The Greatest Albums of All Time...

[raif71]

I do appreciate the Classical list but I would at least include a Schubert Symphony no. 9 somewhere in the top 20 . All in all, good job.

 

[PristineSound]

I wish the albums before digital recording can be re-recorded with modern day technology. But many of those artists are dead and we left with what we are left with.

 

[Corvuscorone]

Cream, Jeff Beck, Janis Joplin & Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, CCR, JJ Cale, Van Morrison, Doors, Uriah Heep, Mötorhead, B52's, Pogues, London Grammar, Arvo Pärt, Sibelius?

 

[Bland_username42069]

Of course any time we read lists like these, there are glaring omissions and curiosities as others have already made mention of. A few that immediately came to mind:

On the R&B list, James Brown’s Live At The Apollo, Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly or Hot Buttered Soul, and Roberta Flack’s First Take are not included.

While it never did anything for me, the historical significance of the omitted Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys arguably requires its listing in the pop genre.

Oh, and Wadude, don't think they belong in any top 20 lists but nice callout for The 13th Floor Elevators, though I'm taking Psychedelic Sounds before Easter Everywhere!

It’s clearly Bull of the Woods before Easter Everywhere and psychedelic sounds. Reported.

I’d be interested to see what AI spits out as best 20 psychedelic albums.

 

[wadude]

Thirteenth Floor Elevators; their story reads like an epic tragedy but dang, what a legacy they left.

 

[Snarfie]

Interesting topic did ask for the top 50 beste jazz rock albums. Seriously not one word about Steely Dan known for their Jazz Rock music.

Here's a carefully curated list of the Top 50 Jazz Rock / Fusion Albums of All Time, highlighting influential, critically acclaimed, and genre-defining works from the 1960s to today. These albums blend the improvisational depth of jazz with the energy, grooves, and experimentation of rock.

Top 50 Jazz Rock / Fusion Albums
The Core Classics
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew (1970)

Mahavishnu Orchestra – The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)

Weather Report – Heavy Weather (1977)

Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters (1973)

Return to Forever – Romantic Warrior (1976)

Billy Cobham – Spectrum (1973)

Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (1969)

Tony Williams Lifetime – Emergency! (1969)

John McLaughlin – My Goal’s Beyond (1971)

Al Di Meola – Elegant Gypsy (1977)

Fusion Pioneers & Early Innovators
Larry Coryell – Spaces (1970)

Weather Report – Black Market (1976)

Return to Forever – Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)

Jean-Luc Ponty – Enigmatic Ocean (1977)

Soft Machine – Third (1970)

Brand X – Unorthodox Behaviour (1976)

Jaco Pastorius – Jaco Pastorius (1976)

Herbie Hancock – Thrust (1974)

Chick Corea – My Spanish Heart (1976)

Colosseum – Valentyne Suite (1969)

European & Global Fusion Gems
Terje Rypdal – Odyssey (1975)

Passport – Cross-Collateral (1975)

Focus – Hamburger Concerto (1974)

Arti e Mestieri – Tilt (1974)

Area – Crac! (1975)

Gong – Gazeuse! (1976)

Kazumi Watanabe – To Chi Ka (1980)

Casiopea – Mint Jams (1982)

T-Square – Truth (1987)

Nucleus – Elastic Rock (1970)

'80s–'90s & Modern Fusion Standouts
Pat Metheny Group – Still Life (Talking) (1987)

Mezzoforte – Surprise Surprise (1982)

Chick Corea Elektric Band – Light Years (1987)

Tribal Tech – Face First (1993)

John Scofield – Blue Matter (1986)

Scott Henderson – Dog Party (1994)

Allan Holdsworth – Metal Fatigue (1985)

Mike Stern – Upside Downside (1986)

Steps Ahead – Steps Ahead (1983)

Michael Brecker – Michael Brecker (1987)

21st Century Fusion
Snarky Puppy – We Like It Here (2014)

Hiromi – Time Control (2007)

Mark Guiliana – Beat Music! Beat Music! Beat Music! (2019)

The Aristocrats – Culture Clash (2013)

Forq – Threq (2017)

Richard Spaven – Real Time (2018)

GoGo Penguin – v2.0 (2014)

Nate Smith – Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere (2017)

Tigran Hamasyan – Mockroot (2015)

Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol. 3 (2020) (genre-blending with strong jazzrock elements)

 

[Leporello]

Oh well, I have 8 out of 20 items on the classical list. Not just the works but the very same recordings. Must be a victim of herd mentality. But why Abbado’s Figaro instead of Giulini or Solti for instance?

