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.
- Chart updated: 04/12/2024 14:15
- (Created: 06/01/2012 04:29).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 113 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 174 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1960s. (Remove this filter)
Produced By GEORGE MARTIN
1. Come Together
2. Something
3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
4. Oh! Darling
5. Octopus's Garden
6. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
7. Here Comes The Sun
8. Because
9. You Never Give Me Your Money
10. Sun King
11. Mean Mr. Mustard
12. Polythene Pam
13. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
14. Golden Slumbers
15. Carry That Weight
16. The End
17. Her Majesty
Abbey Road was the last album recorded by The Beatles, although it was released before Let It Be. The album shows that the group was back on the same page, yet seriously divided. The first half is a normal song cycle to appease John Lennon, while the second half is bits and pieces as Paul McCartney wanted to do. The album is still amazing. Every track is golden, the production spotless, and even the continuous song flow on the second half is flawless. George Harrison is in full swing as a writer here with his two contributions being among his best as a Beatle. Even the Ringo song is good. A powerful, timeless work. This album cemented The Beatles place in history, and is still better today than most records made since.
The breakup was soon to come. McCartney tried to follow in the same vein as Abbey Road, but never matched it. If you look at this as The Beatles final album, then there couldn't be a better way to go out. An absolute classic. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By GEORGE MARTIN
1. Drive My Car
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
3. You Won't See Me
4. Nowhere Man
5. Think For Yourself
6. The Word
7. Michelle
8. What Goes On
9. Girl
10. I'm Looking Through You
11. In My Life
12. Wait
13. If I Needed Someone
14. Run For Your Life
On their sixth album, The Beatles began to expand their horizons. Able to record for the first time without having a tour to worry about, the band introduced sitars and other instruments into the mix. Lyrically, the band was still growing, and George Harrison was beginning to become a serious writer for the band as well with 2 songs included here. There is simply not a weak track, not even the Ringo vocal on "What Goes On", which features a nice country sound. Several classic hits came from here, including McCartney's "Michelle" and Lennon's "Girl".
Rubber Soul was innovative at the time, and still sounds great today. It was just the beginning of the progression they would go through over the next 5 years. A classic. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
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]
Produced By GEORGE MARTIN
1. Back In The U.S.S.R.
2. Dear Prudence
3. Glass Onion
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
5. Wild Honey Pie
6. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
9. Martha My Dear
10. I'm So Tired
11. Blackbird
12. Piggies
13. Rocky Raccoon
14. Don't Pass Me By
15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
16. I Will
17. Julia
1. Birthday
2. Yer Blues
3. Mother Nature's Son
4. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
5. Sexy Sadie
6. Helter Skelter
7. Long, Long, Long
8. Revolution 1
9. Honey Pie
10. Savoy Truffle
11. Cry Baby Cry
12. Revolution 9
13. Good Night
This is where the breakup of The Beatles began. This is also still a highly listenable and fascinating album. The band began working apart from each other here, becoming mostly solo artists using the other members as sidemen. The results? Some of the most compelling music of their career. "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" and "Revolution 1" from Lennon, "Back In The U.S.S.R." from McCartney, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from Harrison are just some of the individual highlights, and even Ringo gets a song in "Don't Pass Me By". It's hard to tell sometimes who is playing what, or even who was included on recordings, but The Beatles prove that even under the circumstances, they were still capable of a work this good.
2 years after the release of this, The Beatles were done. It has remained their most talked about album, and for many, their greatest work. Understandably so. 1968? Still sounds like it could have been done a month ago. That's how good it is. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
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]
Produced By CHARLES GREENE & BRIAN STONE
1. For What It’s Worth
2. Go And Say Goodbye
3. Sit Down I Think I Love You
4. Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing
5. Hot Dusty Roads
6. Everybody’s Wrong
7. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong
8. Burned
9. Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It
10. Leave
11. Out Of My Mind
12. Pay The Price
What turned out to be a stepping stone band on a par only with The Yardbirds, Buffalo Springfield existed for only two years. But the band launched the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina, making future acts Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Poco, Manassas and Loggins & Messina possible. The history of the band was tumultuous, and they burned out by 1968 in the midst of multiple drug busts. But they also made three albums, including this one, their first. Messina wasn’t there yet, but the front line of Stills, Young and Furay was pretty potent. Here, they had been together just a few months, and they were ultimately unhappy that the hurried nature of the recordings resulted in not capturing the live sound they were after. There is an uncomfortable and rushed feeling to the album, for sure.
