so far. It will be relevant until the death of the planet in 50 or so years or until the inevitable heat death of the universe.

Favorite Songs: "Kids With Guns", "El Mañana", "Every Planet We Reach is Dead", "DARE", "Demon Days"
[First added to this chart: 01/13/2018]
Year of Release:
2005
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,415
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Buy album United States
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The most organic and perfect Radiohead album. This album goes back and forth with Kid A, it's so hard to choose between the two.

Favorite Songs: "15 Step", "Bodysnatchers", "Nude", "Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi", "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"
[First added to this chart: 04/29/2018]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
51,470
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Average Rating:
Comments:
13. (=)
Buy album United States
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Radiohead took kind of a big risk with this album. They were widely known for their guitar-based rock that had cool effects and soundscapes and harrowing melodies. Well, they all of those elements except for the guitars. The guitar shows up just on four songs, and really only a little on "Morning Bell". Their style also got a lot freakier, more abstract. Of course, they were abstract before, but this was different. What the hell do the lyrics on the song "Kid A" mean? And what's with the vocals? Why did they include a freakish jazz explosion of "The National Anthem"? I can imagine that these were the questions running through the minds of critics because this album got PANNED. However, history has not treated these critics kindly as Kid A is now critically acclaimed and universally loved by fans. Thus, the risk paid off.

The vocal effects on "Everything In Its Right Place" are probably my favorite element of the song. The reversed and manipulated voices fit perfectly with the heavy, but soft, synths. This is a very simple song, instruments wise: a synth, a drum machine probably, and voice manipulator; but I can tell that a lot of work went into crafting this song and it is a perfect opener because it is weird as hell.

"Kid A" is a very satisfying song for me. The synths are just so soft, they feel like they can put you to sleep. There is definitely a lullaby quality to this song. This feeling is added to with the vocals. They are also just and somehow comforting, even if they sound a bit unnerving. This is an unpopular song but I quite like it.

"The National Anthem" pretty much cemented my love for this album. The heavy, fuzzy bass and the Krautrock beat are killer, the jazz freakout is so fucking badass. There really isn't much more to say, this song is killer.

It took me three tries to listen to this album fully because of "How To Disappear Completely". At the time, I was easily bored by acoustic guitar ballads. Even when I listened all the way through the first time, I was unimpressed. It was probably my least favorite song on the record for a while. Now, it is easily my favorite Radiohead song. Walking into my first day of senior year with this song playing in my earbuds really hit, and I liked high school. The chords and the bass create the most heavy feeling of melancholy and Thom's vocals are just so good. There's so much going on in this track that it's really hard to pin down all the right words to describe it. I think that is a great quality for a track to have.

"Treefingers" is good.

"Optimistic" may seem like a really boring, run-of-the-mill Radiohead track, but I really enjoy it. The return to guitars is kinda refreshing on this album and the chord progression is really good. I love the climaxes on this song and the jazzy outro is really satisfying for me.

"In Limbo" is probably my least favorite track, but it's still pretty good. I'd say it's more atmospheric than melody driven. Kinda boring and repetitive, but a good palette cleanser for what's to come.

"Idioteque" is a very jarring song. I think that is why it is so good. It has a very sparse instrumentation and emotional vocals. Of the highest rated tracks on this album it is probably my least favorite, however it's still pretty perfect to me and a staple of Radiohead's discography.

I love the way "Idioteque" phases into "Morning Bell". I think it is one of the best moments on the album. The actual track "Morning Bell" is pretty good, but not too special. I really like the buildup towards the end and the weird high-pitched sounds. Pretty solid.

"Motion Picture Soundtrack" is the song that has taken the longest to grow on me. It still has some growing to do, but I really enjoy it. It is a gorgeous way to send off the album. I like that they went for a more classical approach without rock guitars or synths.

In summary, this album fucking rocks. And it's better than OK Computer.

Favorite Tracks: "Everything In Its Right Place", "The National Anthem", "How To Disappear Completely", "Optimistic", "Idioteque"
[First added to this chart: 03/30/2018]
Year of Release:
2000
Appears in:
Rank Score:
51,651
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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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:
3,311
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Comments:
28. (=)
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[First added to this chart: 07/09/2018]
Year of Release:
2008
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,501
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Buy album United States
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LCD Soundsystem is the electronic equivalent to Talking Heads. You can tell that James Murphy takes a lot of influence from Talking Heads. What separates them is the electronic instrumentation and the emotional lyrics. James Murphy's lyrics and vocals are what really make this album, and This Is Happening. Of course the silvery production adds to it as well.

Favorite Tracks: "Get Innocuous", "North American Scum", "Someone Great", "All My Friends", "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down"
[First added to this chart: 01/30/2018]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,692
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Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 12/03/2018]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,597
Rank in 2002:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
38. (=)
Buy album United States
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Favorite Tracks: "The Grudge", "Schism", "Parabola", "Lateralus", "Reflection" [First added to this chart: 01/12/2018]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,821
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Total albums: 22. Page 1 of 3

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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%
Can 3 3%
Godspeed You! Black Emperor 3 3%
Black Midi 3 3%
Radiohead 3 3%
Tyler, The Creator 2 2%
Portishead 2 2%
Show all
Country Albums %


United States 49 49%
United Kingdom 26 26%
Mixed Nationality 5 5%
Canada 4 4%
Australia 3 3%
Germany 3 3%
Japan 3 3%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%
Live? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest fallers
Faller Down 1 from 82nd to 83rd
For The First Time
by Black Country, New Road
Faller Down 1 from 83rd to 84th
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
by Big Thief
Faller Down 1 from 84th to 85th
Nymphs
by Nicolas Jaar

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
91/100 (from 66 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
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This chart is rated in the top 2% 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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Rating:  
85/100
From 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)
Rating:  
90/100
From 02/07/2023 20:04
Great descriptions accompanying the entries. Good chart
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 02/07/2023 17:33
That's a lot of depressing albums. Also, Komm Susser Tod is definitely one of the greatest songs ever!
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Rating:  
100/100
From 10/31/2022 22:52
I was right, this thing DOES increase in quality based on fascinating descriptions.
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From 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
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Rating:  
100/100
From 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)
Rating:  
100/100
From 08/10/2022 16:57
Fantastic chart!
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Rating:  
90/100
From 02/09/2022 19:13
cool picks
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Rating:  
100/100
From 02/06/2022 02:30
Very modern chart!
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Rating:  
95/100
From 02/06/2022 01:25
Nice descriptions on your top picks.
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