Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by 
Romanelli 
With production credits (because producers are important, too). Also track listings, label info and short reviews written by yours truly. I hope this chart is helpful, entertaining, and at least interesting.
- Chart updated: 8 hours ago
- (Created: 06/01/2012 04:29).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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1977-WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By FLEETWOOD MAC, KEN CAILLAT & RICHARD DASHUT
1. Second Hand News
2. Dreams
3. Never Going Back Again
4. Don’t Stop
5. Go Your Own Way
6. Songbird
7. The Chain
8. You Make Loving Fun
9. I Don’t Want To Know
10. Oh Daddy
11. Gold Dust Woman
When guitarist Bob Welch left Fleetwood Mac in 1974, the band was left with just Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, a legacy of a once proud blues band that had slid into mediocre pop, and a long roster of former guitar players who barely shone inside the group or after they had gone (with the exception of Peter Green). The band was about to end when Lindsey Buckingham was discovered in California, and when he was asked to join the band, he insisted that his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks, be part of the deal. The result was the album Fleetwood Mac, an almost perfect album that was based in newfound energy and the sudden connection that the five members of the band made. Rumours is the absolute peak of the career of Fleetwood Mac. It’s also the beginning of the end of that spark that made them so special for such a short time. Instead of being magical because the players involved were so good together, Rumours is magical because it’s a chronicle of a band publically eroding before our eyes. And what an absolutely good time we all had with that! The songs that came from the drama, the broken relationships of the couples in the band, and the ability they still had to blend together musically made for an album that was simply perfect.
The songwriting is split almost evenly between Christine McVie, Buckingham and Nicks. And there’s not a single track that isn’t perfection, or that doesn’t help make the album what it is. Buckingham’s “Second Hand News”, “Never Going Back Again” and “Go Your Own Way” are the best of his career. Nicks chimes in with “Dreams”, “I Don’t Want To Know” and “Gold Dust Woman”, all of which helped cement her reputation as a songwriter. McVie’s “Don’t Stop”, “Songbird”, “You Make Loving Fun” and “Oh Daddy” are the foundation of the album, and are exceptional. The group effort, “The Chain”, is simply perfect. This calm pop rock album, built around a fleeting cohesion of talents and internal chaos, remains perfect to this day. The cracks started showing musically on the next album, Tusk, and the magic of Rumours was never regained. But, from 1975 through the release of the somewhat disappointing Tusk, this was the biggest band in the world. It was short, but it was also very sweet. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By FLEETWOOD MAC, KEN CAILLAT & RICHARD DASHUT
1. Second Hand News
2. Dreams
3. Never Going Back Again
4. Don’t Stop
5. Go Your Own Way
6. Songbird
7. The Chain
8. You Make Loving Fun
9. I Don’t Want To Know
10. Oh Daddy
11. Gold Dust Woman
When guitarist Bob Welch left Fleetwood Mac in 1974, the band was left with just Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, a legacy of a once proud blues band that had slid into mediocre pop, and a long roster of former guitar players who barely shone inside the group or after they had gone (with the exception of Peter Green). The band was about to end when Lindsey Buckingham was discovered in California, and when he was asked to join the band, he insisted that his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks, be part of the deal. The result was the album Fleetwood Mac, an almost perfect album that was based in newfound energy and the sudden connection that the five members of the band made. Rumours is the absolute peak of the career of Fleetwood Mac. It’s also the beginning of the end of that spark that made them so special for such a short time. Instead of being magical because the players involved were so good together, Rumours is magical because it’s a chronicle of a band publically eroding before our eyes. And what an absolutely good time we all had with that! The songs that came from the drama, the broken relationships of the couples in the band, and the ability they still had to blend together musically made for an album that was simply perfect.
