I collected over 40 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 38 Lists
The Beatles Revolver (1966)
On 37 Lists
The Beatles The Beatles [White Album] (1968)
On 36 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 35 lists
Led Zeppelin [Led Zeppelin IV] (1971)
On 33 Lists
The Beatles Rubber Soul (1965)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967)
The Clash London Calling (1980)
On 32 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)
The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. (1972)
Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977)
On 31 Lists
Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
On 29 Lists
Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
On 28 Lists
Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975)
On 27 Lists
Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde (1966)
The Doors The Doors (1967)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland (1968)
The Who Who’s Next (1971)
Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks (1975)
Ramones Ramones (1976)
On 26 Lists
Van Morrison Astral Weeks (1968)
The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed (1969)
The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers (1971)
AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (1984)
Radiohead OK Computer (1997)
On 25 Lists
The Smiths The Queen Is Dead (1986)
On 24 Lists
David Bowie Hunky Dory (1971)
U2 The Joshua Tree (1987)
On 23 Lists
Neil Young After the Gold Rush (1970)
Patti Smith Horses (1975)
Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
U2 Achtung Baby (1991)
R.E.M. Automatic for the People (1992)
On 22 Lists
Joni Mitchell Blue (1971)
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti (1975)
Television Marquee Moon (1977)
Paul Simon Graceland (1986)
Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
On 21 Lists
Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959)
Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
Love Forever Changes (1967)
The Band The Band (1969)
Stevie Wonder Innervisions (1973)
Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (1975)
Guns n’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987)
On 20 Lists
Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Prince Sign o’ the Times (1987)
Pearl Jam Ten (1991)
On 19 Lists
The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet (1968)
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Talking Heads Remain in Light (1980)
Jeff Buckley Grace (1994)
On 18 Lists
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin (1969)
Carole King Tapestry (1971)
Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979)
Pink Floyd The Wall (1979)
The Stone Roses The Stone Roses (1989)
Pixies Doolittle (1989)
On 17 Lists
James Brown ‘Live’ at The Apollo (1963)
Otis Redding Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)
Van Morrison Moondance (1970)
Lou Reed Transformer (1972)
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
The Clash The Clash (1979)
Oasis (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
Radiohead The Bends (1995)
On 16 Lists
The Band Music From Big Pink (1968)
Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis (1969)
The Who Tommy (1969)
Captain Beefheart Trout Mask Replica (1969)
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground (1969)
John Lennon John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Miles Davis Bitches Brew (1970)
Joy Division Closer (1981)
Portishead Dummy (1994)
Beck Odelay (1996)
Radiohead Kid A (2000)
On 15 Lists
Derek and The Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
Iggy & The Stooges Raw Power (1973)
Queen A Night at the Opera (1975)
The Eagles Hotel California (1976)
Joy Division Unknown Pleasures (1980)
R.E.M. Murmur (1983)
Metallica Master of Puppets (1986)
Sonic Youth Daydream Nation (1988)
My Bloody Valentine Loveless (1991)
Oasis Definitely Maybe (1994)
On 14 Lists
John Coltrane A Love Supreme (1965)
The Stooges Fun House (1970)
Black Sabbath Paranoid (1970)
John Lennon Imagine (1971)
Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
Tom Waits Rain Dogs (1985)
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)
Nirvana In Utero (1993)
Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
The Strokes Is This It (2001)
On 13 Lists
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968)
The Kinks The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1969)
Neil Young Harvest (1972)
Joni Mitchell Court and Spark (1974)
Roxy Music For Your Pleasure (1976)
Elvis Costello My Aim Is True (1977)
Kate Bush Hounds of Love (1985)
The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream (1993)
Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral (1994)
On 11 Lists
Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
Cream Disraeli Gears (1967)
Sly & the Family Stone There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971)
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy (1973)
Neil Young Tonight’s the Night (1975)
Various Artists (incl. Bee Gees) Saturday Night Fever (1977)
The Pretenders Pretenders (1980)
The Replacements Let It Be (1984)
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985)
A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory (1991)
DJ Shadow Endtroducing….. (1996)
On 11 Lists
The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Aretha Franklin Lady Soul (1968)
Sly & the Family Stone Stand! (1969)
Santana Abraxas (1970)
George Harrison All Things Must Pass (1970)
Stevie Wonder Talking Book (1972)
Bob Marley & the Wailers Exodus (1977)
Elvis Costello This Year’s Model (1978)
Blondie Parallel Lines (1978)
Neil Young Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Public Image Ltd. Metal Box (re-released in 1980 as Second Edition) (1979)
The Police Synchronicity (1983)
Bob Marley & the Wailers Legend (rec. 1972-1983, rel. 1984)
Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill (1986)
Peter Gabriel So (1986)
Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (1992)
Nas Illmatic (1994)
Blur Parklife (1994)
On 9 Lists
Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions (several versions) (1954-1955)
Grateful Dead American Beauty (1970)
The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East (1971)
Janis Joplin Pearl (1971)
Brian Eno Another Green World (1975)
Kraftwerk Trans-Europe Express (1977)
David Bowie Low (1977)
Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell (1986)
