Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by mianfei 
This is a rough guide to the 100 greatest albums I have listened to.
Two albums only per artist – with artists related by personnel counted as one – and with the classical recordings one recording per composition.
Especially the lower-ranked albums on the list will be subject to revision as I have a very large backlog of recordings to listen (and re-listen) to.
- Chart updated: 08/30/2024 13:15
- (Created: 05/13/2019 10:35).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 25 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 86 out of 100 (from 44 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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The quintessential mystical female singer/songwriter album — the “Sophia” of pop music — ‘Hounds of Love’ possesses unsurpassed otherworldliness and tight-linked personal quest-seeking. Whereas the Romeros were looking to the East, Kate Bush looked to ancient Arthurian traditions to create a work of even purer mysticality united around an entire personal quest — and in my view not merely on the conceptual “Ninth Wave” side. The mysteriousness of the lyrics, backed up by Stuart Elliott’s underappreciated drumming, reaches cosmic depths in ‘Running Up That Hill’, ‘The Big Sky’, ‘Mother Stands for Comfort’, yet the unearthliness is matched by equally otherworldly tenderness in ‘And Dream of Sheep’, ‘Hello Earth’, ‘Watching You Without Me’ and ‘The Morning Fog’. A truly popular — it made #6 on the charts — recording with such impenetrable mystery is a true wonder and ‘Hounds of Love’ remains just that.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,456
Rank in 1985:
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Comments:
102
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For one-off albums, this is simultaneously both the (nearly) most famous, most difficult and most rewarding. I recall as a first-year university student finding no content in ‘Miss America’ during a first-up listen, yet when I listened again a second time seven years later it dawned on me that this is a remarkable work of vocal gymnastics from a woman as crazy as her vocal tones. ‘Miss America’ is so raw it cannot qualify as “folk” or even “anti-folk” but this adds to the tension that never lets go over the whole record. ‘Year in Song’ with its crescendos repeating “joy” and “blow you up” manages the amazing feat of being the nastiest confession and most virtuosic vocal performance ever, and the whole record surpasses even Patti Smith as a shamanic invocation to love. Yet on ‘Body’s in Trouble’, ‘When You Know Why You’re Happy’ and the sublime ‘Anew Day’, O'Hara shows that behind the craziness there was real compassion and love. Absolutely essential after fifteen and after thirty years.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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The greatest punk album of all time. Whereas most punk “thugs” (as Robert Palmer called them) were simply childish ranters playing tuneless and unlistenable noise, Jeffrey Lee Pierce was able to expose the depths of the depraved with a frankness and bluntness beyond Nyro, Fagen or even Hamill. The cries for redemption surpass anything in the gospel field and are only beaten by ‘Ascension Day’, and ‘Preaching the Blues’, ‘Sex Beat’ ‘Fire Spirit’ and ‘Cool Drink of Water’ return to rock’s deepest blues and gospel roots yet far surpasses them in ferocity. Unsurpassed as a revelation from a “tortured soul”.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,749
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Speaking of “tortured souls”, Kristin Hersh’s bipolarity is quintessential and this debut Throwing Muses release stands as the most technically virtuosic performance by any female rocker. The first American band signed by Ivo Watts-Russell’s 4AD label, Throwing Muses were thought of as hardcore punk influence yet the rapidly shifting tempos and time signatures of Hersh’s songs here are much more challenging and complex than most progressive rock. The way ‘Hate My Way’’s hellish visions become sweet melodies is remarkable, and ‘Vicky’s Box’ is unequalled as a horror tale of being imprisoned alone — yet finding joy. Even on the less violent ‘Rabbit’s Dying’, ‘Soul Soldier’ and ‘Delicate Cutters’, Hersh expresses complex emotions in tight songs — credit going to the underrated rhythm section of Lesley Langston and Dave Narcizo. As the sound of a soul “touched with fire”, this has never been beaten.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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In an age of “me-first” materialism, this album’s brutal, stern depictions of man’s sinfulness and the intense, deep power of Brendan Perry’s poetry is something that has to be in here. Dead Can Dance had began in Melbourne, but like most Australian artists who could not get on radio they had to move to Britain. Their first two albums are equally dark and slow, but it is only on ‘Within the Realm of a Dying Sun’ that Perry and Lisa Gerrard manage to capture the true soul behind their work, whose horns and pianos sound like Parliament at 16rpm. The sadness and confessional poetry of ‘Anywhere out of This World’ and ‘Xavier’ would be enough to place ‘Within the Realm’ on a “best” list, but the power with which Lisa chants on ‘Dawn of the Iconoclast’, ‘Cantara’ and ‘Persephone (the Gathering of Flowers)’ makes it a double masterpiece. If ‘Throwing Muses’ was the 1980s’ personal confession, this is that decade’s collective admission of guilt.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,168
