Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by davidhuret 
My self-imposed rule here is one entry per artist. Still, a top 200 wouldn't be a bad idea...
- Chart updated: 09/19/2017 08:15
- (Created: 04/24/2008 16:20).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 82 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 111 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Tough to choose among the Fabs' albums but, as a reviewer said about it at the time of its release: "it's all there if you listen". Eclectic to the point of schizophrenia, it's a Himalayas of songwriting, an embarrassment of riches...
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
37,170
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Rank in 1960s:
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For the receptive listener, this is one of the most achingly beautiful albums ever.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
38,752
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Average Rating:
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Exquisite.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21,979
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
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As the ads said at the time: "there's old wave, there's new wave, and there's David Bowie". One side avant-pop, one side ambient before the term was coined. Both brilliant.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,887
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Marvin in a state of pure grace.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,954
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A world of its own, where people drink tea with butter scones and complain about the weather. Oh and there's a penomenal cat, a witch, a leather-clad biker, and a sky that's too big to care.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,392
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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The culmination of what the Stones are all about. And to think these great American songs were written by two British, London-born, blokes.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,617
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Buy album
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As soon as the (pioneering) synth-loop of "Baba O'Reilly" begins, you know you're going to have a good time.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,988
Rank in 1971:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
The loner looks unflinchingly at 60s idealism, at the Woodstock generation, at the transient nature of life and love, at the media, at the heart of men, at us... The result is music beyond being inspired. Downright haunted. Bleak yet uplifting.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,485
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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Surreal electric rock poetry at its very best. Hugely influential.
[First added to this chart: 04/07/2011]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,177
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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 | 2 | 2% | |
| 1960s | 21 | 21% | |
| 1970s | 44 | 44% | |
| 1980s | 11 | 11% | |
| 1990s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2000s | 11 | 11% | |
| 2010s | 2 | 2% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Grateful Dead | 1 | 1% | |
| The La's | 1 | 1% | |
| Bill Callahan | 1 | 1% | |
| Donovan | 1 | 1% | |
| Pulp | 1 | 1% | |
| Terry Callier | 1 | 1% | |
| Bob Dylan | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
43 | 43% | |
| |
36 | 36% | |
 |
9 | 9% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 18 from 77th to 59thEarth Song, Ocean Song by Mary Hopkin |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 2 from 58th to 60thThe Band by The Band |
| Down 2 from 59th to 61stDeserter's Songs by Mercury Rev |
| Down 2 from 60th to 62ndPaul Simon by Paul Simon |
| New entries |
|---|
| 22 Dreams by Paul Weller |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Marquee Moon by Television |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | davidhuret | 1970s decade chart | 2023 | |
| If The BEA Overall Chart Had A One Album Per Artist Rule... |  Romanelli | Custom chart | 2025 | |
| Best Artists |  flamingyesdept | Custom chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  skelter54 | Overall chart | 2014 |  |
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| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  StefanR10 | Overall chart | 2020 | |
| BEA 100 (One Album per Artist) |  BozoTyrannus | Custom chart | 2020 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | stryker700 | Overall chart | 2021 |  |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
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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 111 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 07/27/2021 15:50 |  TheDude85 | 43 | 95/100 |
| ! | 03/29/2021 14:09 | WillyMac | 95 | 86/100 |
| ! | 01/29/2020 00:37 | pctrooper | 332 | 88/100 |
| ! | 06/17/2019 09:30 |  NowhereMan | 292 | 82/100 |
| ! | 02/18/2019 14:29 | Lgk21 | 141 | 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 16% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 87.4/100, a mean average of 86.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 12.5.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From TheDude85 07/27/2021 15:53 | #271986
TheDude85 07/27/2021 15:53 | #271986
A list maker at his peak about the peak albums as he evaluates them - You've scaled Mount Everest with this list and I commend you!!! Your notes re: each album are insightful and helpful to a novice like myself. Well done!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From WillyMac 03/29/2021 14:12 | #267923
This is an excellent chart by someone who obviously really knows music especially pre-1980. It would be very similar to my top 100 if I limited myself to one album per artist and overlooked punk and new wave. Great to see Paul Weller's 22 Dreams here but his best was with The Jam.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From pctrooper 01/29/2020 00:39 | #247272
I see here a music chart reflecting a thorough understanding of what gets the blood a pumpin' and the arms a wavin'. Just beautiful. And it's really sweet to see Bill Fay and Brendan Benson included back to back. Two of my all-time faves.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Lgk21 02/18/2019 14:30 | #232148
Cool stuff, I enjoyed all of your descriptions.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ExTeaSea 11/06/2018 16:24 | #223977
ExTeaSea 11/06/2018 16:24 | #223977
Good chart! It got more interesting the further I got into it. You're definitely a big fan of 60s and early 70s. I'd like to check out the more unique picks I haven't heard.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
sssvnnn 09/09/2018 22:03 | #220850
sssvnnn 09/09/2018 22:03 | #220850
close to perfection.
Only the big shots.
I like your chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Liedzeit 09/09/2018 19:16 | #220845
Liedzeit 09/09/2018 19:16 | #220845
Excellent chart. I especially liked the comment to A Salty Dog.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
RoundTheBend 09/09/2018 15:46 | #220833
RoundTheBend 09/09/2018 15:46 | #220833
Solid selections - great classics. It goes deep into an era that clearly is important to music history, yet misses quite a bit of other great eras. Yet, you like what you like, and that's great. Look forward to the top 200 if you haven't done it already.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 09/09/2018 15:19 | #220830
ForegroundNoise 09/09/2018 15:19 | #220830
I'd probably agree with Peppa but the notes are really great!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From 
bobbyb5 09/09/2018 09:38 | #220798
bobbyb5 09/09/2018 09:38 | #220798
You have very good and very shrewd taste. You got the right albums by the right artists.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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