Top 64 Greatest Music Albums by 
ForegroundNoise 
My old tutor sits opposite me, the wrinkled contours of his face and erratic white wisps of hair blurring the boundaries between him and the old mahogany office surrounding us. Before he speaks, he seems for a moment to be no less a part of the furniture than the armchair he sits in. He starts suddenly, a thought occurring to him.
“Do you remember that first classics society meeting, right when you first got here? Where you had to bring a poem or painting or something and talk to us all about it?” The words break the silence in a flurry, as if he’s afraid someone is about to catch him in the act.
“Yes.” My tone betrays my anticipation.
“Well, I bet no-one ever told you what that whole thing was really all about did they?” He is leaning in now, the smile plastered across his face so infectious it starts to illuminate the dark room.
“You see the problem is, is that everyone is looking the art. There, ha!” he nods to himself; a finger points upwards. “That’s your first mistake.” I raise an eyebrow in response, but he is submerged in thought, eyes cast down to the carpet.
“Some people are worried about the art. They want the right bit of art not the wrong bit; they want to show off how clever they are that they know this bit of art and you don’t. Some aren’t so fussed about it; they just pick whatever they like. Some even take a look at it all and think ‘No not for me, I don’t think so’, and try and take the whole thing apart. Show us a scrap of paper with a scribble on it. ‘I’m not playing your game’ - oh yes you are! See what they don’t know, is that as soon as they were invited to play they were playing it. All of us were. The art was never the important bit, I was never looking at the art, I was looking at YOU.”
With the final word his eyes move back to me. The finger points forward.
“Yes, you, there! Whatever you picked, whatever you did, you can't help but give us a reflection of yourself. That's what I was looking for. Not the art. I wasn’t looking at what you were saying about it. I was looking at what it was saying about you.”
***
I've fallen out of love with this chart in recent times, probably because there's something a little too overwhelming in having to represent my favourites out of every album ever. The problem that arises with these colossal, era-spanning anthologies is that they find it hard to strike a balance between acknowledging the cultural context and subsequent limitations of some of these records, and just eulogising the past.
Lately I've found it much more rewarding to focus on my decade and year charts so this one might be left to gather dust for a while. As of 2021/05/13 I've given up trying to order these from best to bestest, and instead have decided to list out some favourites ordered (roughly) by genre; this is NOT in order of favourite to 64th favourite. More extensive decade lists to follow as soon as I can.
Much love,
FN xx
- Chart updated: 03/21/2024 14:45
- (Created: 09/28/2017 14:21).
- Chart size: 64 albums.
There are 48 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 64 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 93 out of 100 (from 86 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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____________________________________________________________________________
abstract hip hop • experimental hip hop
(Mush, 73:35)
"Physics of a bicycle
Isn't it remarkable?"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 01/25/2018]
abstract hip hop • experimental hip hop
(Mush, 73:35)
"Physics of a bicycle
Isn't it remarkable?"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 01/25/2018]
4
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____________________________________________________________________________
ambient • drone
(Kranky, 123:54)
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
ambient • drone
(Kranky, 123:54)
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
678
Rank in 2001:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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ambient • drone • electroacoustic
(Kranky, 48:54)
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/23/2018]
ambient • drone • electroacoustic
(Kranky, 48:54)
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/23/2018]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,260
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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ambient
(Polydor, 48:01)
Giving this album the distinction of being the only ambient record with a 10/10 score is a little unoriginal to say the least, since you’ll find Ambient 1... popping up in every half decent ambient list online (I follow in the footsteps of both Pitchfork and FACT magazine in placing it as the #1 of all time). Its ubiquitousness, however, is by no means undeserved.
I remember reading BEA user JulianR’s comment on My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless “never has an album been so synonymous with a genre, yet so unique within it”, but my mind, however, leapt immediately to Ambient 1. So iconic was the release that the entire labelling of ambient as a genre followed its precedent. No other album wears its ethos so proudly on its sleeve (in this case quite literally) than this one.
Its simplicity is often what leaves Ambient 1 so overlooked and over-criticised; yes, the album is sparse, but this is exactly where its impact lies; there’s no worth in comparing it to the complexity of jazz or prog since the entire manifesto of ambient is to do more with less. And boy does this album do more. With tracks 1/1 and 2/1 being piano and vocal driven respectively (note even in the naming of tracks, minimalism is key), the third track combines the two elements to create a stunning harmony between the classical piano keys, which drop from the air and are given just enough space to settle before being replaced by the next one, and the synth-laden vocals that rise and fall in the mix. The effect is transfixing and heart-wrenching all at once; there seems to be a tragedy unfolding slowly before your eyes, but the lack of any lyrics leaves the nature of this tragedy just out of reach.
