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User:ModernDayTrilobite/List of albums considered the best

< User:ModernDayTrilobite

For now, I'm using this as a dumping ground of possible source lists for a "List of albums considered the best" article. My current thinking is to make it analogous to List of video games considered the best, i.e., listed on a certain number of best-of-all-time lists. Ideally only by professionals or editorial staff; no user-generated lists. Single editors/compilers okay (or perhaps inevitable), but let's try to avoid lists where it's just one critic. Only pulling from lists that claim to pull from all of music (no "best of decade X" or "best of genre X").

Thought for myself: where there are multiple editions of a work (Rolling Stone, Gambaccini, etc.), the newest one should supersede others.

I wonder if the different ages of the lists is going to irreparably bias this thing – older albums will simply have more opportunities to appear here. Certainly from my observation thus far, it seems like a lot of these lists were compiled around the 1990s (likely due to turn-of-the-century reminiscing), so influential albums from the 90s will probably be underrepresented (due to not enough time to appraise their legacy) whereas 21st-century albums will be omitted (simply due to the vagaries of linear chronology).

Lists edit

  1. Rolling Stone USA's 2020 list of Greatest Albums of All Time (500 entries)
  2. NME's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (AM mirror) (500 entries)
  3. Apple Music's 100 Best Albums ([1]) (100 entries)
  4. Blender's 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die (500 entries) <- why are there so many compilations on this thing
  5. Consequence of Sound's Greatest Albums of All Time (100 entries)
  6. Kerrang!'s 100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (100 entries)
  7. Melody Maker's All-Time Top 100 Albums (100 entries)
  8. Mojo's 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made (100 entries)
  9. MusikExpress's The 100 Masterpieces (100 entries)
  10. Oor's 100 Best Albums of All Time (571 entries) (yeah, i know) <- For the chart I'm only including albums mentioned by at least 2 people, to indicate that there's some level of consensus rather than just one flag-waver. This reduces the list to 174 entries
  11. Rolling Stone Germany's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (500 entries)
  12. Sounds' All-Time Top 100 Albums (100 entries)
  13. Spin's 25 Greatest Albums of All Time (25 entries)
  14. The Times (UK)'s The 100 Best Albums of All Time (100 entries)
  15. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Definitive 200 Albums of All Time (200 entries)
  16. Entertainment Weekly's The 100 All-Time Greatest Albums (AM mirror) (100 entries)
  17. Hot Press (Ireland)'s 100 Best Albums Ever (AM mirror) (100 entries)
  18. Pop (Swedish magazine)'s 1994 100 Best Albums in the World (AM mirror) (100 entries) <- I'm concerned about how the "complements" thing affects their selection
  19. Rolling Stone Mexico's 100 Greatest Albums of All Time (AM mirror) (100 entries)
  20. Telerama's The Best Albums of All Time (100 entries)
  21. Time magazine's Top 100 Albums of All Time (AM mirror) (100 entries)
  22. Uncut magazine's 200 Greatest Albums of All Time (AM mirror) (200 entries)
  23. Yedioth Ahronoth's Top 99 Albums of All Time (99 entries)
  24. Paul Gambaccini's Critic's Choice: Top 200 Albums (physical) (100 entries)
  25. Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (physical) (1001 entries)

Not on the chart as of now: the two physical books, Blender, Pop

Omitted edit

  1. Acclaimed Music's Top Albums of All Time (3000 entries) <- Debatable; it's compiled from other lists rather than being its own list per se. Also, 3000 albums is a lot to sort through lol
  2. Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (physical) (1000 entries) <- Debatable; compiled from public surveys. Less gameable than an online thing, but still iffy.
  3. Craig Mathieson & Toby Cresswell's The 100 Best Albums of All Time (physical) (100 entries) <- Debatable; only 2 authors. Need to look into criteria.
  4. The Guardian's 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die (1000 entries); per their own definition, "what [this list is] not is the best 1000 albums of all time"
  5. The Wire's 100 Most Important Records Ever Made (100 entries) <- Omitted because it mixes albums and individual songs in a seemingly arbitrary fashion

Albums that are #1 on one list or another edit

(To be expanded as I work my way through the chart.)