The songwriting is split almost evenly between Christine McVie, Buckingham and Nicks. And there’s not a single track that isn’t perfection, or that doesn’t help make the album what it is. Buckingham’s “Second Hand News”, “Never Going Back Again” and “Go Your Own Way” are the best of his career. Nicks chimes in with “Dreams”, “I Don’t Want To Know” and “Gold Dust Woman”, all of which helped cement her reputation as a songwriter. McVie’s “Don’t Stop”, “Songbird”, “You Make Loving Fun” and “Oh Daddy” are the foundation of the album, and are exceptional. The group effort, “The Chain”, is simply perfect. This calm pop rock album, built around a fleeting cohesion of talents and internal chaos, remains perfect to this day. The cracks started showing musically on the next album, Tusk, and the magic of Rumours was never regained. But, from 1975 through the release of the somewhat disappointing Tusk, this was the biggest band in the world. It was short, but it was also very sweet. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
33,133
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
183
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1972-REPRISE
Produced By ELLIOT MAZER, NEIL YOUNG, JACK NITZSCHE & HENRY LEWY
1. Out On The Weekend
2. Harvest
3. A Man Needs A Maid
4. Heart Of Gold
5. Are You Ready For The Country?
6. Old Man
7. There's A World
8. Alabama
9. The Needle And The Damage Done
10. Words (Between The Lines Of Age)
If you have been locked in a broom closet for your entire life and have never heard of Neil Young, then let me introduce you to Harvest. This is Neil's best selling album, his most popular, and a great place to start with one of rock's greatest solo acts. Harvest follows in the same vein as its predecessor, After The Golod Rush from 1970, but it's more in the middle of the folk rock road. His biggest (and most overplayed) hits are here: "Old Man" and "Heart Of Gold" will forever haunt solo acoustic players who play requests. These two songs are graced by the backup vocals of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. "The Needle And The Damage Done" is a quick 2 minute acoustic live track that lives forever. And his friends from CSN are here: he's joined by Crosby & Nash on "Are You Ready For The Country", Crosby & Stills on "Alabama", and Stills & Nash on "Words".
Harvest is a great album. It is unfortunate that two songs (the somehow hilarious "A Man Needs A Maid" and "There's A World") are buried by the London Symphony Orchestra. But this is a great introduction to Neil. And everyone should be well versed in Neil. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By ELLIOT MAZER, NEIL YOUNG, JACK NITZSCHE & HENRY LEWY
1. Out On The Weekend
2. Harvest
3. A Man Needs A Maid
4. Heart Of Gold
5. Are You Ready For The Country?
6. Old Man
7. There's A World
8. Alabama
9. The Needle And The Damage Done
10. Words (Between The Lines Of Age)
If you have been locked in a broom closet for your entire life and have never heard of Neil Young, then let me introduce you to Harvest. This is Neil's best selling album, his most popular, and a great place to start with one of rock's greatest solo acts. Harvest follows in the same vein as its predecessor, After The Golod Rush from 1970, but it's more in the middle of the folk rock road. His biggest (and most overplayed) hits are here: "Old Man" and "Heart Of Gold" will forever haunt solo acoustic players who play requests. These two songs are graced by the backup vocals of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. "The Needle And The Damage Done" is a quick 2 minute acoustic live track that lives forever. And his friends from CSN are here: he's joined by Crosby & Nash on "Are You Ready For The Country", Crosby & Stills on "Alabama", and Stills & Nash on "Words".
Harvest is a great album. It is unfortunate that two songs (the somehow hilarious "A Man Needs A Maid" and "There's A World") are buried by the London Symphony Orchestra. But this is a great introduction to Neil. And everyone should be well versed in Neil. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,888
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1970-ATLANTIC
Produced By CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG
1. Carry On
2. Teach Your Children
3. Almost Cut My Hair
4. Helpless
5. Woodstock
6. Déjà Vu
7. Our House
8. 4 + 20
9. Country Girl: Whiskey Boot Hill/Down, Down, Down/Country Girl (I Think You’re Pretty)
10. Everybody I Love You
As if having a supergroup with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash wasn’t unfair enough…they had to go and add in Neil Young for their second album. The CSN (&Y) franchise was so successful that they were able to put together a full greatest hits album after only two records. They had a successful debut album, then played at Woodstock, were already stars in their previous bands, and in 1970, they could do no wrong. Déjà Vu divides the songwriting pretty evenly, with each member contributing two songs each. The remaining two songs consist of a cover (Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock”) and “Everybody I Love You”, co-written by Stills and Young. The inclusion of Young on the album has been often overstated. While “Helpless” is one of his greatest songs, his other contribution, the mini-suite “Country Girl”, may be the album’s weakest track. And he only appears on half of the songs on the album, making Déjà vu really more of a CSN project with Neil as more of a guest than anything else. But even so, his presence definitely adds an edge to the songs he does play on.
