Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by LordMark 
Alternative rock is my favourite genre, and that's why the 90s will probably always be my favourite decade of music. I also love Britpop (the best of which also comes from the 90s) and South Korean girl groups.
- Chart updated: 07/22/2025 03:15
- (Created: 04/18/2019 12:09).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 8 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 28 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1980s. (Remove this filter)
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I tend to forget that this is a studio album, and not a greatest hits compilation. If you can find yourself a version that includes both "Elephant Stone" and "Fool's Gold" then, aside from "Love Spreads", you officially own the The Stone Roses' best songs on a single disc.
Top 3 Tracks:
1. I Am the Resurrection
2. This Is the One
3. Fools Gold [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Top 3 Tracks:
1. I Am the Resurrection
2. This Is the One
3. Fools Gold [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,162
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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If the devil truly does exist, I'm willing to bet that (s)he is a big fan of Doolittle. On the surface, it sounds like a catchy pop album, but when you start paying attention to the actual lyrics, you suddenly realize that something sinister is lurking underneath it all. Black Francis and Kim Deal couldn't stand each other, but that doesn't change the fact that they were both in top form on Doolittle.
Top 3 Tracks:
1. Gouge Away
2. Monkey Gone To Heaven
3. Debaser [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Top 3 Tracks:
1. Gouge Away
2. Monkey Gone To Heaven
3. Debaser [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
31,736
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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When I create some sort of greatest hits compilation or playlist on my iTunes, I tend to name it "Substance". That should give you a good idea about how much I love this album. While a handful of these tracks were included on their studio albums, their definitive versions are right here. Obviously, the B-sides on Disc 2 can't compete with the phenomenal singles on Disc 1, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you ignored songs like "In A Lonely Place", "Hurt", and the instrumental version of "Confusion".
Top 3 Tracks:
1. Perfect Kiss
2. True Faith
3. Blue Monday [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Top 3 Tracks:
1. Perfect Kiss
2. True Faith
3. Blue Monday [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,859
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Top 3 Tracks:
1. The Great Curve
2. The Overload
3. Crosseyed and Painless [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
1. The Great Curve
2. The Overload
3. Crosseyed and Painless [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,602
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Top 3 Tracks:
1. These Days
2. Fall On Me
3. I Believe [First added to this chart: 06/18/2024]
1. These Days
2. Fall On Me
3. I Believe [First added to this chart: 06/18/2024]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,536
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Top 3 Tracks:
1. Radio Free Europe
2. Catapult
3. Pilgrimage [First added to this chart: 06/18/2024]
1. Radio Free Europe
2. Catapult
3. Pilgrimage [First added to this chart: 06/18/2024]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,088
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Top 3 Tracks:
1. 7 Chinese Bros.
2. Pretty Persuasion
3. (Don't Go Back To) Rockville [First added to this chart: 06/18/2024]
1. 7 Chinese Bros.
2. Pretty Persuasion
3. (Don't Go Back To) Rockville [First added to this chart: 06/18/2024]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,245
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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My favourite posthumous album.
Top 3 Tracks:
1. A Means to an End
2. Twenty Four Hours
3. Decades [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Top 3 Tracks:
1. A Means to an End
2. Twenty Four Hours
3. Decades [First added to this chart: 04/18/2019]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,249
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
63. (=)
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Top 3 Tracks:
1. Where Is My Mind
2. Bone Machine
3. Gigantic [First added to this chart: 08/15/2019]
1. Where Is My Mind
2. Bone Machine
3. Gigantic [First added to this chart: 08/15/2019]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,061
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 9. Page 1 of 1
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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 | 2 | 2% | |
| 1980s | 9 | 9% | |
| 1990s | 40 | 40% | |
| 2000s | 25 | 25% | |
| 2010s | 19 | 19% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Radiohead | 7 | 7% | |
| Billy Talent | 5 | 5% | |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4% | |
| Our Lady Peace | 4 | 4% | |
| 트와이스 [Twice] | 4 | 4% | |
| Suede | 4 | 4% | |
| Bush | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 5 from 40th to 35th A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 35th to 36th OK Computer by Radiohead |
| Down 1 from 36th to 37th The Doors by The Doors |
| Down 1 from 37th to 38th MTV Unplugged In New York by Nirvana |
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| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | jwalsh97 | Overall chart | 2024 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | YikYak | Overall chart | 2023 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  nextorgd | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | yummybuds | Overall chart | 2022 | |
| The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time | New Music Express | Overall chart | 2013 |  |
| NME: The 100 greatest albums of all time | Johnnyo | Custom chart | 2021 | |
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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 28 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 07/19/2025 00:45 |  CA Dreamin | 134 | 88/100 |
| ! | 01/29/2025 12:49 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,105 | 85/100 |
| ! | 01/12/2025 02:04 |  MadhattanJack | 256 | 85/100 |
| ! | 11/01/2024 01:16 | mrmcrook | 725 | 92/100 |
| ! | 04/26/2024 08:38 |  LedZep | 1,104 | 84/100 |
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 5% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.8/100, a mean average of 89.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.7.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing all 8 comments |
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From mrmcrook 11/01/2024 01:19 | #305838
I'm always a fan of a list with notes. They can give good insight into the albums I don't know from artists I do. Great to see 'Road to Rouen' in there. Such an underrated album
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
pedro1976 06/09/2023 19:27 | #297518
pedro1976 06/09/2023 19:27 | #297518
great list - a few personal favourites on here as well as a few I'll be checking out!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Moondance 10/05/2022 21:27 | #290210
It's different, but that is what makes this site such a delight. Thanks for wearing your heart in your chart. I will have a look at some of your choices that are new to me - like Econoline Crush.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 10/05/2022 08:10 | #290183
Ace chart. Love it
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
desh79 02/10/2022 15:15 | #281075
desh79 02/10/2022 15:15 | #281075
I like it, eclectic lists like this one make BEA so interesting and worthwhile.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
DommeDamian 10/10/2020 12:44 | #259166
DommeDamian 10/10/2020 12:44 | #259166
Good descriptions man. May not agree, but that's irrelevant.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From roberto71 08/22/2020 08:32 | #257318
Wow. Naveed at Number 2. I've got Clumsy in my Top 100 and Naveed a little further down. It's always great to see OLP.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
EyeKanFly 01/22/2020 01:10 | #247062
EyeKanFly 01/22/2020 01:10 | #247062
Definitely more 90s focused than most charts you see, but still some wonderful albums and many I haven't heard of and would be interested in checking out. I'm really intrigued by all the K-Pop!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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