Eno’s urge to move towards ambient music came as a result of a car accident, after which he was confined to his bed for a considerable time. A friend of his on their way out the door offered to put a record on, however Eno realised after she had left that the volume was far too low and moreover, the sound of the rain which had started to fall all but drowned out the music. This was his eureka moment, and both these elements are here if you look for them. Ambient 1 is the faintest remnant of the melody and the pounding cacophony of the rain.
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
ambient
(Polydor, 48:01)
Giving this album the distinction of being the only ambient record with a 10/10 score is a little unoriginal to say the least, since you’ll find Ambient 1... popping up in every half decent ambient list online (I follow in the footsteps of both Pitchfork and FACT magazine in placing it as the #1 of all time). Its ubiquitousness, however, is by no means undeserved.
I remember reading BEA user JulianR’s comment on My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless “never has an album been so synonymous with a genre, yet so unique within it”, but my mind, however, leapt immediately to Ambient 1. So iconic was the release that the entire labelling of ambient as a genre followed its precedent. No other album wears its ethos so proudly on its sleeve (in this case quite literally) than this one.
Its simplicity is often what leaves Ambient 1 so overlooked and over-criticised; yes, the album is sparse, but this is exactly where its impact lies; there’s no worth in comparing it to the complexity of jazz or prog since the entire manifesto of ambient is to do more with less. And boy does this album do more. With tracks 1/1 and 2/1 being piano and vocal driven respectively (note even in the naming of tracks, minimalism is key), the third track combines the two elements to create a stunning harmony between the classical piano keys, which drop from the air and are given just enough space to settle before being replaced by the next one, and the synth-laden vocals that rise and fall in the mix. The effect is transfixing and heart-wrenching all at once; there seems to be a tragedy unfolding slowly before your eyes, but the lack of any lyrics leaves the nature of this tragedy just out of reach.
Eno’s urge to move towards ambient music came as a result of a car accident, after which he was confined to his bed for a considerable time. A friend of his on their way out the door offered to put a record on, however Eno realised after she had left that the volume was far too low and moreover, the sound of the rain which had started to fall all but drowned out the music. This was his eureka moment, and both these elements are here if you look for them. Ambient 1 is the faintest remnant of the melody and the pounding cacophony of the rain.
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,704
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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___________________________________________________________________________
minimalism • ambient
(Obscure, 47:38)
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/01/2018]
minimalism • ambient
(Obscure, 47:38)
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/01/2018]
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minimalism
(ECM, 56:31)
Despite being divided into multiple 'sections', Reich's minimalist masterpiece is performed in one take, and so has the curious property of being seemingly immobile and yet constantly washing over you. Listening to the strings undercut the vocals on Section VII has a desperate urgency that is difficult to put into words; I'm struggling of ways to describe the album without meandering into hyperbole. What I'll say is this: Reich's music somehow makes you feel you've heard this a million lifetimes before and will hear it a million lifetimes over again all without uttering a single lyric.
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
minimalism
(ECM, 56:31)
Despite being divided into multiple 'sections', Reich's minimalist masterpiece is performed in one take, and so has the curious property of being seemingly immobile and yet constantly washing over you. Listening to the strings undercut the vocals on Section VII has a desperate urgency that is difficult to put into words; I'm struggling of ways to describe the album without meandering into hyperbole. What I'll say is this: Reich's music somehow makes you feel you've heard this a million lifetimes before and will hear it a million lifetimes over again all without uttering a single lyric.
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,056
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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___________________________________________________________________________
minimalism
(Obscure, 50:37)
"Jesus' blood never failed me yet
Never failed me yet
Jesus' blood never failed me yet
This one thing I know
That He loves me so"
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/19/2021]
minimalism
(Obscure, 50:37)
"Jesus' blood never failed me yet
Never failed me yet
Jesus' blood never failed me yet
This one thing I know
That He loves me so"
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/19/2021]
58. (=)
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____________________________________________________________________________
minimalism • modern classical
(ECM, 54:39)
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/19/2021]
minimalism • modern classical
(ECM, 54:39)
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/19/2021]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,307
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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____________________________________________________________________________
chamber music • modern classical • post-minimalism
(ECM, 46:21)
"I still have my mind
I still have my money
I still have my telephone
Hello? Hello? Hello?"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/27/2018]
chamber music • modern classical • post-minimalism
(ECM, 46:21)
"I still have my mind
I still have my money
I still have my telephone
Hello? Hello? Hello?"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/27/2018]
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neoclassical darkwave • death industrial
(Profound Lore, 66:01)
"I'll only say this once
Life is cruel, and time heals nothing
And everyone you love will leave you
But not me
So will you join me?