The Cure Disintegration (1989)
Pavement Slanted and Enchanted (1992)
Soundgarden Superunknown (1994)
Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995)
Elliott Smith Either/Or (1997)
Arcade Fire Funeral (2004)
On 9 Lists
Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold as Love (1968)
The Byrds The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
The Zombies Odessey & Oracle (1968)
Nick Drake Five Leaves Left (1969)
Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
T. Rex Electric Warrior (1971)
Nick Drake Pink Moon (1972)
New York Dolls New York Dolls (1973)
Gram Parsons Grievous Angel (1974)
Richard & Linda Thompson I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)
Aerosmith Toys in the Attic (1975)
David Bowie Station to Station (1976)
Van Halen Van Halen (1978)
The Rolling Stones Some Girls (1978)
Gang of Four Entertainment! (1979)
Prince 1999 (1982)
The Smiths The Smiths (1984)
The Jesus and Mary Chain Psychocandy (1986)
De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Dr. Dre The Chronic (1992)
Hole Live Through This (1994)
Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)
OutKast Stankonia (2000)
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
PJ Harvey Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (2000)
Kanye West The College Dropout (2004)
Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
On 8 Lists
Elvis Presley Elvis Presley (1956)
The Velvet Underground White Light/White Heat (1968)
The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)
King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Déjà vu (1970)
James Taylor Sweet Baby James (1970)
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III (1970)
Al Green Call Me (1973)
Gram Parsons GP (1973)
The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers (rec. 1971-1973, rel. 1976)
Steely Dan Aja (1977)
Big Star Third/Sister Lovers (1978)
Bruce Springsteen Nebraska (1982)
Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones (1983)
Pixies Surfer Rosa (1988)
Liz Phair Exile in Guyville (1993)
The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die (1994)
Green Day Dookie (1994)
The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
Pulp Different Class (1996)
The Verve Urban Hymns (1997)
The White Stripes Elephant (2003)
On 7 Lists
Little Richard Here’s Little Richard (1957)
John Coltrane Giant Steps (1960)
Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
The Rolling Stones Aftermath (1966)
Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow (1967)
The Stooges The Stooges (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival Green River (1969)
Miles Davis In a Silent Way (1969)
Neil Young Everybody Knows this is Nowhere (1969)
Leonard Cohen Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
Funkadelic Maggot Brain (1971)
Curtis Mayfield Super Fly (1972)
Todd Rundgren Something/Anything? (1972)
The Who Quadrophenia (1973)
Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On (1973)
Big Star Radio City (1974)
Neil Young On the Beach (1974)
Parliament Mothership Connection (1975)
Suicide Suicide (1977)
Wire Pink Flag (1977)
Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (1977)
The Smiths Hatful of Hollow (1984)
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1986)
Madonna Like a Prayer (1989)
R.E.M. Out of Time (1991)
Jay-Z The Blueprint (1991)
Weezer Weezer [Blue Album] (1994)
The Prodigy The Fat of the Land (1997)
Björk Homogenic (1997)
Lucinda Williams Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs (1999)
The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin (1999)
Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)
Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
Amy Winehouse Back to Black (2006)
Radiohead In Rainbows (2007)
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)
Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (rec. 1963, rel. 1985)
The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
The Byrds Younger Than Yesterday (1967)
The Who The Who Sell Out (1967)
The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)
Chicago Transit Authority (later known as Chicago) Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
Blind Faith Blind Faith (1969)
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath (1970)
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)
Can Tago Mago (1971)
Various Artists (incl. Jimmy Cliff) The Harder They Come Soundtrack (1972)
Brian Eno Here Come the Warm Jets (1973)
Paul McCartney & Wings Band on the Run (1973)
The B-52s The B-52s (1979)
Black Flag Damaged (1981)
Hüsker Dü Zen Arcade (1984)
U2 The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
Prefab Sprout Steve McQueen (1985)
Hüsker Dü New Day Rising (1985)
Depeche Mode Violator (1990)
Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)
Alice in Chains Dirt (1992)
Pavement Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
Björk Post (1995)
Tricky Maxinquaye (1995)
Fugees The Score (1996)
Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go (1996)
Belle & Sebastian If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)
Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind (1997)
Air Moon Safari (1998)
Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane over the Sea (1998)
Sigur Ros Ágætis byrjun (1999)
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication (1999)
Green Day American Idiot (2004)
Sufjan Stevens Illinois (2005)
LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver (2007)
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
On 5 Lists
Various Artists Phil Spector: Back to Mono (rec. 1958-1969, rel. 1991)
Charles Mingus Mingus Ah Um (1959)
Miles Davis Sketches of Spain (1960)
Bob Dylan The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
Charles Mingus The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)
Moby Grape Moby Grape (1967)
Big Brother & the Holding Company (with Janis Joplin) Cheap Thrills (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)
MC5 Kick out the Jams (1969)
The Who Live at Leeds (1970)
Yes Fragile (1971)
Serge Gainsbourg Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)
John Prine John Prine (1971)
Yes Close to the Edge (1972)
The Wailers (later Bob Marley & the Wailers) Catch a Fire (1973)
Steely Dan Countdown to Ecstasy (1973)
Bob Marley & the Wailers Natty Dread (1974)
Robert Wyatt Rock Bottom (1974)
Joni Mitchell The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975)