There have been plenty list available that rank the top 100 greatest albums of all time. What makes this list different is that it compiles and aggregates data from other best of lists, including both critics lists such as Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums books and fan polls such as Q magazine's 100 Greatest Albums Ever poll. The goal of this list to find not only the greatest albums of all time but also the most influential and culturally significant albums as well, so in addition to just the opinions of critics and fans to compile the list other metrics where used as well such as Billboard chart statistics, RIAA sales figures and several others to help determine the final rankings of the best albums.
This chart is not meant to be static and unchanging. It will be updated and recalculated from time-to-time as more data and information is added to the list.
In all 236 different albums were eligible for the list of greatest albums (#236 was Different Class by Pulp), and they span from the earliest days of rock in the 1950s through today, covering many different genres and styles of music. In the end these are the must have albums that every serious music fan should have in their vinyl, CD or mp3 collection.
Below you will find a short list of the top albums by decade and a chart of the entire top 100 list. You can also start at #100 Axis: Bold as Love by Jimi Hendrix and work your way through the list.
# | Album | Artist | Year | Genre | Points | Buy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100. | Axis: Bold as Love | Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968 | Rock | 484 | Apple Music |
99. | Born in the U.S.A. | Bruce Springsteen | 1984 | Rock | 487 | Apple Music |
98. | Kid A | Radiohead | 2000 | Alternative | 488 | Apple Music |
97. | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | Elton John | 1973 | Rock | 493 | Apple Music |
96. | Trout Mask Replica | Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band | 1969 | Rock | 497 | |
95. | Meet the Beatles | The Beatles | 1964 | Rock | 507 | |
94. | Al Green - Greatest Hits | Al Green | 1975 | R&B / Soul | 508 | Apple Music |
93. | Here's Little Richard | Little Richard | 1957 | Rock | 510 | Apple Music |
92. | Elvis Presley | Elvis Presley | 1956 | Rock | 517.5 | Apple Music |
91. | Music from Big Pink | The Band | 1968 | Rock | 517.5 | Apple Music |
90. | Stand! | Sly and the Family Stone | 1969 | R&B / Soul | 528 | Apple Music |
89. | Otis Blue | Otis Redding | 1965 | R&B / Soul | 530 | Apple Music |
88. | Sex Machine | James Brown | 1970 | R&B / Soul | 535 | Apple Music |
87. | Odelay | Beck | 1996 | Alternative | 536 | Apple Music |
86. | Low | David Bowie | 1977 | Rock | 538 | Apple Music |
85. | 1999 | Prince | 1982 | R&B / Soul | 544 | Apple Music |
84. | Dummy | Portishead | 1995 | Electronic | 547.5 | Apple Music |
83. | Tommy | The Who | 1969 | Rock | 557 | Apple Music |
82. | Superfly | Curtis Mayfield | 1972 | Soundtrack | 583 | Apple Music |
81. | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | Lauryn Hill | 1998 | R&B / Soul | 583 | Apple Music |
80. | Beggars Banquet | The Rolling Stones | 1968 | Rock | 620 | Apple Music |
79. | Bringing it All Back Home | Bob Dylan | 1965 | Folk | 623 | Apple Music |
78. | After the Gold Rush | Neil Young | 1970 | Rock | 627 | Apple Music |
77. | Exodus | Bob Marley | 1977 | Reggae | 631.5 | Apple Music |
76. | Synchronicity | The Police | 1983 | Rock | 648 | Apple Music |
75. | Live at the Apollo (1963) | James Brown | 1963 | R&B / Soul | 653 | Apple Music |
74. | Saturday Night Fever | Bee Gees | 1977 | Soundtrack | 663 | Apple Music |
73. | Definitely Maybe | Oasis | 1994 | Alternative | 668 | Apple Music |
72. | At Fillmore East | The Allman Brothers Band | 1971 | Rock | 680 | Apple Music |
71. | Lady Soul | Aretha Franklin | 1968 | R&B / Soul | 680.5 | Apple Music |
70. | The Unforgettable Fire | U2 | 1984 | Rock | 684 | Apple Music |
69. | Ten | Pearl Jam | 1991 | Rock | 692 | Apple Music |
68. | I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You | Aretha Franklin | 1967 | R&B / Soul | 698.5 | Apple Music |
67. | Out of Time | R.E.M. | 1991 | Rock | 705 | Apple Music |
66. | Plastic Ono Band | John Lennon | 1970 | Rock | 710.5 | Apple Music |
65. | A Hard Day's Night | The Beatles | 1964 | Rock | 723 | Apple Music |
64. | Jagged Little Pill | Alanis Morissette | 1995 | Alternative | 723 | Apple Music |
63. | The Ramones | The Ramones | 1976 | Punk | 734 | Apple Music |
62. | Wish You Were Here | Pink Floyd | 1975 | Rock | 738 | Apple Music |
61. | Off the Wall | Michael Jackson | 1979 | Pop | 776 | Apple Music |
