Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
btener11 
- Chart updated: 01/13/2024 21:15
- (Created: 10/07/2012 22:32).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 58 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 96 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from the 1980s. (Remove this filter)
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"Just for one moment - thought I'd found my way
Destiny unfolded - I watched it slip away..."
The Allmusic review for Closer describes it as a disjointed album that lacks the cohesiveness of its predecessor, yet from my first listen, the songs almost seemed to blend into each other. The mood doesn't change much along the way, hitting on various shades of depression, shifting from anger to paranoia, fear to despair. But while the mood changes little, Closer still takes the listener on a journey. The journey is marked by spikes in urgency ("A Means to an End," "Twenty-Four Hours"), the swelling and dying of restrained rage ("Colony"), and the fleeting presence of haunting specters ("Heart and Soul," "The Eternal"). Another crucial piece to the album's seamless flow is its being bookended by two of the greatest opening/closing tracks ever recorded ("Atrocity Exhibition"/"Decades"). Closer is loaded with classic Joy Division moments, yet it feels more like one grand opus than a collection of songs. [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Destiny unfolded - I watched it slip away..."
The Allmusic review for Closer describes it as a disjointed album that lacks the cohesiveness of its predecessor, yet from my first listen, the songs almost seemed to blend into each other. The mood doesn't change much along the way, hitting on various shades of depression, shifting from anger to paranoia, fear to despair. But while the mood changes little, Closer still takes the listener on a journey. The journey is marked by spikes in urgency ("A Means to an End," "Twenty-Four Hours"), the swelling and dying of restrained rage ("Colony"), and the fleeting presence of haunting specters ("Heart and Soul," "The Eternal"). Another crucial piece to the album's seamless flow is its being bookended by two of the greatest opening/closing tracks ever recorded ("Atrocity Exhibition"/"Decades"). Closer is loaded with classic Joy Division moments, yet it feels more like one grand opus than a collection of songs. [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,647
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
125
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"In my cowardice I became at once a man, and did what all we grown men do when face to face with suffering and injustice; I preferred not to see them”. - Marcel Proust, "Swann's Way"
Here, Tom Waits simultaneously acknowledges and rejects Proust's sentiment. Rain Dogs instantly transports the listener to another time and place. One where bizarre and dejected figures strike impressionistic poses in a dank and drunken haze. "Singapore" sets the tone from the first bar. Waits' genius is his ability to sympathize with these grotesque characters, to show the world their souls - their love and their pain. What's more is Waits' ability to draw the listeners in close, and make space for their empathy as well. Harrowing pieces like "Time," "Blind Love" and "Downtown Train" humanize those dejected and unwanted wretches whom we usually prefer not to see. And with the heart-wrenching closer, "Anywhere I Lay My Head," the journey feels both significant and worthwhile. Rain Dogs is more than a mere musical endeavor - it is a humanistic one. [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Here, Tom Waits simultaneously acknowledges and rejects Proust's sentiment. Rain Dogs instantly transports the listener to another time and place. One where bizarre and dejected figures strike impressionistic poses in a dank and drunken haze. "Singapore" sets the tone from the first bar. Waits' genius is his ability to sympathize with these grotesque characters, to show the world their souls - their love and their pain. What's more is Waits' ability to draw the listeners in close, and make space for their empathy as well. Harrowing pieces like "Time," "Blind Love" and "Downtown Train" humanize those dejected and unwanted wretches whom we usually prefer not to see. And with the heart-wrenching closer, "Anywhere I Lay My Head," the journey feels both significant and worthwhile. Rain Dogs is more than a mere musical endeavor - it is a humanistic one. [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,026
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Oh Mother, I can feel
The soil falling over my head
And as I climb into an empty bed
Oh well. Enough said." [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
The soil falling over my head
And as I climb into an empty bed
Oh well. Enough said." [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
35,153
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"No more rope and too much dope
She's lying on the bed
Angels pacing
Gently placing roses 'round her head" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
She's lying on the bed
Angels pacing
Gently placing roses 'round her head" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,278
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Sleeping on your belly
You break my arms
You spoon my eyes
Been rubbing a bad charm
With holy fingers" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
You break my arms
You spoon my eyes
Been rubbing a bad charm
With holy fingers" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
33,029
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born Pharaoh's son
I'm creeping " [First added to this chart: 09/12/2013]
