Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Exist-en-ciel

In order to give this list balance, diversity and coherence, I imposed certain rules on myself in its development:

- One album per artist with one exception
- A maximum of 10 albums from the BEA top 100
- A maximum of 25 albums from the BEA top 1000
- A maximum of 50 albums from the BEA top 2000
- A maximum of 5 compilations
- A maximum of 5 live albums
- A maximum of 5 EPs
- A maximum of 20 albums per decade
- A minimum of 10 albums per decade (60s-10s)
- A minimum of 15 countries represented

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Ranks 1 to 23: top 23
Ranks 24 to 100: chronology 1963-2024

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23 best ever songs:

• Symphony No. 9 in D minor - 4th movement (Presto) - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824)
• Boléro - Maurice Ravel (1928)
• Echoes - Pink Floyd (1971)
• The Musical Box - Genesis (1971)
• Supper's Ready - Genesis (1972)
• Firth of Fifth - Genesis (1973)
• The Cinema Show - Genesis (1973)
• In the Cage - Genesis (1974)
• Comme un sage - Harmonium (1976)
• Disorder - Joy Division (1979)
• Duke's Travels - Genesis (1980)
• Once in a Lifetime - Taking Heads (1980)
• Lorelei - Cocteau Twins (1984)
• Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush (1985)
• Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order (1986)
• It's Alright - Pet Shop Boys (1988)
• Digging in the Dirt - Peter Gabriel (1992)
• Unison - Björk (2001)
• J'erre - Dumas (2003)
• Where I End and You Begin - Radiohead (2003)
• Olympians - Fuck Buttons (2009)
• Afterlife - Arcade Fire (2013)
• Over and Over - Beach House (2022)

• Chart updated: 07/25/2025 00:45
• (Created: 08/24/2022 18:20).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

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5. (=)

A Love Supreme 

 John Coltrane

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Spiritual Jazz

8.7/10

Track selection: Part I - Acknowledgement (& Part IV - Psalm)

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1. Part I - Acknowledgement 9
2. Part II - Resolution 8.5
3. Part III - Pursuance / Part IV - Psalm 8.5 [First added to this chart: 08/24/2022]

Year of Release:

1965

Appears in:

1,324 charts

Rank Score:

16,184

Rank in 1965:

3

Rank in 1960s:

18

Overall Rank:

73

Average Rating:

 87 (1,492 votes)

Comments:

101

6. (=)

Hot Rats 

 Frank Zappa

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Jazz-Rock

8.7/10

Track selection: Willie the Pimp & The Gumbo Variations

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1. Peaches en Regalia 8.5
2. Willie the Pimp 9
3. Son of Mr. Green Genes 8.5
4. Little Umbrellas 8.5
5. The Gumbo Variations 9
6. It Must Be a Camel 8.5 [First added to this chart: 12/21/2024]

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

876 charts

Rank Score:

7,144

Rank in 1969:

10

Rank in 1960s:

36

Overall Rank:

229

Average Rating:

 83 (980 votes)

Comments:

56

13. (=)

Chopin: The Nocturnes 

 Artur Rubinstein

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Nocturne

8.5/10

Track selection: Nocturne Opus 9 No. 2 in E-flat

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1. Opus 9 No. 1 in B-flat minor 8.5
2. Opus 9 No. 2 in E-flat 8.5
3. Opus 9 No. 3 in Bwork 8.5
4. Opus 15 No. 1 in F 8.5
5. Opus 15 No. 2 in F-sharp 8.5
6. Opus 15 No. 3 in G minor 8.5
7. Opus 27 No. 1 in C-sharp minor 8.5
8. Opus 27 No. 2 in D-flat 8.5
9. Opus 32 No. 1 in B 8.5
10. Opus 32 No. 2 in A-flat 8.5
11. Opus 37 No. 1 in G minor 8.5
12. Opus 37 No. 2 in G 8.5
13. Opus 48 No. 1 in C minor 8.5
14. Opus 48 No. 2 in F-sharp minor 8.5
15. Opus 55 No. 1 in F minor 8.5
16. Opus 55 No. 2 in E-flat 8.5
17. Opus 62 No. 1 in B 8.5
18. Opus 62 No. 2 in E 8.5
19. Opus 72 No. 1 in E minor 8.5 [First added to this chart: 12/23/2024]

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

30 charts

Rank Score:

292

Rank in 1967:

58

Rank in 1960s:

386

Overall Rank:

4,758

Average Rating:

 78 (50 votes)

Comments:

1

14. (=)

In The Court Of The Crimson King (An Observation By King Crimson) 

 King Crimson

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Progressive Rock

8.5/10

Track selection: Epitaph

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1. 21st Century Schizoid Man (Including 'Mirrors') 8.5
2. I Talk to the Wind 8.5
3. Epitaph (Including 'March for No Reason' and 'Tomorrow and Tomorrow') 8.5
4. Moonchild (Including 'The Dream' and 'The Illusion') 8.5
5. The Court of the Crimson King (Including 'The Return of the Fire Witch' and 'The Dance of the Puppets') 8.5 [First added to this chart: 08/29/2022]

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

2,063 charts

Rank Score:

29,254

Rank in 1969:

2

Rank in 1960s:

7

Overall Rank:

25

Average Rating:

 89 (2,417 votes)

Comments:

221

24. (=)

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady 

 Charles Mingus

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Avant-Garde Jazz

8.4/10

Track selection: Trio and Group Dancers (Stop! Look! And Sing Songs of Revolutions!) / Single Solos and Group Dance (Saint and Sinner Join in Merriment on Battle Front) / Group and Solo Dance (Of Love, Pain, and Passioned Revolt, Then Farewell, My Beloved, 'Til It's Freedom Day)

