Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by Charicature

7/29/11 - List expanded to top 100. No consideration given to order.
9/7/11 - fixed the order a bit. Added Second Coming. Deleted the old notes from before the list expanded to 100. Due to trouble posting the changes, album #100 got deleted - I don't remember what it was just now, so I'll figure it out later.
9/25/11 - added Coming Up and Songs for Dustmites...regrettably as always having technical difficulty actually updating my changes. Monkees are off the list again.
9/21/12 - Tough choice, need to put Strangeland into the chart, guess I'll boot Pablo Honey - I skip most of that album these days when it comes up on my shuffle.
2/4/13 - Strangeland jumps 10 spots to #10
3/8/13 - Dropped Ferment to 100 pending removal when something better comes along, moved a couple other albums around.
3/26/13 Added Sundown (debuts at #100 pending further listening) and removed Ferment.
3/29/13 Dropped Hotwired, added Tea for the Tillerman
8/26/13 Dropped Beneath the Rhythym and Sound and added Where You Stand.
12/3/15 Just tweaked my top 15 based on current listening habits revealing I consider certain albums better than previously rated. Gotta figure the ones I'm still listening to are the best. Keane breaks into the top-3, Travis and The Killers make the top-10 for the first time (big leap for Hot Fuss, from #53 to #4 - whenever songs from that album come on my Sirius radio, I change to them).
6/20/16 - Added Purple Rain after finding out I hadn't included it (oversight brought to my attention by the unfortunate untimely death of the artist). Easily ditched American Lesion to make room.
9/11/18 - some tweaks, a few more comments, and one new album. Dropped Garbage by Garbage, just find myself skipping over them whenever I see them come up. Don't even know why, since I still like the music, just never want to listen to it anymore lol.
6/4/22 - Haven’t updated the chart in almost 4 years, shifted some positions to account for changing tastes and to prepare the list for some additions/subtractions. Only added one album, may have to make some decade charts for albums based on best singles.
7/6/23 - listened to True in recent months and wasn’t disappointed. Definitely deserving of consideration of one of the best albums of the 80s, and Tony Hadley is without a doubt the strongest male singer of the decade. Going to insert this at #40 without considering what’s around it, it’s that good.
8/10/25 - I'll get around to some revisions sometime. I've had opportunity to listen to more of what my generation called classic rock and realized there's some albums deserving of my top 100 that aren't here. Some other albums just haven't had as much staying power with me, so hard as it might be, they'll have to come off.

• Chart updated: 08/11/2025 03:45
• (Created: 11/18/2008 22:44).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

• Summary
• Composition
• Ratings
• Favourites
• Comments
• Your feedback

View the complete list of 57,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.

This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from Depeche Mode. (Remove this filter)

Sort by

• Overall Rank
• Num. Charts
• Avg. Rating
• Num. Ratings
• Release Date
• Title
• Artist

12. (=)

Violator 

 Depeche Mode

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

Dark, sensual, and beautiful pinnacle of Depeche Mode's catalogue, Martin Gore's writing, Alan Wilder's technical expertise and classical music sensibilities, and Gore's and Dave Gahan's compelling vocals make this album one of the greatest ever.

Best tracks:
Halo, Waiting for the Night, Enjoy the Silence [First added to this chart: 11/23/2009]

Year of Release:

1990

Appears in:

1,203 charts

Rank Score:

12,214

Rank in 1990:

1

Rank in 1990s:

19

Overall Rank:

101

Average Rating:

 83 (1,393 votes)

Comments:

100

29. (=)

Ultra 

 Depeche Mode

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

[First added to this chart: 11/23/2009]

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

195 charts

Rank Score:

1,305

Rank in 1997:

26

Rank in 1990s:

242

Overall Rank:

1,316

Average Rating:

 76 (325 votes)

Comments:

11

32. (=)

Songs Of Faith And Devotion 

 Depeche Mode

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

[First added to this chart: 11/23/2009]

Year of Release:

