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: 11/30/2025 23:45
- (Created: 06/01/2012 04:29).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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1998 – WARNER BROS.
Produced By ROB CAVALLO & GOO GOO DOLLS
1. Dizzy
2. Slide
3. Broadway
4. January Friend
5. Black Balloon
6. Bullet Proof
7. Amigone
8. All Eyes On Me
9. Full Forever
10. Acoustic #3
11. Iris
12. Extra Pale
13. Hate This Place
One of the most unfortunately named rock bands of all time, Goo Goo Dolls spent years trying to shake off comparisons to The Replacements, which made about as much sense as their unfortunate name. By the release of Dizzy up The Girl, their sixth album, they had already had a decent sized taste of success with the song “Name” (from the unfortunately titled album A Boy Named Goo), but it was the inclusion of “Iris” in the film City Of Angels that really made them stars. This album boasted five singles, and is polished and cleaned up so much that previous recordings sound not much like this one. In short, the Goo’s set out to make a massively successful pop album, and in that regard, they accomplished what they were after. The reality, though, is that no matter how much you polish up a set of average songs, they are still going to be average songs. And Dizzy Up The Girl is nothing more than average.
The best song here is, of course, “Iris”, which is the strongest melody the band has ever written. The album balances the ballads and the rockers pretty evenly, and while “Slide”, “Black Balloon” and “Dizzy” are pretty good, there’s nothing that really sticks as “Iris” does. Johnny Rzeznik doesn’t have much to say, and the band never really kicks it into a higher gear. The result of all of this is that Dizzy Up The Girl is pleasant enough to not be off-putting, cleaned up enough to not be offensive, and poppy enough to make you believe that it might just be better than it really is. The reality is that this album is just perfectly average, decent but never great from beginning to end. Which has been the story of the Goo’s career. They have never been better than on this album…and they have never really been any worse. The one album that sits right at the very center of the musical universe, average in every way? Dizzy Up The Girl. [First added to this chart: 11/17/2019]
Produced By ROB CAVALLO & GOO GOO DOLLS
1. Dizzy
2. Slide
3. Broadway
4. January Friend
5. Black Balloon
6. Bullet Proof
7. Amigone
8. All Eyes On Me
9. Full Forever
10. Acoustic #3
11. Iris
12. Extra Pale
13. Hate This Place
One of the most unfortunately named rock bands of all time, Goo Goo Dolls spent years trying to shake off comparisons to The Replacements, which made about as much sense as their unfortunate name. By the release of Dizzy up The Girl, their sixth album, they had already had a decent sized taste of success with the song “Name” (from the unfortunately titled album A Boy Named Goo), but it was the inclusion of “Iris” in the film City Of Angels that really made them stars. This album boasted five singles, and is polished and cleaned up so much that previous recordings sound not much like this one. In short, the Goo’s set out to make a massively successful pop album, and in that regard, they accomplished what they were after. The reality, though, is that no matter how much you polish up a set of average songs, they are still going to be average songs. And Dizzy Up The Girl is nothing more than average.
The best song here is, of course, “Iris”, which is the strongest melody the band has ever written. The album balances the ballads and the rockers pretty evenly, and while “Slide”, “Black Balloon” and “Dizzy” are pretty good, there’s nothing that really sticks as “Iris” does. Johnny Rzeznik doesn’t have much to say, and the band never really kicks it into a higher gear. The result of all of this is that Dizzy Up The Girl is pleasant enough to not be off-putting, cleaned up enough to not be offensive, and poppy enough to make you believe that it might just be better than it really is. The reality is that this album is just perfectly average, decent but never great from beginning to end. Which has been the story of the Goo’s career. They have never been better than on this album…and they have never really been any worse. The one album that sits right at the very center of the musical universe, average in every way? Dizzy Up The Girl. [First added to this chart: 11/17/2019]
Year of Release:
1998
Appears in:
Rank Score:
748
Rank in 1998:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1990-AMERICAN
Produced By GEORGE DRAKOULIAS
1. Twice As Hard
2. Jealous Again
3. Sister Luck
4. Could I've Been So Blind
5. Seeing Things
6. Hard To Handle
7. Thick N' Thin
8. She Talks To Angels
9. Struttin' Blues
10. Stare It Cold
The debut album from The Black Crowes came from almost nowhere...The Georgia Satellites had already come from that place four years earlier. But The Black Crowes had more swagger, and they had better songs. And on this album, they reached a commercial peak that they would never again get close to, but they would become more adventerous and improve on the blueprint they drew up here. The big single was a smart Otis Redding cover ("Hard To Handle), and they also scored with "Jealous Again" and "She Talks To Angels".