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1. Solo Dancer (Stop! Look! And Listen, Sinner Jim Whitney!) 8.5
2. Duet Solo Dancers (Heart's Beat and Shades in Physical Embraces) 8
3. Group Dancers (Soul Fusion) (Freewoman and Oh, This Freedom's Slave Cries) 8.5
4. Trio and Group Dancers (Stop! Look! And Sing Songs of Revolutions!) / Single Solos and Group Dance (Saint and Sinner Join in Merriment on Battle Front) / Group and Solo Dance (Of Love, Pain, and Passioned Revolt, Then Farewell, My Beloved, 'Til It's Freedom Day) 8.5 [First added to this chart: 12/02/2024]

Year of Release:

1963

Appears in:

974 charts

Rank Score:

13,328

Rank in 1963:

1

Rank in 1960s:

22

Overall Rank:

92

Average Rating:

 86 (1,023 votes)

Comments:

74

25. (=)

Pastel Blues 

 Nina Simone

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Vocal Jazz

8.2/10

Track selection: Sinnerman

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1. Be My Husband 8
2. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out 8.5
3. End of the Line 8
4. Trouble in Mind 8
5. Tell Me More and More and Then Some 8
6. Chilly Winds Don't Blow 8
7. Ain't No Use 8
8. Strange Fruit 8.5
9. Sinnerman 9 [First added to this chart: 12/22/2024]

Year of Release:

1965

Appears in:

400 charts

Rank Score:

3,169

Rank in 1965:

7

Rank in 1960s:

68

Overall Rank:

552

Average Rating:

 82 (369 votes)

Comments:

17

26. (=)

Tauhid 

 Pharoah Sanders

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Spiritual Jazz

8.2/10

Track selectiom: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt

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1. Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt 8.5
2. Japan 8
3. Aum / Venus / Capricorn Rising 8 [First added to this chart: 01/06/2025]

Year of Release:

1967

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

175

Rank in 1967:

83

Rank in 1960s:

555

Overall Rank:

7,195

Average Rating:

 75 (28 votes)

Comments:

1

27. (=)

On The Threshold Of A Dream 

 The Moody Blues

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Progressive Pop

8.2/10

Track selection: Never Comes the Day

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1. In the Beginning 8
2. Lovely to See You 8
3. Dear Diary 8
4. Send Me No Wine 8
5. To Share Our Love 8
6. So Deep Within You 8
7. Never Comes the Day 8.5
8. Lazy Day 8
9. Are You Sitting Comfortably 8.5
10. The Dream 8
11. Have You Heard (Part I) 8.5
12. The Voyage 8.5
13. Have You Heard (Part II) 8.5 [First added to this chart: 01/06/2025]

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

163 charts

Rank Score:

779

Rank in 1969:

56

Rank in 1960s:

200

Overall Rank:

2,105

Average Rating:

 78 (180 votes)

Comments:

6

28. (=)

Five Leaves Left 

 Nick Drake

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Singer-Songwriter

8.3/10

Track selection: River Man

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1. Time Has Told Me 8.5
2. River Man 8.5
3. Three Hours 8
4. Way to Blue 8
5. Day Is Done 8.5
6. 'Cello Song 8.5
7. The Thoughts of Mary Jane 8
8. Man in a Shed 8
9. Fruit Tree 8.5
10. Saturday Sun 8.5 [First added to this chart: 01/04/2025]

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

987 charts

Rank Score:

9,014

Rank in 1969:

7

Rank in 1960s:

30

Overall Rank:

170

Average Rating:

 84 (1,067 votes)

Comments:

50

29. (=)

A Rainbow In Curved Air 

 Terry Riley

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Minimalism

8.210

Track selection: A Rainbow in Curved Air

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1. A Rainbow in Curved Air 8.5
2. Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band 8 [First added to this chart: 01/04/2025]

Year of Release:

1969

Appears in:

140 charts

Rank Score:

953

Rank in 1969:

50

Rank in 1960s:

175

Overall Rank:

1,770

Average Rating:

 78 (172 votes)

Comments:

9

Total albums: 10. Page 1 of 1

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade	Albums	%
1930s	0	0%
1940s	0	0%
1950s	1	1%
1960s	10	10%
1970s	20	20%
1980s	16	16%
1990s	14	14%
2000s	20	20%
2010s	13	13%
2020s	6	6%

Artist	Albums	%
Genesis	2	2%
Simon & Garfunkel	1	1%
Kate Bush	1	1%
Sweet Trip	1	1%
The Moody Blues	1	1%
Aphex Twin	1	1%
Lydia Képinski	1	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	32	32%
	32	32%
	15	15%
	3	3%
	2	2%
	2	2%
	2	2%
Show all

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

Title	Source	Type	Published	Country
Top 99 Music Albums of the 1970s	Exist-en-ciel	1970s decade chart	2025
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	NJ	Overall chart	2024
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s	Exist-en-ciel	2000s decade chart	2025
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	LAF2	Overall chart	2018
My Personal Ranking of Rate Your Music's Top 100	Xxnu99etxX	Custom chart	2020
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	jomth	Overall chart	2019
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	Lisandro	Overall chart	2023
PPV Overall Ranking	bea	Custom chart	2021
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	mjp11	Overall chart	2025
Best Albums(1 Per Artist)	dougcummings	Custom chart	2022

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Showing all 4 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
100/100	07/12/2025 02:56	splashfoop	166	79/100
85/100	01/26/2025 12:16	SomethingSpecial	1,108	85/100
95/100	01/16/2025 13:51	DommeDamian	1,002	89/100
95/100	01/15/2025 17:13	Joeingram	40	93/100

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