Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Arthurknight

This chart has evolved a lot over the decade its existed. I think in the past I used to try a lot harder at curating what was more a "recommendations" list, where I'd show off my esoteric finds and scatter in my favourite underrated greats . Other times I told myself the function of a good list was to be in contention with the Overall chart on this site; to be anti conventional music journalism and resist milquetoast taste. Nowadays I'm less ideological about it. To me, this chart is my music-hobbyist refuge where I delight in organising my own personal world of sounds. In short, it may well be the 100 greatest albums of all time (I certainly think so), but that's secondary to it being an outlet for creative expression. I've curated a display that says more about me than the music, to be glanced over by the few fellow BEA users who peruse it and friends at a bar who don't know what they're getting into when they ask me what I listen to.

~~ One Album per Artist. ~~

Notes:
Should you consider it a great injustice that there is very little emphasis on more recent music here, feel free to check out my 21st century decade charts. I'm also very active in making end of year charts which is really where all my heart and soul is poured into with BEA these days.

No Jazz, Hip-Hop, or Electronic albums feature in this chart simply because if they did 100 albums would barely suffice. I find it particularly difficult to compare these genres with other forms of popular music broadly or with each-other (I've similarly exempted classical recordings I especially enjoy for the same reason, but am too lazy to make a classical chart, for now...). In the past I have included these genres, but I've come to dislike it because the limits of 100 albums begins to feel too claustrophobic (Consequently, it'd be better to adjust your thinking of this chart as rather the Top 100 Greatest Rock and Pop Albums). Instead, I have made each their own respective custom chart, which you can find here:

Greatest 100 Jazz Albums: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=32925
Greatest 100 Hip-Hop Albums: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=32704
Greatest 100 Electronic/IDM Albums: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=42751

• Chart updated: 01/24/2025 01:15
• (Created: 07/26/2014 08:45).
• 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 93 out of 100 (from 125 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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4. (=)

Your Funeral... My Trial 

 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

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Rather than spend much time delving into any internal debate about which album is better - it's arbitrary in the end, they sound and feel so differently - It might be a better opportunity to mention how this reveals the limitations of the "1 Album per Artist" chart. One could very easily just say "Well to you they're all 10s so why not just include them all?" That's fine and all - not to be too hypercritical as I can't stand charts with half a dozen albums from one artist - but I think it's been quite enriching to compare Cave's (or anyone's for that matter) discography with a fine tooth comb and with stakes set. The challenge of picking a favourite is one that invites me to really intently listen to his music.

Whether Tender Prey remains here for long is a question for tomorrow, but this profound difficulty picking a favourite makes me all the more sure of my love for Nick Cave, and how he is most definitely my musical icon. I watch Wings of Desire regularly to try and vicariously experience being present in the mythic underground-Berlin wonder that 80s Bad Seeds inhabited. Cave's albums, and the early ones in particular, take me places, all dark, all sinister, and I love it - I want it.

_ [First added to this chart: 02/14/2015]

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

201 charts

Rank Score:

1,213

Rank in 1986:

19

Rank in 1980s:

228

Overall Rank:

1,432

Average Rating:

 77 (223 votes)

Comments:

7

82. (=)

16 Lovers Lane 

 The Go-Betweens

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"And sometimes we don't come through
Sometimes we just get by
But I know with you
I've never seen the devil's eye."

_ [First added to this chart: 02/14/2015]

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

269 charts

Rank Score:

1,730

Rank in 1988:

15

Rank in 1980s:

158

Overall Rank:

1,020

Average Rating:

 79 (261 votes)

Comments:

16

97. (=)

Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun 

 Dead Can Dance

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_ [First added to this chart: 05/25/2015]

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

204 charts

Rank Score:

1,299

Rank in 1987:

25

Rank in 1980s:

215

Overall Rank:

1,346

Average Rating:

 80 (244 votes)

Comments:

8

Total albums: 3. Page 1 of 1

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade	Albums	%
1930s	0	0%
1940s	0	0%
1950s	0	0%
1960s	13	13%
1970s	28	28%
1980s	18	18%
1990s	29	29%
2000s	10	10%
2010s	2	2%
2020s	0	0%

Artist	Albums	%
Television	1	1%
Sparks	1	1%
Nico	1	1%
Minutemen	1	1%
Lisa Germano	1	1%
Tortoise	1	1%
Patti Smith	1	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	47	47%
	24	24%
	6	6%
	5	5%
	4	4%
	3	3%
	3	3%
Show all

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 1 from 42nd to 41st In Rainbows by Radiohead
Up 1 from 41st to 40th Closer by Joy Division
Up 1 from 40th to 39th Super Æ by ボアダムス [Boredoms]

Biggest fallers
Down 6 from 36th to 42nd Court And Spark by Joni Mitchell

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts

Title	Source	Type	Published	Country
Driving Albums	Arthurknight	custom chart	2022
The BEA Friendly Chart	alelsupreme	custom chart	2015
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	paologabriel		2023
PPV Overall Ranking	bea	custom chart	2021
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s	Arthurknight	1970s decade chart	2022
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	josh333		2016
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	The Gollux		2024
BEA Forum Regulars' Top 100 (2015)	HigherThanTheSun	custom chart	2015
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s	Arthurknight	1990s decade chart	2022
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	newbands1		2015

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

Other overall charts by Arthurknight

Title	Source	Type	Published	Country
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums	Arthurknight		2025

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 125 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
85/100	01/28/2025 11:30	SomethingSpecial	591	85/100
100/100	01/24/2025 00:51	ThuramThugood	109	89/100
100/100	12/24/2024 21:42	Exist-en-ciel	125	99/100
95/100	06/06/2024 02:35	areminder	50	79/100
100/100	05/04/2024 20:36	Wasinski	27	89/100

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 93.3/100, a mean average of 93.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.9/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.1.

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

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Rating:  

100/100

From Rm12398 11/10/2022 16:03

Love the Murmur- R.E.M. placement here! Have always felt that was my favourite record of theirs, so it's nice to see my opinion validated with your chart. “La Máquina De Hacer Pájaros” is fantastic to see here as well. Massively underrated on this site in my opinion. Love the multicultural feel of the list as well. Have recently been trying to get into more international music so your chart may be a great help to do that.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

80/100

From cartoken 11/10/2022 09:53

Thanks for the comment and the rating.
Great tastes as well, very heavy on classical rock but still very sold chart
Kudos for including Youth of America 👌

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From Johnnyo 11/09/2022 08:36

Fabulous chart. One of the best on the site

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From Moondance 11/09/2022 02:54

Was really hoping to see a few more exceptional Australian albums in the chart. Otherwise, cool chart and appreciate the effort in putting together your comments.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From flamingyesdept 10/05/2022 08:04

Still my favourite chart! SMiLE Sessions really is the greatest thing in popular music ♥

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From rubysmith 07/21/2022 11:17

Nice.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From peate754 12/21/2021 00:48

Wow Great job and very good list

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From seb7 12/07/2020 19:34

one of the best lists on the site. Creative, methodical, and just overall cool

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From EyeKanFly 09/11/2020 16:18

I'll definitely use this for recs!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From DommeDamian 09/11/2020 08:48

Brrrrrrravo!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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