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The greatest “breakout” album ever made (was ‘Country Life’ a “breakout” album)? On ‘Document’, Stipe, Mills, Berry and Buck take the generally dreadful genre of power pop and turn it into something no pure rock band has matched for power, melody and flow. By easing the mumble in his voice on earlier albums, Michael Stipe delivers with a power he never managed before or after, with the result that ‘Document’ is a genuine masterpiece from start to finish. ‘The One I Love’ and ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)’ are rock songs that stand up to radio play as only the Doors and Police ever matched, but ‘Exhuming McCarthy’, ‘Lightning Hopkins’ and ‘Finest Worksong’ are equally stunning.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,722
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When this album came out, it was viewed as mystifying because of the unconventional instrumentation — two bass guitars and a violin in addition to Mimi Goese’s vocals. Yet, listened to today, ‘Drum’ is perhaps the best “dream pop” album ever made, and perhaps the only recording that even attempts to capture the moods Joni attempted on the incomparable ‘Hejira’ (#1 on this list). Adam Peacock and Tim Sommer play their basses in a unique manner to recreate a lower-pitched folk/jazz guitar; Hahn Rowe on violin is eerily yet softly delicate, and Mimi’s vocals are catchy yet heart-melting with their lack of anger — even when she expresses violent fear on opener ‘Grow Wild’ and ‘Second Skin’, which may be the best song on the record. The band even manages to place a gothic acoustic guitar on a cover of ‘Fancy’, a capella on ‘Harpers’, and quiet-to-loud before Slint on ‘Scream Tall’ — all without losing their unique texture and pure, yet truly wild, vocals.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
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Within the two-album-per artist limitation, I have always been unsure whether to include this or 1973’s ‘Stranded’ — a record no doubt closer to Roxy’s original art-rock concept but with Ferry’s flowing femininity already in full flower. Nevertheless, ‘Avalon’ is a remarkable piece that was the greatest “return to form” album of all time – perhaps the greatest “pop” album of all time – yet genuinely influential on British music for over a decade. Ferry, Manzanera, Mackay and underrated drummer Andy Newmark make atmospheres that were as beautiful as the best dream-pop of the ensuing decade, yet without any pretension and with moments of sparkling power. ‘The Space Between’ is tribal in texture and a prototype of Dead Can Dance, whilst ‘The Main Thing’ and the title track achieve a simple beauty that was far from Ferry’s recent work and equally far from the prevailing mood of the era’s radio songs.
[First added to this chart: 03/25/2020]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,550
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Comments:
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This album would be important if only for defining the “dream pop” style with its layered atmospheric songs: ‘When Mama Was Moth’, ‘Five Ten Fiftyfold’, and ‘Multifoiled’ were revolutionary in their layering of guitars and Elizabeth Fraser’s ability to sing lyrics as an instrument went far beyond previous experiments to an entirely new style of music. Even with a rhythm recalling Laura Nyro’s ‘When I Was a Freeport’, ‘In Our Angelhood’ is the most touching and driving “pop” song of the 1980s, yet moved far beyond the already impressive soundscapes of the previous year’s ‘Garlands’. Then there is the beautiful incantation of ‘Sugar Hiccup’, with a slow groove that still manages to be danceable, ‘Glass Candle Grenades’ with Fraser’s most visceral and urgent vocal ever, and the cocaine-drenched yet amazingly catchy ‘In the Gold Dust Rush’. The Twins would make many very good albums for the remainder of the 1980s, but would never equal ‘Head Over Heels’’ sheer power.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,162
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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Just as significant to “shoegaze” music as My Bloody Valentine, Robert Poss and his crew took the concept of layered guitars further than anyone by playing with three lead guitars. The distortion, of course, goes back to Hendrix, but the multiple layering seen on ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ takes a song reminiscent of ‘The Thrill of It All’ in structure into another sonic dimension entirely, while Poss and Susan Stenger manage to emulate rather than imitate Ferry’s androgynous vocals. ‘Because of You’ manages to overcome the inherent weaknesses of “power pop” and turn it into something that is fierce yet delicate, the surreal ‘Birthmark’ is somehow gentle yet ferocious via Ron Spitzer‘s beat, the urgent ‘Tourniquet’ weaves the most delicate melodies over Poss’ urgent voice, and ‘Which Dream Came True’ reprises ‘Because of You’ to wonderful effect.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2019]
Total albums: 16. Page 1 of 2
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 12 | 12% | |
