Top 20 Greatest Music Albums by swarbs 
Phrasing the question of "what are the greatest albums of all time" as instead a desert-island-discs style approach, this list is a skim from the top of my CD drawer ( or just FLAC collection) of the albums that, if forced, I would be happy to listen to for the rest of my life. As I became a music fan in earnest at the end of the 2000s many of the albums on this list are ones from around that time that I still hold in very high regard. Of course, this is and most likely will remain a work in progress.
- Chart updated: 09/24/2019 13:15
- (Created: 09/24/2019 12:40).
- Chart size: 20 albums.
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Electronica / dance / folktronica / world
Written around the time of his wife's pregnancy, this is an album from Kieran Hebden filled with love and hope for an unborn child. Natural & electronic samples, such as his wife's voice, harp and a DVD loading screen, are spun together into beautiful crescendos creating a warm rose-tinted feel that begins in the first moments of the first track and carry through right to the last. A rhythmic 12 second interlude of the ultrasound of "Pablo's Heart" fits perfectly into the middle of the soundscape, and solidifies the album for me as one of the most beautiful love letters written.
As my first introduction to electronica which I found through its equally rose-tinted album art, this album will always hold a special place for me. After hearing the rest of Four Tet's discography, I see this album as the bridge between the "folktronica" Kieran pioneered with Pause (and to a lesser extent, Rounds) and the world of KH & Percussions dance/club focussed releases later on in his career. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
Written around the time of his wife's pregnancy, this is an album from Kieran Hebden filled with love and hope for an unborn child. Natural & electronic samples, such as his wife's voice, harp and a DVD loading screen, are spun together into beautiful crescendos creating a warm rose-tinted feel that begins in the first moments of the first track and carry through right to the last. A rhythmic 12 second interlude of the ultrasound of "Pablo's Heart" fits perfectly into the middle of the soundscape, and solidifies the album for me as one of the most beautiful love letters written.
As my first introduction to electronica which I found through its equally rose-tinted album art, this album will always hold a special place for me. After hearing the rest of Four Tet's discography, I see this album as the bridge between the "folktronica" Kieran pioneered with Pause (and to a lesser extent, Rounds) and the world of KH & Percussions dance/club focussed releases later on in his career. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
951
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Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
8
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Progressive / electronic / post-rock
After a string of successful house releases, Sam Shepherd's debut album Elaenia with heavy jazz influences was a surprise, but his second was an even greater detour. Sounding much more like a prog-rock album than his house singles, this album is a journey through the barren landscape of the Mojave Desert, both sonically and physically. Recorded on location in the desert, shown in the beautiful accompanying DVD, Shepherd and his band make incredible use of the natural reverb of their surroundings. Most notably this is heard on "Kites", where an amplifier playing a modular synth arpeggio is recorded from distances of 1/5/10/50m from the cabinet, and is rounded off by use of a directional microphone swung around Sam's head. Floating Points is clearly messing around with sound, and taking us all along on the beautiful odyssey of an album that resulted. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
After a string of successful house releases, Sam Shepherd's debut album Elaenia with heavy jazz influences was a surprise, but his second was an even greater detour. Sounding much more like a prog-rock album than his house singles, this album is a journey through the barren landscape of the Mojave Desert, both sonically and physically. Recorded on location in the desert, shown in the beautiful accompanying DVD, Shepherd and his band make incredible use of the natural reverb of their surroundings. Most notably this is heard on "Kites", where an amplifier playing a modular synth arpeggio is recorded from distances of 1/5/10/50m from the cabinet, and is rounded off by use of a directional microphone swung around Sam's head. Floating Points is clearly messing around with sound, and taking us all along on the beautiful odyssey of an album that resulted. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
Year of Release:
2007
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,670
Rank in 2007:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
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Indie-rock / lo-fi / jingle pop
Building upon a string of super successful LPs (at least in the indie community), this album is for me the peak of Mac DeMarco's output. Pop-heavy catchy tracks play out a disconcerting relationship between Mac & his estranged terminally ill father, initially enticing but later touching and surprisingly emotional. The tenderness displayed on the record [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
Building upon a string of super successful LPs (at least in the indie community), this album is for me the peak of Mac DeMarco's output. Pop-heavy catchy tracks play out a disconcerting relationship between Mac & his estranged terminally ill father, initially enticing but later touching and surprisingly emotional. The tenderness displayed on the record [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
Year of Release:
2017
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,349
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[First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,144
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Avant-pop / Electronic
The debut from SOPHIE is a masterclass in futuristic sound design. As Charlie XCX's producer, SOPHIE has undoubtedly had a markable impact on the modern pop scene, and the album is in some ways a manifesto for pop's future. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
The debut from SOPHIE is a masterclass in futuristic sound design. As Charlie XCX's producer, SOPHIE has undoubtedly had a markable impact on the modern pop scene, and the album is in some ways a manifesto for pop's future. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,497
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Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
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Alternative rock / Indie Rock
My favourite of the Manchester-based band, no over-reliance on big hitting singles but instead consistently beautiful and emotionally infused semi-orchestral arrangements. Guy Garvey is a master of emotional lyrics, and examples such as "I'd give my liver to see you" have stuck with me long after hearing the album for the first time. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
My favourite of the Manchester-based band, no over-reliance on big hitting singles but instead consistently beautiful and emotionally infused semi-orchestral arrangements. Guy Garvey is a master of emotional lyrics, and examples such as "I'd give my liver to see you" have stuck with me long after hearing the album for the first time. [First added to this chart: 09/24/2019]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
894
Rank in 2011:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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Total albums: 20. Page 1 of 2
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Top 20 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 1 | 5% | |
| 1970s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1980s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1990s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2000s | 4 | 20% | |
| 2010s | 15 | 75% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Machinedrum | 1 | 5% | |
| Mac DeMarco | 1 | 5% | |
| Youandewan | 1 | 5% | |
| Caribou | 1 | 5% | |
| Florence + The Machine | 1 | 5% | |
| SOPHIE | 1 | 5% | |
| Skee Mask | 1 | 5% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 20 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 16th to 15th Vapor City by Machinedrum |
| Up 1 from 14th to 13th Immunity by Jon Hopkins |
| Up 1 from 11th to 10th Build A Rocket Boys! by Elbow |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 5th to 6th Swim by Caribou |
| Down 1 from 10th to 11th Joined Ends by Dorian Concept |
| Down 1 from 13th to 14th Geogaddi by Boards Of Canada |
| New entries |
|---|
 Take Me With Youby Anthony Naples |
| The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 by Bill Evans |
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Top 20 Greatest Music Albums ratings
84/100 (from 2 votes)
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| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
75/100  | 09/14/2020 02:32 | Szyfman | | 85/100 |
75/100 | 09/09/2020 22:41 | Parkhaus | | 83/100 |
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ForegroundNoise 09/24/2019 20:58
ForegroundNoise 09/24/2019 20:58
Really cool start to a chart, even if mostly electronic releases they're all class picks (peppered with v interesting stuff for me to check out!). I'm sure you've already heard of him (and you might have seen it in my 2000s chart) but The Field's 'From Here We Go Sublime' is a must for you to check out, as well as DJ Sprinkles' 'Midtown 120 Blues' and Justice's † for some essential noughties house. If you're interested in the more abstract/ambient strands that artists like Four Tet gesture towards check out Tim Hecker (any of his 2nd, 4th, 6th or 7th albums are impeccable but maybe 'Harmony In Ultraviolet is a good place to start) and Fennesz (either Endless Summer or Venice will do). Let me know if you want any recommendations from the older decades!!
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