 

[w277]

Re: Glenn Gould — Bach: Goldberg Variations (1955)

I do not understand why this recording is so revered. I have a strong disliking for the the rustic and uninspired play. No offense.

I prefer Gustav Leonhardt or, for a newer recording,
Beatrice Rana's interpretation.

 

[Leporello]

Interesting topic did ask for the top 50 beste jazz rock albums. Seriously not one word about Steely Dan known for their Jazz Rock music.

Try prompting for yacht rock essential albums. I just did.

 

[Madlop26]

No Queen, No Dire Straits...I'm hurt

 

[Bland_username42069]

Czech jazz / rock fusion should be given far more love. Some really good albums by Jazz Q Praha.

 

[wadude]

Interesting topic did ask for the top 50 beste jazz rock albums. Seriously not one word about Steely Dan known for their Jazz Rock music.

Here's a carefully curated list of the Top 50 Jazz Rock / Fusion Albums of All Time, highlighting influential, critically acclaimed, and genre-defining works from the 1960s to today. These albums blend the improvisational depth of jazz with the energy, grooves, and experimentation of rock.

Top 50 Jazz Rock / Fusion Albums
The Core Classics
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew (1970)

Mahavishnu Orchestra – The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)

Weather Report – Heavy Weather (1977)

Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters (1973)

Return to Forever – Romantic Warrior (1976)

Billy Cobham – Spectrum (1973)

Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (1969)

Tony Williams Lifetime – Emergency! (1969)

John McLaughlin – My Goal’s Beyond (1971)

Al Di Meola – Elegant Gypsy (1977)

Fusion Pioneers & Early Innovators
Larry Coryell – Spaces (1970)

Weather Report – Black Market (1976)

Return to Forever – Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)

Jean-Luc Ponty – Enigmatic Ocean (1977)

Soft Machine – Third (1970)

Brand X – Unorthodox Behaviour (1976)

Jaco Pastorius – Jaco Pastorius (1976)

Herbie Hancock – Thrust (1974)

Chick Corea – My Spanish Heart (1976)

Colosseum – Valentyne Suite (1969)

European & Global Fusion Gems
Terje Rypdal – Odyssey (1975)

Passport – Cross-Collateral (1975)

Focus – Hamburger Concerto (1974)

Arti e Mestieri – Tilt (1974)

Area – Crac! (1975)

Gong – Gazeuse! (1976)

Kazumi Watanabe – To Chi Ka (1980)

Casiopea – Mint Jams (1982)

T-Square – Truth (1987)

Nucleus – Elastic Rock (1970)

'80s–'90s & Modern Fusion Standouts
Pat Metheny Group – Still Life (Talking) (1987)

Mezzoforte – Surprise Surprise (1982)

Chick Corea Elektric Band – Light Years (1987)

Tribal Tech – Face First (1993)

John Scofield – Blue Matter (1986)

Scott Henderson – Dog Party (1994)

Allan Holdsworth – Metal Fatigue (1985)

Mike Stern – Upside Downside (1986)

Steps Ahead – Steps Ahead (1983)

Michael Brecker – Michael Brecker (1987)

21st Century Fusion
Snarky Puppy – We Like It Here (2014)

Hiromi – Time Control (2007)

Mark Guiliana – Beat Music! Beat Music! Beat Music! (2019)

The Aristocrats – Culture Clash (2013)

Forq – Threq (2017)

Richard Spaven – Real Time (2018)

GoGo Penguin – v2.0 (2014)

Nate Smith – Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere (2017)

Tigran Hamasyan – Mockroot (2015)

Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol. 3 (2020) (genre-blending with strong jazzrock elements)

Thanks for bringing up Steely Dan. Someone once said that music categories are marketing devices and Steely Dan is a great example of this. Their music exists in a realm outside of bins separated by plastic dividers labeled with black magic markers.

 

[EJ3]

No Jean-Michel Jarre under electronic!