1993

Appears in:

321 charts

Rank Score:

1,969

Rank in 1993:

17

Rank in 1990s:

164

Overall Rank:

883

Average Rating:

 77 (450 votes)

Comments:

16

51. (50) 1

Black Celebration 

 Depeche Mode

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

[First added to this chart: 11/23/2009]

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

374 charts

Rank Score:

2,667

Rank in 1986:

10

Rank in 1980s:

103

Overall Rank:

648

Average Rating:

 78 (508 votes)

Comments:

29

Total albums: 4. Page 1 of 1

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Country	Albums	%
	47	47%
	46	46%
	6	6%
	1	1%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

Title	Source	Type	Published	Country
Best Artist Chart	joathome	Custom chart	2024
Top Alternative Pop/Rock Albums	nas062080	Custom chart	2013
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s	edubs	1990s decade chart	2016
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	CA Dreamin	Overall chart	2024
If The BEA Overall Chart Had A One Album Per Artist Rule...	Romanelli	Custom chart	2025
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s	Kuzh69	1990s decade chart	2019
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	lightmyway	Overall chart	2012
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	jay020281	Overall chart	2020
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s	hoomantc	1990s decade chart	2016
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	5thbeatle	Overall chart	2018

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 52 ratings for this chart.

Sort by

• Rating
• Date updated
• Member

Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
90/100  !	08/06/2025 00:15	ExTeaSea	244	89/100
80/100  !	03/21/2025 10:41	SomethingSpecial	1,104	85/100
90/100  !	03/22/2019 03:25	NSPE	350	77/100
60/100  !	03/08/2019 18:31	mickilennial	715	77/100
75/100  !	04/24/2017 12:49	LedZep	1,104	84/100

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 has a Bayesian average rating of 69.6/100, a mean average of 66.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 66.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 22.3.

• Related links:
• Top charts

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

Showing all 3 members who have added this chart as a favourite

GARY

Charicature

videoheadcleaner

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 36 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)

Rating:  

90/100

From ExTeaSea 08/06/2025 00:19 | #310422

I really like this chart! I like how much you like a number of bands and their albums. Bunch of albums I need to check out. Found you through Better Than Ezra Friction Baby which is underrated.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

75/100

From LedZep 04/24/2017 12:50 | #189756

Not nearly as bad as the rating suggests, actually quite enjoyable chart

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From sageamagoo 04/29/2013 00:17 | #74743

Not bad- lots of stuff I don't know, which is often a good sign. Bonus points for including Resident Alien: if you haven't heard their 2nd album, you definitely need to. I find Resident Alien can sound a bit corny or amateurish at times, but The Chinese Album is a masterpiece far beyond what I was expecting.

I'll have to give Catherine Wheel a listen.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From drakonium 04/02/2013 15:57 | #71116

Wow, so many albums I've never heard... Stunning! I'll have to catch up on that. Anyway, great job, it's a fantastic chart.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

80/100

From ecwashere 11/07/2012 13:19 | #54495

Good!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

75/100

From junodog4 09/04/2012 16:12 | #49948

Lots of 90s, and does a good job of representing the decade... I don't know much about Catherine Wheel... I totally forgot about Matthew Sweet. Time to reacquaint myself.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

80/100

From joedec 06/23/2012 05:29 | #45069

Nice list. Very diverse

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

60/100

From Captain Spacker 04/12/2012 11:24 | #40035

Two Smashing Pumpkin albums in the top 20? Ummmm . . .

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Rating:  

75/100

From btener11 11/08/2011 18:45 | #30152

Hell yeah Catherine Wheel! Also gotta give you serious props/bravery points for Gin Blossoms NME! Near-perfect pop album. All the Jesus Jones and Keane is a major turn-off, but Saturation (UO) makes up for it in a big way.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

90/100

From ilovelctr 09/25/2011 04:36 | #27811

Unique. Different from those generic charts which are boring.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Your feedback for Top 100 Greatest Music Albums

Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!