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.
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1972-REPRISE
Produced By ELLIOT MAZER, NEIL YOUNG, JACK NITZSCHE & HENRY LEWY

1. Out On The Weekend
2. Harvest
3. A Man Needs A Maid
4. Heart Of Gold
5. Are You Ready For The Country?
6. Old Man
7. There's A World
8. Alabama
9. The Needle And The Damage Done
10. Words (Between The Lines Of Age)

If you have been locked in a broom closet for your entire life and have never heard of Neil Young, then let me introduce you to Harvest. This is Neil's best selling album, his most popular, and a great place to start with one of rock's greatest solo acts. Harvest follows in the same vein as its predecessor, After The Golod Rush from 1970, but it's more in the middle of the folk rock road. His biggest (and most overplayed) hits are here: "Old Man" and "Heart Of Gold" will forever haunt solo acoustic players who play requests. These two songs are graced by the backup vocals of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. "The Needle And The Damage Done" is a quick 2 minute acoustic live track that lives forever. And his friends from CSN are here: he's joined by Crosby & Nash on "Are You Ready For The Country", Crosby & Stills on "Alabama", and Stills & Nash on "Words".

Harvest is a great album. It is unfortunate that two songs (the somehow hilarious "A Man Needs A Maid" and "There's A World") are buried by the London Symphony Orchestra. But this is a great introduction to Neil. And everyone should be well versed in Neil.
[First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,450
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Top rated album (85/100 - 1729 votes)  85 (1,729 votes)
Comments:
Buy album United States
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1978-WARNER BROS.
Produced By ROBBIE ROBERTSON

1. Theme From The Last Waltz
2. Up On Cripple Creek
3. Who Do You Love? (With Ronnie Hawkins)
4. Helpless (With Neil Young)
5. Stage Fright
6. Coyote (With Joni Mitchell)
7. Dry Your Eyes (With Neil Diamond)
8. It Makes No Difference
9. Such A Night (With Dr. John)
10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
11. Mystery Train (With Paul Butterfield)
12. Mannish Boy (With Muddy Waters)
13. Further On Up The Road (With Eric Clapton)

1. The Shape I’m In
2. Down South In New Orleans (With Bobby Charles & Dr. John)
3. Ophelia
4. Tura Lura Lural (That’s An Irish Lullaby) (With Van Morrison)
5. Caravan (With Van Morrison)
6. Life Is A Carnival
7. Baby Let Me Follow You Down (With Bob Dylan)
8. I Don’t Believe You (With Bob Dylan)
9. Forever Young (With Bob Dylan)
10. Baby, Let me Follow You Down (Reprise) (With Bob Dylan)
11. I Shall Be Released (With Bob Dylan)
12. The Well
13. Evangeline (With Emmylou Harris)
14. Out Of The Blue
15. The Weight (With The Staples)
16. The Last Waltz Refrain
17. Theme From The Last Waltz

Breaking up the band in style, is what this is. In 1976, The Band threw a farewell concert at the Winterland in San Francisco. They invited 5000 fans, and an impressive group of musicians they had worked with in the past. They also got Martin Scorsese to direct the film of the concert, which came out in 1978. Ultimately, this wasn’t the last waltz for The Band…five years later, they were back to touring again, but without guitarist Robbie Robertson, who would never again be part of the group. On this Thanksgiving concert document, The Band is in exceptional form, and the triple live album serves as one of the three must have albums by them…although what you’ll really want is the DVD so you can see it all unfold.

The guest stars are all great (the singers are shown in the track list above). They began as the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins, and later played famously with Bob Dylan, and everyone in between gives great performances. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison…how could you go wrong with this? Neil Diamond and Muddy Waters also give great performances. And the songs The Band plays by themselves are wonderful versions as well. The last album side (side six…the last 6 tracks on disc 2) were recorded outside of the main concert. The DVD is a better experience…but this continues to stand as one of the greatest all star concerts in rock history.
[First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
969
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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1993-ARISTA
Produced By JERRY HARRISON & CRASH TEST DUMMIES

1. God Shuffled His Feet
2. Afternoons & Coffeespoons
3. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
4. In The Days Of The Caveman
5. Swimming In Your Ocean
6. Here I Stand Before Me
7. I Think I'll Disappear Now
8. How Does A Duck Know?
9. When I Go Out With Artists
10. The Psychic
11. Two Knights And Maidens
12. Untitled

Every once in a while, you'll hear a band on the radio and immediately know that they will end up being a one hit wonder. Escape Club, for instance. Crash Test Dummies is one of those bands. Their one big hit from their second album, the strangely Titled "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm", introduced rock to the sound of a true bass lead singer, Brad Roberts. They were different, which made them successful, and which made them obsolete very quickly. But this is actually a pretty great album. Every song is an adventure, and even though it got old on the radio, Roberts voice just makes everything sound...smarter. The songs are terrific..."Afternoons & Coffeespons", the title track, and everything else deserved a better fate than it got. Nobody had ever sounded like the Dummies...and no one has since. Thus, a unique band, and one worth hearing.