Will you join me?
If you lay your life down, no man can take it"
At the end of 2019 I’d been dreaming up a piece on Lingua Ignota (real name Kristin Hayter) and female subjectivity in metal and its subgenres. And who knows, maybe at some point it will see the light of day. But for now, here is as good as any place to let some of those half-formed ideas unfurl themselves.
Laying claim to an authentically ‘female’ voice in the context of Hayter’s music is more than just a rhetorical gimmick, since it was a voice that was for a long time forced into silence. A survivor of domestic violence, Hayter was embedded within the Rhode Island noise scene but for several years was prevented from ever performing her music at the threat of an abusive ex-partner. Escaping the relationship, Hayter found herself frustrated at the coping strategies suggested by books for abuse survivors, strategies she felt “enforced patriarchal models of civilised femininity”. Hayter didn’t want to serenely accept her suffering, she wanted to rage at its injustice. Lingua Ignota was born.
Heavy metal’s relationship with explicit content has always been something that intrigues me. Much of the genre feels pulled in two directions at once, in that its ethos wants to identify with horror, yet more often that not, the musicians’ own morbid fascination stems from the luxury of having little to no brushes with genuine human suffering (Metallica wrote this zinger about living in a sanatorium - “They keep me locked up in this cage/Can't they see it's why my brain says ‘rage’?” - after watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest).
It’s in contrast to these vapid estimations at true horror that Hayter’s power as a songwriter lies. Metal has a rich history of male provocateurs describing sadistic violence upon women under the guise of shock value; Hayter repurposes this language to convey the much more frightening prospect of being the one undergoing that violence.
Though I have tried to voice Lingua Ignota, the best I can do is gesture towards the real thing. I’ll instead leave you with these words from Hayter herself:
"I don't find most of the graphic depictions of (forgive my language here) 'sending this dumb slut back to hell hearing her final screams as my throbbing erection pounds her maggot-filled cunt' upsetting to my feminine sensibilities, most of it isn't even well-executed enough to be taken seriously. I just find that it occupies this weird space of being simultaneously very loaded and totally obsolete, especially when we consider that none of these guys are actually sodomising female corpses in their free time. So my thoughts were to flip this whole paradigm and to try to make it meaningful, to reframe extreme imagery for survivors of violence, upon whom very dark shit has actually been visited".
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/19/2021]
neoclassical darkwave • death industrial
(Profound Lore, 66:01)
"I'll only say this once
Life is cruel, and time heals nothing
And everyone you love will leave you
But not me
So will you join me?
Will you join me?
If you lay your life down, no man can take it"
At the end of 2019 I’d been dreaming up a piece on Lingua Ignota (real name Kristin Hayter) and female subjectivity in metal and its subgenres. And who knows, maybe at some point it will see the light of day. But for now, here is as good as any place to let some of those half-formed ideas unfurl themselves.
Laying claim to an authentically ‘female’ voice in the context of Hayter’s music is more than just a rhetorical gimmick, since it was a voice that was for a long time forced into silence. A survivor of domestic violence, Hayter was embedded within the Rhode Island noise scene but for several years was prevented from ever performing her music at the threat of an abusive ex-partner. Escaping the relationship, Hayter found herself frustrated at the coping strategies suggested by books for abuse survivors, strategies she felt “enforced patriarchal models of civilised femininity”. Hayter didn’t want to serenely accept her suffering, she wanted to rage at its injustice. Lingua Ignota was born.
Heavy metal’s relationship with explicit content has always been something that intrigues me. Much of the genre feels pulled in two directions at once, in that its ethos wants to identify with horror, yet more often that not, the musicians’ own morbid fascination stems from the luxury of having little to no brushes with genuine human suffering (Metallica wrote this zinger about living in a sanatorium - “They keep me locked up in this cage/Can't they see it's why my brain says ‘rage’?” - after watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest).