  • Abbey Road (Consequence 2010)[a]
  • Blonde on Blonde (RS Germany 2004)
  • Electric Ladyland (MusikExpress 1993)
  • In Utero (Kerrang! 1998)
  • Pet Sounds (Mojo 1995, The Times 1993, Uncut 2016)
  • Purple Rain (Consequence 2022)
  • Revolver (EW 2013, Hot Press 2006, RS Mexico 2004)
  • Sex Machine (Spin 1989)
  • Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (RS 2003[b], RRHOF 2007)
  • The Clash (Sounds 1985)
  • The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Apple Music 2024)
  • The Queen Is Dead (Melody Maker 2000, NME 2013)
  • The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (Yed. Ahr. 1999)
  • The Velvet Underground and Nico (Oor 2007)
  • There's a Riot Goin' On (Pop 1994)
  • What's Going On (RS 2020)
  • Non-numbered lists: Time 2006, Telerama 1993

Table of albums with 10+ mentions edit

At the time of assembly (23 May 2024), the chart contains 21 lists. In chronological order of release, the lists are: Sounds, Spin, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Kerrang, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, and Apple Music.

Album Artist Year Num. Mentions Notes
Abbey Road The Beatles 1969 14[c]
Achtung Baby U2 1991 10[d]
After the Gold Rush Neil Young 1970 13[e]
Appetite for Destruction Guns N' Roses 1987 12[f]
Are You Experienced The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1967 15[g]
Astral Weeks Van Morrison 1968 14[h]
Back in Black AC/DC 1980 13[i]
Beggars Banquet The Rolling Stones 1968 12[j]
Blonde on Blonde Bob Dylan 1966 14[k]
Blood on the Tracks Bob Dylan 1975 12[l]
Blue Joni Mitchell 1971 14[m]
Blue Lines Massive Attack 1991 10[n]
Born to Run Bruce Springsteen 1975 17[o]
Bringing It All Back Home Bob Dylan 1965 10[p]
Closer Joy Division 1980 12[q]
Doolittle Pixies 1989 10[r]
Electric Ladyland The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968 10[s]
Exile on Main Street The Rolling Stones 1972 18[t] Most appearances by a Rolling Stones album
Forever Changes Love 1967 11[u]
Graceland Paul Simon 1986 10[v]
Highway 61 Revisited Bob Dylan 1965 16[w] Most appearances by a Bob Dylan album
Horses Patti Smith 1975 16[x] Most appearances by a female solo artist
Hunky Dory David Bowie 1971 10[y]
Innervisions Stevie Wonder 1973 11[z]
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Public Enemy 1988 15[aa]
Kind of Blue Miles Davis 1959 11[ab] Oldest album to make the table
Live at the Apollo James Brown 1963 11[ac]
Led Zeppelin IV Led Zeppelin 1971 13[ad]
London Calling The Clash 1979 19[ae] Most total appearances (tie)
Marquee Moon Television 1977 14[af]
Master of Puppets Metallica 1986 12[ag]
Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols Sex Pistols 1977 17[ah]
Nevermind Nirvana 1991 17[ai] Most appearances by a 1990s album
OK Computer Radiohead 1997 14[aj] Newest album to make the table
Pet Sounds The Beach Boys 1966 19[ak] Most total appearances (tie)
Purple Rain Prince and the Revolution 1984 13[al]
Ramones Ramones 1976 13[am]
Raw Power The Stooges 1973 10[an]
Remain in Light Talking Heads 1980 15[ao]
Revolver The Beatles 1966 16[ap] Most appearances by a Beatles album (tie)
Rubber Soul The Beatles 1965 12[aq]
Rumours Fleetwood Mac 1977 12[ar]
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band The Beatles 1967 15[as]
Sign o' the Times Prince 1987 13[at]
Songs in the Key of Life Stevie Wonder 1976 14[au]
Sticky Fingers The Rolling Stones 1971 10[av]
Tapestry Carole King 1971 10[aw]
Ten Pearl Jam 1991 10[ax]
The Beatles (The White Album) The Beatles 1968 16[ay] Most appearances by a Beatles album (tie)
The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd 1973 14[az]
The Doors The Doors 1967 12[ba]
The Joshua Tree U2 1987 11[bb]
The Queen Is Dead The Smiths 1986 15[bc]
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars David Bowie 1972 19[bd] Most total appearances (tie)
The Stone Roses The Stone Roses 1989 10[be]
The Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground and Nico 1967 19[bf] Most total appearances (tie)
There's a Riot Goin' On Sly and the Family Stone 1971 11[bg]
Thriller Michael Jackson 1982 16[bh] Most appearances by a 1980s album
Trans-Europe Express Kraftwerk 1977 10[bi]
Transformer Lou Reed 1972 10[bj]
What's Going On Marvin Gaye 1971 19[bk] Most total appearances (tie)
Who's Next The Who 1971 13[bl]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Naturally we wouldn't include this list on the chart – it's been superseded by Consequence 2022 – but if the criterion becomes "named #1 on a notable list somewhere", this becomes valid imo.
  2. ^ Like with Consequence 2010, this list has since been superseded.
  3. ^ Abbey Road: Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  4. ^ Achtung Baby: MusikExpress, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  5. ^ After the Gold Rush: The Times, MusikExpress, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  6. ^ Appetite for Destruction: MusikExpress, Kerrang, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  7. ^ Are You Experienced: Sounds, The Times, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Apple Music
  8. ^ Astral Weeks: Sounds, The Times, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  9. ^ Back in Black: Kerrang, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  10. ^ Beggars Banquet: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Melody Maker, RS Germany, RRHOF, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  11. ^ Blonde on Blonde: Sounds, Spin, Telerama, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, MRS Germany, Time, Hot Press, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  12. ^ Blood on the Tracks: MusikExpress, Mojo, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  13. ^ Blue: The Times, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  14. ^ Blue Lines: Telerama, Mojo, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Apple Music
