Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by Chris15789 
These records have all had an impact on me in one way or another, many of them at times feeling like they personally defined the most emotional and unforgettable moments of my life. Anyway, this is a list I just came out with so I will continue adding descriptions and records day-by-day.
- Chart updated: 11/06/2025 03:45
- (Created: 02/11/2020 19:35).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 11 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 26 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 1970s. (Remove this filter)
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Spanish weeks in my disco casino
The freedom fighters died upon the hill
They sang the red flag
They wore the black one
But after they died it was Mockingbird Hill
Back home the buses went up in flashes
The Irish tomb was drenched in blood
Spanish bombs shatter the hotels
My senorita's rose was nipped in the bud
Classic rock is almost always undeniably good and getting recs from "the elders" is a favorite cultural exchange of mine. They lived in a musical time period that just smacked, period. Bands were constantly innovating and the rules by which sound and melody was created were established and broken constantly. That being said, I usually kinda know what to expect with classic bands. Not The Clash. Not London Calling. My dad sent me this album after I got my first record player and it was one of those albums that changed music for me. The searing sociopolitical commentary of Joe Strummer matches up to anything written today. The sardonic lyrics match the playful banging of Headon's drums, the booming of Simonon's bass, and the riffs of Jones perfectly. Let's not forget that this album is long as hell, and every track is a hit. Just goes to show the excellence of punk's greatest band, who not only rocked hard but also worked arguably harder than any other band I can think of. [First added to this chart: 02/11/2020]
The freedom fighters died upon the hill
They sang the red flag
They wore the black one
But after they died it was Mockingbird Hill
Back home the buses went up in flashes
The Irish tomb was drenched in blood
Spanish bombs shatter the hotels
My senorita's rose was nipped in the bud
Classic rock is almost always undeniably good and getting recs from "the elders" is a favorite cultural exchange of mine. They lived in a musical time period that just smacked, period. Bands were constantly innovating and the rules by which sound and melody was created were established and broken constantly. That being said, I usually kinda know what to expect with classic bands. Not The Clash. Not London Calling. My dad sent me this album after I got my first record player and it was one of those albums that changed music for me. The searing sociopolitical commentary of Joe Strummer matches up to anything written today. The sardonic lyrics match the playful banging of Headon's drums, the booming of Simonon's bass, and the riffs of Jones perfectly. Let's not forget that this album is long as hell, and every track is a hit. Just goes to show the excellence of punk's greatest band, who not only rocked hard but also worked arguably harder than any other band I can think of. [First added to this chart: 02/11/2020]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
30,994
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 11/10/2024]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,882
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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Don't be surprised when a crack in the ice
Appears under your feet
You slip out of your depth and out of your mind
With your fear flowing out behind you
As you claw the thin ice
This album was my musical puberty. I remember being introduced to it because it got frequent airplay on a classic rock station my family listened to, only really hearing songs like Another Brick or Hey You or Comfortably Numb, and didn't really think much about what it all meant but instead just thought they were cool songs. Then I was introduced to the movie and started to think about everything that was really being written about and conveyed. One of the first albums that really made me think about the lyrics in depth. It's a haunting achievement that I'll never stop listening to. [First added to this chart: 02/11/2020]
Appears under your feet
You slip out of your depth and out of your mind
With your fear flowing out behind you
As you claw the thin ice
This album was my musical puberty. I remember being introduced to it because it got frequent airplay on a classic rock station my family listened to, only really hearing songs like Another Brick or Hey You or Comfortably Numb, and didn't really think much about what it all meant but instead just thought they were cool songs. Then I was introduced to the movie and started to think about everything that was really being written about and conveyed. One of the first albums that really made me think about the lyrics in depth. It's a haunting achievement that I'll never stop listening to. [First added to this chart: 02/11/2020]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,165
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 11/10/2024]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,940
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 02/11/2020]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,303