It’s in contrast to these vapid estimations at true horror that Hayter’s power as a songwriter lies. Metal has a rich history of male provocateurs describing sadistic violence upon women under the guise of shock value; Hayter repurposes this language to convey the much more frightening prospect of being the one undergoing that violence.
Though I have tried to voice Lingua Ignota, the best I can do is gesture towards the real thing. I’ll instead leave you with these words from Hayter herself:
"I don't find most of the graphic depictions of (forgive my language here) 'sending this dumb slut back to hell hearing her final screams as my throbbing erection pounds her maggot-filled cunt' upsetting to my feminine sensibilities, most of it isn't even well-executed enough to be taken seriously. I just find that it occupies this weird space of being simultaneously very loaded and totally obsolete, especially when we consider that none of these guys are actually sodomising female corpses in their free time. So my thoughts were to flip this whole paradigm and to try to make it meaningful, to reframe extreme imagery for survivors of violence, upon whom very dark shit has actually been visited".
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/19/2021]
Year of Release:
2019
Appears in:
Rank Score:
722
Rank in 2019:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 64. Page 6 of 7
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Top 64 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 5 | 8% | |
| 1970s | 18 | 28% | |
| 1980s | 8 | 13% | |
| 1990s | 16 | 25% | |
| 2000s | 13 | 20% | |
| 2010s | 4 | 6% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Bark Psychosis | 1 | 2% | |
| Gavin Bryars | 1 | 2% | |
| Joanna Newsom | 1 | 2% | |
| Slint | 1 | 2% | |
| Sufjan Stevens | 1 | 2% | |
| Cannibal Ox | 1 | 2% | |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
31 | 48% | |
| |
19 | 30% | |
 |
4 | 6% | |
 |
3 | 5% | |
 |
2 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 64 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 4 from 37th to 33rd You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr. |
| Up 4 from 36th to 32nd Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 2 from 32nd to 34th Loveless by My Bloody Valentine |
| Down 2 from 33rd to 35th Mogwai Young Team by Mogwai |
| Down 2 from 34th to 36th Spiderland by Slint |
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Top 64 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
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Top 64 Greatest Music Albums ratings
93/100 (from 86 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 86 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 85/100  | 01/06/2023 08:58 | Johnnyo | | 80/100 |
| 95/100 | 07/09/2022 03:54 | leniad | | 85/100 |
| 85/100 | 04/09/2022 08:31 |  Applerill | | 75/100 |
| 100/100 | 11/09/2021 18:39 |  seb7 | | 91/100 |
| 80/100 | 05/29/2021 02:00 | sirps | | 80/100 |
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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 93.4/100, a mean average of 93.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 94.2/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.7.
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Top 64 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing latest 20 members who have added this chart as a favourite | Show all 22 members
Top 64 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 48 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From 
Hayden 02/17/2023 15:37
Hayden 02/17/2023 15:37
Thanks— hoping you find a couple gems in there (a lot suit your chart's taste— I think you'll find at least 4-5 records you'll really enjoy). I've been meaning to update that chart for quite some time. Needs a bit of a new coat of paint— maybe in a month or two. One of the main concepts for that chart was originally 'uniquely/weirdly made albums', but I like what it turned into. Bit of a different world going on with those cuts.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Johnnyo 01/06/2023 08:58
Really good chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From leniad 07/09/2022 03:55
love your chart, some albums i like that never swa so high in others list
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From seb7 11/09/2021 18:39
seb7 11/09/2021 18:39
Man, I love this chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From sirps 05/29/2021 02:00
Very nice, lots of interesting stuff!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
Jbalbinolr 05/02/2021 15:46
Jbalbinolr 05/02/2021 15:46
Amazing chart, I love the presentation and short descriptions
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From HotZappsBoogaloo 04/26/2020 18:48
I could instantly tell I was going to give this chart 100
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
urmom22 02/13/2020 10:08
urmom22 02/13/2020 10:08
Thanks for the chart comment. Love all the album notes too!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
AMEIER 01/12/2020 22:16
AMEIER 01/12/2020 22:16
First of all, thank you so much for your comment in my page! I really was touched by your words.
About your chart here, I have to admit that I don't know 80% of this. The ones I do I know the value and know that they are great! Also, I feel like you are a powerhouse of music knowledge and would love to keep trading more information and passion for this! Last but not least, wish you to complete this with 100 albums. cheers!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
pa 10/30/2019 17:30
pa 10/30/2019 17:30
thanx mate :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.