"Stare It Cold" and "Seeing Things" are standouts, giving a glimpse at how much better they would become after this album,. and after replacing guitarist Jeff Cease with Marc Ford. This is a fine debut album that would be quickly overshadowed by their next two albums. It's the real return of Southern rock, years after the Skynyrd plane crash effectively ended it. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By GEORGE DRAKOULIAS
1. Twice As Hard
2. Jealous Again
3. Sister Luck
4. Could I've Been So Blind
5. Seeing Things
6. Hard To Handle
7. Thick N' Thin
8. She Talks To Angels
9. Struttin' Blues
10. Stare It Cold
The debut album from The Black Crowes came from almost nowhere...The Georgia Satellites had already come from that place four years earlier. But The Black Crowes had more swagger, and they had better songs. And on this album, they reached a commercial peak that they would never again get close to, but they would become more adventerous and improve on the blueprint they drew up here. The big single was a smart Otis Redding cover ("Hard To Handle), and they also scored with "Jealous Again" and "She Talks To Angels".
"Stare It Cold" and "Seeing Things" are standouts, giving a glimpse at how much better they would become after this album,. and after replacing guitarist Jeff Cease with Marc Ford. This is a fine debut album that would be quickly overshadowed by their next two albums. It's the real return of Southern rock, years after the Skynyrd plane crash effectively ended it. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,259
Rank in 1990:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1995-WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON & SON VOLT
1. Windfall
2. Live Free
3. Tear Stained Eye
4. Route
5. Ten Second News
6. Drown
7. Loose String
8. Out Of The Picture
9. Catching On
10. Too Early
11. Mystifies Me
In the aftermath of the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, the race was on to see which member was going to come out with the best first album: Jeff Tweedy's Wilco, or Jay Farrar's Son Volt. The winner was, in a landslide, Son Volt. Trace is not only a great album, it's one of the greatest alt country albums of all time. Farrar shows an uncharacteristic optimism here that shines throughout the album.
"Windfall" is a beautiful opener with it's blessing of a chorus: "May the wind take your trouble away". "Tear Stained Eye", "Loose String" and "Drown" are among Farrar's best songs. The album rates almost as high as Tupelo's swan song, Anodyne, and should be a must for anyone who loves alt country. This is Farrar at his peak, and it should not be missed. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON & SON VOLT
1. Windfall
2. Live Free
3. Tear Stained Eye
4. Route
5. Ten Second News
6. Drown
7. Loose String
8. Out Of The Picture
9. Catching On
10. Too Early
11. Mystifies Me
In the aftermath of the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, the race was on to see which member was going to come out with the best first album: Jeff Tweedy's Wilco, or Jay Farrar's Son Volt. The winner was, in a landslide, Son Volt. Trace is not only a great album, it's one of the greatest alt country albums of all time. Farrar shows an uncharacteristic optimism here that shines throughout the album.