  15. ^ Born to Run: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  16. ^ Bringing It All Back Home: MusikExpress, Mojo, Melody Maker, RS Germany, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling STone
  17. ^ Closer: Sounds, Telerama, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  18. ^ Doolittle: Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  19. ^ Electric Ladyland: Sounds, The Times, MusikExpress, Mojo, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  20. ^ Exile on Main Street: Sounds, Spin, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, Oor, RRHOF, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  21. ^ Forever Changes: Sounds, The Times, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Germany, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  22. ^ Graceland: The Times, Telerama, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, RRHOF, NME, EW, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  23. ^ Highway 61 Revisited: Sounds, The Times, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  24. ^ Horses: Sounds, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  25. ^ Hunky Dory: Mojo, Melody Maker, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  26. ^ Innervisions: MusikExpress, Mojo, Melody Maker, RS Germany, Hot Press, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Apple Music
  27. ^ It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back: MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  28. ^ Kind of Blue: RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  29. ^ Live at the Apollo: The Times, Telerama, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  30. ^ Led Zeppelin IV: The Times, Mojo, Kerrang, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  31. ^ London Calling: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  32. ^ Marquee Moon: Sounds, Spin, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  33. ^ Master of Puppets: Kerrang, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  34. ^ Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Kerrang, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  35. ^ Nevermind: The Times, Telerama, Mojo, Kerrang, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  36. ^ OK Computer: Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  37. ^ Pet Sounds: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  38. ^ Purple Rain: The Times, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  39. ^ Ramones: Sounds, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  40. ^ Raw Power: Sounds, The Times, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Oor, NME, EW, Consequence
  41. ^ Remain in Light: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  42. ^ Revolver: The Times, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Apple Music
  43. ^ Rubber Soul: MusikExpress, Mojo, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  44. ^ Rumours: The Times, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  45. ^ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Sounds, The Times, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  46. ^ Sign o' the Times: The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Melody Maker, RS Germany, Time, RRHOF, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Apple Music
  47. ^ Songs in the Key of Life: The Times, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  48. ^ Sticky Fingers: The Times, Mojo, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  49. ^ Tapestry: The Times, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, RRHOF, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Apple Music
  50. ^ Ten: MusikExpress, Kerrang, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  51. ^ The Beatles: Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  52. ^ The Dark Side of the Moon: The Times, MusikExpress, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  53. ^ The Doors: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, RRHOF, NME, Rolling Stone
  54. ^ The Joshua Tree: The Times, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, NME, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  55. ^ The Queen is Dead: Spin, The Times, Telerama, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Hot Press, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  56. ^ The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  57. ^ The Stone Roses: The Times, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  58. ^ The Velvet Underground & Nico: Sounds, Spin, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  59. ^ There's a Riot Goin' On: The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Oor, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
  60. ^ Thriller: The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Yedioth Ahronoth, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  61. ^ Trans-Europe Express: Sounds, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, RS Germany, Oor, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Apple Music
  62. ^ Transformer: Sounds, The Times, MusikExpress, Mojo, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, NME, Uncut, Rolling Stone
  63. ^ What's Going On: Sounds, The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, Mojo, Yedioth Ahronoth, Melody Maker, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, Hot Press, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence, Apple Music
  64. ^ Who's Next: The Times, Telerama, MusikExpress, RS Mexico, RS Germany, Time, RRHOF, Oor, NME, EW, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Consequence
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