Top 100 Albums of All-Time List (as of January 2025)

Recently I decided to update my Top 100 Albums of All-time list (mainly rock/pop, not counting soundtracks, Classical, and so on). Albums with an asterisk indicate new additions (note: slightly edited 8/11/25)

1. Add N to (X): Avant Hard (1999)

2. Alice in Chains: Dirt (1992)

3. Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)

4. Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume 2 (1994)

5. Bauhaus: In the Flat Field (1980)

6. Brendan Perry: Eye of the Hunter (1999)

7. Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2023) *

8. Chris & Cosey: Heartbeat (1981) *

9. Chrome: Half Machine Lip Moves (1979)

10. Cibo Matto: Stereo Type A (1999)

11. Coil: Horse Rotorvator (1986)

12. The Cure: Seventeen Seconds (1980) *

13. The Cure: The Top (1984) *

14. Current 93: Dogs Blood Rising (1984)

15. Current 93: Imperium (1987)

16. Current 93: Black Ships Ate the Sky (2006)

17. Cut Hands: Festival of the Dead (2014)

18. D.A.F.: Alles Ist Gut (1981)

19. David Bowie: The Next Day (2013)

20. Dead Can Dance: Dead Can Dance (1984)

21. Depeche Mode: Black Celebration (1986)

22. Depeche Mode: Playing the Angel (2005)

23. Depeche Mode: Violator (1990) *

24. Durutti Column: The Return of the Durutti Column (1980) *

25. Einstürzende Neubauten: Halber Mensch (1985)

26. Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery (1973)

27. Fad Gadget: Gag (1984)

28. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (1977)

29. Fleetwood Mac: Tusk (1979)

30. Front Line Assembly: The Initial Command (1987) *

31. Garbage: Garbage (1995) *

32. Genesis: Invisible Touch (1986)

33. Harry Styles: Fine Line (2019)

34. Jenny Lewis: On The Line (2019) *

35. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures (1979)

36. Joy Division: Closer (1980)

37. Kate Bush: Hounds of Love (1985)

38. Keane: Under the Iron Sea (2006) *

39. King Crimson: Red (1974) *

40. Lady Gaga: The Fame (2008)

41. Lady Gaga: Artpop (2013)

42. Lady Gaga: Chromatica (2020)

43. Lady Gaga: Mayhem (2025) *

44. Ladytron: Ladytron (2019)

45. Lindsey Buckingham: Lindsey Buckingham (2021) *

46. Madonna: Like a Virgin (1984)

47. Manic Street Preachers: The Holy Bible (1994)

48. Manic Street Preachers: Journal for Plague Lovers (2009)

49. Meg & Dia: Here, Here and Here (2009) *

50. Ministry: The Land of Rape & Honey (1988)

51. Ministry: Filth Pig (1996)

52. Ministry: Animositisomina (2003) *

53. Ministry: Houses of the Mole (2004) *

54. Natalie Imbruglia: Left of the Middle (1998) *

55. Nico: The Marble Index (1968)

56. Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine (1989)

57. Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral (1994)

58. Nine Inch Nails: The Fragile (1999)

59. Nine Inch Nails: Hesitation Marks (2013)

60. NON: Children of the Black Sun (2002) *

61. Nurse With Wound: Merzbild Schwet (1980)

62. Pink Floyd: The Wall (1979)

63. The Pixies: Doolittle (1989) *

64. The Police: Synchronicity (1983)

65. Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet (1990)

66. Public Image Limited: Second Edition (1980)

67. The Residents: The Third Reich & Roll (1976)

68. Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight (2007)

69. Sara Bareilles: The Blessed Unrest (2013) *

70. Scott Walker: The Drift (2006) *

71. Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel: Nail (1985)

72. The Shins: Heartworms (2017) *

73. Silicon Teens: Music for Parties (1980) *

74. Siouxsie & the Banshees: The Scream (1978)

75. Siouxsie & the Banshees: Join Hands (1979)

76. Siouxsie & the Banshees: Kaleidoscope (1980)

77. Siouxsie & the Banshees: Juju (1981) *

78. Siouxsie & the Banshees: A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982)

79. Skinny Puppy: Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate (1987)

80. Soft Cell: This Last Night in Sodom (1984)

81. Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (1988)

82. Sonic Youth: Murray Street (2002)

83. Sting: The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985)

84. Sting: The Soul Cages (1991) *

85. Sting: Ten Summoner’s Tales (1993) *

86. Suicide: A Way of Life (1988)

87. Suzanne Vega: Days of Open Hand (1990)

88. Suzanne Vega: Nine Objects of Desire (1996)

89. Swans: Children of God (1987)

90. Switchblade Symphony: Serpentine Gallery (1995)

91. Terry Riley: Shri Camel (1978)

92. Throbbing Gristle: Heathen Earth (1980)

93. Utada Hikaru: Ultra Blue (2006)

94. Vainio Väisänen Vega: Endless (1998) *

95. The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

96. The Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat (1968)

97. Whitehouse: Bird Seed (2003)

98. Wire: A Bell is a Cup… (1988)

99. Yes: Fragile (1972) *

100. Yola: Walk Through Fire (2019) *

The old list (from 2020):

https://onyxglossary.blogspot.com/2020/06/top-100-albums-of-all-time-as-of-june.html