"Windfall" is a beautiful opener with it's blessing of a chorus: "May the wind take your trouble away". "Tear Stained Eye", "Loose String" and "Drown" are among Farrar's best songs. The album rates almost as high as Tupelo's swan song, Anodyne, and should be a must for anyone who loves alt country. This is Farrar at his peak, and it should not be missed. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
849
Rank in 1995:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1997-OUTPOST
Produced By JIM SCOTT
1. Inn Town
2. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight
3. Yesterday's News
4. 16 Days
5. Everything I Do
6. Houses On The Hill
7. Turn Around
8. Dancing With The Woman At The Bar
9. Waiting To Derail
10. Avenues
11. Losering
12. Somebody Remembers The Rose
13. Not Home Anymore
Whether Ryan Adams call himself by his name or Whiskeytown, the results are about the same. He couldn't keep a lineup together for the short lived Whiskeytown, but with the 2nd album, Strangers Almanac, he hit paydirt. Covered in great harmonies and equally great songs, this is one of alt country's greatest records. "Inn Town" opens the door, and there's no closing it after "Excuse Me". This never wavers, and gets even better with "Dancing With The Woman At The Bar" and the hypnotizing "Losering".
Whiskeytown was done after this album, although Pneumonia was released after the breakup. Adams has gone on to great solo success. Strangers Almanac remains an essential record. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By JIM SCOTT
1. Inn Town
2. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight
3. Yesterday's News
4. 16 Days
5. Everything I Do
6. Houses On The Hill
7. Turn Around
8. Dancing With The Woman At The Bar
9. Waiting To Derail
10. Avenues
11. Losering
12. Somebody Remembers The Rose
13. Not Home Anymore
Whether Ryan Adams call himself by his name or Whiskeytown, the results are about the same. He couldn't keep a lineup together for the short lived Whiskeytown, but with the 2nd album, Strangers Almanac, he hit paydirt. Covered in great harmonies and equally great songs, this is one of alt country's greatest records. "Inn Town" opens the door, and there's no closing it after "Excuse Me". This never wavers, and gets even better with "Dancing With The Woman At The Bar" and the hypnotizing "Losering".
Whiskeytown was done after this album, although Pneumonia was released after the breakup. Adams has gone on to great solo success. Strangers Almanac remains an essential record. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
532
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1995-ARISTA
Produced By JERRY HARRISON
1. The Big Burn
2. What's Behind Your Coat?
3. Yellar
4. The Third Rail
5. Dr. Jerome (Love Tub, Doctor)
6. Suddenly
7. Piss Tongue
8. Light A Candle For Me
9. It's A Fast Horizon
10. Raga
11. The Doubter's Glass
12. Englewood
The Bogmen's debut album is a hoot. Even though it's a bit over produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, this is a band that sounds like it's having the time of their lives. They are led by singer Billy Campion, who sounds like he's about to go insane at any moment, and guitarist Bill Ryan. The centerpiece is the excellent "Suddenly", a schizophrenic break up song that finds the breakee completely falling into mental breakdown. The rest of the album is pretty fun, but "Suddenly", a song that should have been a hit, stays with you for awhile.
The band only recorded one more album before splitting in 1999, in large part because of Campion's drug problems. 40 Million was a promising debut that was never followed up with success. But it's a rocking good time, worth having a listen to. [First added to this chart: 07/25/2024]
Produced By JERRY HARRISON
1. The Big Burn
2. What's Behind Your Coat?
3. Yellar
4. The Third Rail
5. Dr. Jerome (Love Tub, Doctor)
6. Suddenly
7. Piss Tongue
8. Light A Candle For Me
9. It's A Fast Horizon
10. Raga
11. The Doubter's Glass
12. Englewood
The Bogmen's debut album is a hoot. Even though it's a bit over produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, this is a band that sounds like it's having the time of their lives. They are led by singer Billy Campion, who sounds like he's about to go insane at any moment, and guitarist Bill Ryan. The centerpiece is the excellent "Suddenly", a schizophrenic break up song that finds the breakee completely falling into mental breakdown. The rest of the album is pretty fun, but "Suddenly", a song that should have been a hit, stays with you for awhile.
