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 89 out of 100 (from 38 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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

View the complete list of 56,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.

This chart is currently filtered to only show non live albums. (Remove this filter)

Sort by

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

1. (=)

Kid A 

 Radiohead

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

1996-2000 was undoubtedly Radiohead's creative pinnacle, a period producing not only three flawless LPs that were each groundbreaking in their own right, but nigh on 20 B-sides and belatedly released tracks that rival the greatest hits of other artists' entire discography's. If OK Computer was the boiling point in terms of the experimentation and chemistry between it's members, Kid A and Amnesiac were the water spilling out over the stove, an implosion of anxiety, panic and frightening tranquility.

Kid A became not so much a soundtrack to my teenage-hood as it was an embodiment of all the confusion of the post-9/11, pre-social media world I was presented with and attempting to puzzle through. I also have to credit it as a personal stepping off point in beginning to explore jazz, abstract electronica and krautrock. Thusly, I award it number 1 on my humble chart. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]

Year of Release:

2000

Appears in:

3,202 charts

Rank Score:

45,054

Rank in 2000:

1

Rank in 2000s:

2

Overall Rank:

9

Average Rating:

 89 (4,435 votes)

Comments:

559

2. (=)

Doolittle 

 Pixies

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

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:

2,542 charts

Rank Score:

33,313

Rank in 1989:

1

Rank in 1980s:

2

Overall Rank:

18

Average Rating:

 88 (2,935 votes)

Comments:

293

3. (=)

Ege Bamyası 

 Can

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

"It's the best jam session you ever had that you thought you had recorded but in fact hadn't."

That's something my friend said about Random Access Memories which I personally feel more accurately applies to this album, partly since I don't have access to +$1million dollars worth of music production resources. From start to finish it feels like you've wandered into the belly of the strangest jam sesh produced by some very funky humans, but there's also some superbly imaginative songwriting and other-worldly studio experimentation. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

637 charts

Rank Score:

5,474

Rank in 1972:

9

Rank in 1970s:

79

Overall Rank:

317

Average Rating:

 83 (720 votes)

Comments:

28

4. (=)

Rain Dogs 

 Tom Waits

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

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:

1,138 charts

Rank Score:

12,108

Rank in 1985:

2

Rank in 1980s:

14

Overall Rank:

110

Average Rating:

 84 (1,329 votes)

Comments:

86

5. (=)

The Smile Sessions 

 The Beach Boys

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

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

Year of Release:

2011

Appears in:

468 charts

Rank Score:

6,125

Rank in 2011:

3

Rank in 2010s:

33

Overall Rank:

276

Average Rating:

 85 (827 votes)

Comments:

76

6. (=)

Tago Mago 

 Can

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

To me, the other albums in my top 10 are wintery or autumnal sort of affairs, all leave-less trees and cold white light piercing through clouds. Tago Mago is my summer album, a zesty, glued together work of strange, bare funk played with both fruity precision and Velvets-esque freedom. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

950 charts

Rank Score:

9,751

Rank in 1971:

7

Rank in 1970s:

38

Overall Rank:

148

Average Rating:

 83 (1,040 votes)

Comments:

77

7. (=)

Multi-Love 

 Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

Other albums on this top 10 are either records that I can only listen to occasionally or were formative on my muical coming-of-age, but this album is the one I can just put on whenever and jam out to it.

Ruban Nielsen is a deceptively brilliant songwriter and guitarist and while UMOs three-albums are indepted to various shades of Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Funkadelic, Prince and 60s soul, it would be unfair to pigeon-hole them under the 'vintage' umbrella, this is truly something distinctive. [First added to this chart: 08/27/2017]

Year of Release:

2015

Appears in:

149 charts

Rank Score:

605

Rank in 2015:

45

Rank in 2010s:

420

Overall Rank:

2,598

Average Rating:

 75 (193 votes)

Comments:

9

8. (=)

Madvillainy 

 Madvillain

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

"Spot hot tracks like spot a pair of fat asses
Shots of the scotch from out of square shot glasses
And he won't stop 'til he got the masses
And show 'em what they know not through flows of hot molasses"

The beats are incredible, the flow and lyricism flawless. Madlib and Doom serve up something as exquisitely tasty as it is easily digestible. There aren't really any skits, a lot of the tracks stop around 2 minutes and there is plenty of variety for such a compact, concentrated album. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

1,065 charts

Rank Score:

14,938

Rank in 2004:

2

Rank in 2000s:

8

Overall Rank:

86

Average Rating:

 86 (1,201 votes)

Comments:

93

9. (=)

OK Computer 

 Radiohead

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

I've listened to this album perhaps more than anything else in my life, it's perfect and I don't think I can say anything about it that hasn't already been said. [First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

4,400 charts

Rank Score:

67,627

Rank in 1997:

1

Rank in 1990s:

1

Overall Rank:

1

Average Rating:

 92 (5,605 votes)

Comments:

850

11. (=)

A Love Supreme 

 John Coltrane

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

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:

1,320 charts

Rank Score:

16,077

Rank in 1965:

3

Rank in 1960s:

18

Overall Rank:

75

Average Rating:

 87 (1,487 votes)

Comments:

101

• « prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• ...
• 9
• 10
• next »
• Goto Page: 

Total albums: 99. Page 1 of 10

Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!

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 Smiths	2	2%
Pixies	2	2%
Can	2	2%
Talk Talk	2	2%
The Beach Boys	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

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

Title	Source	Type	Published	Country
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	KindofBlue	Overall chart	2019
The BEA Friendly Chart	alelsupreme	Custom chart	2015
My Personal Ranking of Rate Your Music's Top 100	Xxnu99etxX	Custom chart	2020
BEA+RYM Overall Rank	Imaybeparanoid	Custom chart	2017
RYM Average Rating	Imaybeparanoid	Custom chart	2016
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	barbarossa	Overall chart	2022
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	Chicken4Sale	Overall chart	2018
BEA Forum Regulars' Top 100 (2015)	HigherThanTheSun	Custom chart	2015
Going With My Gut: The Overall Chart Top 100 Re-ranked	CharlieBarley	Custom chart	2024
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	LAF2	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 38 ratings for this chart.

Sort ratings

• Rating
• Date updated
• Member

Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
85/100	03/24/2025 09:47	SomethingSpecial	1,092	85/100
90/100	12/24/2020 07:33	sssvnnn	2,845	83/100
95/100	09/19/2020 14:36	BraddlesHendo	496	91/100
100/100	05/24/2020 02:38	Rhyner	1,448	99/100
90/100	05/22/2020 17:26	desh79	1,278	93/100

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 89.5/100, a mean average of 90.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.5.

• Related links:
• Top charts

Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

Showing all 4 members who have added this chart as a favourite

troy

scwrlw

btener11

CellarDoor

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 18 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated 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 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

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

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)

Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment

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!