I collected over 35 lists of the “Best Albums of All Time”, “Greatest Albums…”, “Most Important Albums…” from books, magazines and the Internet and combined them into one meta-list. Here are the results: every album on three or more of the original source lists, organized by rank (that is, with the albums on the most lists at the top). Albums on the same number of lists are arranged chronologically.
NOTE 1: These are not my personal opinions.
NOTE 2: The “Best Albums” lists I found focus on pop, r&b, hip hop and the many permutations of rock, with occasional nods to other genres (jazz, folk, country). To make up for the many missing genres, I have created other music meta-lists for classical, jazz, blues, hip hop, country, and world music. If you’re looking for Best Songs meta-lists, I’ve created some of those, too: rock/pop, etc., country, and hip hop.
On 35 Lists
The Beatles Revolver (1966)
On 34 Lists
The Beatles The Beatles [White Album] (1968)
On 33 Lists
The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)
Nirvana Nevermind (1991)
On 32 lists
Led Zeppelin [Led Zeppelin IV] (1971)
On 31 Lists
The Beatles Rubber Soul (1965)
On 30 Lists
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967)
The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. (1972)
The Clash London Calling (1980)
On 29 Lists
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
The Beatles Abbey Road (1969)
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Marvin Gaye What’s Going On (1971)
Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977)
Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
On 28 Lists
Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
On 27 Lists
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975)
On 26 Lists
Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
Ramones Ramones (1976)
On 25 Lists
The Who Who’s Next (1971)
On 24 Lists
Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde (1966)
The Doors The Doors (1967)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland (1968)
Van Morrison Astral Weeks (1968)
The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed (1969)
Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks (1975)
AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (1984)
On 23 Lists
The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers (1971)
U2 The Joshua Tree (1987)
Radiohead OK Computer (1997)
On 22 Lists
Patti Smith Horses (1975)
The Smiths The Queen Is Dead (1986)
On 21 Lists
David Bowie Hunky Dory (1971)
Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
U2 Achtung Baby (1991)
R.E.M. Automatic for the People (1992)
On 20 Lists
The Band The Band (1969)
Neil Young After the Gold Rush (1970)
Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
Paul Simon Graceland (1986)
On 19 Lists
Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959)
Joni Mitchell Blue (1971)
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti (1975)
Television Marquee Moon (1977)
Prince Sign o’ the Times (1987)
Guns n’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Pearl Jam Ten (1991)
On 18 Lists
Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
Love Forever Changes (1967)
Stevie Wonder Innervisions (1973)
Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (1975)
On 17 Lists
The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet (1968)
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Carole King Tapestry (1971)
Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979)
The Stone Roses The Stone Roses (1989)
Jeff Buckley Grace (1994)
On 16 Lists
James Brown ‘Live’ at The Apollo (1963)
Otis Redding Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)
Van Morrison Moondance (1970)
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
The Clash The Clash (1979)
Pink Floyd The Wall (1979)
Talking Heads Remain in Light (1980)
Oasis (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
On 15 Lists
The Band Music From Big Pink (1968)
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin (1969)
Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis (1969)
The Who Tommy (1969)
Captain Beefheart Trout Mask Replica (1969)
Lou Reed Transformer (1972)
Pixies Doolittle (1989)
Radiohead The Bends (1995)
Beck Odelay (1996)
On 14 Lists
John Lennon John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Derek and The Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
Queen A Night at the Opera (1975)
The Eagles Hotel California (1976)
On 13 Lists
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground (1969)
Miles Davis Bitches Brew (1970)
John Lennon Imagine (1971)
Iggy & The Stooges Raw Power (1973)
Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
Joy Division Closer (1981)
R.E.M. Murmur (1983)
N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1988)
Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique (1989)
Primal Scream Screamadelica (1991)
Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Massive Attack Blue Lines (1991)
Metallica Metallica [Black Album] (1991)
Oasis Definitely Maybe (1994)
Portishead Dummy (1994)
Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
Radiohead Kid A (2000)
On 12 Lists
The Stooges Fun House (1970)
Joni Mitchell Court and Spark (1974)
Roxy Music For Your Pleasure (1976)
Elvis Costello My Aim Is True (1977)
Joy Division Unknown Pleasures (1980)
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985)
Metallica Master of Puppets (1986)
Sonic Youth Daydream Nation (1988)
My Bloody Valentine Loveless (1991)
On 11 Lists
John Coltrane A Love Supreme (1965)
Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
Cream Disraeli Gears (1967)
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968)
Black Sabbath Paranoid (1970)
Sly & the Family Stone There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971)
Neil Young Harvest (1972)
Neil Young Tonight’s the Night (1975)
Various Artists (incl. Bee Gees) Saturday Night Fever (1977)
The Pretenders Pretenders (1980)
The Police Synchronicity (1983)
The Replacements Let It Be (1984)
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream (1993)
Nirvana In Utero (1993)
The Strokes Is This It (2001)
On 10 Lists
Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions (several versions) (1954-1955)
The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Aretha Franklin Lady Soul (1968)
Sly & the Family Stone Stand! (1969)
The Kinks The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1969)
Grateful Dead American Beauty (1970)
Santana Abraxas (1970)
Stevie Wonder Talking Book (1972)
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy (1973)
Bob Marley & the Wailers Exodus (1977)
Elvis Costello This Year’s Model (1978)
Blondie Parallel Lines (1978)
Public Image Ltd. Metal Box (re-released in 1980 as Second Edition) (1979)
Bob Marley & the Wailers Legend (rec. 1972-1983, rel. 1984)
Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
Tom Waits Rain Dogs (1985)
Kate Bush Hounds of Love (1985)
Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill (1986)
Peter Gabriel So (1986)
Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
Blur Parklife (1994)
Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral (1994)
Soundgarden Superunknown (1994)
Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995)
On 9 Lists
The Byrds The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East (1971)
Janis Joplin Pearl (1971)
Richard & Linda Thompson I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)
Aerosmith Toys in the Attic (1975)
Kraftwerk Trans-Europe Express (1977)
The Rolling Stones Some Girls (1978)
Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell (1986)
A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory (1991)
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (1992)
Pavement Slanted and Enchanted (1992)
Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
DJ Shadow Endtroducing….. (1996)
PJ Harvey Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (2000)
On 8 Lists
Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold as Love (1968)
George Harrison All Things Must Pass (1970)
James Taylor Sweet Baby James (1970)
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III (1970)
Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
T. Rex Electric Warrior (1971)
Al Green Call Me (1973)
New York Dolls New York Dolls (1973)
Gram Parsons GP (1973)
Gram Parsons Grievous Angel (1974)
Brian Eno Another Green World (1975)
Steely Dan Aja (1977)
Van Halen Van Halen (1978)
Big Star Third/Sister Lovers (1978)
Neil Young Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Gang of Four Entertainment! (1979)
Prince 1999 (1982)
The Smiths The Smiths (1984)
The Jesus and Mary Chain Psychocandy (1986)
The Cure Disintegration (1989)
De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Dr. Dre The Chronic (1992)
Hole Live Through This (1994)
Green Day Dookie (1994)
Nas Illmatic (1994)
The Verve Urban Hymns (1997)
OutKast Stankonia (2000)
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
On 7 Lists
Elvis Presley Elvis Presley (1956)
Little Richard Here’s Little Richard (1957)
Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
The Zombies Odessey & Oracle (1968)
The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival Green River (1969)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Déjà vu (1970)
Funkadelic Maggot Brain (1971)
Nick Drake Pink Moon (1972)
Todd Rundgren Something/Anything? (1972)
The Who Quadrophenia (1973)
Big Star Radio City (1974)
Parliament Mothership Connection (1975)
The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers (rec. 1971-1973, rel. 1976)
Wire Pink Flag (1977)
David Bowie Low (1977)
Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (1977)
Bruce Springsteen Nebraska (1982)
Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones (1983)
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1986)