The band only recorded one more album before splitting in 1999, in large part because of Campion's drug problems. 40 Million was a promising debut that was never followed up with success. But it's a rocking good time, worth having a listen to. [First added to this chart: 07/25/2024]
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1995-SIRE
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON & WILCO
1. I Must Be High
2. Casino Queen
3. Box Full Of Letters
4. Shouldn’t Be Ashamed
5. Pick Up The Change
6. I Thought I Held You
7. That’s Not The Issue
8. It’s Just That Simple
9. Should’ve Been In Love
10. Passenger Side
11. Dash 7
12. Blue Eyed Soul
13. Too Far Apart
When Uncle Tupelo split up, Jay Farrar formed Son Volt. Jeff Tweedy formed Wilco…and got the rest of the band in the divorce. Tweedy was in a position to be like George Harrison on All Things Must Pass, or even like Stevie Nicks on Bella Donna: a player who had played second fiddle with minimal songwriting contributions suddenly able to burst out on his own with an amazing output. Tweedy has been pretty prolific since the breakup of Tupelo, but his first effort with Wilco, A.M., is hardly his strongest effort. The only truly alt-country album by Wilco, it has its moments, but it gets its butt kicked by Son Volt’s Trace, and it lacks the adventurous spirit of Uncle Tupelo, and especially of the later Wilco albums. A.M. is more of a breakup album than anything else, really…and you have to wonder if the songs are directed towards Farrar. The world of A.M. is very small…the world of Wilco would get a lot bigger in a hurry, as the band would give up on being a straight alt-country unit and explore many other great directions.
A.M. does have some really great moments. The 1-2 punch of “I Must Be High” and “Casino Queen”, complete with clanking bottles, is promising, but things come down from there. “Passenger Side” is one of Tweedy’s finest songs, and the John Stirratt penned “It’s Just That Simple” is lovely. Instrumentally, the band, particularly Brian Henneman from The Bottle Rockets, is excellent. The album sounds great, and the overall songwriting is strong, but it’s ultimately hard to listen to A.M. without making a lot of comparisons…all of which A.M. loses. Maybe, or maybe not fair, but that’s what it is. This album fails against the body of work of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco itself, and fails against its direct competitor, Trace. On its own, it’s a good, not great album, and it’s interesting to hear how Wilco started out. [First added to this chart: 10/14/2012]
Produced By BRIAN PAULSON & WILCO
1. I Must Be High
2. Casino Queen
3. Box Full Of Letters
4. Shouldn’t Be Ashamed
5. Pick Up The Change
6. I Thought I Held You
7. That’s Not The Issue
8. It’s Just That Simple
9. Should’ve Been In Love
10. Passenger Side
11. Dash 7
12. Blue Eyed Soul
13. Too Far Apart
When Uncle Tupelo split up, Jay Farrar formed Son Volt. Jeff Tweedy formed Wilco…and got the rest of the band in the divorce. Tweedy was in a position to be like George Harrison on All Things Must Pass, or even like Stevie Nicks on Bella Donna: a player who had played second fiddle with minimal songwriting contributions suddenly able to burst out on his own with an amazing output. Tweedy has been pretty prolific since the breakup of Tupelo, but his first effort with Wilco, A.M., is hardly his strongest effort. The only truly alt-country album by Wilco, it has its moments, but it gets its butt kicked by Son Volt’s Trace, and it lacks the adventurous spirit of Uncle Tupelo, and especially of the later Wilco albums. A.M. is more of a breakup album than anything else, really…and you have to wonder if the songs are directed towards Farrar. The world of A.M. is very small…the world of Wilco would get a lot bigger in a hurry, as the band would give up on being a straight alt-country unit and explore many other great directions.