| 1970s | 30 | 30% | |
| 1980s | 16 | 16% | |
| 1990s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2000s | 10 | 10% | |
| 2010s | 9 | 9% | |
| 2020s | 2 | 2% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Talk Talk | 2 | 2% | |
| Roxy Music | 2 | 2% | |
| Julia Holter | 2 | 2% | |
| Joanna Newsom | 2 | 2% | |
| Laura Nyro | 2 | 2% | |
| Van Morrison | 2 | 2% | |
| Steely Dan | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
53 | 53% | |
 |
27 | 27% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 87th to 86th The Power Of The True Love Knot by Shirley Collins |
| Up 1 from 86th to 85th The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle by Bruce Springsteen |
| Up 1 from 23rd to 22nd Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome by Parliament |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 3 from 17th to 20th Laughing Stock by Talk Talk |
| Down 2 from 21st to 23rd Aviary by Julia Holter |
| Down 2 from 85th to 87th Witchy Activities And The Maple Death by Monika Roscher Bigband |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | mianfei | 1970s decade chart | 2023 | |
| Top 65 Music Albums of the 1990s | mianfei | 1990s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | hairymarx1 | Overall chart | 2016 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  The Gollux | Overall chart | 2024 | |
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| PPV Overall Ranking | bea | Custom chart | 2021 | |
| Mojo 100 Greatest Albums of All Time (1995) | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2019 | |
| RYM Average Rating | Imaybeparanoid | Custom chart | 2016 | |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
86/100 (from 44 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 44 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
85/100  | 03/06/2025 20:34 | SomethingSpecial | | 85/100 |
95/100 | 11/29/2024 21:59 | oilnoilnoilnoil | | 93/100 |
 100/100 | 01/14/2024 06:23 | shanelovesyou111 | | 82/100 |
| 100/100 | 10/25/2023 17:49 |  sageamagoo | | 92/100 |
| 100/100 | 03/25/2023 12:27 |  LedZep | | 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 has a Bayesian average rating of 86.3/100, a mean average of 84.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 20.0.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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95/100
From oilnoilnoilnoil 11/29/2024 22:00
Awesome chart! Love the comments! I'm coming here for my next music recommendation.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Hayden 09/14/2024 14:57
Hayden 09/14/2024 14:57
Thank you Mianfei— you may very well be right. That sole entry from the 80s window isn't even technically an album! Please Don't Play "A Rainy Night In Georgia" is much closer to an EP than anything. I only recently removed an 80s album (Accordion & Voice by Pauline Oliveros), albeit from early on in the decade.
Candidates from that window? MBV's You Made Me Realise, Swordfishtrombones, Lubomyr Melnyk's The Voice Of Trees, maybe After Dinner's s/t— but I'm not going to act like the mid-80s were my favourite time for music. I lean far more towards the vibe of '80-82.
Hope you find something you like though. I have about 3-4 albums being swapped out somepoint soon. Going through a slight rejig.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From sageamagoo 01/15/2024 19:59
sageamagoo 01/15/2024 19:59
Hejira blew my mind, clearly a landmark work of fusion and poetry! This is exactly the kind of music I've spent my life searching for. Hearing the essential contributions women have made to music could not be more important to me, and your chart is full of exactly that.
Not hard to tell when someone's true passion lies in exploring the depths of this world's music. Your chart is learned with a lifetime of research and I will happily reference it for my own pursuits.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From zrommeke 03/25/2023 11:41
Impressive, interesting, inspiring!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From uphill 01/05/2023 15:26
Laika, Linda Perhacs, Joanna Newsom... lots of stuff that i would also rate high...
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
70/100
From Santiago 08/26/2021 04:57
I have discovered some artists that seem interesting and I am looking forward to listen to their records. On the other hand there are some artists that I know, but I think they are just OK and not good enough to be considered for the top positions of a "Greatest Music Album" chart. Thanks for posting this chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From Moondance 07/06/2021 00:28
A thought provoking chart and your commentary on the first 50 albums reveals the deepest reflection in your music journey and should be applauded. I was a little disappointed not to see a single Australian artist/album make the top 100 grade.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
seb7 07/05/2021 21:34
seb7 07/05/2021 21:34
Not my picks, but a diverse chart nonetheless. Love seeing Hejira getting love.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
DommeDamian 07/05/2021 21:23
DommeDamian 07/05/2021 21:23
Oh my god this is great work buddy!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Johnnyo 07/05/2021 15:54
Really nice and unique chart. I like it a lot
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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