The 301 Greatest Albums Of All Time.

They say that madness is doing the same thing over & over again but expecting different results.

If this is true, when it comes to analyzing the albums of the rock canon, I'm the maddest person I know.

I have already made a large-scale list of The 501 Greatest Rock Albums Of All Time, as well as A Rock Canon drawing from several key unranked lists. This is not to neglect my own ranked list, as well as the unranked lists I've made, the crown jewel of which may be The Rock 500 Canon.

I've spent months trying to compile a definitive list of rock albums, with now over 30 charts that I am still working on. However, no matter how many I add, it struck me that I don't think I'll be able to do much better than this straightforward compiling of the five lists that formed the core of the project:

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All-Time

Pop Vortex's 100 Greatest Albums Of All-Time

Acclaimed Music's 3000 Greatest Albums Of All-Time

Digital Dream Door's 200 Greatest Album's Of All-Time

Best Ever Albums' 503 Greatest Albums Of All-Time*

*(Instead of using the overall list, I only used the non-user "recognized" lists, which resulted in 503 albums)

As far as I can find (so far), these are the best general rock lists, & if you cut it off at 300, you get a pretty solid sampling where the lists still interact effectively; go much further & they taper apart into nonsense.

The Beatles are the most represented with 9 albums, followed by Bob Dylan, who has 6 albums. Next is Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, & The Who, who have 5 albums each. After that comes David Bowie, The Byrds, Bob Marley, Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley, Radiohead, R.E.M., & U2, who have 4 albums each.

A lot of artists have 3 albums each: James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Parliament/Funkadelic, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Sly & The Family Stone, The Stooges, Stevie Wonder, & Neil Young.

Finally, artists as varied as AC/DC, The Band, The Beastie Boys, Big Star, Bjork, Black Sabbath, Ray Charles, The Clash, Elvis Costello, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Miles Davis, Nick Drake, Marvin Gaye, Green Day, Buddy Holly, Michael Jackson, Janis Joplin, Joy Division, The Kinks, Kraftwerk, John Lennon, Madonna, Massive Attack, Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Oasis, OutKast, The Pixies, Public Enemy, The Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Smashing Pumpkins, The Smiths, Talking Heads, The Velvet Underground, Kanye West, The White Stripes, Frank Zappa, & probably more I didn't catch have 2 albums each.

But this is not to imply there is any correlation between number of albums to make the list & overall influence. Artists as major & iconic as The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, The Doors, Little Richard, Otis Redding, Run-D.M.C., The Sex Pistols, Patti Smith, & Muddy Waters only have a single album each, & many of them are far more influential than the names listed above. For that matter, consider the likes of Sam Cooke, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, & Smokey Robison & The Miracles, none of whom placed an album at all.

So here's the list breakdown, followed by the full list.

Top 10 Albums Of All-Time:

1. The Beatles: Revolver
2. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
3. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
4. Nirvana: Nevermind
5. Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
6. The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main St.
7. The Clash: London Calling
8. The Beatles ["The White Album"]
9. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
10. The Beatles: Abbey Road



Top 10 Albums Of The '50s:

1. Elvis Presley
2. Little Richard: Here's Little Richard
3. Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
4. Frank Sinatra: Songs For Swingin' Lovers
5. Elvis Presley: The Sun Sessions
6. Chuck Berry: The Great Twenty-Eight
7. Frank Sinatra: In The Wee Small Hours
8. Ray Charles: The Birth Of Soul
9. Buddy Holly: 20 Golden Greats
10. Buddy Holly: The "Chirping" Crickets


Top 10 Albums Of The '60s:

1. The Beatles: Revolver
2. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
3. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
4. The Beatles ["The White Album"]
5. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
6. The Beatles: Abbey Road
7. Bob Dylan: Blonde On Blonde
8. The Velvet Underground & Nico
9. The Beatles: Rubber Soul
10. Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced


Top 10 Albums Of The '70s:

1. Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
2. The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main St.
3. The Clash: London Calling
4. Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run
5. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side Of The Moon
6. David Bowie: The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars
7. Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks
8. The Who: Who's Next
9. The Sex Pistols: Never Mind The Bollocks
10. Fleetwood Mac: Rumors


Top 10 Albums Of The '80s:

1. Michael Jackson: Thriller
2. U2: The Joshua Tree
3. Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
4. Prince: Purple Rain
5. Guns N' Roses: Appetite For Destruction
6. Prince: Sign 'O' The Times
7. AC/DC: Back In Black
8. Paul Simon: Graceland
9. The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead
10. Talking Heads: Remain In Light



Top 10 Albums Of The '90s:

1. Nirvana: Nevermind
2. U2: Achtung Baby
3. Radiohead: OK Computer
4. R.E.M.: Automatic For The People
5. Pearl Jam: Ten
6. Dr. Dre: The Chronic
7. Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation Of
8. Oasis: (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
9. Notorious B.I.G.: Ready To Die
10. Metallica


Top 10 Albums Of The '00s:

1. Radiohead: Kid A
2. OutKast: Stankonia
3. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP
4. The Strokes: Is This It
5. Amy Winehouse: Back To Black
6. Green Day: American Idiot
7. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head
8. U2: All That You Can't Leave Behind
9. Arcade Fire: Funeral
10. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells




& without any further ado, here's the full list of...

The 301 Greatest Albums Of All-Time.

1. The Beatles: Revolver
2. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
3. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
4. Nirvana: Nevermind
5. Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
6. The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main St.
7. The Clash: London Calling
8. The Beatles ["The White Album"]
9. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
10. The Beatles: Abbey Road

11. Bob Dylan: Blonde On Blonde
12. Michael Jackson: Thriller
13. The Velvet Underground & Nico
14. The Beatles: Rubber Soul
15. Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced
16. Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run
17. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side Of The Moon
18. U2: The Joshua Tree
19. David Bowie: The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars
20. Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks

21. The Who: Who's Next
22. Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
23. The Sex Pistols: Never Mind The Bollocks
24. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
25. The Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed
26. Joni Mitchell: Blue
27. Led Zeppelin [IV]
28. Van Morrison: Astral Weeks
29. Stevie Wonder: Innervisions
30. Prince: Purple Rain

31. The Doors
32. Guns N' Roses: Appetite For Destruction
33. Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life
34. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
35. Carole King: Tapestry
36. Prince: Sign 'O' The Times
37. Patti Smith: Horses
38. The Ramones
39. U2: Achtung Baby
40. Radiohead: OK Computer

41. James Brown: Live At The Apollo
42. Led Zeppelin II
43. The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers
44. Love: Forever Changes
45. AC/DC: Back In Black
46. Neil Young: After The Gold Rush
47. The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet
48. Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water
49. The Band
50. The Eagles: Hotel California

51. Bob Dylan: Bringing It All Back Home
52. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
53. Paul Simon: Graceland
54. Pink Floyd: The Wall
55. Michael Jackson: Off The Wall
56. Elvis Presley: The Sun Sessions
57. The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead
58. Led Zeppelin [I]
59. R.E.M.: Automatic For The People
60. Otis Redding: Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul

61. Van Morrison: Moondance
62. Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
63. Television: Marquee Moon
64. Talking Heads: Remain In Light
65. Pearl Jam: Ten
66. The Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique
67. Neil Young: Harvest
68. Bruce Springsteen: Born In The U.S.A.
69. Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul
70. The Clash

71. Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
72. The Who: Tommy
73. The Band: Music From Big Pink
74. Bob Marley: Legend
75. Sly & The Family Stone: There's A Riot Goin' On!
76. The Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
77. Dr. Dre: The Chronic
78. N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton
79. Chuck Berry: The Great Twenty-Eight
80. R.E.M.: Murmur