A.M. does have some really great moments. The 1-2 punch of “I Must Be High” and “Casino Queen”, complete with clanking bottles, is promising, but things come down from there. “Passenger Side” is one of Tweedy’s finest songs, and the John Stirratt penned “It’s Just That Simple” is lovely. Instrumentally, the band, particularly Brian Henneman from The Bottle Rockets, is excellent. The album sounds great, and the overall songwriting is strong, but it’s ultimately hard to listen to A.M. without making a lot of comparisons…all of which A.M. loses. Maybe, or maybe not fair, but that’s what it is. This album fails against the body of work of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco itself, and fails against its direct competitor, Trace. On its own, it’s a good, not great album, and it’s interesting to hear how Wilco started out. [First added to this chart: 10/14/2012]
Year of Release:
1995
Appears in:
Rank Score:
383
Rank in 1995:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1991-ATLANTIC
Produced By DAVITT SIGERSON, ERIC ROSE, IAN STANLEY & TORI AMOS
1. Crucify
2. Girl
3. Silent All These Years
4. Precious Things
5. Winter
6. Happy Phantom
7. China
8. Leather
9. Mother
10. Tear In Your Hand
11. Me And A Gun
12. Little Earthquakes
Little Earthquakes, the debut solo album from Tori Amos, is still by far her best work. Coming from almost nowhere (ala Alanis), jump starting rock for women (ala Alanis) and leaving behind an embarrassing previous recorded legacy (ala Alanis), Amos hit the ground running with just her piano and a stunning set of amazing songs. It's all great stuff here..."Me And A Gun", "Leather", "Crucify", "Silent All These Years" are personal and powerful pieces of Amos and her personal life. Earthquakes is just a great album.
She became better known for he later treatment of songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and while her later albums have been very good, she's never topped her debut. Little Earthquakes is the one by her that you really should have. [First added to this chart: 07/30/2012]
Produced By DAVITT SIGERSON, ERIC ROSE, IAN STANLEY & TORI AMOS
1. Crucify
2. Girl
3. Silent All These Years
4. Precious Things
5. Winter
6. Happy Phantom
7. China
8. Leather
9. Mother
10. Tear In Your Hand
11. Me And A Gun
12. Little Earthquakes
Little Earthquakes, the debut solo album from Tori Amos, is still by far her best work. Coming from almost nowhere (ala Alanis), jump starting rock for women (ala Alanis) and leaving behind an embarrassing previous recorded legacy (ala Alanis), Amos hit the ground running with just her piano and a stunning set of amazing songs. It's all great stuff here..."Me And A Gun", "Leather", "Crucify", "Silent All These Years" are personal and powerful pieces of Amos and her personal life. Earthquakes is just a great album.
She became better known for he later treatment of songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and while her later albums have been very good, she's never topped her debut. Little Earthquakes is the one by her that you really should have. [First added to this chart: 07/30/2012]
Year of Release:
1992
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,891
Rank in 1992:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
27. (=)
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1991-DGC
Produced By BUTCH VIG
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. In Bloom
3. Come As You Are
4. Breed
5. Lithium
6. Polly
7. Territorial Pissings
8. Drain You
9. Lounge Act
10. Stay Away
11. On A Plain
12. Something In The Way
Is Nevermind an unbelievably great album, or the best example of right place at the right time ever? Regardless of the answer to the former, the latter is undeniably true. The music landscape of 1991 was a wasteland of power ballads by day glow wearing long hairs with their underwear on the outside of their clothes, Michael Jackson cavorting with child actors and panthers, and the wind of change in the air (not just the Scorpions song) that would usher in a whole new sound and change what we listened to overnight…thankfully. And even though Pearl Jam’s album Ten was released a month before this, it was “Smells Like Teen Spirit” that ended the madness, made flannel cool again, and made listening to music a whole lot better. In one five minute song, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Skid Row, Poison, and everything we now know as classic rock was made irrelevant, and all of the great music that had been bubbling underneath the surface for years was set free to be heard by an entire generation that had grown weary of their parents taste in music.