Madonna Like a Prayer (1989)
R.E.M. Out of Time (1991)
Liz Phair Exile in Guyville (1993)
The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die (1994)
Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)
The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Pulp Different Class (1996)
Elliott Smith Either/Or (1997)
The Prodigy The Fat of the Land (1997)
Lucinda Williams Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
Arcade Fire Funeral (2004)
Kanye West The College Dropout (2004)
On 6 Lists
Chuck Berry The Great Twenty-Eight (rec. 1955-1965)
Frank Sinatra Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! (1956)
James Brown Star Time (rec. 1956-1984)
John Coltrane Giant Steps (1960)
The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
The Rolling Stones Aftermath (1966)
Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow (1967)
Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)
The Byrds Younger Than Yesterday (1967)
The Who The Who Sell Out (1967)
The Stooges The Stooges (1969)
Chicago Transit Authority (later known as Chicago) Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
Nick Drake Five Leaves Left (1969)
King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
Blind Faith Blind Faith (1969)
Grateful Dead Workingman’s Dead (1970)
Cat Stevens Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
Dolly Parton Coat of Many Colors (1971)
The Doors L.A. Woman (1971)
Jethro Tull Aqualung (1971)
Leonard Cohen Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
Various Artists (incl. Jimmy Cliff) The Harder They Come Soundtrack (1972)
Brian Eno Here Come the Warm Jets (1973)
The Wailers (later Bob Marley & the Wailers) Catch a Fire (1973)
Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On (1973)
Paul McCartney & Wings Band on the Run (1973)
David Bowie Station to Station (1976)
Suicide Suicide (1977)
The B-52s The B-52s (1979)
Black Flag Damaged (1981)
U2 The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
Prefab Sprout Steve McQueen (1985)
Hüsker Dü New Day Rising (1985)
Pixies Surfer Rosa (1988)
Jay-Z The Blueprint (1991)
Alice in Chains Dirt (1992)
Weezer Weezer [Blue Album] (1994)
Fugees The Score (1996)
Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go (1996)
Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind (1997)
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication (1999)
The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs (1999)
The White Stripes Elephant (2003)
Green Day American Idiot (2004)
Amy Winehouse Back to Black (2006)
Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
On 5 Lists
Various Artists Phil Spector: Back to Mono (rec. 1958-1969, rel. 1991)
Miles Davis Sketches of Spain (1960)
Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (rec. 1963, rel. 1985)
Moby Grape Moby Grape (1967)
The Velvet Underground White Light/White Heat (1968)
The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)
Dr. John Gris-Gris (1968)
Simon & Garfunkel Bookends (1968)
Scott Walker Scott 4 (1969)
Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
Fairport Convention Liege & Lief (1969)
Miles Davis In a Silent Way (1969)
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath (1970)
Serge Gainsbourg Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)
John Prine John Prine (1971)
Curtis Mayfield Super Fly (1972)
Steely Dan Countdown to Ecstasy (1973)
Neil Young On the Beach (1974)
Robert Wyatt Rock Bottom (1974)
Joni Mitchell The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975)
Willie Nelson Red Headed Stranger (1975)
Ramones Rocket to Russia (1977)
Billy Joel The Stranger (1977)
David Bowie Heroes (1977)
Pere Ubu The Modern Dance (1978)
Talking Heads More Songs about Buildings and Food (1978)
Funkadelic One Nation Under a Groove (1978)
Devo Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978)
Elvis Costello & the Attractions Armed Forces (1979)
Prince Dirty Mind (1980)
The Clash Sandanista! (1980)
X Wild Gift (1981)
U2 War (1983)
Hüsker Dü Zen Arcade (1984)
Eric B. & Rakim Paid in Full (1987)
Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (1988)
Jane’s Addiction Ritual de lo Habitual (1990)
Tori Amos Little Earthquakes (1992)
Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)
PJ Harvey Rid of Me (1993)
Pavement Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
Björk Post (1995)
Tricky Maxinquaye (1995)
Madonna Ray of Light (1998)
Air Moon Safari (1998)
The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin (1999)
Moby Play (1999)
Coldplay Parachutes (2000)
Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)
System of a Down Toxicity (2001)
On 4 Lists
Robert Johnson The Complete Recordings (rec. 1936-1937)
Frank Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours (1955)
The Crickets (feat. Buddy Holly) The ‘Chirping’ Crickets (1957)
Bob Dylan The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)