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)
0
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)
Willie Nelson Red Headed Stranger (1975)
Ramones Rocket to Russia (1977)
David Bowie Heroes (1977)
Billy Joel The Stranger (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)
Talking Heads Fear of Music (1979)
Elvis Costello & the Attractions Armed Forces (1979)
Prince Dirty Mind (1980)
The Clash Sandanista! (1980)
X Wild Gift (1981)
U2 War (1983)
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)
Björk Debut (1993)
PJ Harvey Rid of Me (1993)
A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders (1993)
Spiritualized Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (1997)
Madonna Ray of Light (1998)
Massive Attack Mezzanine (1998)
OutKast Aquemini (1998)
Moby Play (1999)
Coldplay Parachutes (2000)
The White Stripes White Blood Cells (2001)
System of a Down Toxicity (2001)
Daft Punk Discovery (2001)
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
David Bowie Blackstar (2016)
Frank Ocean Blond (2016)
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)
Various Artists Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era (rec. 1963-1968, rel. 1972)
The Beatles With The Beatles (1963)
The Beatles Meet the Beatles (1964)
B.B. King Live at the Regal (1965)
The Beach Boys Today (1965)
The Beach Boys The Smile Sessions (rec. 1965-1971, rel. 2011)
Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966: The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert (rec. 1966, rel. 1998)
The Monks Black Monk Time (1966)
Bob Dylan John Wesley Harding (1967)
The Doors Strange Days (1967)
Buffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield Again (1967)
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Otis Redding/Jimi Hendrix Historic Performances Recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival (rec. 1967, rel. 1970)
Laura Nyro Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968)
The Mothers of Invention We’re Only in It for the Money (1968)
The Incredible String Band The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter (1968)
Frank Zappa Hot Rats (1969)
Isaac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul (1969)
The Meters Look-Ka Py Py (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)
Grateful Dead Live/Dead (1969)
Skip Spence Oar (1969)
The Beatles Let It Be (rec. 1968-1970, rel. 1970)
The Velvet Underground Loaded (1970)
Nick Drake Bryter Layter (1970)
Harry Nilsson Nilsson Schmilsson (1971)
The Beach Boys Surf’s Up (1971)
Randy Newman Sail Away (1972)
Steely Dan Can’t Buy A Thrill (1972)
Big Star #1 Record (1972)
Roxy Music Roxy Music (1972)
John Martyn Solid Air (1973)
The Isley Brothers 3 + 3 (1973)
Randy Newman Good Old Boys (1974)
Van Morrison It’s Too Late to Stop Now (1974)
Bad Company Bad Company (1974)
Bob Dylan and The Band The Basement Tapes (rec. 1967-1975, rel. 1975)
Aerosmith Rocks (1976)
Joni Mitchell Hejira (1976)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle Kate & Anna McGarrigle (1976)
Bob Dylan Desire (1976)
Iggy Pop Lust for Life (1977)
Marvin Gaye Here, My Dear (1978)
The Cars The Cars (1978)
The Jam All the Mod Cons (1978)
Cheap Trick Cheap Trick at Budokan (1978)
Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady (rec. 1977-1979, rel. 1979)
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Damn the Torpedoes (1979)
The Specials The Specials (1979)
The Slits Cut (1979)
Dexy’s Midnight Runners Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980)
The Rolling Stones Tattoo You (1981)
The Go-Gos Beauty and the Beat (1981)
Rush Moving Pictures (1981)
Duran Duran Rio (1982)
Donald Fagen The Nightfly (1982)
Madonna The Immaculate Collection (rec. 1983-1990, rel. 1990)
Talking Heads Stop Making Sense (1984)
Tina Turner Private Dancer (1984)
Various Artists The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (rec. 1981-1984, rel. 1985)
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985)
The Pogues Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985)
Slayer Reign in Blood (1986)
Michael Jackson Bad (1987)
R.E.M. Document (1987)
Jane’s Addiction Nothing’s Shocking (1988)
Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time (1989)
Cocteau Twins Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)