Nevermind is so much more, though. The sheer energy of the band, in particular Kurt Cobain, is enormous, and shines through on every single track on the album. The use of Pixies-like dynamics and Cobain’s emotional snarl made this group of exceptionally well written, yet simple songs, the perfect music at the perfect time. So, is Nevermind an unbelieveably great album? I say yes. One track after the other, listening through this shows that they were really on to something big, that the songwriting was top notch, and that the sound was the perfect soundtrack for the new music generation. One review stated, “Anyone who hates Nevermind is just trying to be cool, and needs to be trying harder”. It’s true. And it still sounds amazing today. Nevermind is timeless, even if the band that made it wasn’t. This is the rarest of things: a perfect rock album that was released at the exact right moment in time. This is as perfect as an album can get. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By BUTCH VIG
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. In Bloom
3. Come As You Are
4. Breed
5. Lithium
6. Polly
7. Territorial Pissings
8. Drain You
9. Lounge Act
10. Stay Away
11. On A Plain
12. Something In The Way
Is Nevermind an unbelievably great album, or the best example of right place at the right time ever? Regardless of the answer to the former, the latter is undeniably true. The music landscape of 1991 was a wasteland of power ballads by day glow wearing long hairs with their underwear on the outside of their clothes, Michael Jackson cavorting with child actors and panthers, and the wind of change in the air (not just the Scorpions song) that would usher in a whole new sound and change what we listened to overnight…thankfully. And even though Pearl Jam’s album Ten was released a month before this, it was “Smells Like Teen Spirit” that ended the madness, made flannel cool again, and made listening to music a whole lot better. In one five minute song, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Skid Row, Poison, and everything we now know as classic rock was made irrelevant, and all of the great music that had been bubbling underneath the surface for years was set free to be heard by an entire generation that had grown weary of their parents taste in music.
Nevermind is so much more, though. The sheer energy of the band, in particular Kurt Cobain, is enormous, and shines through on every single track on the album. The use of Pixies-like dynamics and Cobain’s emotional snarl made this group of exceptionally well written, yet simple songs, the perfect music at the perfect time. So, is Nevermind an unbelieveably great album? I say yes. One track after the other, listening through this shows that they were really on to something big, that the songwriting was top notch, and that the sound was the perfect soundtrack for the new music generation. One review stated, “Anyone who hates Nevermind is just trying to be cool, and needs to be trying harder”. It’s true. And it still sounds amazing today. Nevermind is timeless, even if the band that made it wasn’t. This is the rarest of things: a perfect rock album that was released at the exact right moment in time. This is as perfect as an album can get. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
37,935
Rank in 1991:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1990-MUTE
Produced By DEPECHE MODE & FLOOD
1. World In My Eyes
2. Sweetest Perfection
3. Personal Jesus
4. Halo
5. Waiting For The Night
6. Enjoy The Silence
7. Policy Of Truth
8. Blue Dress
9. Clean
During the 1980’s, I never quite got Depeche Mode. After all, it was cheesy synth dance music, and the younger me was all about guitars, dammit. Then, at the dawn of the 90’s, came Violator, and a whole new understanding of what Depeche Mode was really all about. There was nothing soft or cheesy about what was happening on this album, and it was immediately apparent that this band had grown a lot from the days of lite pop songs like “Just Can’t Get Enough” that had ruled the waves of KROQ. THIS Depeche Mode was serious, could really play, was growing fast, and more than anything else, had real and powerful songwriting at their disposal. A band that had featured very little to no guitars during the 80’s now had guitarist Martin Gore as their principal songwriter, adding a depth to their music that had been sorely missed in their early days. For me, Violator changed the way I saw Depeche Mode forever…both for future and for past releases. From afterthought to a seriously great band in one album for me. Sometimes things just work out for the best.
