On March 6, 2007, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame revealed their Definitive 200 “list of 200 albums and soundtracks that should be in every music collection.” NP “The albums and their rankings…were determined by a committee comprising a cross-section of NARM member music retailers.” MW Established in 1958, NARM “is a not-for-profit trade association that serves the music retailing community in the areas of networking, advocacy, information, education and promotion…[Members] operate 7,000 storefronts that account for almost 85 percent of the music sold in the U.S. market.” DN
1. The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
2. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
3. Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)
4. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
5. U2 The Joshua Tree (1987)
6. The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street (1972)
7. Carole King Tapestry (1971)
8. Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
9. The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966)
10. Nirvana Nevermind (1991)
11. Pearl Jam Ten (1991)
12. The Beatles Abbey Road (1969)
13. Santana Supernatural (1999)
14. Metallica Metallica (aka “The Black Album”) (1991)
15. Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975)
16. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (soundtrack, 1984)
17. AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
18. The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed (1969)
19. The Doors The Doors (1967)
20. The Grateful Dead American Beauty (1970)
21. Shania Twain Come on Over (1997)
22. The Who Who’s Next (1971)
23. Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
24. Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977)
25. Pink Floyd The Wall (1979)
26. Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995)
27. Norah Jones Come Away with Me (2002)
28. Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
29. OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
30. Dr. Dre The Chronic (1992)
31. Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill (1986)
32. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987)
33. Dixie Chicks Wide Open Spaces (1998)
34. Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959)
35. Eagles Hotel California (1976)
36. Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)
37. Various Artists (Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta, et al) Grease (soundtrack, 1978)
38. Marvin Gaye What’s Going On (1971)
39. The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (1968)
40. Various artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977)
41. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967)
42. The Beatles Revolver (1966)
43. Boston Boston (1976)
44. Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1986)
45. U2 Achtung Baby (1991)
46. Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985)
47. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II (1969)
48. Dave Matthews Band Crash (1996)
49. The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers (1971)
50. Green Day Dookie (1994)
51. Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy (1973)
52. Joni Mitchell Blue (1971)
53. Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions (archives: 1954-55, released 1976)
54. Aerosmith Toys in the Attic (1975)
55. Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
56. Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
57. 50 Cent Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (2003)
58. AC/DC Highway to Hell (1979)
59. The Notorious B.I.G. Life after Death (1997)
60. Van Halen Van Halen I (1978)
61. Green Day American Idiot (2004)
62. Black Sabbath Paranoid (1970)
63. Eminem The Eminem Show (2002)
64. Jewel Pieces of You (1995)
65. Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
66. Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (1977)
67. Usher Confessions (2004)
68. Kid Rock Devil Without a Cause (1998)
69. George Harrison All Things Must Pass (1970)
70. Billy Joel The Stranger (1977)
71. Eagles Hell Freezes Over (live/studio, 1994)
72. Van Morrison Moondance (1970)
73. R.E.M. Automatic for the People (1992)
74. Phil Collins No Jacket Required (1985)
75. Metallica Master of Puppets (1986)
76. Faith Hill Breathe (1999)
77. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (1968)
78. John Coltrane A Love Supreme (1965)
79. Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (1975)
80. Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979)
81. Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On (1973)
82. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Night Moves (1976)
83. Paul Simon Graceland (1986)
84. Linkin Park Hybrid Theory (2000)
85. Prince 1999 (1982)
86. Def Leppard Pyromania (1983)
87. Janet Jackson Control (1986)
88. Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
89. Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985)
90. Tupac Shakur (2pac) All Eyez on Me (1996)