Sinead O’Connor I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)
TLC CrazySexyCool (1994)
D’Angelo Brown Sugar (1995)
Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole (1997)
Sleater-Kinney Dig Me Out (1997)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds The Boatman’s Call (1997)
Eminem The Slim Shady LP (1999)
D’Angelo Voodoo (2000)
Erykah Badu Mama’s Gun (2000)
Madvillain Madvillainy (2004)
Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not (2006)
Portishead Third (2008)
Arcade Fire The Suburbs (2010)
Frank Ocean Channel Orange (2012)
Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell (2015)
On 3 lists
Various Artists Anthology of American Folk Music (Harry Smith, ed.) (rec. 1926-1933, rel. 1952)
Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits (rec. 1947-1952, rel. 1978)
Muddy Waters The Anthology: 1947-1972 (rec. 1947-1972, rel. 2001)
Howlin’ Wolf Moanin’ in the Moonlight (rec. 1951-1959, rel. 1959)
Sam Cooke Portrait of a Legend (rec. 1951-1964, rel. 2003)
Elvis Presley Sunrise (rec. 1953-1955)
Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959)
The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out (1959)
Muddy Waters At Newport 1960 (1960)
Ike & Tina Turner Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner (rec. 1960-1976, rel. 1991)
Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto (1964)
The Beatles Help! (1965)
The Mothers of Invention (with Frank Zappa) Freak Out! (1966)
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)
The Moody Blues Days of Future Passed (1967)
The Kinks Something Else by The Kinks (1967)
Elvis Presley From Elvis in Memphis (1969)
Tim Buckley Starsailor (1970)
The Beach Boys Sunflower (1970)
The Rolling Stones ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!’: The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970)
Randy Newman 12 Songs (1970)
The Doors Morrison Hotel (1970)
Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys (1970)
James Brown Sex Machine (1970)
Isaac Hayes Shaft (1971)
Black Sabbath Master of Reality (1971)
Pink Floyd Meddle (1971)
Creedence Clearwater Revival Chronicle (rec. 1968-1972, rel. 1976)
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band Clear Spot (1972)
Black Sabbath Volume 4 (1972)
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Will The Circle Be Unbroken (1972)
Deep Purple Machine Head (1972)
Eagles Eagles (1972)
Aretha Franklin Young, Gifted & Black (1972)
Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace (1972)
Paul Simon Paul Simon (1972)
Stevie Wonder Music of My Mind (1972)
Can Ege Bamyasi (1972)
Lou Reed Berlin (1973)
Todd Rundgren A Wizard, A True Star (1973)
Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells (1973)
Herbie Hancock Head Hunters (1973)
Lynryd Skynyrd (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) (1973)
Bruce Springsteen The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)
Can Future Days (1973)
Steely Dan Pretzel Logic (1974)
Gene Clarke No Other (1974)
David Bowie Young Americans (1975)
Neu! Neu ’75 (1975)
Earth, Wind & Fire That’s the Way of the World (1975)
Kiss Alive! (1975)
Toots and the Maytals Funky Kingston (1975)
Kiss Destroyer (1976)
Boston Boston (1976)
Eric Clapton Slowhand (1977)
Pink Floyd Animals (1977)
Chic C’est Chic (1978)
Thin Lizzy Live and Dangerous (1978)
Willie Nelson Stardust (1978)
X-Ray Spex Germfree Adolescents (1978)
Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door (1979)
Graham Parker Squeezing Out Sparks (1979)
The Police Regatta de Blanc (1979)
AC/DC Highway to Hell (1979)
Chic Risqué (1979)
Bruce Springsteen The River (1980)
Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
Motörhead Ace of Spades (1980)
X Los Angeles (1980)
Elvis Costello Imperial Bedroom (1982)
Richard & Linda Thompson Shoot Out the Lights (1982)
Roxy Music Avalon (1982)
The Cure Pornography (1982)
Metallica Kill ‘Em All (1983)
ZZ Top Eliminator (1983)
Def Leppard Pyromania (1983)
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes (1983)
Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual (1983)
Run-D.M.C. Run-D.M.C. (1984)
Metallica Ride the Lightning (1984)
The Smiths Meat is Murder (1985)
R.E.M. Life’s Rich Pageant (1986)
XTC Skylarking (1986)
Sonic Youth Sister (1987)
Anita Baker Rapture (1987)
Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded (1987)