This version of Buffalo Springfield is a re-release from 1967 that was done after “For What It’s Worth” (not on the original version) became a hit. It replaces the track “Baby Don’t Scold Me”, and puts the songs in different order. Other highlights include Young’s “Burned” and “Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing”, and Stills’ “Sit Down I Think I Love You”. The next album, Buffalo Springfield Again, was much better, but this is still an important part of the American rock resurgence of the late 60’s, and an important start to the recording legacy of the band and its individual members. It’s interesting to hear the genesis of everything that came afterwards here, while the members were still young and not yet famous. All of which makes this somewhat flawed album very worthwhile. [First added to this chart: 08/24/2020]
Produced By PHIL & LEONARD CHESS
1. Anything To Say You're Mine
2. My Dearest Darling
3. Trust In Me
4. A Sunday Kind Of Love
5. Tough Mary
6. I Just Want To Make Love To You
7. At Last
8. All I Could Do Is Cry
9. Stormy Weather
10. Girl Of My Dreams (Rendered aAs Boy Of My Dreams)
Bonus Tracks
11. My Heart Cries
12. Spoonful
13. It's A Crying Shame
14. If I Can't Have You
Aretha Franklin's only real competition in the 60's was Etta James. At Last, her debut album, was actually a comeback for her. She'd had a number one hit in 1955, and then nothing until this came out in 1961. The title track is a song that she will own forever...no one will ever outdo what she did with it, and it's a song that will live forever. But this isn't a one song wonder. "Stormy Weather" is just as great, and there are many other stunning tracks. And it's not just blues ballads...check out her gritty performance on "I Just Want To Make Love To You", which sounds like it may be the version the Rolling Stones decided to cover. Etta James gets lost in the shuffle sometimes, but she should not be forgotten. And At Last deserves to be heard.
The bonus tracks are all duets with Harvey Fuqua, and are all worthwhile, particularly Willie Dixon's "Spoonful". [First added to this chart: 01/07/2013]
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]
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
Decade | Albums | % | |
---|---|---|---|
1930s | 0 | 0% | |
1940s | 0 | 0% | |
1950s | 0 | 0% | |
1960s | 12 | 12% | |
1970s | 22 | 22% | |
1980s | 13 | 13% | |
1990s | 26 | 26% | |
2000s | 21 | 21% | |
2010s | 6 | 6% | |
2020s | 0 | 0% |
Artist | Albums | % | |
---|---|---|---|
|
|||
The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
Drive-By Truckers | 3 | 3% | |
The Band | 3 | 3% | |
Nirvana | 2 | 2% | |
Wilco | 2 | 2% | |
Jason Isbell | 2 | 2% | |
Lynyrd Skynyrd | 2 | 2% | |
Show all |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
Biggest climbers |
---|
Up 5 from 66th to 61st Music From Big Pink by The Band |
Biggest fallers |
---|
Down 1 from 61st to 62nd All Things Must Pass by George Harrison |
Down 1 from 62nd to 63rd Being There by Wilco |
Down 1 from 63rd to 64th At Last! by Etta James |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
- Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Manso (2020)
- Outside The BEA Top 1000 by Romanelli (2015)
- Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by jeffrey-hodgson (2018)
- Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by maverick470 (2015)
- Overall Top 100 Ranked Correctly by Mother Nature's Son (2014)
- Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by adnielsen (2023)
- Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by RFNAPLES (2013)
- ranking the overall top 100 by OKC1 (2016)
- TOP 100 IN THE FUTURE by exileonthehell (2016)
- Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by jay020281 (2020)
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
- Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.
- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
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 174 ratings for this chart.
Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
03/29/2024 22:06 | CassidyInc | 5 | 100/100 | |
06/11/2023 18:03 | pedro1976 | 85 | 84/100 | |
06/03/2023 12:17 | Schribes | 11 | 99/100 | |
03/06/2023 07:30 | Moondance | 454 | 84/100 | |
11/16/2022 17:06 | conallmalone | 173 | 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 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 88.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 12.5.
Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 27 members
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 113 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
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!
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.
Great chart, with impressive comments; very inspirational!
would appreciate more variety from coutries, genres
Lots of new music to discover here
There's a lot of excellent choices here. Many of which I'll be listening to as well. Thanks for this list!
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.
Nothing but great records here!
perfect soundtrack to being the only guy left in the rural middle-of-nowhere bar at 4AM (this may sound backhanded but I assure you it's high praise)
Still Crazy (good) after all these years.
Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment
Your feedback for Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.