Edit: o3's response to my disappointment:

You’re absolutely right — Jean-Michel Jarre’s Oxygène (1976) is a landmark in electronic music and probably deserves a berth in any 20-deep canon. My quick-fire list leaned a bit more toward ’90s-onward styles (techno, trip-hop, IDM) and let Kraftwerk/Eno cover the “foundations” slot, but Jarre’s synth-suite arguably did as much to popularise purely electronic composition in the late ’70s as those two did earlier in the decade.

Where it fits​

If I reshuffle to make room without expanding beyond 20, my swap would look like this:

Rank	Album (year)	Change
1	Kraftwerk — Trans-Europe Express (1977)	—
2	Brian Eno — Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978)	—
3	Jean-Michel Jarre — Oxygène (1976)	NEW
4	Aphex Twin — Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)	▼ 1
5	Daft Punk — Discovery (2001)	▼ 1
…	(items 6–18 unchanged)
19	Squarepusher — Hard Normal Daddy (1997)	▼ 1
—	Underworld — Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994)	drops out

Why Oxygène ?

• Commercial proof-of-concept: more than 18 million copies sold, unheard-of for an all-instrumental synth record. Wikipedia
• Pioneering sound-design: Jarre’s bubbling, “breathing” sequences and space-music pads became blueprints for ambient-house and trance a decade later.
• Enduring critical love: it shows up in Mixmag and Mojo “best electronic/dance albums” round-ups, and The Guardian still cites it as Jarre’s signature achievement. The Guardian

So, consider Oxygène officially promoted—thanks for keeping me honest!

H'mm:
Commercial proof-of-concept: 2,000,000 sold in the USA alone
Pioneering sound-design: first person ever to use a synth keyboard strapped around his neck (and the sounds...)
Enduring critical love: still selling:

Chart performance (of the single from the album They Only Come Out at Night by the Edgar Winter Group [an instrumental Synthesizer Classic - Edgar Winter - Frankenstein])
The only instrumental to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100:
They Only Come Out at Night is the debut studio album by American rock band the Edgar Winter Group, released in November 1972 by Epic Records. A commercial success, the album reached #3 on the US Billboard 200 chart and features the band's signature songs, "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride". The album was certified gold on April 30, 1973, and platinum on November 21, 1986, by the RIAA. The single "Frankenstein" was certified gold June 19, 1973, by the RIAA. In Canada, the album reached #4 on 2 separate occasions - May 5 and June 16, totaling 14 weeks in the top 10. The third single, "Hangin' Around", reached #39 in the singles chart.​

The single Frankenstein: As the release's only instrumental cut, the song was not initially intended to be on the album, and was only included on a whim as a last-minute addition.

Chart (1973)	Peak position​
Australia (Kent Music Report)[24]​	19
Canadian Singles Chart[25]​	1​
West German Singles Chart[26]​	39​
Mexican Singles Chart[27]​	10​
UK Singles Chart[28]​	18​
Billboard Hot 100 (US)[29]​	1​

Certifications​

[edit]

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[10]	2× Platinum	200,000^
United States (RIAA)[11]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Chart performance for Oxygène

The original live video of Frankenstein (very innovative for the time):

A more modern one live 2023:

Chart (1977)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[78]	29​
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[79]	10​
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[80]	65​
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[81]	4​
Finnish Charts (Soumen virallinen albumilista)[82]	12​
French Albums (SNEP)[47]	1​
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[83]	8​
Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[84]	15​
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[85]	3​
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[86]	9​
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[52]	4​
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[87]	3​
UK Albums (OCC)[48]	2​
US Billboard 200[49]	78​

 

[Multicore]

And the whole list is strictly anglophone. What about the rest of the world?

The chatbots appear to be optimized to be confirmists (in the Moravia and Bertolucci sense). Such yes-man behavior is highly context specific.

 

[Snarfie]

Try prompting for yacht rock essential albums. I just did.

His reaction is legendary as is his music

 

[Corvuscorone]

Perhaps Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill should also be mentioned. Among female singers, at least one album by Sade should be on the list. Another notable Nigerian, King Sunny Ade, was once a very popular exponent of juju music. African and Asian music by great artists is completely missing from the lists. Among continental European bands, Belgian Vaya Con Dios was once very popular. One notable album that is also missing is Paul Simon's Graceland. Perhaps we should make separate lists of the most notable albums from different continents.

