The Internet’s 100 Favourite Albums By 100 Favourite Artists

This list is not a matter of my opinion. (If it were, there would be a lot less Aphex and a lot more XTC.) It is not a matter of critics’ opinions. It is a matter of the people’s opinion. I’ve taken the top ranked albums from over a dozen online music communities* in four languages and tried to combine them all into a definitive list of the modern music canon.

To cultivate diversity, each artist is only allowed one spot on the list (though it was bloody close for Pink Floyd). I’m fairly happy with how it turned out: the included projects span across eras, genres, races, and countries, from the best-selling album in history to a live album from an obscure Japanese dub group. I would rather there had been a few more women and a few more global artists, but that’s what the auxiliary lists at the bottom are for!

I’ll stop wasting your time now. From Abbey Road and Aphex to Ziggy and Zep, here are a hundred great albums by a hundred great artists:

1
OK ComputerRadiohead, 1997
2
Wish You Were HerePink Floyd, 1975
3
To Pimp a ButterflyKendrick Lamar, 2015
4
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars David Bowie, 1972
5
Abbey RoadThe Beatles, 1969
6
The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Velvet Underground & Nico, 1967
7
In the Court of the Crimson KingKing Crimson, 1969
8
IllmaticNas, 1994
9
Kind of BlueMiles Davis, 1959
10
Pet SoundsThe Beach Boys, 1966
11
MadvillainyMadvillain, 2004
12
A Love SupremeJohn Coltrane, 1965
13
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)Wu-Tang Clan, 1993
14
Remain in LightTalking Heads, 1980
15
Untitled fourth albumLed Zeppelin, 1971
16
The Black Saint and the Sinner LadyCharles Mingus, 1963
17
Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder, 1976
18
LovelessMy Bloody Valentine, 1991
19
DisintegrationThe Cure, 1989
20
My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyKanye West, 2010
21
NevermindNirvana, 1991
22
Highway 61 RevisitedBob Dylan, 1965
23
The Queen is DeadThe Smiths, 1986
24
Hounds of LoveKate Bush, 1985
25
London CallingThe Clash, 1979
26
What's Going OnMarvin Gaye, 1971
27
Electric LadylandJimi Hendrix, 1968
28
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!Godspeed You! Black Emperor, 2000
29
DoolittlePixies, 1989
30
IllinoisSufjan Stevens, 2005
31
FuneralArcade Fire, 2004
32
The DoorsThe Doors, 1967
33
Unknown PleasuresJoy Division, 1979
34
ParanoidBlack Sabbath, 1970
35
GraceJeff Buckley, 1994
36
In the Aeroplane Over the SeaNeutral Milk Hotel, 1998
37
RumoursFleetwood Mac, 1977
38
VespertineBjörk, 2001
39
ThrillerMichael Jackson, 1982
40
Pink MoonNick Drake, 1972
41
Endtroducing…DJ Shadow, 1996
42
BlondeFrank Ocean, 2016
43
DummyPortishead, 1994
44
Marquee MoonTelevision, 1977
45
SpiderlandSlint, 1991
46
Master of PuppetsMetallica, 1986
47
Is This ItThe Strokes, 2001
48
BlueJoni Mitchell, 1971
49
Ágætis byrjunSigur Rós, 1999
50
Liquid SwordsGZA, 1995
51
The Low End TheoryA Tribe Called Quest, 1991
52
Born to RunBruce Springsteen, 1975
53
Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine, 1992
54
Either/OrElliot Smith, 1997
55
Purple RainPrince, 1984
56
Daydream NationSonic Youth, 1988
57
Rain DogsTom Waits, 1985
58
Turn on the Bright LightsInterpol, 2002
59
Siamese DreamSmashing Pumpkins, 1993
60
The Downward SpiralNine Inch Nails, 1994
61
YsJoanna Newsom, 2006
62
AqueminiOutKast, 1998
63
Close to the EdgeYes, 1972
64
Exile on Main StThe Rolling Stones, 1972
65
Songs of Leonard CohenLeonard Cohen, 1967
66
DiscoveryDaft Punk, 2001
67
The Glow Pt. 2The Microphones, 2001
68
MezzanineMassive Attack, 1998
69
After the Gold RushNeil Young, 1970
70
The Stone RosesThe Stone Roses, 1989
71
Yankee Hotel FoxtrotWilco, 2002
72
Astral WeeksVan Morrison, 1968
73
Ready to DieThe Notorious BIG, 1994
74
Clube da EsquinaLô Borges & Milton Nascimento, 1972
75
DonutsJ. Dilla, 2006
76
ViolatorDepeche Mode, 1990
77
The Miseducation of Lauryn HillLauryn Hill, 1998
78
Laughing StockTalk Talk, 1991
79
Who’s NextThe Who, 1971
80
98.12.28 男達の別れ Otokotachi no wakareFishmans, 1999
81
Rust in PeaceMegadeth, 1990
82
Atrocity ExhibitionDanny Brown, 2016
83
Sound of SilverLCD Soundsystem, 2007
84
Automatic for the PeopleREM, 1992
85
All Things Must PassGeorge Harrison, 1970
86
Heaven or Las VegasCocteau Twins, 1990
87
Selected Ambient Works 85–92Aphex Twin, 1992
88
Soundtracks for the BlindSwans, 1996
89
SouvlakiSlowdive, 1993
90
DeathconsciousnessHave a Nice Life, 2008
91
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us BackPublic Enemy, 1988
92
Songs for the DeafQueens of the Stone Age, 2002
93
The InfamousMobb Deep, 1995
94
Fun HouseThe Stooges, 1970
95
Since I Left YouThe Avalanches, 2000
96
Ants from Up ThereBlack Country, New Road, 2022
97
HorsesPatti Smith, 1975
98
UntrueBurial, 2007
99
Titanic RisingWeyes Blood, 2019
100
DirtAlice in Chains, 1992