Not to say that Violator isn’t a dance record. And the fact is, it was the album that put them on the charts in the United States. It’s a pop record. It’s a pop gem. From the opening synth of “World In My Eyes”, you get right away that it’s also a pretty dark record. Before you know it, you’re rocking to the exceptional “Personal Jesus”, and basking in the glory of great songs like “Enjoy The Silence”, “Halo”, and “Policy Of Truth”. Together with Black Celebration and Music For The Masses, Violator marks the end of a great trilogy of albums that was the peak of Depeche Mode. And despite the critical mixed bag of reviews it got (some dismissed it as a straight pop album, which is absurd), this is the one album by this band you should definitely end up with. Violator is as close to perfection as they ever got, and it’s one that you should definitely own. Dismiss this as pop if you must…but I say it would be a much better world if all pop aspired to be like Violator. [First added to this chart: 11/06/2014]
Produced By DEPECHE MODE & FLOOD
1. World In My Eyes
2. Sweetest Perfection
3. Personal Jesus
4. Halo
5. Waiting For The Night
6. Enjoy The Silence
7. Policy Of Truth
8. Blue Dress
9. Clean
During the 1980’s, I never quite got Depeche Mode. After all, it was cheesy synth dance music, and the younger me was all about guitars, dammit. Then, at the dawn of the 90’s, came Violator, and a whole new understanding of what Depeche Mode was really all about. There was nothing soft or cheesy about what was happening on this album, and it was immediately apparent that this band had grown a lot from the days of lite pop songs like “Just Can’t Get Enough” that had ruled the waves of KROQ. THIS Depeche Mode was serious, could really play, was growing fast, and more than anything else, had real and powerful songwriting at their disposal. A band that had featured very little to no guitars during the 80’s now had guitarist Martin Gore as their principal songwriter, adding a depth to their music that had been sorely missed in their early days. For me, Violator changed the way I saw Depeche Mode forever…both for future and for past releases. From afterthought to a seriously great band in one album for me. Sometimes things just work out for the best.
Not to say that Violator isn’t a dance record. And the fact is, it was the album that put them on the charts in the United States. It’s a pop record. It’s a pop gem. From the opening synth of “World In My Eyes”, you get right away that it’s also a pretty dark record. Before you know it, you’re rocking to the exceptional “Personal Jesus”, and basking in the glory of great songs like “Enjoy The Silence”, “Halo”, and “Policy Of Truth”. Together with Black Celebration and Music For The Masses, Violator marks the end of a great trilogy of albums that was the peak of Depeche Mode. And despite the critical mixed bag of reviews it got (some dismissed it as a straight pop album, which is absurd), this is the one album by this band you should definitely end up with. Violator is as close to perfection as they ever got, and it’s one that you should definitely own. Dismiss this as pop if you must…but I say it would be a much better world if all pop aspired to be like Violator. [First added to this chart: 11/06/2014]
Year of Release:
1990
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,267
Rank in 1990:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
1997-ELEKTRA
Produced By STEPHEN JENKINS
1. Losing A Whole Year
2. Narcolepsy
3. Semi-Charmed Life
4. Jumper
5. Graduate
6. How’s It Going To Be
7. Thanks A Lot
8. Burning Man
9. Good For You
10. London
11. I Want You
12. The Background
13. Motorcycle Drive By
14. God Of Wine
Talk about a semi-charmed life…Third Eye Blind was opening in the Bay area for bands like Oasis before they were even signed. When they were signed in 1996, it included the largest first time publishing deal…ever. Although they are from San Francisco, this band has no hippie in them: this is straight mid-nineties Brit pop. Never a band with great lyrics, they found an instant audience with “Semi-Charmed Life”, with it’s blistering loud guitars and “do-do-do” hook. This opened the door for 4 more hit singles: “Graduate”, “How’s It Going To Be”, “Losing A Whole Year”, and “Jumper”. The kids ate it up, and the future looked bright indeed for Third Eye Blind.
