The first version of this list was published in 2010. At the time, the website described it as “a definitive ranking voted and debated by our editors, staff writers, and contributors.” Then Michael Roffman, the President/Editor-in-Chief, offered up a long essay on the pros and cons of lists pretty much hitting on points which the reader already knows.
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, Consequence of Sound updated the list, noting that only two staff members were part of compiling the 2010 and 2022 versions. The introduction notes, “Tastes have been reshaped, genres have been born and died away...Records that weren’t considered – or even released – the last time we undertook this challenge now have prominent placement.” Unlike the egotism that allowed the 2010 version to be referred to as “definitive,” the introduction to the 2002 acknowledges, “You’re going to disagree about as much as you agree with what we’ve done here. You’re going to wonder how album X didn’t warrant mention, or why album Y is higher than album Z. Or where the heck is artist W?” It concludes saying, “maybe you, dear reader, believe there is a definitive, eternal, unimpeachable ranking of records…Who knows, maybe you’re right. This isn’t that list.”
I have included both lists below. There are 56 albums which appear on both lists. They are noted with asterisks (*).
Check out other publications and organizations’ best-of album lists here.
9/12/2022 List:
1. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (soundtrack, 1984) *
2. Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977) *
3. The Beatles Abbey Road (1969) *
4. The Clash London Calling (1979) *
5. Joni Mitchell Blue (1971) *
6. The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966) *
7. Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
8. Radiohead OK Computer (1997) *
9. Marvin Gaye What’s Going On (1971) *
10. Nirvana Nevermind (1991) *
11. Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
12. Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde (1966) *
13. The Velvet Underground & Nico Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) *
14. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) *
15. David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) *
16. Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975) *
17. Patti Smith Horses (1975) *
18. Beyoncé Lemonade (2016)
19. Talking Heads Remain in Light (1980) *
20. Kate Bush Hounds of Love (1985) *
21. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (1971) *
22. Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
23. The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed (1969) *
24. Black Sabbath Paranoid (1970) *
25. Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) *
26. Ramones Ramones (1976)
27. Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) *
28. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott Supa Dupa Fly (1997)
29. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1973) *
30. Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
31. Metallica Master of Puppets (1986)
32. The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (1968) *
33. Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (1992)
34. Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) (1993) *
35. Neil Young After the Gold Rush (1970) *
36. Fiona Apple The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (2012)
37. OutKast Stankonia (2000)
38. Paul Simon Graceland (1986) *
39. Taylor Swift 1989 (2014)
40. Pixies Doolittle (1989) *
41. Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt (1996)
42. AC/DC Back in Black (1980) *
43. Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks (1975) *
44. Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959)
45. Lady Gaga The Fame Monster (2009)
46. Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral (1994) *
47. Van Morrison Astral Weeks (1968) *
48. A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory (1991)
49. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987) *
50. The Stooges Raw Power (1973) *
51. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968) *
52. The Strokes Is This It (2001) *
53. Dr. Dre 2001 (1999)
54. Joy Division Unknown Pleasures (1979) *
55. Sly & the Family Stone There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971) *
56. David Bowie Hunky Dory (1971) *
57. The Band Music from Big Pink (1968) *
58. Nina Simone I Put a Spell on You (1965)
59. Nas Illmatic (1994)
60. Amy Winehouse Back to Black (2006)
61. The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street (1972) *
62. Madvillain Madvillainy (2004)
63. Tom Waits Rain Dogs (1985) *
64. The Cure Disintegration (1989)
65. Leonard Cohen The Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) *
66. Madonna Like a Prayer (1989)
67. Radiohead In Rainbows (2007)
68. Frank Ocean Channel Orange (2012)
69. Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique (1989) *
70. Sonic Youth Daydream Nation (1988) *
71. U2 The Joshua Tree (1987) *
72. My Bloody Valentine Loveless (1991) *
73. Parliament Mothership Connection (1975) *
74. Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited (1965) *
75. Janelle Monáe Dirty Computer (2018)
76. The Smiths The Queen Is Dead (1986)
77. Jay-Z The Black Album (2003)
78. Billy Joel The Stranger (1977)
79. The Police Synchronicity (1983) *
80. Erykah Badu Baduizm (1997)
81. Adele 21 (2011)
82. Peter Gabriel So (1986) *
83. Pretenders Pretenders (1979)
84. Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