100. Yola: Walk Through Fire (2019) *

Top 100 Albums of all-time (as of June 2020)

Top 100 Albums (alphabetical by artist): 

1.      Add N to (X): Avant Hard (1999)

2.      Alan Parsons Project, The: Tales of Mystery & Imagination (1976)

3.      Alice in Chains: Dirt (1992)

4.      Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)

5.      Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume 2 (1994)

6.      Azealia Banks: Broke with Expensive Taste (2014)

7.      Bauhaus: In the Flat Field (1980)

8.      Brendan Perry: Eye of the Hunter (1999)

9.      Chrome: Half Machine Lip Moves (1979)

10.  Cibo Matto: Stereo Type A (1999)

11.  Cocteau Twins: Treasure (1984)

12.  Coil: Horse Rotorvator (1986)

13.  Coil: The Ape of Naples (2005)

14.  Consumer Electronics: Airless Space (2019)

15.  The Cruxshadows: Night Crawls In… (1993)

16.  Current 93: All the Pretty Little Horses (1996)

17.  Current 93: Dogs Blood Rising (1984)

18.  Current 93: Imperium (1987)

19.  Current 93: Of Ruine or Some Blazing Starre (1994)

20.  Current 93: Black Ships Ate The Sky (2006)

21.  Cut Hands: Festival of the Dead (2014)

22.  D.A.F.: Alles Ist Gut (1981)

23.  David Bowie: Low (1977)

24.  David Bowie: Outside (1995)

25.  David Bowie: The Next Day (2013)

26.  Dead Can Dance: Dead Can Dance (1984)

27.  Dead Kennedys: Frankenchrist (1985)

28.  Depeche Mode: Black Celebration (1986)

29.  Depeche Mode: Playing the Angel (2005)

30.  Einstürzende Neubauten: Halber Mensch (1985)

31.  Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)

32.  Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery (1973)

33.  Fad Gadget: Gag (1984)

34.  Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (1977)

35.  Fleetwood Mac: Tusk (1979)

36.  Genesis: Invisible Touch (1986)

37.  Harry Styles: Fine Line (2019)

38.  Insane Poetry: Grim Reality (1992)

39.  Janet Jackson: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)

40.  Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures (1979)

41.  Joy Division: Closer (1980)

42.  Kate Bush: Never for Ever (1980)

43.  Keane: Cause and Effect (2019)

44.  King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)

45.  King Crimson: Discipline (1981)

46.  Kylie Minogue: Kiss Me Once (2014)

47.  Lady Gaga: The Fame (2008)

48.  Lady Gaga: Artpop (2013)

49.  Ladytron: Ladytron (2019)

50.  Lindsey Buckingham: Under the Skin (2006)

51.  Madonna: Like a Virgin (1984)

52.  Madonna: Ray of Light (1998)

53.  Manic Street Preachers: The Holy Bible (1994)

54.  Manic Street Preachers: Journal for Plague Lovers (2009)

55.  M.B.: Regel (1982)

56.  Ministry: The Land of Rape & Honey (1988)

57.  Ministry: Filth Pig (1996)

58.  Nico: The Marble Index (1968)

59.  Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine (1989)

60.  Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral (1994)

61.  Nine Inch Nails: The Fragile (1999)

62.  Nine Inch Nails: Hesitation Marks (2013)

63.  Nurse With Wound: Merzbild Schwet (1980)

64.  Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel III (1980)

65.  Pink Floyd: The Wall (1979)

66.  The Police: Synchronicity (1983)

67.  Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet (1990)

68.  Public Image Limited: Second Edition (1980)

69.  The Residents: The Third Reich & Roll (1976)

70.  Rilo Kiley: Under the Blacklight (2007)

71.  Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel: Nail (1985)

72.  Siouxsie & the Banshees: The Scream (1978)

73.  Siouxsie & the Banshees: Join Hands (1979)

74.  Siouxsie & the Banshees: Kaleidoscope (1980)

75.  Siouxsie & the Banshees: A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982)

76.  Skinny Puppy: Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate (1987)

77.  Soft Cell: This Last Night in Sodom (1984)

78.  Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (1988)

79.  Sonic Youth: Murray Street (2002)

80.  Stevie Nicks: 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault (2014)

81.  Sting: The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985)

82.  Suicide: A Way of Life (1988)

83.  Suzanne Vega: Days of Open Hand (1990)

84.  Suzanne Vega: Nine Objects of Desire (1996)

85.  Swans: Children of God (1987)

86.  Switchblade Symphony: Serpentine Gallery (1995)

87.  Talking Heads: Naked (1988)

88.  Tangerine Dream: Exit (1981)

89.  Terry Riley: Shri Camel (1978)

90.  Thomas Ligotti: The Unholy City (2003)

91.  Throbbing Gristle: Heathen Earth (1980)

92.  Utada Hikaru: Ultra Blue (2006)

93.  The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

94.  The Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat (1968)

95.  The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground (1969)

96.  Whitehouse: Bird Seed (2003)

97.  Whitehouse: Asceticists 2006 (2006)

98.  Whitney Houston: Whitney (1987)

99.  Wire: A Bell is a Cup… (1988)

100.                      Yes: Close to the Edge (1972)