It didn't help matters that their next album was terrible. But in 1993, these guys were awfully good. The album is still cool today...although it's also long forgotten.
[First added to this chart: 01/08/2025]
Year of Release:
1993
Appears in:
Rank Score:
398
Rank in 1993:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Produced by John Simon. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,803
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
2010-MERGE
Produced By MARKUS DRAVS & ARCADE FIRE

1. The Suburbs
2. Ready To Start
3. Modern Man
4. Rococo
5. Empty Room
6. City With No Children
7. Half Light I
8. Half Light II (No Celebration)
9. Suburban War
10. Month Of May
11. Wasted Hours
12. Deep Blue
13. We Used To Wait
14. Sprawl I (Flatland)
15. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
16. The Suburbs (Continued)

The third release from Arcade Fire is a concept album...not about the suburbs, but, according to band leader Win Butler, a letter from the suburbs. And for those of you who have proclaimed rock to be dead, open your ears...and open your mind. This is not the classic rock from high school, but it is living proof that the kids can still pull it off.

The album opens as strong as any in recent memory...the title tracks flies right into the excellent "Ready To Start", into "Modern Man", and it stays at that level throughout. This 7 piece band has definitely learned their craft well, and prove here that they are not a fluke in any way. The album was a number one in 2010, and for good reason...The Suburbs is hope for the future of rock...even if it doesn't sound anything like what we heard in past decades. But don't forget...that's what has kept it alive for so long.
[First added to this chart: 12/21/2012]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,192
Rank in 2010:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
1969-CAPITOL
Produced By JOHN SIMON

1. Across The Great Divide
2. Rag Mama Rag
3. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
4. When You Awake
5. Up On Cripple Creek
6. Whispering Pines
7. Jemima Surrender
8. Rockin' Chair
9. Look Out Cleveland
10. Jawbone
11. The Unfaithful Servant
12. King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

Bonus Tracks
13. Get Up Jake (Outtake-Stereo Mix)
14. Rag Mama Rag (Alternate vocal take-rough mix)
15. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Alternate mix)
16. Up On Cripple Creek (Alternate take)
17. Whispering Pines (Alternate take)
18. Jemima Surrender (Alternate take)
19. King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (Alternate performance)

Having gone from being The Hawks (Ronnie Hawkins backing band) to Bob Dylan's road band, this unlikely group of four Canadiens and one Arkansas farm boy released Music From Big Pink, which came from nowhere and defined Americana music. They were unable to tour because of a car accident involving Rick Danko, so when their second album, The Band, came out, they were still relatively unknown. The most amazing thing was, this was even better than their debut. Every song here is a true classic. "Across The Great Divide", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Up On Cripple Creek", "King Harvest"...and on and on. Richard Manuel, whose stunning vocal on "I Shall Be Released" on the debut was a high point, gets two amazing songs, "The Unfaithful Servant" and the beautiful "Whispering Pines".

The Band were on top of the world here. A no brainer 5 star album. As far as the bonus tracks, pay no attention...they are all inferior versions of the original releases. But The Band should be in every record collection. It should be the law.
[First added to this chart: 06/01/2012]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,484
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 6. 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%
Artist Albums %


The Band 3 3%
Drive-By Truckers 3 3%
The Beatles 3 3%
Nirvana 2 2%
Pink Floyd 2 2%
Lucero 2 2%
Whiskeytown 2 2%
Show all
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
Decoration Day
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)
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where:
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05/19/2025 19:46 StreakyNuno   13182/100
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100/100
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05/19/2025 12:26 Repo   559100/100
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95/100
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03/15/2025 22:29 BlueNote   9174/100
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85/100
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01/29/2025 12:37 SomethingSpecial   1,10585/100
The chart has been updated since this rating was assigned   
100/100
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01/15/2025 18:01 Exist-en-ciel   12699/100

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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 |
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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!
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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.
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Rating:  
100/100
From 05/04/2021 18:55 | #269359
Nothing but great records here!
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