George Michael Faith (1987)
Leonard Cohen I’m Your Man (1988)
Metallica …And Justice for All (1988)
Talk Talk Spirit of Eden (1988)
Aerosmith Pump (1989)
New Order Technique (1989)
Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
Ice Cube AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)
LL Cool J Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
Crowded House Woodface (1991)
Pantera Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
Counting Crows August and Everything After (1993)
Slowdive Souvlaki (1993)
Manic Street Preachers The Holy Bible (1994)
Beastie Boys Ill Communication (1994)
Suede Dog Man Star (1994)
Mary J. Blige My Life (1994)
The Verve A Northern Soul (1995)
Leftfield Leftism (1995)
Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995)
Mobb Depp The Infamous… (1995)
PJ Harvey To Bring You My Love (1995)
GZA Liquid Swords (1995)
Sepultura Roots (1996)
Stereolab Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt (1996)
Weezer Pinkerton (1996)
Mercury Rev Deserter’s Songs (1998)
U2 All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
The Avalanches Since I Left You (2000)
Bob Dylan Love and Theft (2001)
Gillian Welch Time (The Revelator) (2001)
The Streets Original Pirate Material (2002)
Dizzee Rascal Boy in Da Corner (2003)
Kanye West Late Registration (2005)
MGMT Oracular Spectacular (2007)
M.I.A Kala (2007)
Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid (2008)
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes (2008)
Adele 21 (2011)
PJ Harvey Let England Shake (2011)
Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)
Kanye West Yeezus (2013)
Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City (2013)
Beyoncé Lemonade (2016)
Solange A Seat at the Table (2016)
Lorde Melodrama (2017)
Well done. This was a fun and easy way to navigate the best of lists out there.
Thanks for the feedback – glad you liked it!
I’ve made some list:
Best Electronic Albums Of All Time – 14 Lists Combined
http://ttvnol.com/threads/best-electronic-albums-of-all-time-14-lists-combined.1779958/
Best R&B albums of All Time – 7 lists combined
http://ttvnol.com/threads/best-r-b-albums-of-all-time-7-lists-combined.1766389/
Best Krautrock Albums Of All Time – 15 Lists Combined
http://ttvnol.com/threads/best-krautrock-albums-of-all-time-14-lists-combined.1777249/
Best Metal Albums Of All Time – 23 Lists Combined
http://ttvnol.com/threads/best-metal-albums-of-all-time-23-lists-combined.1756000/
Great lists!
I’m so happy to see “Prince’s” album “1999” on your list! It often gets over look for “Purple Rain” and “Sign O’ The Time”. All three are great albums of his. I also love “Dirty Mind”,” Controvery” and the wonderful “The Gold Experience”! Thank you 🙂
Thanks for the feedback, Gwen!
Where is second and first place? They’re not shown!
I’m not sure what you mean. The Beatles’ Revolver was the album on the most lists (28 out of 30), while The Beach Boys Pet Sounds was on the second most number of lists (26 out of 30). No albums were on all 30 lists – no albums were on 29 lists. Remember these are not my personal opinions – all I do is collect Top Albums and Best Albums lists from all over the place (books, magazines, newspapers, the Internet) and combine them into a single meta-list. The “number one” album is the album that is on the most lists. The “number two” album is the album on the second most number of lists, etc. Does that make sense?
Another list that has affected my listening habits – if not directly – is Joe S. Harrington’s Top 100 Albums, originally published on the webzine ‘Blastitude’ in four instalments between late 2001 and early 2003. The list was yesterday still online at ‘http://www.blastitude.com/14/pg4.htm’.
The language in Harrington’s list is full of slang and vulgarities, but when I read the list as a child of Melbourne’s cloistered outer suburbs, I was startled by what Harrington knew enough to remake my music collection – even if not with the albums he recommended. Today the list is dated by the fact that Harrington imposed a “ten-year rule” so that none of the albums he listed were released after 1992 – and only eight after 1982. As Harrington himself admitted in the text, the list is also highly personal rather than definitive, although a remarkable feature is that Harrington does strive for objectivity.