85. Tupac Shakur (2pac) All Eyez on Me (1996)
86. Pearl Jam Ten (1991)
87. Slayer Reign in Blood (1986)
88. Alice Coltrane Journey in Satchidananda (1971)
89. Green Day Dookie (1994) *
90. Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995)
91. The Who Who’s Next (1971) *
92. The Replacements Let It Be (1984) *
93. TLC Crazy Sexy Cool (1994)
94. Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)
95. System of a Down Toxicity (2001)
96. N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1989) *
97. Fugazi Repeater (1990)
98. Lucinda Williams Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
99. Kamasi Washington Heaven and Earth (2018)
100. Jane’s Addiction Nothing’s Shocking (1988)
9/15/2010 List:
1. The Beatles Abbey Road (1969) *
2. The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966) *
3. The Clash London Calling (1979) *
4. Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) *
5. The Velvet Underground & Nico Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) *
6. Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975) *
7. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1973) *
8. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) *
9. Talking Heads Remain in Light (1980) *
10. Radiohead OK Computer (1997) *
11. Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde (1966) *
12. The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed (1969) *
13. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (1971) *
14. Pixies Doolittle (1989) *
15. Joy Division Unknown Pleasures (1979) *
16. The Who Who’s Next (1971) *
17. Kate Bush Hounds of Love (1985) *
18. David Bowie Hunky Dory (1971) *
19. Marvin Gaye What’s Going On (1971) *
20. Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
21. Van Morrison Astral Weeks (1968) *
22. The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (1968) *
23. Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) *
24. Neil Young After the Gold Rush (1970) *
25. Peter Gabriel So (1986) *
26. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968) *
27. Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967)
28. Joni Mitchell Blue (1971) *
29. AC/DC Back in Black (1980) *
30. Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited (1965) *
31. Ramones Rocket to Russia (1977)
32. Nirvana Nevermind (1991) *
33. Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
34. U2 The Joshua Tree (1987) *
35. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987) *
36. Stevie Wonder Talking Book (1972)
37. The Police Synchronicity (1983) *
38. Pink Floyd The Wall (1979)
39. Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (1977)
40. The Beatles Revolver (1966)
41. Patti Smith Horses (1975) *
42. Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
43. David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) *
44. Miles Davis Bitches Brew (1970)
45. Nick Drake Pink Moon (1972)
46. The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street (1972) *
47. Dr. Dre The Chronic (1992)
48. The Stooges Raw Power (1973) *
49. Black Sabbath Paranoid (1970) *
50. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (soundtrack, 1984) *
51. Sonic Youth Daydream Nation (1988) *
52. The Replacements Let It Be (1984) *
53. Bob Marley & The Wailers Exodus (1977)
54. The Strokes Is This It (2001) *
55. Prefab Sprout Steve McQueen (aka “Two Wheels Good”) (1985)
56. The Who Quadrophenia (1973)
57. Genesis Genesis (1983)
58. Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977) *
59. My Bloody Valentine Loveless (1991) *
60. The Band Music from Big Pink (1968) *
61. Green Day Dookie (1994) *
62. Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) (1993) *
63. R.E.M. Document (1987)
64. The Doors The Doors (1967)
65. Arcade Fire Funeral (2004)
66. Devo Duty Now for the Future (1979)
67. Leonard Cohen The Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) *
68. Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
69. The Smiths The Smiths (1984)
70. The Beatles Rubber Soul (1965)
71. Tom Waits Rain Dogs (1985) *
72. Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
73. Radiohead Kid A (2000)
74. Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks (1975) *
75. Jay-Z The Blueprint (2001)
76. Sigur Rós Ágaetis Byrjun (1999)
77. Cat Stevens Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
78. Sly & the Family Stone There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971) *
79. Björk Post (1995)
80. Paul Simon Graceland (1986) *
81. Neil Young Harvest (1972)
82. Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream (1993)
83. John Lennon Imagine (1971)
84. The Who Tommy (1969)
85. Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979)
86. Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
87. N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1989) *
88. Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral (1994) *
89. Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique (1989) *
90. Refused The Shape of Punk to Come (1998)
91. The Clash The Clash (1977)
92. Pavement Slanted and Enchanted (1992)
93. Parliament Mothership Connection (1975) *
94. Metallica Kill ‘Em All (1983)
95. Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (1975)
96. Beck Midnite Vultures (1999)
97. Elliott Smith Either/Or (1997)
98. Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti (1975)
99. Talking Heads Fear of Music (1979)
100. Kanye West The College Dropout (2004)
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First posted 9/15/2010; last updated 9/13/2022. | 
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