 

[Ajax]

o3:

Dire Straits are definitely in “borderline-top-20” territory for rock. The sticking point is simply that I forced myself to stop at 20 titles: once you’ve locked in the eight or nine acts who utterly rewired the genre (Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Floyd, Hendrix, Nirvana, etc.), the final quarter of the list gets brutally competitive.

Their credentials at a glance​

Metric	Detail
Signature LP	Brothers in Arms (1985)
Commercial clout	30 - 34 million copies worldwide and the first album to sell a million CDs, tipping the industry toward the format. Wikipedia
Critical standing	Ranked #418 on Rolling Stone’s revised 500-greatest list and #224 on the crowdsourced BestEverAlbums all-time chart. WikipediaBest Ever Albums
Catalogue depth	Fans also champion Making Movies (1980) and Love Over Gold (1982), but consensus points to Brothers in Arms as their canonical peak.
Legacy	Mark Knopfler’s finger-style electric tone has influenced everyone from John Mayer to prog-metal players; the album’s digital production became a reference point for ’80s AOR.

How they could slot in​

If you (or the ASR crowd) insist on a Steely Dan and Dire Straits presence without expanding past 20, here’s a tidy swap:

Old #19	New #19
Guns N’ Roses — Appetite for Destruction (1987)	Dire Straits — Brothers in Arms (1985)

Appetite is a genre pillar, but hard-rock already has Back in Black and Master of Puppets on the list, so losing one swagger-guitar entry keeps diversity intact. Everything else would shift down one, with Arcade Fire’s Funeral staying in the honourable-mention pile set up after the Steely Dan adjustment.

Why they just missed the cut originally​

1. Cultural “shock” factor: Brothers in Arms rewrote sales records yet didn’t move the creative goalposts the way Nevermind or OK Computer did.
2. Stylistic overlap: The lush, adult-oriented blues-rock Knopfler perfected overlaps with Springsteen’s big-canvas songwriting and Pink Floyd’s audiophile polish—already covered in the 20.
3. One unanimous classic: Critics almost universally pick Brothers in Arms; most other artists on the list have at least two or three albums that turn up in top-100 debates.

That said, if your forum’s ethos leans toward studio-craft and hi-fi listening, Sneaking Dire Straits in is an easy call. I’m happy to treat the swap above as the “forum edition” of the rock list.

Hey Manis,

Thanks for putting this together.

In terms of originality, and the sheer change in music direction, I believe their first album "Dire Straits" had greater impact than those later ones. It was a glorious production as was the level of musicianship. I still play it.

I first listen to it in December 1978, at the end of my Bachelor of Engineering party, where 30 blokes and one girl hired two house boats and a speed boat and went drinking for 4 days on the River Murray, which starts on the east coast of Australia and meets the sea 2500kms later just South of Adeliade.

Believe it or not the one girl was a girlfriend of one of the blokes, not a student. Some guys never get it, but it was great fun.

 

[EJ3]

I was born in Austria & I am supposed to like cheese (I'll eat some of the Italian ones but not the others) & I am supposed to like the Alps, cold weather, Symphonic Music & Opera. I don't. I like living on islands in the Indian Ocean & the Western Pacific (which I did for 17 years) and the music that is from most everywhere.
But folk, blues, rock, rarely do I like the symphonic stuff (weather it is Asian, European or whatever.
I find it interesting when what I like happens to be on some list as must listen too...
I call it a crossover for me & the others that like it, too. I gave it a 10 minute listen. I also did 2 minute listens abot every 5 minuste through that and most of his other compositions. He is definitely not on any list I have of things to listen to.
As I had never heard of Jean-Michel Jarre (even from my Austrian, French, German, Italian & Swiss relatives, nor my Asian relatives either.
So, I attempted to listen to his Oxygène series. After 10 minutes I started skipping about 5 minutes a skip. I did this through all of the multitude of them. They say that if you can't say anything good about something perhaps you should say nothing at all, so...

 

[beagleman]

Not being snarky, but is this list meant to be a definitive list of all best stuff or ONLY what the OP has happened to hear?

 

[5-pot-fan]

A good thread and the lists have served to remind me of some stuff to go and look for - BUT - no Velvet Underground?
Keep the suggestions coming!