But what really makes this work is that the two songs each from the other members are all exceptional. Stills hits big with “Carry On”, a perfect song for all that harmony, but also with the stunning “4 + 20”, which may be his most beautiful track. Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair” is a bluesy rocker buoyed by Young’s stinging guitar, while the title track is proof of his understated genius. And Nash adds his pop sensibility with the charming “Our House” and the neat “Teach Your Children”, which features solid pedal steel work by Jerry Garcia. As an album, Déjà Vu kicks off the 70’s in fine fashion, and showcases not only the strengths of the individual members, but also their ability to sing so strongly and seemingly effortlessly together. This, alongside their debut, is all of the CSN you’ll ever really need…it would be seven years before their next studio effort, by which time Stills had dried up as a writer and the distance between the three made them sound less cohesive. But at the turn of the 70’s, there was no one who did it better than these guys. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG
1. Carry On
2. Teach Your Children
3. Almost Cut My Hair
4. Helpless
5. Woodstock
6. Déjà Vu
7. Our House
8. 4 + 20
9. Country Girl: Whiskey Boot Hill/Down, Down, Down/Country Girl (I Think You’re Pretty)
10. Everybody I Love You
As if having a supergroup with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash wasn’t unfair enough…they had to go and add in Neil Young for their second album. The CSN (&Y) franchise was so successful that they were able to put together a full greatest hits album after only two records. They had a successful debut album, then played at Woodstock, were already stars in their previous bands, and in 1970, they could do no wrong. Déjà Vu divides the songwriting pretty evenly, with each member contributing two songs each. The remaining two songs consist of a cover (Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock”) and “Everybody I Love You”, co-written by Stills and Young. The inclusion of Young on the album has been often overstated. While “Helpless” is one of his greatest songs, his other contribution, the mini-suite “Country Girl”, may be the album’s weakest track. And he only appears on half of the songs on the album, making Déjà vu really more of a CSN project with Neil as more of a guest than anything else. But even so, his presence definitely adds an edge to the songs he does play on.
But what really makes this work is that the two songs each from the other members are all exceptional. Stills hits big with “Carry On”, a perfect song for all that harmony, but also with the stunning “4 + 20”, which may be his most beautiful track. Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair” is a bluesy rocker buoyed by Young’s stinging guitar, while the title track is proof of his understated genius. And Nash adds his pop sensibility with the charming “Our House” and the neat “Teach Your Children”, which features solid pedal steel work by Jerry Garcia. As an album, Déjà Vu kicks off the 70’s in fine fashion, and showcases not only the strengths of the individual members, but also their ability to sing so strongly and seemingly effortlessly together. This, alongside their debut, is all of the CSN you’ll ever really need…it would be seven years before their next studio effort, by which time Stills had dried up as a writer and the distance between the three made them sound less cohesive. But at the turn of the 70’s, there was no one who did it better than these guys. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,360
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1972-POLYDOR
Produced By TOM DOWD
1. Ain't Wasting Time No More
2. Les Brers In A Minor
3. Melissa
4. Mountain Jam
5. One Way Out
6. Trouble No More
7. Stand Back
8. Blue Sky
9. Little Martha
3 songs (the last 3) were recorded with Duane Allman before he was killed in a mororcycle accident. The effect of losing him would be felt throughout their long career, which continued until 2014. After Eat A Peach, they had one more great album in them. Eat A Peach is almost a classic, and would be better had they released a single instead of a double album. "Mountain Jam", (which, along with 2 other tracks, are from the famous Fillmore East concert. At the end of the Fillmore album, you can hear the beginning of this song as "Whipping Post" fades out.) clocks in at a whopping 33 minutes, and takes some doing to listen to all the way through. But it was a necessary part of the album.
Otherwise, this is great. The first 3 tracks were recorded without Duane, and are as good as anything they did with him. "One Way Out" and "Trouble No More" are also from Fillmore, and the last 3 with Duane, particularly Dicky Betts' "Blue Sky", are excellent.