91. Matchbox 20 Yourself or Someone Like You (1996)
92. Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication (1999)
93. Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti (1975)
94. Nelly Country Grammar (2000)
95. Creed Human Clay (1999)
96. The Clash London Calling (1979)
97. Celine Dion Falling into You (1996)
98. Neil Young Harvest (1972)
99. Various Artists Dirty Dancing (soundtrack, 1987)
100. Dixie Chicks Home (2002)
101. Tom Petty Full Moon Fever (1989)
102. Van Halen 1984 (1984)
103. James Horner (composer) Titanic (soundtrack, 1997)
104. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Déjà Vu (1970)
105. TLC Crazy Sexy Cool (1994)
106. Beck Odelay (1996)
107. Kenny G Breathless (1992)
108. N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1989)
109. Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
110. The Beatles Rubber Soul (1965)
111. Radiohead OK Computer (1997)
112. Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
113. Dixie Chicks Fly (1999)
114. Metallica …And Justice for All (1988)
115. Michael Jackson Dangerous (1991)
116. Mariah Carey Daydream (1995)
117. Various Artists Top Gun (soundtrack, 1986)
118. Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
119. The Police Synchronicity (1983)
120. No Doubt Tragic Kingdom (1995)
121. The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet (1968)
122. R. Kelly R. (1998)
123. Tool Lateralus (2001)
124. Oasis What’s the Story Morning Glory (1995)
125. Bob Marley & the Wailers Exodus (1977)
126. Journey Escape (1981)
127. Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera (1999)
128. Jay-Z The Blueprint (2001)
129. Alicia Keys The Diary of… (2003)
130. Various Artists O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack, 2000)
131. The Cars The Cars (1978)
132. Enya A Day without Rain (2000)
133. Natalie Cole Unforgettable…With Love (1991)
134. Various Artists: Footloose (soundtrack, 1984)
135. Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down (1983)
136. Sarah McLachlan Surfacing (1997)
137. Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time (1989)
138. Metallica Ride the Lightning (1984)
139. Sheryl Crow Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
140. Frank Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours (1955)
141. Earth, Wind & Fire Gratitude (1975)
142. ZZ Top Eliminator (1983)
143. Willie Nelson Red Headed Stranger (1975)
144. John Lennon Imagine (1971)
145. Toni Braxton Toni Braxton (1993)
146. Etta James At Last (1961)
147. Elvis Presley Elvis Presley (aka Rock ‘N’ Roll) (1956)
148. Cat Stevens Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
149. Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
150. Dave Brubeck Time Out (1959)
151. Janet Jackson janet. (1993)
152. Queen A Night at the Opera (1975)
153. Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
154. Will Smith Big Willie Style (1997)
155. Prince Sign ‘O’ the Times (1987)
156. Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
157. Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks (1975)
158. George Michael Faith (1987)
159. Boyz II Men Cooleyhighharmony (1991)
160. Destiny’s Child The Writing’s on the Wall (1999)
161. Jay-Z The Black Album (2003)
162. Avril Lavigne Let Go (2002)
163. The Fugees The Score (1996)
164. Madonna Like a Virgin (1984)
165. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin I (1969)
166. Stevie Ray Vaughn Texas Flood (1983)
167. Stone Temple Pilots Core (1992)
168. Original Cast Phantom of the Opera (Highlights)
169. Jethro Tull Aqualung (1971)
170. Tupac Shakur (2pac) Me Against the World (1995)
171. David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
172. Shakira Laundry Service (2001)
173. Various Artists Forrest Gump (soundtrack, 1994)
174. Al Green Call Me (1973)
175. Curtis Mayfield Superfly (soundtrack, 1972)
176. Live Throwing Copper (1994)
177. George Benson Breezin’ (1976)
178. The White Stripes White Blood Cells (2001)
179. Lynyrd Skynyrd Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (1973)
180. Sade Diamond Life (1984)
181. Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac (1975)
182. Paul McCartney & Wings Band on the Run (1973)
183. Beyoncé Dangerously in Love (2003)
184. Anita Baker Rapture (1986)
185. Nas Illmatic (1994)
186. Barbra Streisand A Star Is Born (soundtrack, 1976)
187. Earth, Wind & Fire That’s the Way of the World (soundtrack, 1975)
188. Anita Baker Rhythm of Love (1994)
189. Jay-Z In My Lifetime Vol. 1 (1997)
190. Ll Cool J Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
191. Steely Dan Aja (1977)
192. Willie Nelson Stardust (1978)
193. Aretha Franklin Sparkle (1976)
194. Andrea Bocelli Andrea (2004)
195. Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
196. Luther Vandross Never Too Much (1981)
197. U2 All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
198. Rush 2112 (1976)
199. OutKast Aquemini (1998)
200. Grand Funk Railroad We’re An American Band (1973)
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