81. John Lennon: Imagine
82. Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti
83. Pixies: Doolittle
84. Curtis Mayfield: Superfly
85. Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation Of
86. Joy Division: Closer
87. Elvis Presley
88. David Bowie: Low
89. Black Sabbath: Paranoid
90. Blondie: Parallel Lines

91. Sly & The Family Stone: Stand!
92. Stevie Wonder: Talking Book
93. Prince: 1999
94. Oasis: (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
95. The Beastie Boys: Licensed To Ill
96. Bruce Springsteen: Darkness On The Edge Of Town
97. Elvis Costello: This Year's Model
98. Jimi Hendrix: Axis: As Bold As Love
99. Bob Marley: Exodus
100. Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True

101. Queen: A Night At The Opera
102. Derek & The Dominos: Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs
103. Radiohead: Kid A
104. Notorious B.I.G.: Ready To Die
105. Metallica: Master Of Puppets
106. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young: Deja Vu
107. Metallica
108. Muddy Waters: The Anthology, 1947-1972
109. OutKast: Stankonia
110. A Tribe Called Quest: Low End Theory

111. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP
112. Al Green: Greatest Hits
113. Bob Dylan: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
114. Sly & The Family Stone: Greatest Hits
115. The Beatles: A Hard Day's Night
116. Alanis Morrissette: Jagged Little Pill
117. The Police: Synchronicity
118. Little Richard: Here's Little Richard
119. Madonna: Like A Prayer
120. Ray Charles: The Birth Of Soul

121. Cream: Disraeli Gears
122. Ray Charles: Modern Sounds In Country & Western
123. Nas: Illmatic
124. Al Green: Call Me
125. Phil Spector: Back To Mono (1958-1969)
126. Santana: Abraxas
127. The Beatles: Please Please Me
128. James Brown: Star Time
129. The Harder They Come Soundtrack
130. Billy Joel: The Stranger

131. Buddy Holly: 20 Golden Greats
132. Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
133. Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
134. Radiohead: The Bends
135. David Bowie: Hunky Dory
136. The Stone Roses
137. John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
138. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica
139. Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
140. Lou Reed: Transformer

141. Beck: Odelay
142: Dusty Springfield: Dusty In Memphis
143. The Byrds: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
144. Johnny Cash: Live At Folsom Prison
145. My Bloody Valentine: Loveless
146. Run-D.M.C.: Raising Hell
147. Pavement: Slanted & Enchanted
148. Iggy & The Stooges: Raw Power
149. The Allman Brothers: At Fillmore East
150. Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here

151. Jeff Buckley: Grace
152. The Strokes: Is This It
153. The Pretenders
154. Massive Attack: Blue Lines
155. The Stooges: Fun House
156. Bob Marley & The Wailers: Catch A Fire
157. Portishead: Dummy
158. De La Soul: Three Feet High & Rising
159. Kraftwerk: Trans-Europe Express
160. Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation

161. Peter Gabriel: So
162. Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream
163. Nirvana: In Utero
164. Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral
165. Public Enemy: Fear Of A Black Planet
166. The Replacements: Let It Be
167. The Wu-Tang Clan: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
168. Funkadelic: One Nation Under A Groove
169. Green Day: Dookie
170. Tom Waits: Rain Dogs

171. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood Sugar Sex Magik
172. The Cure: Disintegration
173. The Zombies: Odessey & Oracle
174. Amy Winehouse: Back To Black
175. Eric B. & Rakim: Paid In Full
176. Marvin Gaye: Let's Get It On
177. The Who: Sell Out
178. Janis Joplin: Pearl
179. Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left
180. Liz Phair: Exile In Guyville

181. The Smiths
182. Rage Against The Machine
183. Green Day: American Idiot
184. Nirvana: MTV Unplugged In New York
185. The Beatles: Let It Be
186. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head
187. Moby: Play
188. Van Halen
189. Pink Floyd: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
190. George Harrison: All Things Must Pass