A band picking up and moving on from tragedy. Not for the last time, either. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By TOM DOWD
1. Ain't Wasting Time No More
2. Les Brers In A Minor
3. Melissa
4. Mountain Jam
5. One Way Out
6. Trouble No More
7. Stand Back
8. Blue Sky
9. Little Martha
3 songs (the last 3) were recorded with Duane Allman before he was killed in a mororcycle accident. The effect of losing him would be felt throughout their long career, which continued until 2014. After Eat A Peach, they had one more great album in them. Eat A Peach is almost a classic, and would be better had they released a single instead of a double album. "Mountain Jam", (which, along with 2 other tracks, are from the famous Fillmore East concert. At the end of the Fillmore album, you can hear the beginning of this song as "Whipping Post" fades out.) clocks in at a whopping 33 minutes, and takes some doing to listen to all the way through. But it was a necessary part of the album.
Otherwise, this is great. The first 3 tracks were recorded without Duane, and are as good as anything they did with him. "One Way Out" and "Trouble No More" are also from Fillmore, and the last 3 with Duane, particularly Dicky Betts' "Blue Sky", are excellent.
A band picking up and moving on from tragedy. Not for the last time, either. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,188
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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1978-ELEKTRA
Produced By ROY THOMAS BAKER
1. Good Times Roll
2. My Best Friend's Girl
3. Just What I Needed
4. I'm In Touch With Your World
5. Don't Cha Stop
6. You're All I've Got Tonight
7. Bye Bye Love
8. Moving In Stereo
9. All Mixed Up
Ah, The Cars. You'd be hard pressed to find 5 people who list them as their favorite band...and you'd also have a hard time finding 5 people who hate them. Their debut came from nowhere in 1978, and gave us all a glimpse of what New Wave should have been like, before it actually happened. The album plays like a greatest hits disc, with everything from start to finish being familiar. They didn't overdo the keyboards, they put on a hefty helping of guitar, and they got the robotic vocal thing just right. Songs like "Good Times Roll" are stiff and overly clean...and they groove at the same time. How did they do it? We may never know.
This is still The Cars disc to have. They had some ups and downs in their career, but they never matched this album. It's a good time from start to finish. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By ROY THOMAS BAKER
1. Good Times Roll
2. My Best Friend's Girl
3. Just What I Needed
4. I'm In Touch With Your World
5. Don't Cha Stop
6. You're All I've Got Tonight
7. Bye Bye Love
8. Moving In Stereo
9. All Mixed Up
Ah, The Cars. You'd be hard pressed to find 5 people who list them as their favorite band...and you'd also have a hard time finding 5 people who hate them. Their debut came from nowhere in 1978, and gave us all a glimpse of what New Wave should have been like, before it actually happened. The album plays like a greatest hits disc, with everything from start to finish being familiar. They didn't overdo the keyboards, they put on a hefty helping of guitar, and they got the robotic vocal thing just right. Songs like "Good Times Roll" are stiff and overly clean...and they groove at the same time. How did they do it? We may never know.
This is still The Cars disc to have. They had some ups and downs in their career, but they never matched this album. It's a good time from start to finish. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,916
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1973 – MCA
Produced By AL KOOPER
1. I Ain’t The One
2. Tuesday’s Gone
3. Gimme Three Steps
4. Simple Man
5. Things Goin’ On
6. Mississippi Kid
7. Poison Whiskey
8. Free Bird
While The Allman Brothers Band were reeling from the deaths of key band members and no longer the force of Southern rock they once were, Lynyrd Skynyrd, from Jacksonville, Florida, was rising to take their place. But while The Allmans were the prototypical jam band, Skynyrd was (“Free Bird” aside) more about shorter songs and a more radio friendly sound. Ronnie Van Zant was a strong presence at the front of the band, and the three lead guitars were no joke…Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Ed King (from Strawberry Alarm Clock, of all places) were exceptional players. This, their debut album, shows that Skynyrd started off at the top of their game, and had it not been for the over-exposure of “Free Bird” and a bit too much production from Al Kooper, it could have been perfect, or close to it. Lots to love on this album, for sure.