10 More Great Albums…

…that didn’t quite make it

101
Forever ChangesLove, 1967
102
TenPearl Jam, 1991
103
Paul’s BoutiqueBeastie Boys, 1989
104
Bridge Over Troubled WaterSimon and Garfunkel, 1970
105
LateralusTool, 2001
106
If You're Feeling SinisterBelle and Sebastian, 1996
107
Selling England by the PoundGenesis, 1973
108
IgorTyler the Creator, 2019
109
Sometimes I Might Be IntrovertLittle Simz, 2021
110
Odessey and OracleThe Zombies, 1968

…of the ’10s and ’20s

The Money StoreDeath Grips, 2012
Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)Car Seat Headrest, 2018
Helplessness BluesFleet Foxes, 2011
Norman Fucking Rockwell!Lana Del Rey, 2019
You Won’t Get What You WantDaughters, 2018
LP!Jpegmafia, 2021
Run The Jewels 2Run the Jewels, 2014
BloomBeach House, 2012
PunisherPhoebe Bridgers, 2020
Skeleton TreeNick Cave, 2016

…by women
and mixed-gender bands led by women

When the Pawn…Fiona Apple, 1999
Back to BlackAmy Winehouse, 2006
MelodramaLorde, 2017
To Bring You My LovePJ Harvey, 1995
TapestryCarole King, 1971
MagdaleneFKA Twigs, 2019
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love YouAretha Franklin, 1967
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in YouBig Thief, 2022
Violent FemmesViolent Femmes, 1983
Love DeluxeSade, 1992

…from around the world no “Anglosphere”, no European Anglophones

ExodusBob Marley, 1977
Die Mensch-MaschineKraftwerk, 1978
Acabou chorareNovos Baianos, 1972
ArtaudPescado Rabioso, 1973
A tábua de esmeraldaJorge Ben, 1974
ZombieFela Kuti, 1977
Clics modernosCharly Garcia, 1983
Buena Vista Social ClubBuena Vista Social Club, 1997
Histoire de Melody NelsonSerge Gainsbourg, 1971
Modal SoulNujabes, 2005

4 comments

Xanthe says…
2w8373gz

I have spent a month on this big dumb project and i can finally call it finished. I’m free!

2022 Nov 17, 20.51
xaco says…

it makes sense that every single one is in english but i hope that's rectified in future (also, are the non-100 ones hand curated by u or also just a subset of the next few albums after the 100?)

2022 Dec 11, 00.20
Xanthe says…
2w8373gz

Well, technically it’s only 98% as opposed to 100% — Ágætis byrjun is in Icelandic, and 98.12.28 Otokotachi no wakare is in Japanese.

The bottom lists are indeed just a subset of the next few albums — though they might be a bit rough, since i haven’t yet managed to add every album ever made and the list on my spreadsheet gets very patchy after #100.

2022 Dec 17, 14.39
Xanthe says…
2w8373gz
February 2023 update

More sources, updated ratings and view counts, different weightings — hopefully this brings the list closer to its goal of a “canonical” list of albums.

Changelog
- Page renamed to “The Internet’s 100 Favourite Albums”, to better reflect what it actually is
- These artists are now represented by different albums:
- Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (2nd) → Wish You Were Here (2nd)

- Björk’s Homogenic (43rd) → Vespertine (38th)

- Prince’s Sign “☮︎” the Times (52nd) → Purple Rain (55th)

- Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden (73nd) → Laughing Stock (78th)

- Swans’ To Be Kind (84th) → Soundtracks for the Blind (88th)
- These albums have dropped out of the top 100 (those with a † are still on one of the supplementary lists):
- Pearl Jam’s Ten (81st)†

- Love’s Forever Changes (89th)†

- Gorillaz’ Demon Days (93rd)

- Little Simz’s Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (96th)†

- Brian Eno’s Another Green World (97th)

- Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique (100th)†
- These albums are have risen to the ranks of the top 100 (those with a † graduated from one of the supplementary lists):
- Lô Borges and Milton Nascimento’s Clube da Esquina (74th)†

- Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (77th)†

- Megadeth’s Rust in Peace (81st)†

- George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass (85th)†

- Slowdive’s Souvlaki (89th)†

- Mobb Deep’s The Infamous (93rd)

- Alice in Chains’s Dirt (100th)†
2023 Feb 8, 18.30