Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by Romanelli

With production credits (because producers are important, too). Also track listings, label info and short reviews written by yours truly. I hope this chart is helpful, entertaining, and at least interesting.
There are 114 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 179 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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1967-REPRISE
Produced By CHAS CHANDLER

1. Purple Haze
2. Manic Depression
3. Hey Joe
4. Love or Confusion
5. May This Be Love
6. I Don’t Live Today
7. The Wind Cries Mary
8. Fire
9. Third Stone From The Sun
10. Foxey Lady
11. Are You Experienced?

The version of Are You Experienced that you are familiar with depends solely on which side of the Atlantic Ocean you reside on. Hendrix was a struggling session player when he was discovered by former Animals bassist Chas Chandler in 1966. He was flown to England, where Chandler put together the Experience and the band began recording. Are You Experienced was an immediate success in England, and after a slow start took off in the US as well, and it’s now considered one of the greatest albums of all time. And even though there are major differences in the US and UK versions, it’s a classic either way. The exclusive US tracks are “Purple Haze”, “Hey Joe” and “The Wind Cries Mary”, while the UK version boasts “Red House”, “Can You See Me” and “Remember”. The album covers are also very different, changed for the US version because Hendrix hated the UK cover. But regardless of which version you have (or prefer), there’s no denying that this is one great mother of an album.

Are You Experienced changed the way the electric guitar was played in rock forever. It also changed the way rockers played the blues forever, and ignited the styles of Led Zeppelin and everyone else who came along behind Hendrix. “Purple Haze”, “Manic Depression” and “Hey Joe” make up one of the strongest beginnings an album could have. Some of the songs here are not as well known, but there isn’t a weak track to be found, on either version. “I Don’t Live Today” has a wonderfully furious chorus, while “Third Stone From The Sun” melds Hendrix’ perfect soloing with the sharp psychedelic sounds of the late 60’s. Are You Experienced shows that Hendrix was not only a wizard on the guitar, but that he also had the songs to make it all work perfectly. Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell provide the expert rhythm: Hendrix provides everything else. This album is simply a classic, perfect record. Flawless and undeniably important in the history of rock guitar.
[First added to this chart: 11/21/2012]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21,641
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Top rated album (87/100 - 2491 votes)  87 (2,491 votes)
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
1967-EXPERIENCE HENDRIX
Produced By CHAS CHANDLER

1. EXP
2. Up From The Skies
3. Spanish Castle Magic
4. Wait Until Tomorrow
5. Ain't No Telling
6. Little Wing
7. If 6 Was 9
8. You Got Me Floatin'
9. Castles Made Of Sand
10. She's So Fine
11. One Rainy Wish
12. Little Miss Lover
13. Bold As Love

The Jimi Hendrix Experience had the greatest 3 album career in history. Axis: Bold As Love is the 2nd album, and shows simply why Hendrix was and still is considered one of rock's greatest artists. The album contains the absolute classic "Spanish Castle Magic", "Little Wing". "Castles Made Of Sand", "If 6 Was 9", and, hell, almost everything else. Not even the record's two blemishes, "EXP" (a borderline stupid radio interview with an alien), and "She's So Fine", which was written and sung by bassist Noel Redding, can reduce how great Hendrix and this album were. And are.

The first three albums are really a stunning collection in their own right. Get them all, and know that you have 3 of the greatest rock albums ever made. Ever.
[First added to this chart: 06/01/2012]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,551
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 2. 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 10 10%
1970s 21 21%
1980s 11 11%
1990s 32 32%
2000s 22 22%
2010s 4 4%
2020s 0 0%
Country Albums %


United States 62 62%
United Kingdom 20 20%
Mixed Nationality 9 9%
Canada 6 6%
Australia 1 1%
New Zealand 1 1%
Ireland 1 1%
Live? Albums %
No 96 96%
Yes 4 4%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 99 99%
Yes 1 1%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Climber Up 2 from 39th to 37th
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by Drive-By Truckers
Biggest fallers
Faller Down 1 from 37th to 38th
Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1
by The Traveling Wilburys
Faller Down 1 from 38th to 39th
The Dark Side Of The Moon
by Pink Floyd
TitleSourceTypePublishedCountry
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s Romanelli1990s decade chart2025
Top 100 Greatest Music Albumsjeffrey-hodgsonOverall chart2018Unknown
Top 100 Greatest Music Albumsmaverick470Overall chart2015Unknown
Outside The BEA Top 1000 RomanelliCustom chart2015
Top 100 Greatest Music Albumssomefatguy157Overall chart2020
Top 100 Greatest Music AlbumsMansoOverall chart2020
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums RFNAPLESOverall chart2013
AllMusic's Greatest Albumsmusicologist97Custom chart2019
Top 100 Greatest Music Albumstim0505Overall chart2025
Top 100 Greatest Music Albumsjay020281Overall chart2020

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
89/100 (from 179 votes)
  Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
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Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 179 ratings for this chart.

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90/100
 !
05/19/2025 19:46 StreakyNuno   13182/100
The chart has been updated since this rating was assigned   
100/100
 !
05/19/2025 12:26 Repo   558100/100
The chart has been updated since this rating was assigned   
95/100
 !
03/15/2025 22:29 BlueNote   9174/100
The chart has been updated since this rating was assigned   
85/100
 !
01/29/2025 12:37 SomethingSpecial   1,10585/100
The chart has been updated since this rating was assigned   
100/100
 !
01/15/2025 18:01 Exist-en-ciel   12599/100

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This chart is rated in the top 6% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.6/100, a mean average of 87.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.7/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 12.5.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 114 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
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Rating:  
90/100
From 05/19/2025 19:47 | #309063
I like the Chart but The Black Crowes album, even though it is an excellent album, is an exaggeration to consider it the best ever.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 05/19/2025 12:28 | #309062
A wondrous labor of love! GREAT notes!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 03/29/2024 22:06 | #302746
Neat chart, but the write ups and historical perspective you've included for many of these albums make it something special. I had a good chuckle when I finally arrived to Loveless, the album I was most excited to hear your thoughts on, and there was nothing there!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 03/06/2023 07:40 | #294755
What I found most intriguing is where you actually argue in your comments why an album isn't that great - which is an unusual way to create a greatest 100 chart. A bit too US-orientated for my liking and too many so-so bands. Good to see one album each from Australia & New Zealand.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 10/25/2022 14:15 | #290788
Great chart, with impressive comments; very inspirational!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 07/12/2022 00:28 | #287280
would appreciate more variety from coutries, genres
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 02/03/2022 23:20 | #280650
Lots of new music to discover here
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 10/19/2021 18:18 | #275181
There's a lot of excellent choices here. Many of which I'll be listening to as well. Thanks for this list!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 07/18/2021 16:41 | #271703
Stunning chart. I own 83 of the albums in your chart so it's inevitable that I'm going to love it. Also love the notes. Great addition.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 05/04/2021 18:55 | #269359
Nothing but great records here!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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