60. | Legend | Bob Marley | 1984 | Reggae | 789 | Apple Music |
59. | Physical Graffiti | Led Zeppelin | 1975 | Rock | 791 | Apple Music |
58. | The Queen is Dead | The Smiths | 1986 | Rock | 797.5 | Apple Music |
57. | Graceland | Paul Simon | 1986 | Pop | 809 | Apple Music |
56. | Back in Black | AC/DC | 1980 | Rock | 819 | Apple Music |
55. | The Band | The Band | 1969 | Rock | 842 | Apple Music |
54. | The Stone Roses | The Stone Roses | 1989 | Alternative | 852 | Apple Music |
53. | The Bends | Radiohead | 1995 | Alternative | 858 | Apple Music |
52. | Led Zeppelin II | Led Zeppelin | 1969 | Rock | 879 | Apple Music |
51. | Moondance | Van Morrison | 1970 | Rock | 880 | Apple Music |
50. | (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | Oasis | 1995 | Alternative | 897 | Apple Music |
49. | Horses | Patti Smith | 1975 | Rock | 899 | Apple Music |
48. | Automatic for the People | R.E.M. | 1992 | Rock | 913 | Apple Music |
47. | Forever Changes | Love | 1967 | Rock | 928 | Apple Music |
46. | Hunky Dory | David Bowie | 1971 | Rock | 948 | Apple Music |
45. | Innervisions | Stevie Wonder | 1973 | R&B / Soul | 958 | Apple Music |
44. | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | Public Enemy | 1988 | Rap | 965 | Apple Music |
43. | OK Computer | Radiohead | 1997 | Alternative | 1017 | Apple Music |
42. | The Sun Sessions | Elvis Presley | 1976 | Rock | 1027.5 | |
41. | Sticky Fingers | The Rolling Stones | 1971 | Rock | 1072 | Apple Music |
40. | Sign 'o' the Times | Prince | 1987 | Rock | 1076 | Apple Music |
39. | Appetite for Destruction | Guns N' Roses | 1987 | Rock | 1093 | Apple Music |
38. | Electric Ladyland | Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968 | Rock | 1109 | Apple Music |
37. | The Doors | The Doors | 1967 | Rock | 1114 | Apple Music |
36. | The Wall | Pink Floyd | 1979 | Rock | 1118 | Apple Music |
35. | Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon and Garfunkel | 1970 | Pop | 1133 | Apple Music |
34. | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin | 1969 | Rock | 1145 | Apple Music |
33. | Tapestry | Carole King | 1971 | Pop | 1164 | Apple Music |
32. | Purple Rain | Prince | 1984 | Soundtrack | 1173 | Apple Music |
31. | Songs in the Key of Life | Stevie Wonder | 1976 | R&B / Soul | 1188 | Apple Music |
30. | Led Zeppelin IV | Led Zeppelin | 1971 | Rock | 1191 | Apple Music |
29. | Achtung Baby | U2 | 1991 | Rock | 1233 | Apple Music |
28. | Kind of Blue | Miles Davis | 1959 | Jazz | 1253 | Apple Music |
27. | Hotel California | The Eagles | 1976 | Rock | 1290 | Apple Music |
26. | Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust | David Bowie | 1972 | Rock | 1314.5 | Apple Music |
25. | Astral Weeks | Van Morrison | 1968 | Rock | 1334.5 | Apple Music |
24. | Let it Bleed | The Rolling Stones | 1969 | Rock | 1355 | Apple Music |
23. | Who's Next | The Who | 1971 | Rock | 1396 | Apple Music |
22. | Never Mind the Bollocks | The Sex Pistols | 1977 | Punk | 1413 | Apple Music |
21. | Blue | Joni Mitchell | 1971 | Pop | 1483 | Apple Music |
20. | Are You Experienced | Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1967 | Rock | 1485 | Apple Music |
19. | Velvet Underground & Nico | The Velvet Underground | 1967 | Rock | 1534 | Apple Music |
18. | Born to Run | Bruce Springsteen | 1975 | Rock | 1568 | Apple Music |
17. | Dark Side of the Moon | Pink Floyd | 1973 | Rock | 1573 | Apple Music |
16. | London Calling | The Clash | 1980 | Punk | 1618 | Apple Music |
15. | Highway 61 Revisited | Bob Dylan | 1965 | Rock | 1652 | Apple Music |
14. | Blonde on Blonde | Bob Dylan | 1966 | Rock | 1656 | Apple Music |
13. | Blood on the Tracks | Bob Dylan | 1975 | Rock | 1669 | Apple Music |
12. | Whats Going On | Marvin Gaye | 1971 | R&B / Soul | 1670.5 | Apple Music |
11. | Exile on Main Street | The Rolling Stones | 1972 | Rock | 1712 | Apple Music |
10. | Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | 1977 | Rock | 1758 | Apple Music |
9. | The Joshua Tree | U2 | 1987 | Rock | 1785 | Apple Music |
8. | Rubber Soul | The Beatles | 1965 | Rock | 1804 | Apple Music |
7. | Thriller | Michael Jackson | 1982 | Pop | 1835 | Apple Music |
6. | Pet Sounds | The Beach Boys | 1966 | Rock | 1878 | Apple Music |
5. | Nevermind | Nirvana | 1991 | Alternative | 1890 | Apple Music |
4. | Abbey Road | The Beatles | 1969 | Rock | 1974 | Apple Music |
3. | Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | 1967 | Rock | 2040 | Apple Music |
2. | Revolver | The Beatles | 1966 | Rock | 2050 | Apple Music |
1. | The Beatles (White Album) | The Beatles | 1968 | Rock | 2086 | Apple Music |