Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
slatsheit 
I've tried to put this chart together the way that I believe everyone should: 1) ***no*** limitations on the number of albums by a single artist, because that would automatically make the chart a bald-faced lie (at least in my case), and 2) to rank every album meticulously in terms of desert island standards, rather than some sort of objective evaluation - with every single rank number, "hm, if I can only take this many albums with me to the desert island, would I rather have this album, or some other album I haven't included yet?" The desire to be absolutely honest with myself and others has led (and will continue to lead, until I die) to numerous revisions.
In terms of how I personally rate albums, I personally consider there to be four levels of "5 stars." The first three, I give 100 ratings to on this site; the others (more numerous) get 95s. 4.5s get 90s, 4s get 80 or 85, 3.5s get 70 or 75, 3s get 60 or 65, and so on. My ratings tend to trend higher on average than most here because if I listen to an album, something grabbed me that made me want to listen to it.
But I digress. #1-15 I would consider 5+++, #16-35 is 5++, 36-75 is 5+, and everything below (and everything contained on my "101-201" and "202-243" custom charts) is a straight 5.
I'm a self-proclaimed Gen X curmudgeon. I hate hip-hop and everything significantly influenced by it on principle - too meta and too non-musical, and I can't stand the non-stop foul language and degradation. That said, it's absolutely not a racial thing - I love and esteem plenty of r 'n' b, soul, and jazz. The first two of those three genres tend to be underrepresented here compared to my actual tastes because those genres are more singles-oriented. Jazz will probably grow in representation in time - up to this point, I generally haven't evaluated the jazz I like vs. the pop/rock because they're so apples and oranges. I do have to cop to having heard far fewer jazz albums than pop/rock albums (hundreds vs. thousands). I like classical more than jazz, and love certain pieces more than some of the pop/rock albums included here. However, classical is virtually impossible to rate in terms of albums, because classical albums are about performances, whereas I approach classical by finding a performance I like and listening to that, whereas my sense of classical favorites is a matter of pieces, not performances. If pop/rock vs. jazz, is apples and oranges, pop/rock vs. classical is apples and sweet potatoes. In terms of the album-oriented stuff I do like, I strongly believe that there was a precipitous drop-off in music in general after about 1988. Shoegaze and Radiohead's OK Computer are the only developments since which are both 1) original and 2) worthwhile. Everything else that is good is synthetic of prior styles. That's not necessarily a bad thing - there are many very good albums in such veins.
- Chart updated: 3 days ago
- (Created: 11/08/2024 01:17).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 3 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 5 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 Jimi Hendrix Experience. (Remove this filter)
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The combined US/UK version, thank you very much. Or just the US version. Plus the single b-sides. Don't like it? Too bad. That's how we CD listeners have been enjoying this album since the early '90s. But the US version is one of the best track-for-track, great-from-beginning-to-end albums of all time even without the other six tracks.
First of all, I like Jon Landau due to the positive impact he had on Bruce Springsteen’s life and career, but that said, he revealed himself as the wuss to rule all wusses among rock listeners when he griped about the “unrelenting violence” of Hendrix’s vision. Ever listened to blues music, Mr. Landau? It’s by its nature lyrically and often musically violent. Hendrix is at root a blues, r & b, and soul guy, and he never forgets those roots, but he also embraced – and then dominated – the new sounds in British music in late ’66. He was obviously a visionary who dramatically expanded the possibilities of the electric guitar (on a Strat! That in an of itself should make him the greatest guitarist of all time. Strats sound like horrendous crap in the hands of almost anyone else), while sketching, in this music, the outer limits of psychedelia. My favorite tracks on this masterpiece are the ones where he does just that – the backwards rhythm section and guitar solo (plus the VU-like droning piano) on the title track, the tritone announcement of the new era on “Purple Haze,” the brimstone-filled atmosphere of “Love or Confusion,” the lurching violence (which is a good thing, Landau) of “Manic Depression,” and the ambient futuristic jazz-blues of “Third Stone from the Sun.” Shortly after come the gorgeous ballad-tempo tracks, “May This Be Love” and “The Wind Cries Mary,” which show Hendrix’s broad range.