191. AC/DC: Highway To Hell
192. R.E.M.: Document
193. The Who: Quadrophenia
194. Frank Sinatra: Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
195. Parliament: Mothership Connection
196. Hole: Live Through This
197. The Grateful Dead: American Beauty
198. Aerosmith: Toys In The Attic
199. Moby Grape
200. Madonna: Ray Of Light

201. Simon & Garfunkel: Bookends
202. James Taylor: Sweet Baby James
203. The Kinks: Something Else By The Kinks
204. Crosby, Stills, & Nash
205. Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms
206. Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
207. The B-52's
208. U2: All That You Can't Leave Behind
209. Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californication
210. Def Leppard: Hysteria

211. Dolly Parton: Coat Of Many Colors
212. Aretha Franklin: Young, Gifted & Black
213. Robert Johnson: King Of The Delta Blues Singers
214. Sam Cooke: Portrait Of A Legend
215. Elvis Presley: Sunrise
216. Hank Williams: 40 Greatest Hits
217. Arcade Fire: Funeral
218. Oasis: Definitely Maybe
219. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
220. Primal Scream: Screamadelica

221. Kate Bush: Hounds Of Love
222. Blur: Parklife
223. Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow
224. DJ Shadow: Endtroducing.....
225. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells
226. Pulp: Different Class
227. Bjork: Debut
228. Kanye West: The College Dropout
229. Joni Mitchell: Court & Spark
230. Jesus & Mary Chain: Psychocandy

231. Pixies: Surfer Rosa
232. Radiohead: In Rainbows
233. Pavement: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
234. The Beatles: Meet The Beatles!
235. The White Stripes: Elephant
236. The Who: Live At Leeds
237. PJ Harvey: Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
238. The Verve: Urban Hymns
239. Elvis Presley: From Elvis In Memphis
240. LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver

241. The Velvet Underground: Loaded
242. T. Rex: Electric Warrior
243. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Cosmo's Factory
244. Frank Sinatra: In The Wee Small Hours
245. R.E.M.: Out Of Time
246. The Stooges
247. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
248. MC5: Kick Out The Jams
249. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
250. Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

251. OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
252. The Mothers Of Invention: Freak Out!
253. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Green River
254. Jay-Z: The Blueprint
255. Bob Marley & The Wailers: Natty Dread
256. The Byrds: Mr. Tambourine Man
257. The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
258. The Byrds: Younger Than Yesterday
259. Weezer
260. Bjork: Post

261. The New York Dolls
262. Big Brother & The Holding Company: Cheap Thrills
263. Talking Heads: Fear Of Music
264. The Ramones: Rocket To Russia
265. Radiohead: Amnesiac
266. Deep Purple: Machine Head
267. The Byrds: The Notorious Byrd Brothers
268. Nick Drake: Pink Moon
269. U2: The Unforgettable Fire
270. Black Sabbath

271. Kraftwerk: The Man-Machine
272. Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
273. Roxy Music: For Your Pleasure
274. James Brown: Sex Machine
275. Adele: 21
276. The Modern Lovers
277. Bob Dylan: Time Out Of Mind
278. Coldplay: Parachutes
279. David Bowie: Station To Station
280. Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells A Story

281. Soundgarden: Superunknown
282. Todd Rundgren: Something/Anything?

283. Buddy Holly: The "Chirping" Crickets

284. The Mothers Of Invention: We're Only In It For The Money
285. Depeche Mode: Violator
286. Massive Attack: Mezzanine

287. The Fugees: The Score

288. Jethro Tull: Aqualung
289. Led Zeppelin: Houses Of The Holy

290. Gram Parsons: Grievous Angel

291. Neil Young: Tonight's The Night
292. Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes
293. The Beach Boys: Today!
294. Paul McCartney & Wings: Band On The Run
295. The Rolling Stones: Some Girls
296. Leftield: Leftism
297. Meat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell
298. Big Star: Third/Sister Lovers
299. Sly & The Family Stone: Fresh
300. TLC: CrazySexyCool

301. Jerry Lee Lewis: Live At The Star-Club, Hamburg