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 05/15/2020]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
44,882
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 02/18/2020]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,243
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 07/31/2020]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,188
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Hey you, Whitehouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You're trying to keep our feelings off the street
You're nearly a real treat
All tight lips and cold feet [First added to this chart: 02/13/2020]
Ha, ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You're trying to keep our feelings off the street
You're nearly a real treat
All tight lips and cold feet [First added to this chart: 02/13/2020]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22,703
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 02/18/2020]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
60,293
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 13. 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 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1970s | 13 | 13% | |
| 1980s | 7 | 7% | |
| 1990s | 16 | 16% | |
| 2000s | 20 | 20% | |
| 2010s | 22 | 22% | |
| 2020s | 14 | 14% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4% | |
| Radiohead | 3 | 3% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 2% | |
| The Beatles | 2 | 2% | |
| Black Country, New Road | 2 | 2% | |
| Big Thief | 2 | 2% | |
| The Clash | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 3 from 23rd to 20th Tell Me About The Long Dark Path Home by The Newfound Interest In Connecticut |
| Up 3 from 22nd to 19th London Calling by The Clash |
| Up 3 from 21st to 18th You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 39 from 17th to 56th Perverts by Ethel Cain |
| Down 18 from 13th to 31st Enjoy Eternal Bliss by Yndi Halda |
| Down 15 from 18th to 33rd For The First Time by Black Country, New Road |
| New entries |
|---|
| Sunbather by Deafheaven |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Automatic For The People by R.E.M. |
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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 26 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 12/06/2025 21:08 |  HoldenM | 480 | 95/100 |
| ! | 02/08/2025 07:25 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,105 | 85/100 |
| ! | 01/12/2025 10:54 |  NowhereMan | 292 | 82/100 |
| ! | 01/12/2025 09:26 |  DommeDamian | 1,004 | 89/100 |
| ! | 09/25/2023 17:43 |  EyeKanFly | 209 | 88/100 |
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 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.7/100, a mean average of 92.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.5.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 11 comments |
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From HoldenM 12/06/2025 21:08 | #312037
HoldenM 12/06/2025 21:08 | #312037
*chef's kiss*
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From EyeKanFly 09/25/2023 17:44 | #299237
EyeKanFly 09/25/2023 17:44 | #299237
Great chart, looking forward to seeing more of the comments when you get to it!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Moondance 09/25/2023 08:33 | #299233
Love to see your personality shine through. Nice that Dylan just slip into your chart with an early 60's album that is exceptional but largely overlooked. Also nice to see Australia represented via Angus Stone - very cool!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From mrmcrook 03/16/2023 20:58 | #295073
Always love a chart with personal notes
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ForegroundNoise 03/02/2023 10:58 | #294625
ForegroundNoise 03/02/2023 10:58 | #294625
Gorgeous chart with lovely descriptions, can't believe I'm only coming across it now! Lots of familiar picks, but arranged in a way that makes it clear you have a unique relationship to them.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
urmom22 02/21/2023 08:30 | #294278
urmom22 02/21/2023 08:30 | #294278
Love the descriptions
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
gidgidi 02/13/2021 13:55 | #266262
gidgidi 02/13/2021 13:55 | #266262
Great list! Full of personal picks and I like it! Would be even better if you added some notes like you did in the top 10
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From CompassCharlatan 11/07/2020 22:15 | #260345
Nice stuff on here.
I still need to get into Kendrick Lamar and Deerhunter. I see them on almost every list I check out.
Thanks for this list. Peace and Love
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ExTeaSea 05/16/2020 10:57 | #251564
ExTeaSea 05/16/2020 10:57 | #251564
Really appreciate this chart and I think it is excellent! Weird that you have Antlers Burst Apart on here because while I was looking at this a song of theirs from the album was stuck in my head. Also a Perfume Genius song haha. Checked this out because of your comment on the new Perfume Genius and you already have it on your top hundred, that's really cool, it is very good.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
YEEZY 04/27/2020 13:40 | #250570
YEEZY 04/27/2020 13:40 | #250570
Awesome list, I love a lot of these albums.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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