Next is the groovy soul-funk of “Fire,” then “Foxy Lady” with its jazz-chord come-on, then the cowbell-fueled statement of purpose of “Stone Free.” Then come the blues tunes – “Highway Chile,” Jimi’s version of “Hey Joe” (I’ve always preferred the final Leaves version), and “Red House.” In the caboose for me are the more lightweight pop tunes – “51st Anniversary,” “Can You See Me,” and “Remember.” They’re okay. But know what? They aren’t on the US version. They’re bonus tracks. When the Jimi “Hey Joe” is the weakest thing on an album (in my opinion), you know it’s a masterpiece. Thanks, Jimi, for giving us what is still the hugest positive revolution in rock since “She Loves You.” [First added to this chart: 11/08/2024]
First of all, I like Jon Landau due to the positive impact he had on Bruce Springsteen’s life and career, but that said, he revealed himself as the wuss to rule all wusses among rock listeners when he griped about the “unrelenting violence” of Hendrix’s vision. Ever listened to blues music, Mr. Landau? It’s by its nature lyrically and often musically violent. Hendrix is at root a blues, r & b, and soul guy, and he never forgets those roots, but he also embraced – and then dominated – the new sounds in British music in late ’66. He was obviously a visionary who dramatically expanded the possibilities of the electric guitar (on a Strat! That in an of itself should make him the greatest guitarist of all time. Strats sound like horrendous crap in the hands of almost anyone else), while sketching, in this music, the outer limits of psychedelia. My favorite tracks on this masterpiece are the ones where he does just that – the backwards rhythm section and guitar solo (plus the VU-like droning piano) on the title track, the tritone announcement of the new era on “Purple Haze,” the brimstone-filled atmosphere of “Love or Confusion,” the lurching violence (which is a good thing, Landau) of “Manic Depression,” and the ambient futuristic jazz-blues of “Third Stone from the Sun.” Shortly after come the gorgeous ballad-tempo tracks, “May This Be Love” and “The Wind Cries Mary,” which show Hendrix’s broad range.
Next is the groovy soul-funk of “Fire,” then “Foxy Lady” with its jazz-chord come-on, then the cowbell-fueled statement of purpose of “Stone Free.” Then come the blues tunes – “Highway Chile,” Jimi’s version of “Hey Joe” (I’ve always preferred the final Leaves version), and “Red House.” In the caboose for me are the more lightweight pop tunes – “51st Anniversary,” “Can You See Me,” and “Remember.” They’re okay. But know what? They aren’t on the US version. They’re bonus tracks. When the Jimi “Hey Joe” is the weakest thing on an album (in my opinion), you know it’s a masterpiece. Thanks, Jimi, for giving us what is still the hugest positive revolution in rock since “She Loves You.” [First added to this chart: 11/08/2024]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22,250
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
169
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Jimi's artistic tour-de-force. Not as consistently fantastic beginning to end as the US version of the debut, but still full of many treasures of his brilliance. The album as a whole finds Jimi developing greatly as an artist – using new studio techniques to expand his psychedelic vision (e.g. phase shifting), while also dipping into his pre-psychedelic roots with blues, r & b, and soul elements. He also works with new musicians, including essentially the entire lineup of Traffic (on different tracks), Jack Casady, Al Kooper, and, most indicative of the near future, Buddy Miles. He saves the two high points – two of the greatest achievements of his entire career – for the end of the album – his legendary cover of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” The former’s paranoia and resentment fit Jimi’s justifiable point of view of the time. He gives the track the best arrangement and production of his entire career – a rich and brilliant performance and recording. Meanwhile, the latter is probably the best hard rock track ever made, besting anything by Zeppelin, The Who, early Sabbath, or Cream, and more timeless in its sound and execution than anything else Hendrix ever made. Another standout is his extended jam with Steve Winwood and Jack Casady (and, oh yeah, Mitch Mitchell – the most underrated drummer of the late ‘60s – but pshaw, he’s on nearly all of Jimi’s stuff), “Voodoo Chile.” It is a little long, and somewhat disappointing in that Casady is never really showcased like he should be (such a great bassist), but Hendrix and Winwood’s brilliant soloing – sometimes concurrently – make it worthwhile if you have some extra time to listen. The final major high point is the magnus opus psychedelic odyssey “1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)” with its coda, “Moon, Turn the Tides… Gently, Gently Away,” which dominates