Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by badger

This chart reflects the albums I have the most personal attachment to, whether or not they are bona fide masterpieces, others on this list are there simply because they are amazing.

• Chart updated: 09/04/2019 23:15
• (Created: 12/02/2012 03:04).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 18 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 37 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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2. (=)

Doolittle 

 Pixies

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The most infectiously disjointed, genius songwriting ever. The songs move in the most strange, comical fashion with off-piste lyrics to match and of course a dynamic approach that is loud-quiet but never soft and always just the right amount of harsh, like a fry-up of perfect crispiness.

Charmingly, all the duality of this recording feels like a hap-hazard accident, but it had already been done twice, I find it worthwhile to stick around for the more stadium ready space punk/metal and tributes to French architects of later Pixies, even if Kim Deal was slowly and strangely being etched out of the picture, but for me Doolittle is where it's at. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

2,492 charts

Rank Score:

37,395

Rank in 1989:

1

Rank in 1980s:

2

Overall Rank:

18

Average Rating:

 88 (2,871 votes)

Comments:

289

4. (=)

Rain Dogs 

 Tom Waits

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For me, no artist surpasses Waits's ability to conjure up vivid imagery, sounds and smells in my head. An incredible lyricist and a genius at employing found sounds in his tales-from-the-gutter storytelling. I feel like I am being the grand tour of inner city squalor and it's actually quite fun despite the rats and sick.

And the rat sick. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

1,115 charts

Rank Score:

13,095

Rank in 1985:

2

Rank in 1980s:

14

Overall Rank:

108

Average Rating:

 84 (1,305 votes)

Comments:

85

5. (=)

The Smile Sessions 

 The Beach Boys

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[First added to this chart: 09/10/2017]

Year of Release:

2011

Appears in:

458 charts

Rank Score:

6,318

Rank in 2011:

4

Rank in 2010s:

36

Overall Rank:

279

Average Rating:

 85 (807 votes)

Comments:

74

10. (=)

The Long Goodbye: LCD Soundsystem Live At Madison Square Garden 
Live

 LCD Soundsystem

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A band making music about a band that makes music about a band that makes music. It's a great gateway to the best aspects of those lost acts of the 70s-80s avant-garde dance and post-punk scenes. It's like they've cherry picked the best parts of Neu!, This Heat, Nena, Suicide, Bauhaus, Ruth, Frankie Knuckles etc. and discarded the aspects that can be annoying or unappealing, packaging it all into something that retains what made those influences interesting. All their albums are worth checking out and this Madison Square Garden 'farewell' concert is remarkable also. [First added to this chart: 09/03/2019]

Year of Release:

2014

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

231

Rank in 2014:

109

Rank in 2010s:

1,097

Overall Rank:

5,716

Average Rating:

 84 (60 votes)

Comments:

3

11. (=)

A Love Supreme 

 John Coltrane

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Quite a brief album really, but it's four tracks are perfection and offer a good variety. The music flows like honey out of a jar, every note and beat has the sense of being poured from the same point. It can be smooth or abrasive depending on how you listen to it, harmonically rich and often chaotic but always intensely beautiful. Psalm is maybe the most achingly gorgeous, soul-baring jazz recording I've ever heard. [First added to this chart: 12/11/2012]

Year of Release:

1965

Appears in:

1,286 charts

Rank Score:

17,092

Rank in 1965:

3

Rank in 1960s:

19

Overall Rank:

75

Average Rating:

 87 (1,452 votes)

Comments:

99

12. (=)

To Be Kind 

 Swans

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Tackling the latest Swans records (and all of their output in fact) can seem like a mammoth task. ~2 hours of relentless, blistering riffs; noisy crescendos building on top of noisy crescendos. But there's something serene about it, like being in the eye of the storm and admiring the chaos you are wrapped up in. Musically and lyrically, it is a comment on the primality and monotony of existence but it isn't the expected moping dirge of "humanity is fucked and filthy", a deeper look reveals To Be Kind can be content, even celebratory of our nature. Like a fanfare of mankinds fucktitude. [First added to this chart: 08/30/2017]

Year of Release:

2014

Appears in:

609 charts

Rank Score:

7,131

Rank in 2014:

2

Rank in 2010s:

29

Overall Rank:

242

Average Rating:

 82 (857 votes)

Comments:

100

13. (28) 15

Atrocity Exhibition 

 Danny Brown

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[First added to this chart: 08/27/2017]

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

583 charts

Rank Score:

5,964

Rank in 2016:

5

Rank in 2010s:

39

Overall Rank:

301

Average Rating:

 83 (686 votes)

Comments:

54

14. (13) 1

Bitches Brew 

 Miles Davis

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There is something so engaging about the ever-propulsive momentum and the way the notes appear to dance delicately between each other. I was introduced to 'In a Silent Way' first, and loved it, but this feels like that album realised in grandiose, funked-out glory. Alternatively you could argue that In a Silent Way is the more cohesive, truer to jazz album of the pair and that Bitches Brew outstays it's welcome, but I don't know, I enjoy it's ridiculousness. On a knife-edge it manages to pull off it's maximalist pomposity in a way a lot of "jazz-fusion" can't. And it is so transportive, I feel like I am in that cover art. I can't find anything out there that comes anywhere near the tone of this album. Truly mind-blowing. [First added to this chart: 08/31/2017]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

927 charts

Rank Score:

10,129

Rank in 1970:

6

Rank in 1970s:

40

Overall Rank:

155

Average Rating:

 84 (1,153 votes)

Comments:

72

18. (27) 9

Journey In Satchidananda 

 Alice Coltrane

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[First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

252 charts

Rank Score:

1,767

Rank in 1971:

30

Rank in 1970s:

213

Overall Rank:

1,008

Average Rating:

 81 (208 votes)

Comments:

14

23. (21) 2

To Pimp A Butterfly 

 Kendrick Lamar

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People who muse on the current political climate and ask why punk isn't making a return obviously haven't been listening to hip-hop lately, or have maybe simply dismissed it. [First added to this chart: 08/27/2017]

Year of Release:

2015

Appears in:

1,775 charts

Rank Score:

37,227

Rank in 2015:

1

Rank in 2010s:

1

Overall Rank:

19

Average Rating:

 89 (2,223 votes)

Comments:

364

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Total albums: 52. Page 1 of 6

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade	Albums	%
1930s	0	0%
1940s	0	0%
1950s	0	0%
1960s	16	16%
1970s	20	20%
1980s	10	10%
1990s	17	17%
2000s	14	14%
2010s	23	23%
2020s	0	0%

Artist	Albums	%
Radiohead	4	4%
The Beatles	3	3%
The Beach Boys	2	2%
Unknown Mortal Orchestra	2	2%
Swans	2	2%
The Smiths	2	2%
Pixies	2	2%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	52	52%
	29	29%
	5	5%
	5	5%
	2	2%
	1	1%
	1	1%
Show all

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 19 from 100th to 81st Future Perfect by Autolux
Up 17 from 37th to 20th Street Halo / Kindred by Burial
Up 16 from 46th to 30th The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse

Biggest fallers
Down 38 from 49th to 87th The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers
Down 35 from 40th to 75th Illmatic by Nas
Down 22 from 75th to 97th The Infamous by Mobb Deep

New entries
Parachute by The Pretty Things
Everyone Into Position by Oceansize
Celestial Emporium by The Life And Times Of The Brothers Hogg

Leavers
Liquid Swords by GZA/Genius
Moment Of Truth by Gang Starr
A Better Life by Spring King

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• BEA Forum Regulars' Top 100 (2015) by HigherThanTheSun (2015)
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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 37 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
90/100	12/24/2020 07:33	sssvnnn	2,827	83/100
95/100	09/19/2020 14:36	BraddlesHendo	491	91/100
100/100	05/24/2020 02:38	Rhyner	1,382	99/100
90/100	05/22/2020 17:26	desh79	1,281	93/100
100/100	05/22/2020 12:43	migl	11	99/100

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 3% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.6/100, a mean average of 90.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.6.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

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Rating:  

90/100

From Thad 05/22/2020 11:46

very good chart, we share some favorites. i don't usually say this but i think you find a lot of stuff you might like on my chart. interested to see how this one grows over time! i imagine it'll be worthy of a 100 in a year or two as you discover and explore more

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Rating:  

90/100

From Johnnyo 09/05/2019 06:58

Very good chart indeed

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

Rating:  

90/100

From JulianR 09/01/2017 01:58

Interesting, and I like your reviews!

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

Rating:  

90/100

From HoldenM 08/30/2013 03:37

Awesome, awesome chart. Kudos, sir.

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

From Rikuff 08/29/2013 08:41

Eccellente!

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

Rating:  

90/100

From SingingPeasant96 06/08/2013 02:56

Wow, Fabulous chart

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

Rating:  

80/100

From album guru joe 02/07/2013 07:14

Cool chart :)

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

Rating:  

85/100

From 5thbeatle 02/07/2013 02:49

Intriguing.

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

Rating:  

95/100

From btener11 02/06/2013 21:49

man i really love this chart...i didnt give it enough love before so im upgrading your rating!

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

Rating:  

80/100

From junodog4 02/06/2013 18:37

Nice... enough variety to make it interesting.

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

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