Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Robert Anton Wilson

This would stand as my 100 desert island record list - as long as anthology box sets are not allowed of course.

Usually, I showcase albums that I had a "moment" with. A "moment" is a period of at least a month when the album was on repeat and made it almost impossible for me to listen to something else during that period. Sometimes when I discovered a new band late -I often do that, it was a series of album that played on repeat - like when I discovered STP on their second album (both albums were on repeat on a reversible cassette), or when I discovered Muse, they already had 5 albums.

The ordering is not really reliable. True objectivity is a myth. When you feel like listening to music by the Offspring it ranks higher in your gut than Miles Davis or St. Vincent -even if your head tells you that Miles should rank highest!! The gut and the ears listen, the head tries to order things and create a chart that would be be true both to me and to the reality of the "objective" world -But hey! It is not the objective world that gives me goosebumps when I listen to great music.

Chart corrected early 2023, years after the chart was first posted. Not really additions but significant shifts in position. I just realised that some albums that had been extremely significant for me I haven't listened to in a while and do not feel like listening to now. It does not mean they are less important for me, I would still go mad if they were to be "disappeared", but currently they go-to-ness is lower.

Finally, I must admit that I wanted to showcase diversity with my chart, hence why the first 5 albums are not all Pink Floyd;)

• Chart updated: 02/26/2024 22:45
• (Created: 06/05/2011 02:23).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 69 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 90 out of 100 (from 120 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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81. (89) 8

Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits 
Compilation

 Creedence Clearwater Revival

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2011 was my best concert going season since 1985. I saw John Fogerty at the Blues Festival. He did a mix bag of CCR and solo hits. It was amazing. I love CCR more than this rating shows, I have listened to their greatest hits much more than the individual albums per se. [First added to this chart: 05/13/2018]

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

135 charts

Rank Score:

621

Rank in 1976:

41

Rank in 1970s:

474

Overall Rank:

2,535

Average Rating:

 84 (395 votes)

Comments:

20

82. (90) 8

Unplugged 
Live

 Eric Clapton

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Eric Clapton hadn't had a huge success in years. The 80's did good for his wallet but the over-produced and clean sound was not fit for a blues artists of his caliber. That performance and album allowed him to showcase his craftsmanship to a broader audience without compromising on what makes him Eric Clapton. Allowed him to regain his centre position on the music scene which an absence due to rehab had made him forego. Sometimes the drugs win, sometimes the music wins. [First added to this chart: 12/19/2011]

Year of Release:

1992

Appears in:

256 charts

Rank Score:

1,165

Rank in 1992:

23

Rank in 1990s:

274

Overall Rank:

1,492

Average Rating:

 77 (393 votes)

Comments:

14

83. (86) 3

Achtung Baby 

 U2

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It took me a while to properly warm up to this album. But with repeated listens, I had to come to terms with the fact that this goes beyond the hype of The Fly or Mysterious Ways. This is a very solid rock record and in time I changed my mind about almost all of the tracks I felt were weak upon my early listens. The track Acrobat is a stand-out and is apparently too complex for them to play live. Ah! The Edge and his pedals. Let's play Do Re Mi and see how it sounds with 18 pedals plugged in at once:) [First added to this chart: 08/01/2011]

Year of Release:

1991

Appears in:

1,287 charts

Rank Score:

12,801

Rank in 1991:

5

Rank in 1990s:

20

Overall Rank:

111

Average Rating:

 80 (1,794 votes)

Comments:

142

84. (97) 13

The Soul Cages 

 Sting

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Sting parks the virtuoso musicianship to stop and tell us a story of personal significance. An album you listen to as a you would read a good book or watch a great movie. While this album is typical of contemporary Sting, at the time it was a first. [First added to this chart: 06/10/2011]

Year of Release:

1991

Appears in:

103 charts

Rank Score:

490

Rank in 1991:

44

Rank in 1990s:

536

Overall Rank:

3,063

Average Rating:

 72 (130 votes)

Comments:

4

85. (73) 12

The Downward Spiral 

 Nine Inch Nails

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An album to be listened to very loud and that reaches down to the bone marrow. An electronica-dance modern overdose of adrenaline. Under the layers of sound and noise, there is that great songwriting quality which is essential to a best ever album. This album is not just a gimmick and deserves praise far beyond its heretic lyrics (which is often the main reason some people pick it up). Listen to the cover of Hurt by Johnny Cash if you doubt it. [First added to this chart: 06/10/2011]

Year of Release:

1994

Appears in:

934 charts

Rank Score:

9,910

Rank in 1994:

6

Rank in 1990s:

32

Overall Rank:

160

Average Rating:

 83 (1,193 votes)

Comments:

84

86. (98) 12

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Kettle Whistle 

 Jane's Addiction

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I hate to include a compilation albums on my chart, but I did so in many instances. And this one is not even a greatest hits compilation:) It is a compilation of live tracks and outtakes. Jane's Addiction was such a strong performance act that studio albums do not always do them full justice. In hindsight, this is the album I always go back to and it is strong cover to cover. [First added to this chart: 02/15/2015]

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

12 charts

Rank Score:

41

Rank in 1997:

393

Rank in 1990s:

3,802

Overall Rank:

23,406

Average Rating:

 75 (26 votes)

Comments:

1

87. (60) 27

X-Dreams 

 Annette Peacock

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There is no point in getting this album in the era of CDs. Get the album "My mama never taught me how to cook" which includes this album, the Perfect Release album plus 2 tracks. However, historically, this was a big album. Long drawn out text-based pieces of music where her synthesized voice (in a pre-autotune era) was often closer to spoken words than to singing, Very powerful. She was to prog what Patti Smith was to punk. [First added to this chart: 02/15/2015]

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

21 charts

Rank Score:

50

Rank in 1978:

274

Rank in 1970s:

2,585

Overall Rank:

20,406

Average Rating:

 67 (22 votes)

Comments:

0

88. (91) 3

Live Alive 
Live

 Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

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One of the great things to have come out of the 80s musically. SRV's guitar playing and songwriting was refreshing yet amazing. I saw him in concert only once, two days following the death of his father at an outdoors extravaganza with many headliners act. Everybody expected him to cancel, but he flew in via helicopter at the last minute and had already flown away before the applause had receded to go back to his mourning. Unfortunately, this dedication was his undoing as he died in a helicopter crash. Sorely missed. Low rating because this is another case of "I love the artist and his music more than his albums". [First added to this chart: 12/19/2011]

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

19 charts

Rank Score:

60

Rank in 1986:

248

Rank in 1980s:

2,408

Overall Rank:

17,779

Average Rating:

 73 (25 votes)

Comments:

2

89. (78) 11

Kick 

 INXS

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Little party music indulgence. This album just rocks. RIP Michael. [First added to this chart: 08/01/2011]

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

436 charts

Rank Score:

2,723

Rank in 1987:

13

Rank in 1980s:

101

Overall Rank:

660

Average Rating:

 76 (446 votes)

Comments:

31

90. (93) 3

Narcissus Goes To The Moon 

 Visible Wind

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Excellent standard prog. Everything you want in a prog epic. And it is made by friends so don't dilly dally and go buy it today. [First added to this chart: 11/07/2011]

Year of Release:

1996

Appears in:

6 charts

Rank Score:

26

Rank in 1996:

552

Rank in 1990s:

4,877

Overall Rank:

30,485

Average Rating:

 73 (4 votes)

Comments:

0

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Total albums: 100. Page 9 of 10

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade	Albums	%
1930s	0	0%
1940s	0	0%
1950s	1	1%
1960s	8	8%
1970s	43	43%
1980s	15	15%
1990s	25	25%
2000s	6	6%
2010s	2	2%
2020s	0	0%

Artist	Albums	%
Genesis	3	3%
King Crimson	3	3%
U2	2	2%
Kate Bush	2	2%
R.E.M.	2	2%
Bob Dylan	2	2%
Pink Floyd	2	2%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	47	47%
	35	35%
	9	9%
	2	2%
	2	2%
	1	1%
	1	1%
Show all

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 67 from 84th to 17th Rain Dogs by Tom Waits
Up 35 from 51st to 16th Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin
Up 34 from 63rd to 29th Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath

Biggest fallers
Down 88 from 11th to 99th Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis
Down 88 from 12th to 100th Olé Coltrane by John Coltrane
Down 63 from 29th to 92nd Blood Money by Tom Waits

New entries
Trouble At The Henhouse by The Tragically Hip
Vs. by Pearl Jam
Recycled by Nektar
World Record by Van Der Graaf Generator

Leavers
Riot Act by Pearl Jam
Phantom Power by The Tragically Hip
MTV Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
After The Gold Rush by Neil Young

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 120 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
100/100	04/21/2024 19:50	Larcx13	1,094	86/100
95/100	03/17/2024 01:07	mrmcrook	406	92/100
95/100	01/08/2024 02:27	KineticEchoes02	111	88/100
90/100	01/07/2024 20:30	Moondance	455	85/100
100/100	09/28/2022 20:58	IlMala	177	95/100

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 is rated in the top 3% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.5/100, a mean average of 89.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 10.3.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 69 comments |
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Rating:  

95/100

From mrmcrook 03/17/2024 01:09

Great chart. Enjoyable notes being informative but with the personal touch. Has made me add a few albums to my Wishlist.

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Rating:  

95/100

From KineticEchoes02 01/08/2024 02:32

Loving this chart - great work! Really enjoyed your writeups too. There's a lot I need to check out in here. Very eclectic, great diversity in genres among the classics, and would agree that basically all your prog choices deserve a spot on this list.

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Rating:  

90/100

From Moondance 09/14/2021 00:22

I've revisited this chart and have to say that I was engaged with your comments (from 1 - 100) more than any other chart I have checked out on this site. I really liked the personal 'lived' connection between you & the albums and you not being afraid to include outliers (like Samantha Fish).
Good to see one Aussie band make the list. I appreciate the conundrum of including 'After The Goldrush' or 'Harvest'. I've gone for 'Harvest' in my own list.
After revisiting the chart, I have also revisited my ranking.

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Rating:  

90/100

From rockbluesfolkjaz 09/13/2021 19:40

Very nice list. I can relate to many. The others make me think enough to listen.

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Rating:  

95/100

From Steppenwolf666 03/12/2021 10:16

Outstanding. I think I have about 90% of these records because most of them are must have masterpieces.

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Rating:  

90/100

From StefanR10 09/09/2020 20:01

A really good mixed collection. I find something new but there are some classics here very good selected.

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Rating:  

100/100

From DommeDamian 09/09/2020 08:23

RAW list.

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Rating:  

90/100

From EyeKanFly 02/02/2020 21:41

Interesting list. Not a lot from the past 2 decades but what is there is definitely not the expected. Love the explanation of a "moment" - I certainly had one of those when I was introduced to Muse as well!

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Rating:  

95/100

From ExTeaSea 08/26/2018 17:17

Happy to see so much prog on a list! You even have Triumvarat!

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Rating:  

95/100

From JulianR 10/08/2017 07:35

great chart! you really put the work in on this, and I love tons of the picks! I'm not really well versed in prog, but I would have to recommend Steven Wilson's "Hand Cannot Erase" if you haven't heard it. One of the greatest albums of all time IMO (I think it's like fifth on ym overall chart rn). Also his main project Porcupine Tree has some great stuff, but a little more metal oriented.

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