This album contains three bonafide classics. “Simple Man”, despite Kooper having overdone it on the keyboards, is a beautiful and surprisingly mature song from such a young band. “Tuesday’s Gone” is a flawless song. And like it or not, “Free Bird” is amazing, from the slow, heartfelt singing of Van Zant to the soaring guitar jam at the end. After that, “Gimme Three Steps”, “Mississippi Kid”, and the politically charged “Thing’s Goin’ On” are great fun. “I Ain’t The One” and “Poison Whiskey” are lesser tracks, but they still belong here. The playing throughout is great, from Billy Powell’s powerful piano to the three guitar attack to the air tight rhythm section. All supporting the calm, stoic and powerful vocals of Van Zant. Not a perfect album, but a sure sign that Skynyrd was going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2014]
Produced By AL KOOPER
1. I Ain’t The One
2. Tuesday’s Gone
3. Gimme Three Steps
4. Simple Man
5. Things Goin’ On
6. Mississippi Kid
7. Poison Whiskey
8. Free Bird
While The Allman Brothers Band were reeling from the deaths of key band members and no longer the force of Southern rock they once were, Lynyrd Skynyrd, from Jacksonville, Florida, was rising to take their place. But while The Allmans were the prototypical jam band, Skynyrd was (“Free Bird” aside) more about shorter songs and a more radio friendly sound. Ronnie Van Zant was a strong presence at the front of the band, and the three lead guitars were no joke…Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and Ed King (from Strawberry Alarm Clock, of all places) were exceptional players. This, their debut album, shows that Skynyrd started off at the top of their game, and had it not been for the over-exposure of “Free Bird” and a bit too much production from Al Kooper, it could have been perfect, or close to it. Lots to love on this album, for sure.
This album contains three bonafide classics. “Simple Man”, despite Kooper having overdone it on the keyboards, is a beautiful and surprisingly mature song from such a young band. “Tuesday’s Gone” is a flawless song. And like it or not, “Free Bird” is amazing, from the slow, heartfelt singing of Van Zant to the soaring guitar jam at the end. After that, “Gimme Three Steps”, “Mississippi Kid”, and the politically charged “Thing’s Goin’ On” are great fun. “I Ain’t The One” and “Poison Whiskey” are lesser tracks, but they still belong here. The playing throughout is great, from Billy Powell’s powerful piano to the three guitar attack to the air tight rhythm section. All supporting the calm, stoic and powerful vocals of Van Zant. Not a perfect album, but a sure sign that Skynyrd was going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. [First added to this chart: 11/09/2014]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,009
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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1976 – EPIC
Produced By JOHN BOYLAN & TOM SCHOLZ
1. More Than A Feeling
2. Peace Of Mind
3. Foreplay/Long Time
4. Rock N Roll Band
5. Smokin’
6. Hitch A Ride
7. Something About You
8. Let Me Take You Home Tonight
This first Boston album is one of the more interesting stories of the rock era. Tom Scholz was an MIT graduate working as an engineer for Poloroid when one of his homemade demos was finally picked up by Epic Records. There’s a fine looking photo of a band on the back of the album, with six members credited, when in actuality, almost the entire album was recorded by Scholz and singer Brad Delp. Producer John Boylan’s job was to trick the label into believing that the band was recording in a Los Angeles studio, when in fact Scholz was making the record in his basement in Boston…songs that had been written several years earlier. The ruse allowed Scholz to get out the album he wanted…they were a mess live, but this stuff sure did sound great next to the comparatively crude recordings of the time. And the album was a huge, massive, undeniable hit.
The biggest and best part of Boston was always the vocals of Delp, a positive monster of a vocalist. Scholz made the guitars sound pristine, and that Hammond sound that graces its best tracks is classic on its own. The first three tracks…”More Than A Feeling”, “Peace Of Mind”, and the “Foreplay/Long Time” epic made the career of Boston forever. While the rest of the album still gets classic rock airplay to this date, it’s really not much more than glorified filler. Still, it sounds fantastic, especially given that it was recorded when it was recorded…and in a basement studio to boot. Boston is blamed for several things…”corporate” rock, arena rock, studio excess…much of which cannot be denied. And the rest of the Boston discography is boring at best. But this album can still sound terrific and cutting edge, and will always be a turning point in 70’s rock. [First added to this chart: 04/20/2021]
Produced By JOHN BOYLAN & TOM SCHOLZ
1. More Than A Feeling
2. Peace Of Mind
3. Foreplay/Long Time
4. Rock N Roll Band
5. Smokin’
6. Hitch A Ride
7. Something About You
8. Let Me Take You Home Tonight
This first Boston album is one of the more interesting stories of the rock era. Tom Scholz was an MIT graduate working as an engineer for Poloroid when one of his homemade demos was finally picked up by Epic Records. There’s a fine looking photo of a band on the back of the album, with six members credited, when in actuality, almost the entire album was recorded by Scholz and singer Brad Delp. Producer John Boylan’s job was to trick the label into believing that the band was recording in a Los Angeles studio, when in fact Scholz was making the record in his basement in Boston…songs that had been written several years earlier. The ruse allowed Scholz to get out the album he wanted…they were a mess live, but this stuff sure did sound great next to the comparatively crude recordings of the time. And the album was a huge, massive, undeniable hit.