side three. While a brilliant extravaganza, it does have its desultory points and could have been a little shorter. Surely a big influence on Pink Floyd’s “Echoes.” There’s also “Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland), a slow soul number where Jimi pulls out his Smokey Robinson falsetto (Jimi always thought he sucked as a singer, and to be frank, he did the Bob Dylan/Lou Reed speak-sing garbage way too much, but when he actually sings, it’s quite good), the hard-rocking “Crosstown Traffic,” the blues cover “Come On (Part 1),” the jams with Buddy Miles and company “Rainy Day, Dream Away” and “Still Raining, Still Dreaming” which frame “1983” over the course of two sides, on which Jimi presages the talk-box using just his guitar and a wah-wah pedal, and the psychedelic soul single “Burning of the Midnight Lamp,” with The Sweet Inspirations providing female background vocals and Jimi rocking out on electric harpsichord (!). Noel Redding’s “Little Miss Strange” is considerably better than “She’s So Fine” from Axis, but still a sore thumb here. The other three weaker tracks (but better than that), in my estimation, would be “Long Hot Summer Night,” “Gypsy Eyes,” and “House Burning Down,” but those are still pretty decent considering the double album length. A major achievement overall. It’s sad that Jimi never regained this kind of focus prior to his tragic passing.
[First added to this chart: 11/08/2024]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,777
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Obviously the third best of the original Experience trilogy, but still phenomenal. The world could probably rest easy without “EXP” and “She’s So Fine,” but my goodness, the masterpieces here – certainly “If 6 Was 9,” “Spanish Castle Magic,” “Bold As Love,” “Castles Made of Sand,” and of course the change-up of “Up from the Skies,” and the immortal “Little Wing,” of which the only flaw is that it’s way too short – it’s like they stopped running tape halfway through. Shame on anyone who moped at the time that this wasn’t as good as the debut – it’s full of masterpieces and several other worthwhile tracks. You can’t expect a guy, even a genius like Hendrix, to put out two godlike-from-beginning-to-end albums in one year. Just misses my “5+” tier.
[First added to this chart: 11/16/2024]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,676
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 3. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 1 | 1% | |
| 1960s | 40 | 40% | |
| 1970s | 37 | 37% | |
| 1980s | 16 | 16% | |
| 1990s | 5 | 5% | |
| 2000s | 1 | 1% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Beatles | 8 | 8% | |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 4% | |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4% | |
| David Bowie | 3 | 3% | |
| The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 3 | 3% | |
| Genesis | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
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| 200 Greatest albums of all time (1 - 100) - Uncut 2016 | Johnnyo | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| 200 Greatest Albums of All Time | Uncut | Overall chart | 2016 | |
| My Personal Ranking of Best Ever Albums' Top 100 |  Xxnu99etxX | Custom chart | 2022 | |
| Going With My Gut: The Overall Chart Top 100 Re-ranked |  CharlieBarley | Custom chart | 2024 | |
| BEA+RYM Overall Rank | Imaybeparanoid | Custom chart | 2017 |  |
| 50-79* | jdizzle123456 | Custom chart | 2025 | |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
89/100 (from 5 votes)
where:
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 5 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 100/100  | 08/18/2025 04:18 |  LadyGodiva | | 97/100 |
| 90/100 | 04/02/2025 10:14 |  pedro1976 | | 85/100 |
| 90/100 | 04/01/2025 00:42 |  Arthurknight | | 89/100 |
| 90/100 | 01/29/2025 12:20 |  SomethingSpecial | | 85/100 |
| 100/100 | 12/14/2024 22:44 |  Rhyner | | 99/100 |
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100/100
From LadyGodiva 08/18/2025 04:16
LadyGodiva 08/18/2025 04:16
Nice list - lost of albums that I love here :) A little Beatles heavy but hey… you love what you
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90/100
From Arthurknight 04/01/2025 00:34
Arthurknight 04/01/2025 00:34
Thanks for pointing out the Overall Chart and how it can be distorted. It's true, technically, but this would be a much more valid critique of me making custom charts for certain genres instead of placing their best in the greatest. Right now, they're hardly counting for the Overall Chart, when they could be counting a lot more. I've thought about that a little bit over the years since the website as a whole has a massive rock bias as it stands, but it doesn't outweigh how annoying it is for me to try and compare them in good faith (I, like you, have my genre preferences).
