Top 50 Greatest Music Albums
by Slingsby Unknown

There are probably as many records that are conspicuous by their absence here (Nevermind, London Calling, The Joshua Tree etc) as there are ones that are conspicuous by their presence (A Call and Response, Six, Frengers etc). Although, like everyone else, I've got my musical leanings, I also try to judge each record by an artist I like on its own merits - hence I'm not including Highway 61, although I love Dylan, or The Wall, though I love Pink Floyd.

For me, history will judge Interpol as far and away the finest band of this decade. Admittedly there are many people that their music just does nothing for, but it stirs those who like it in ways that so little music can. Turn on the Bright Lights has everything - subtlety, shrewd guitar work, melodic basslines that give the sound much of its complexity, poetic and moving lyrics, a voice whose intimate fragility climbs effortlessly above its choppy guitar work and offbeat drumming, and a selection of tracks in which each one adds something and no two add the same.

Wish You Were Here is the best album ever for guitar wizardry, and it flouts the prog stereotype by being full of heart as well as technically accomplished musicianship.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the greatest ever songwriter on stonking form.

Dark Side of the Moon beats anything else for imagination and ingenuity.

OK Computer is a finer artistic achievement than any other record.

Etc

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The entries in this chart have a zero rank score because the chart has not been updated within the last ten years (points from overall charts are decayed over a ten year period).

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Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,212
Rank in 2002:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
45,176
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1963
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,923
Rank in 1963:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
60,775
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
64,390
Rank in 1997:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,798
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,317
Rank in 1994:
Rank in 1990s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,253
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,937
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 01/23/2010]
Year of Release:
1967
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,502
Rank in 1967:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 50. Page 1 of 5

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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade Albums %


1930s 0 0%
1940s 0 0%
1950s 0 0%
1960s 8 16%
1970s 10 20%
1980s 4 8%
1990s 13 26%
2000s 14 28%
2010s 1 2%
2020s 0 0%
Artist Albums %


Pink Floyd 4 8%
The Beatles 3 6%
Bob Dylan 3 6%
Radiohead 3 6%
Mogwai 2 4%
The Smiths 2 4%
The National 2 4%
Show all
Country Albums %


United Kingdom 34 68%
United States 12 24%
Iceland 1 2%
Denmark 1 2%
Canada 1 2%
Mixed Nationality 1 2%

Top 50 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest fallers
Faller Down 1 from 48th to 49th
In Rainbows
by Radiohead
New entries
New entryMr Beast
by Mogwai
TitleSourceTypePublishedCountry
100 Greatest Albums EverQOverall chart2006United Kingdom
Top 100 Greatest Music AlbumsQOverall chart1997United Kingdom
Virgin All-Time Top 1000 AlbumsVirginOverall chart2000United Kingdom
NME 's 100 Best Albums Of All TimeNew Music ExpressOverall chart2003United Kingdom
Greatest 100 Albums of All TimeThe Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums with NME Overall chart2006United Kingdom
Top 100 Greatest Music AlbumsChannel 4Overall chart2005United Kingdom
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums 1234567890Overall chart2011Unknown
The Guardian 100 Best Albums EverThe GuardianOverall chart1997United Kingdom
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums Mourinho_is_GodOverall chart2011
Top 50 Greatest Music AlbumschripedOverall chart2011

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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating: 
80/100 (from 17 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
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.

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95/100
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01/15/2017 02:28 Seab  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,00593/100
 
85/100
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12/05/2011 11:51 Bach  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 95678/100
 
80/100
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08/08/2011 16:43 David Richardson  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 363/100
 
75/100
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07/14/2011 16:25 Triple Seis  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,25179/100
  
85/100
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05/10/2011 17:07 Mandro  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 15078/100

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 80.1/100, a mean average of 76.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 76.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 14.7.

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