The biggest and best part of Boston was always the vocals of Delp, a positive monster of a vocalist. Scholz made the guitars sound pristine, and that Hammond sound that graces its best tracks is classic on its own. The first three tracks…”More Than A Feeling”, “Peace Of Mind”, and the “Foreplay/Long Time” epic made the career of Boston forever. While the rest of the album still gets classic rock airplay to this date, it’s really not much more than glorified filler. Still, it sounds fantastic, especially given that it was recorded when it was recorded…and in a basement studio to boot. Boston is blamed for several things…”corporate” rock, arena rock, studio excess…much of which cannot be denied. And the rest of the Boston discography is boring at best. But this album can still sound terrific and cutting edge, and will always be a turning point in 70’s rock. [First added to this chart: 04/20/2021]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,011
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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1973-CAPITOL
Produced By PINK FLOYD
1. Speak To Me/Breathe In The Air
2. On The Run
3. Time
4. The Great Gig In The Sky
5. Money
6. Us And Them
7. Any Colour You Like
8. Brain Damage
9. Eclipse
After spending years fumbling around for the right formula, Pink Floyd hit it big in every way with their 1973 release, The Dark Side Of The Moon. The album is a seamless song cycle, perfect in nearly every way. The band has a throw away nothing ethic, and it works completely. The album must be heard in its entirety to be truly appreciated, and almost 40 years later, you still get great rewards for taking the time to do so.
Floyd released the equally as good Wish You Were Here, then began a slow spiral before egos burst them apart. Dark Side stayed on the album charts for a ridiculous number of years for good reason...one of the best albums ever made. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By PINK FLOYD
1. Speak To Me/Breathe In The Air
2. On The Run
3. Time
4. The Great Gig In The Sky
5. Money
6. Us And Them
7. Any Colour You Like
8. Brain Damage
9. Eclipse
After spending years fumbling around for the right formula, Pink Floyd hit it big in every way with their 1973 release, The Dark Side Of The Moon. The album is a seamless song cycle, perfect in nearly every way. The band has a throw away nothing ethic, and it works completely. The album must be heard in its entirety to be truly appreciated, and almost 40 years later, you still get great rewards for taking the time to do so.
Floyd released the equally as good Wish You Were Here, then began a slow spiral before egos burst them apart. Dark Side stayed on the album charts for a ridiculous number of years for good reason...one of the best albums ever made. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
67,885
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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1971-ROLLING STONES
Produced By JIMMY MILLER
1. Brown Sugar
2. Sway
3. Wild Horses
4. Can't You Hear Me Knocking
5. You Gotta Move
6. Bitch
7. I Got The Blues
8. Sister Morphine
9. Dead Flowers
10. Moonlight Mile
If you ever get sick of hearing about The Rolling Stones still being on tour, and if every time you hear "Start Me Up" you cringe, and if you ever can't remember why The Stones are such a big deal, take a listen to Sticky Fingers. It will all come back to you. Recorded in the midst of their greatest period (when Mick Taylor played guitar), Sticky Fingers is one of a handful of Stones classics...and could be their best. "Brown Sugar" was the big hit, "Sway" is frightening, "Wild Horses" and "Dead Flowers" are bonafide classics. "Sister Morphine" can still give you chills. This is such a great album, even the faux jazz ending on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" can be forgiven.