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born Pharaoh's son
I'm creeping " [First added to this chart: 09/12/2013]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,411
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"I'm so glad you came
I'm so glad you remembered
The walking through walls in the heart of December
The blindness of happiness
Of falling down laughing
And I really believed that this time was forever." [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
I'm so glad you remembered
The walking through walls in the heart of December
The blindness of happiness
Of falling down laughing
And I really believed that this time was forever." [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
26,882
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Nature's son
Don't you know where life has gone
Burying progress in the clouds
And we learn to linger on
Head in sand
Expecting the dour
To redress with open arms
Ascension in incentive end" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Don't you know where life has gone
Burying progress in the clouds
And we learn to linger on
Head in sand
Expecting the dour
To redress with open arms
Ascension in incentive end" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,415
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"I can't wait
I can't stay a candle
Gotta change my mind before it burns out" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
I can't stay a candle
Gotta change my mind before it burns out" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,046
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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"Trying to be so bad is bad enough
Don't make me laugh by talking tough
Don't put your heart out on your sleeve
When your remarks are off the cuff" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Don't make me laugh by talking tough
Don't put your heart out on your sleeve
When your remarks are off the cuff" [First added to this chart: 10/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,826
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 20. Page 1 of 2
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 3 | 3% | |
| 1960s | 8 | 8% | |
| 1970s | 25 | 25% | |
| 1980s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1990s | 20 | 20% | |
| 2000s | 19 | 19% | |
| 2010s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Beatles | 3 | 3% | |
| Can | 2 | 2% | |
| Aesop Rock | 2 | 2% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 2 | 2% | |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 2% | |
| Stevie Wonder | 2 | 2% | |
| Radiohead | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
53 | 53% | |
 |
28 | 28% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 2 from 40th to 38th New York Dolls by New York Dolls |
| Up 2 from 37th to 35th Disintegration by The Cure |
| Up 2 from 34th to 32nd Ege Bamyası by Can |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
90/100 (from 96 votes)
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 96 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
85/100  | 03/20/2025 14:49 | SomethingSpecial | | 85/100 |
 100/100 | 02/24/2023 03:30 |  AAL2014 | | 92/100 |
| 95/100 | 02/04/2022 10:58 |  IlMala | | 95/100 |
| 95/100 | 11/19/2021 05:10 |  foxytreeko | | 81/100 |
| 95/100 | 11/18/2021 15:03 |  Cytoma | | 90/100 |
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 90.0/100, a mean average of 90.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.0.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 58 comments |
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100/100
From 
jdenny2018 05/29/2018 00:49
jdenny2018 05/29/2018 00:49
Outstanding chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
elo269megv 05/28/2018 23:46
elo269megv 05/28/2018 23:46
Jazz, punk, metal, pop, classic rock, new wave, prog, rap... can’t help but love this chart! Great top 20 choices as well. Not a big fan of your 80-100 selections outside of Ghostface, Tool and Soft Machine but that’s okay (I don’t think I even like my own haha)!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
ForegroundNoise 05/28/2018 12:05
ForegroundNoise 05/28/2018 12:05
I feel so conflicted about this chart - so many underground classics I adore (you top 7 is fucking first class) interwoven with records I think are so-so. Love the notes you've done so far, keep em coming and I'll be sure to up my rating :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Ulf 05/28/2018 09:12
Really nice chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Jaymantheman 01/21/2018 08:08
Interesting list. Makes me re-think my Tool and Metallica years and how I've forgotten how I loved them, but have little time for that type of music nowadays...
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
JulianR 09/11/2017 05:05
JulianR 09/11/2017 05:05
love it!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From badger 09/04/2017 14:58
may be my favourite top 10 on this site
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
LedZep 02/15/2017 19:11
LedZep 02/15/2017 19:11
And you have Morphine, love it
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From LedZep 02/15/2017 19:09
LedZep 02/15/2017 19:09
SO diverse, really great. I never had the nerve to rate popular music (pop, rock, metal albums) in the same chart as jazz and classical, but you've found great compromise. The only thing that makes it 95 instead of 100 - I've listened to only 4 of your top 10 albums. My bad
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From vancevisuals 12/10/2016 01:46
like Bitches Brew, good to see some Sabbath and Yes
The White Album is my #1 album
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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