Success was fleeting. On their second album, Blue, they had only a minor hit, and they’ve been nowhere near relevant since. This, their debut album, is still by far their best work, and represents what should have been a band on the rise instead of a one album wonder. Maybe part of the problem is that since this debut, they have released 3 albums over 14 years. The best way to experience Third Eye Blind is with this album. It can seem a bit long (filler will do that), but the hits do still sound pretty terrific. They were everywhere in 1997-98: not so much now, but this is a nice little time capsule. [First added to this chart: 07/22/2013]
Produced By STEPHEN JENKINS
1. Losing A Whole Year
2. Narcolepsy
3. Semi-Charmed Life
4. Jumper
5. Graduate
6. How’s It Going To Be
7. Thanks A Lot
8. Burning Man
9. Good For You
10. London
11. I Want You
12. The Background
13. Motorcycle Drive By
14. God Of Wine
Talk about a semi-charmed life…Third Eye Blind was opening in the Bay area for bands like Oasis before they were even signed. When they were signed in 1996, it included the largest first time publishing deal…ever. Although they are from San Francisco, this band has no hippie in them: this is straight mid-nineties Brit pop. Never a band with great lyrics, they found an instant audience with “Semi-Charmed Life”, with it’s blistering loud guitars and “do-do-do” hook. This opened the door for 4 more hit singles: “Graduate”, “How’s It Going To Be”, “Losing A Whole Year”, and “Jumper”. The kids ate it up, and the future looked bright indeed for Third Eye Blind.
Success was fleeting. On their second album, Blue, they had only a minor hit, and they’ve been nowhere near relevant since. This, their debut album, is still by far their best work, and represents what should have been a band on the rise instead of a one album wonder. Maybe part of the problem is that since this debut, they have released 3 albums over 14 years. The best way to experience Third Eye Blind is with this album. It can seem a bit long (filler will do that), but the hits do still sound pretty terrific. They were everywhere in 1997-98: not so much now, but this is a nice little time capsule. [First added to this chart: 07/22/2013]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,989
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 32. Page 1 of 4
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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 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Drive-By Truckers | 3 | 3% | |
| The Beatles | 3 | 3% | |
| The Band | 3 | 3% | |
| Whiskeytown | 2 | 2% | |
| Wilco | 2 | 2% | |
| Jason Isbell | 2 | 2% | |
| The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 2 from 39th to 37th Decoration Day by Drive-By Truckers |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 37th to 38th Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 by The Traveling Wilburys |
| Down 1 from 38th to 39th The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd |
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| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Manso | Overall chart | 2020 |  |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  RFNAPLES | Overall chart | 2013 | |
| AllMusic's Greatest Albums | musicologist97 | Custom chart | 2019 |  |
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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 179 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 05/19/2025 19:46 | StreakyNuno | 131 | 82/100 |
| ! | 05/19/2025 12:26 |  Repo | 558 | 100/100 |
| ! | 03/15/2025 22:29 | BlueNote | 91 | 74/100 |
| ! | 01/29/2025 12:37 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,105 | 85/100 |
| ! | 01/15/2025 18:01 | Exist-en-ciel | 125 | 99/100 |
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 88.7/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 12.5.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 29 members
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
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From StreakyNuno 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)
From Repo 05/19/2025 12:28 | #309062
Repo 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 
CassidyInc 03/29/2024 22:06 | #302746
CassidyInc 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)
From Moondance 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)
From samora 10/25/2022 14:15 | #290788
Great chart, with impressive comments; very inspirational!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From leniad 07/12/2022 00:28 | #287280
would appreciate more variety from coutries, genres
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Albumlover6789 02/03/2022 23:20 | #280650
Lots of new music to discover here
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
rockbluesfolkjaz 10/19/2021 18:18 | #275181
rockbluesfolkjaz 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)
From Johnnyo 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)
From henrygreen0203 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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