This is the Stones at their best. This is why they became such a big deal. Since Some Girls, this band has released about 3 careers worth of crap. But in 1971, they may have really been the greatest rock & roll band on earth. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Produced By JIMMY MILLER
1. Brown Sugar
2. Sway
3. Wild Horses
4. Can't You Hear Me Knocking
5. You Gotta Move
6. Bitch
7. I Got The Blues
8. Sister Morphine
9. Dead Flowers
10. Moonlight Mile
If you ever get sick of hearing about The Rolling Stones still being on tour, and if every time you hear "Start Me Up" you cringe, and if you ever can't remember why The Stones are such a big deal, take a listen to Sticky Fingers. It will all come back to you. Recorded in the midst of their greatest period (when Mick Taylor played guitar), Sticky Fingers is one of a handful of Stones classics...and could be their best. "Brown Sugar" was the big hit, "Sway" is frightening, "Wild Horses" and "Dead Flowers" are bonafide classics. "Sister Morphine" can still give you chills. This is such a great album, even the faux jazz ending on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" can be forgiven.
This is the Stones at their best. This is why they became such a big deal. Since Some Girls, this band has released about 3 careers worth of crap. But in 1971, they may have really been the greatest rock & roll band on earth. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2012]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,571
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
1970-FANTASY
Produced By JOHN FOGERTY
1. Ramble Tamble
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Travelin' Band
4. Ooby Dooby
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door
6. Run Through The Jungle
7. Up Around The Bend
8. My Baby Left Me
9. Who'll Stop The Rain
10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
11. Long As I Can See The Light
Is it really better to burn out than fade away? Creedence Clearwater Revival had a two year run that was unbelieveable...5 top ten albums with nine consecutive top 10 singles (5 #2's...they never got a #1) between 1969 and 1970. And inside of what may be the worst rock album cover ever is Cosmo's Factory, the 4th of the 5. And it may be their best. The album is loaded with hits, great cover songs, and even two longer jams (John Fogerty's guitar work on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is worth having this alone for). This is a band at the top of their game, firing on all cylinders and cranking out one great song after another, one great album after another. Cosmo's Factory is simply a great album, a must have for any rock collection.
It was also the beginning of the end. John Fogerty was becoming more demanding with each song, and his dictatorship over the rest of the band was taking its toll. The relationships are straining here, and it poured over to their next album. Tom Fogerty quit after Pendulum, saying that he would never be replaced because no one would ever be crazy enough to join the band. After Pendulum, John Fogerty lost it...he told the other two members that they had to write songs for the next album, but that he would not play lead guitar on them. Mardi Gras from 1972 was horrible, and the band was done. Fogerty, who seemingly hated everyone by this time, traded his song rights to Fantasy to get him out of what may have been the worst record deal in history (he still owed them 8 albums!), which led to him being sued years later for plagiarizing himself. CCR lasted only 5 years and 7 albums, but 1969-70 was truly an amazing run.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford continue on as Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Tom Fogerty died of AIDS in 1990. And John Fogerty has had a spotty solo career. He refused to play CCR songs live until 1987 when he was convinced to do so by Bob Dylan and George Harrison. But there's always the short period of time when this band almost ruled the world. [First added to this chart: 03/19/2014]
Produced By JOHN FOGERTY
1. Ramble Tamble
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Travelin' Band
4. Ooby Dooby
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door
6. Run Through The Jungle
7. Up Around The Bend
8. My Baby Left Me
9. Who'll Stop The Rain
10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
11. Long As I Can See The Light
Is it really better to burn out than fade away? Creedence Clearwater Revival had a two year run that was unbelieveable...5 top ten albums with nine consecutive top 10 singles (5 #2's...they never got a #1) between 1969 and 1970. And inside of what may be the worst rock album cover ever is Cosmo's Factory, the 4th of the 5. And it may be their best. The album is loaded with hits, great cover songs, and even two longer jams (John Fogerty's guitar work on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is worth having this alone for). This is a band at the top of their game, firing on all cylinders and cranking out one great song after another, one great album after another. Cosmo's Factory is simply a great album, a must have for any rock collection.
