Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by KineticEchoes02 
So, creating a Greatest 100 Albums chart is never an easy task. It is so hard to choose just 100. I honestly want to do 500. For this chart, the difficulty I had was differentiating between albums that personally clicked for whatever reason, and those which I was plain gobsmacked with or just deserve undivided respect and attention. I am a guitarist and bassist and have played in a few bands over the years. I learned piano as a kid. For me these albums were hugely influential in relation to my music instrument learning progression, stood out in landmark moments of my life, were the perfect escape and launched me on indescribable journeys, gave me energy, or have been purely inspiring and emotionally uplifting (or the opposite, but perfect in darker times).
You may notice I have a bias towards rock. I also especially love blues, folk, jazz, funk, metal, soul, world music and electronica. However, it would be extremely boring without cross-over into other genres. So, we have for instance blues rock, country rock, folk rock, art rock, experimental rock, progressive rock, funk rock, progressive metal, funk metal, jazz fusion, psychedelic rock/jazz/soul/funk, and so on. Even talking about genres isn’t necessary in music, but for me, the best artists are those that are genre defining/pioneering, genre bending or groundbreaking. In order to pull this off these artists need to be extremely creative, not just virtuosos with their instruments. And for the most part that is consistent for all the artists or albums in this chart. That’s what impresses me, but sometimes you can’t describe why you love an artist or an album so much – it just fits with you for whatever reason, and that is the beauty and mystery of music.
I must say, the great thing about members creating charts on this site is that we get to appreciate everyone’s tastes in music – it is awesome when discovering someone with very similar tastes, but even when they are polar opposites, man it is amazing how diverse and unique people can be, and insights are passed on for new music to be heard. That’s why I love this site.
Apologies if I have chosen too many albums per artist – but if I want to be honest, these artists have created nothing but bangers and deserve this recognition, and it is very difficult to choose which is their best. Having said that, this chart is absolutely a work in progress…
- Chart updated: 10/11/2025 01:45
- (Created: 01/17/2022 07:23).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 13 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 29 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Listening to this album probably brought about a turning point for me in my music tastes for good. Prior to this I was mostly listening to straight-up rock’n’roll. But it absolutely shifted my perspective on music. There was a flow to it that maybe in itself set it apart from their other albums. What also stood out for me was very good, melodic bass playing – which may have kickstarted my interest in bass as an instrument (I started playing the bass about a decade later). There are times when you confuse the bass playing with the guitar playing, and this is ingeniously done, blending in perfectly and combining very well with the keyboard and synths to create the colour in the album. I was 13 years old at the time, so I guess the complex cocktail of emotions I was experiencing back then lent well to this music. I felt I could totally relate to the messages behind the lyrics of Robert Smith too. All the tracks on the album are very good, and it really takes you on a journey (or emotional rollercoaster). It sparked imagination, creative thinking and it was around the time I had my first girlfriend, so it was the perfect blend. What really struck me was the very dark, melancholic but spacious atmosphere in the music. If you cranked this album it was an absolute assault on the senses – there is a massive wall of sound here. The opening track inadequately called “Plainsong” hits you hard – I guess it has very gothic undertones (and I would be the first to admit I was never gothic-inclined) but there’s a lot of depth, both lyrically and musically. It is slow but jam-packed with intensity. Then there’s “Pictures of You”…a song referring to the difficulty of letting go after a tragic loss (I’m guessing either a breakup or death) of someone close. In fact, most of the songs on this album are about heartbreak in one form or another, so unfortunately it is quite depressing. But what I interpreted is that in quite a few of these songs there is a glimmer of hope that there is light beyond shadow. A good diversion is “Lullaby” – a creepy song (especially if you are an arachnophobe) which has one of the best ever video clips created to go with it. And in this song I might add there is more than a hint of funk, which The Cure have always infused cleverly in their music. Disintegration still sounds amazing to this day. All tracks are beyond excellent, but a few that really stood out for me on this album were “Fascination Street”, “Prayers for Rain” and “Homesick”.
[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
26,147
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,194
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
936
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,327
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,485
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,801
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,903
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,984
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 01/17/2022]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,377
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 14. Page 1 of 2
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 18 | 18% | |
| 1970s | 33 | 33% | |
| 1980s | 14 | 14% | |
| 1990s | 23 | 23% | |
| 2000s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2010s | 6 | 6% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 7 | 7% | |
| Pink Floyd | 7 | 7% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 6 | 6% | |
| The Doors | 4 | 4% | |
| David Bowie | 3 | 3% | |
| The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 3 | 3% | |
| Soundgarden | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
48 | 48% | |
| |
34 | 34% | |
| |
9 | 9% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
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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 29 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/09/2025 19:19 | timosbuecherei | 5 | 66/100 |
| ! | 03/31/2025 12:54 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 11/30/2024 03:04 | mianfei | 168 | 62/100 |
| ! | 11/11/2024 03:46 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 |
| ! | 05/04/2024 21:11 | StreakyNuno | 131 | 82/100 |
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 90.6/100, a mean average of 90.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 10.3.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
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From StreakyNuno 05/04/2024 21:12 | #303357
Congratulations.
we have so many albums in common.
Fantastic chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From craab 04/26/2023 14:01 | #296388
The chart chooses depth over breadth without being indifferent to breadth. I appreciate the love and loyalty you show to your favorites. Nice to see someone who loves both Metallica and the Beatles. I will have to check out Tea Party.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From BraddlesHendo 02/25/2023 02:32 | #294422
Great seeing Midnight Oil getting great recognition.Love your list mate
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ExTeaSea 01/28/2023 20:42 | #293344
ExTeaSea 01/28/2023 20:42 | #293344
Dig this chart. Would love to see more artists represented but you like what you like. Love that you have Midnight Oil! So underrated. I'll have to check out Tea Party, I've heard pretty much everything else besides them.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Nkelleyslc 10/23/2022 17:42 | #290741
Hey man, I'm learning a lot from this chart; thanks so much!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Moondance 10/01/2022 21:43 | #290103
A nice enough chart with lots of classic artists/albums. For me, what it lacks it breadth ~ to go beyond the classics; to discover exceptional albums that require some scratching below the surface. There are plenty more in the Australian arena if you are willing to dive a little deeper.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 10/01/2022 18:13 | #290101
Nice chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
sssvnnn 10/01/2022 15:45 | #290097
sssvnnn 10/01/2022 15:45 | #290097
very classical chart - fine
a bit too redundant.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From mrmcrook 02/09/2022 22:47 | #281049
Love your list. Very similar tastes. Great to see some Tea Party rated highly up there.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From leniad 02/06/2022 05:49 | #280827
you are right, if an artist/band create a lot of excellent albums you should list it, it seems we have the same 3 favorite bands jajaja
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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