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Music is subjective and diverse. There’s no arguing that. One can be immersed in the psychedelic sounds of 1970s progressive rock, but later enjoy mumble rap from the last 10 decades.
For that reason, I’ve assembled a list of some of the greatest albums ever created. This list accounts for my broad taste, mixed with general opinions formed by the music community. I’ve included no more than one album per artist.
10. The Queen Is Dead (1986) – The Smiths
While the lead singer of The Smiths, Morrissey, may be controversial, his vocals and lyricism are hard to replicate. The Queen is Dead is the third of four albums released by the British band, and does not disappoint.
Johnny Marr’s guitar, Andy Rourke’s bass, and Mike Joyce’s drums give a perfect backing to Morrissey’s nasally, yet smooth voice. It’s an amazing and unique sound that few can replicate.
Best songs: “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”, “Bigmouth Strikes Again”, “The Queen is Dead”
9. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) – Kanye West
Here we find another controversial artist that has made groundbreaking music. Kanye West put his all into this record, costing $3 million to record in Honolulu, Hawaii. Releasing such a groundbreaking album following his 2009 VMA incident with Taylor Swift brought him back on track.
This album encapsulates life and death, fame and fear, love and lust, and more. It uses masterful production to create an amazing concept record for over an hour, expressing the pros and cons of being such a highly-regarded celebrity.
From top to bottom, there are 11 songs and 2 skits, none of which are skippable. In addition, vocals from Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Jay Z, John Legend, Rihanna, and others make this more enjoyable.
Best songs: “Devil In a New Dress”, “Runaway”, “All of the Lights”
8. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (1998) – Lauryn Hill
Released in 1998, Hill’s only solo project became an instant masterpiece. Using elements of hip hop, soul, and soul, this 1 hour, 17 minute record dives into love, heartbreak, self-appreciation, motherhood, and more.
Unlike West, Hill’s album only features 3 features from Carlos Santana, D’Angelo, and Mary J. Blige. All 3 artists perfectly accompany Hill and her amazing vocals, which range from slow and angelic, to quick rap verses.
Best songs: “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, “Doo Wop (That Thing)”, “Lost Ones”
7. Purple Rain (1984) – Prince
Prince’s 1984 soundtrack-album is an incredible one, featuring killer vocals from the man himself, electric guitars to “Die 4”, unique synthesizers, and more. It is a dense project that spans over 43 minutes, concluded with an epic 8:41 finale titled after the album.
All of the 9 tracks are unique and distinguished from one another, yet still fit so well together. Its sound is so much different from any artist before or after its release.
Best songs: “Purple Rain”, “I Would Die 4 U”, “Let’s Go Crazy”
6. Songs In The Key Of Life (1976) – Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder is a special artist. After winning the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1976, Paul Simon remarked, “I’d like to thank Stevie Wonder, who didn’t make an album this year.”
Wonder’s pinnacle work was a double-album released in 1976. He perfectly embodies soul through a 21-song tracklist, spanning 1 hour and 45 minutes. He discusses faith, love for all, social justice, race, and more.
From the age of 11 to today, Wonder has created some of the most beautiful, soulful music for the world to hear. Despite his blindness, he does not fail to impress.
Best songs: “As”, “Sir Duke”, “Isn’t She Lovely”
5. Thriller (1982) – Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson is perhaps the world’s most renowned artist, and Thriller is perhaps the world’s most renowned album. Jackson looked to make a splash 3 years after releasing Off The Wall, which he most certainly did.
Using elements from pop, rock, funk, and R&B, this 42 minute LP delivers some of the most iconic sounds in music history. The 3-track run of “Thriller”, “Beat It”, and “Billie Jean” may live as the best ever.
Jackson’s amazing vocals, which vary in range and tempo, are some of the best ever, and are accompanied by an amazing synthesizer, electric guitar, and more.
Best songs: “Beat it”, “Billie Jean”, “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”
4. Nevermind (1991) – Nirvana
This record is the only from the 1990s, because I am the farthest thing from a 90s enthusiast. However, Nirvana and their 2nd studio album, Nevermind are timeless classics.
From the iconic guitar intro on the first track, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, all the way down to the eerie end of “Endless, Nameless”, the outro, this album is the blueprint of the entire grunge movement.
Each song varies in instrumentation and lyricism, but all are enjoyable and fit well into the 49-minute LP. Kurt Cobain’s vocals and guitar set the stage for an incredible album. He dives into anti-establishment views, dark suicidal themes, sickness, sexism, and more.
Best songs: “In Bloom”, “Come As You Are”, “Something In The Way”
3. Abbey Road (1969) – The Beatles
If Jackson is the world’s most renowned solo artist, the Beatles are the most renowned band. If Thriller is the most renowned solo-album ever, Abbey Road is the most renowned and well-known collective album ever.
This 17-song LP is amazing. During a time of internal turmoil, the Beatles were able to make an iconic rock album. It wasn’t their last released album, but it was their last they recorded as a band.
The album is digestible but revolutionary, even for the Beatles. While not as experimental as other works, such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the album features a wide range of new instrumental sounds, along with incredible vocals and in-depth lyricism.
Best songs: “Here Comes The Sun”, “Something”, “Come Together”
2. To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) – Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp A Butterfly is the quintessential hip hop album. It uses not just rap, but heavy elements of jazz, soul, funk, and R&B to deliver a classic album. Lamar diverged heavily from his 2012 album Good Kid M.A.A.D City, focusing on a politically active album.
Lamar proves to be the perfect storyteller on this album, discussing life in Compton, California and the racial discrimination that he grew up with. He tackles racism, police brutality, and empowerment throughout the 1 hour, 18 minute tracklist.
The album builds up snippets of a poem addressed to the late Tupac Shakur, Lamar’s inspiration and biggest idol in West Coast rap. The 12-minute finale, “Mortal Man”, concludes this poem.
Best songs: “Wesley’s Theory”, “King Kunta”, “Hood Politics”
1. The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973) – Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd changed rock, and even the music industry, forever. They released their incredible 10-track LP, The Dark Side Of The Moon to much acclaim. The album is everything a progressive-rock album should or can be.
The epic sounds and instrumentals found on this project were unique 50 years ago and still are today. Its psychedelia, combined with amazing guitar, drums, and other various elements make up a perfect record. It uses metronomes, coins, alarms, synthesizers, and more to craft this unique blend of music.
Each track is distinct but flows into each other; literally and figuratively. It is one continuous harmony of music that is unforgettable. Throughout 42 minutes of music, little vocals are used or needed.
For its influence, iconic status, and amazing sounds, Pink Floyd takes the number one position on my list.
Best songs: “Time”, “The Great Gig In The Sky”, “Us and Them”
HM. Igor (2019) – Tyler, The Creator
I’ve talked about this album much in depth over the years. I think it would be a little redundant to place it on this list, but I love it so much that I think it deserves a mention.
If you want to read how its production and storytelling make it a perfect concept album, check out this other article I wrote on Igor.
Adam Cooke Journalism 