Sounds like Harringon’s list may be too outdated for this collection, but I will check it out. As it is, I’ve been disappointed that the lists seems to so heavily emphasize the 1960s and 1970s. I hope as more lists get created out there (by reputable sources), that we’ll have a better representation for the last 20 years or so. Lots of amazing music has been made since the 1990s!
This whole site is such a fantastic resource. It really gives you a sense beyond one subjective opinion what people consider to be seminal works. What do you use for your sources?
So glad you like it – I really appreciate the feedback. I found almost all the source lists on the Internet, although some of the lists are published in books. Many music publications and radio stations have done lists over the years, too, and I have collected every one I can find. I try to focus on reputable sources – critics, editors, published authors – and I try to avoid crowd-sourced lists or lists by some random person with no credentials (although if a “non-expert” puts up a really well-researched website and seems to have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of music, I will make an exception).
Chris, I appreciate the heaps of time you’ve spent gathering the data. FYI I’ve every CD on your list except the Redding/Hendrix album (which I believe is only on vinyl).. It looks like the base for your list is the Rolling Stone 500 but could you let me know your other sources. Maybe you might be due an update to take consideration the recent lists made in last 5 years?
Keith: I forgot to respond to your other request. Although I have been spotty at keeping track of most of the original source lists for my meta-lists, I did manage to make a list of most of the sources for the best albums meta-list. Here they are:
World Critics List (1987)
MOJO (1995)
Spin Alternative Music (1995)
Rolling Stone (1997), (2002), (2003), (2012), (2020)
Berlin Media (1998)
The Kerrang (1998)
Virgin (1999)
Guardian Critics Alternative List (1999)
Al Kooper (1999-2000?)
The Pittsburgh Channel (2000)
Blastitude (2001)
Acclaimed Music Combined Lists (2002)
Martin Boeren Combined Lists (2002)
NME (2003)
1Sound Internet Radio (2003)
Peter Scholtes Complicated Fun (2003)
Time (2006)
Hot Press (2006)
WTMD 89.7 Radio (2008)
AVRev.com (2008)
1001 Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die (2008), (2010)
Consequence of Sound (2010)
100.3 The Sound (2011)
Antimusic.com (2011)
Vinyl Surrender (2011)
Absolute Radio (2012)
Entertainment Weekly (2013)
150 Influential Albums (2016)
Pop Vortex (2016)
PrettyFamous (4/14/17)
Album of the Year (4/17)
Best Products.com (5/17)
24/7 WallSt. (4/18)
Sunday Herald
Q
VH1
Rough Guide
THANKS ALOT; I’m a ‘list’ person myself and there are a few their I’ve never heard of, I must admit. I’ll check them out.
A few sources that I didn’t notice in your list were Rate Your Music, Acclaimed Music, Digital Dream Door & Best Ever Albums among others. I guess they are mentioned combined with other lists?
No – those lists aren’t included – I will have to add them! Thanks for the recommendations!
i hope you’ve now checked them out because they’re quite important when compiling greatest ever lists. They are quite comprehensive and will keep you busy for quite a while. Good luck
Pingback: Permanent Records: The Updated Albums List | Make Lists, Not War
Interesting list, not surprising at all, I can find 120 albums that feature on my own best 200 albums list, if I were you, I would try and avoid the greatest hits and best of compilations as they are not bona fide albums, but it’s sometimes impossible, like for The sun sessions ( Elvis ) or Legend (Marley )
Mr. Manteau: Thanks so much for the feedback. Your comment about compilations is interesting. I’m not picking the albums that go on the meta-list, so I can’t really discriminate. If someone puts a compilation on a best albums list and I use that as one of my original source lists, then it gets a point for the ultimate meta-list that you see on the website.
Another point: The long-playing 33 1/3 album wasn’t invented until 1948 and didn’t become a popular format until the mid-50s. So most artists of the 1950s and earlier are best (or only) represented by compilations. There is so much amazing music from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s – it would be a shame to leave those artists off the list because they never made a “bona fide” LP.
Take care, John B
Great reading youur post
Thanks for the feedback!