You've made me think a little bit about that line in my description. It's been there for over a decade now and had you strolled in at the start and said what you've said it'd ring a lot more true. Back then, I enforced it on myself to get away from a list that had double ups on double ups. It was also part of an impetus to go and listen to new things. Today, all the albums in the list are -- I think -- 5/5 records, and consequently there's actually a very small cross section of possible records I could consider that this rule presently excludes, here they are:
The Beatles - The Beatles [White Album]
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
David Bowie - Station to Station
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Good Son
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour
Guided by Voices - Alien Lanes
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
The Velvet Underground - White Light / White Heat
The Wrens - Album 4.5 (bootleg wouldn't qualify)
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones
Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
Neil Young - Tonight's the Night
Would I add any of them to my list though? Maybe like 1 or 2 at any random given day, or certainly I'd be more likely right after listening to one of them, but I think they fight against my no. 100 on pretty equal footing and there's at least as many more left out that are from artists not in the list at all. This is a result of 10+ years of such a rule. I just have a very wide tastes now and I kind of like it that way. It doesn't mean anything really because I'd still defend the rule as it stands but food for thought. Interested in hearing more from you mate keep in touch.
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90/100
From Arthurknight 03/26/2025 08:27
Arthurknight 03/26/2025 08:27
Thanks for your comment. I wouldn't describe our tastes as majorly divergent, at least not from where I'm sitting. There's only a handful of records in your list I don't rate at least an 8, and many more I utterly adore.
Regarding the one artist limit, I can see why you might take issue with it considering the effect it would have on your list, but I'll hazard a minor challenge to your reasoning. You -- correctly -- dismiss the premise of objectivity in the construction of your list, and instead defer to your heart. I do so too, but isn't there a tension here with how you rationalise what a list should be?
I don't have a problem with your rules per se; do your thing. However, you argue that a list with restriction is in some way a lie. You then go on to volubly articulate all the ways your own list is limited in favour of how you personally imagine and derive joy from music. My point being, we are both using the list to document and convey us and how we see our own tastes, far more so than making a claim to what is good. It seems you're aware of that but it's lost on me you'd consider my version of how to demonstrate mine somehow me lying to myself.
Simply put, I kind of figure that when someone sees I like Neil Young's On The Beach that they can also figure I like the rest of catalogue; and if they're so curious as to what extent that information is readily available on my profile. Moreover, it's compelling for me to make that commitment to a favourite by an artist that I could otherwise proliferate my list with indiscriminately, and it frees me up to self-express a modicum more and to make recommendations.
A list can do more than one thing at a time.
In any case, I enjoyed reading through your list. I appreciated picks like New York Tendaberry and the wild self-reporting of being a Gen-Xer (with that Joe Jackson live album, I promise you we can tell), however I am also left without anything new to go discover which leaves me wanting.
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