It was also the beginning of the end. John Fogerty was becoming more demanding with each song, and his dictatorship over the rest of the band was taking its toll. The relationships are straining here, and it poured over to their next album. Tom Fogerty quit after Pendulum, saying that he would never be replaced because no one would ever be crazy enough to join the band. After Pendulum, John Fogerty lost it...he told the other two members that they had to write songs for the next album, but that he would not play lead guitar on them. Mardi Gras from 1972 was horrible, and the band was done. Fogerty, who seemingly hated everyone by this time, traded his song rights to Fantasy to get him out of what may have been the worst record deal in history (he still owed them 8 albums!), which led to him being sued years later for plagiarizing himself. CCR lasted only 5 years and 7 albums, but 1969-70 was truly an amazing run.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford continue on as Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Tom Fogerty died of AIDS in 1990. And John Fogerty has had a spotty solo career. He refused to play CCR songs live until 1987 when he was convinced to do so by Bob Dylan and George Harrison. But there's always the short period of time when this band almost ruled the world. [First added to this chart: 03/19/2014]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,727
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 23. Page 1 of 3
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 12 | 12% | |
| 1970s | 22 | 22% | |
| 1980s | 13 | 13% | |
| 1990s | 29 | 29% | |
| 2000s | 21 | 21% | |
| 2010s | 3 | 3% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Beatles | 4 | 4% | |
| Drive-By Truckers | 3 | 3% | |
| The Band | 3 | 3% | |
| Lucero | 2 | 2% | |
| Tom Petty | 2 | 2% | |
| Whiskeytown | 2 | 2% | |
| The Jayhawks | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 93rd to 94th Pontiac by Lyle Lovett |
| Down 1 from 94th to 95th Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols by Sex Pistols |
| Down 1 from 95th to 96th Bringing It All Back Home by Bob Dylan |
| New entries |
|---|
 Crossing The Red Sea With The Advertsby The Adverts |
| Leavers |
|---|
 Disintegrationby The Cure |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outside The BEA Top 1000 | Romanelli | custom chart | 2015 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | jeffrey-hodgson | 2018 |  | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | maverick470 | 2015 | | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | Romanelli | 1990s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Manso | 2020 |  | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | tim0505 | 2024 |  | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | somefatguy157 | 2020 | | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  RFNAPLES | 2013 | | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | jon5417 | 2021 | | |
| Overall Top 100 Ranked Correctly |  Mother Nature's Son | custom chart | 2014 |  |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)
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Other overall charts by Romanelli
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Romanelli | 2024 | |
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
88/100 (from 174 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 174 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 65/100  | 10/31/2024 04:12 |  ChlebHead | | 86/100 |
| 90/100 | 06/11/2023 18:03 |  pedro1976 | | 84/100 |
| 100/100 | 06/03/2023 12:17 |  Schribes | | 99/100 |
| 80/100 | 03/06/2023 07:30 | Moondance | | 85/100 |
| 90/100 | 11/16/2022 17:06 | conallmalone | | 88/100 |
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 6% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.4/100, a mean average of 87.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 12.6.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 113 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First |
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From 
CassidyInc 03/29/2024 22:06
CassidyInc 03/29/2024 22:06
Neat chart, but the write ups and historical perspective you've included for many of these albums make it something special. I had a good chuckle when I finally arrived to Loveless, the album I was most excited to hear your thoughts on, and there was nothing there!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From Moondance 03/06/2023 07:40
What I found most intriguing is where you actually argue in your comments why an album isn't that great - which is an unusual way to create a greatest 100 chart. A bit too US-orientated for my liking and too many so-so bands. Good to see one album each from Australia & New Zealand.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From samora 10/25/2022 14:15
Great chart, with impressive comments; very inspirational!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From leniad 07/12/2022 00:28
would appreciate more variety from coutries, genres
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From Albumlover6789 02/03/2022 23:20
Lots of new music to discover here
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From 
rockbluesfolkjaz 10/19/2021 18:18
rockbluesfolkjaz 10/19/2021 18:18
There's a lot of excellent choices here. Many of which I'll be listening to as well. Thanks for this list!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From Johnnyo 07/18/2021 16:41
Stunning chart. I own 83 of the albums in your chart so it's inevitable that I'm going to love it. Also love the notes. Great addition.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From henrygreen0203 05/04/2021 18:55
Nothing but great records here!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
KitchenSink 01/19/2021 23:03
KitchenSink 01/19/2021 23:03
perfect soundtrack to being the only guy left in the rural middle-of-nowhere bar at 4AM (this may sound backhanded but I assure you it's high praise)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
Mercury 01/14/2021 02:55
Mercury 01/14/2021 02:55
Still Crazy (good) after all these years.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.