The book Top 100 Albums of All Time was published by Dave’s Music Database in 2014. It aggregated more than 150 best-of lists from all manner of music publications and entities and crunching those figures into a database along with sales figures, chart results, critical ratings, and various awards. (Click links to see detailed sources).
The book only featured one album from the 21st century (Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP) and, frankly, if I were to revise the book I’d re-focus it just on the 20th century. Either way, this book serves as a sequel, keying in on the top 100 albums of the 21st century. Here are the results:
Also, check out annual picks for album of the year.
1. Adele 21 (2011)
2. The Strokes Is This It (2001)
3. Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
4. Amy Winehouse Back to Black (2006)
5. The White Stripes Elephant (2003)
6. Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
7. Radiohead Kid A (2000)
8. Taylor Swift 1989 (2014)
9. Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
10. Arcade Fire Funeral (2004)
11. Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006)
12. Green Day American Idiot (2004)
13. Eminem The Eminem Show (2002)
14. Norah Jones Come Away with Me (2002)
15. Kendrick Lamar Damn. (2017)
16. Adele 25 (2015)
17. Beyoncé Lemonade (2016)
18. Frank Ocean Channel Orange (2012)
19. OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
20. Usher Confessions (2004)
21. Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
22. Taylor Swift Fearless (2008)
23. Kanye West The College Dropout (2004)
24. O Brother Where Art Thou (soundtrack, 2000)
25. Kendrick Lamar Good Kid m.A.A.d. City (2012)
26. Radiohead In Rainbows (2007)
27. The White Stripes White Blood Cells (2001)
28. Lady Gaga The Fame (2008)
29. OutKast Stankonia (2000)
30. Linkin Park Hybrid Theory (2000)
31. Chris Stapleton Traveller (2015)
32. U2 All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
33. Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)
34. Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor (2001)
35. Ed Sheeran ÷ (Divide) (2017)
36. Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour (2018)
37. Coldplay Parachutes (2000)
38. Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand (2004)
39. Drake Views (2016)
40. Taylor Swift Red (2012)
41. Jay-Z The Blueprint (2001)
42. David Bowie Blackstar (2016)
43. Arcade Fire The Suburbs (2010)
44. 50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003)
45. Sufjan Stevens Illinois (2005)
46. Coldplay X & Y (2005)
47. Bilie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019)
48. Eminem Recovery (2010)
49. The Killers Hot Fuss (2004)
50. Beyoncé Dangerously in Love (2003)
51. Justin Timberlake Justified (2002)
52. Katy Perry Teenage Dream (2010)
53. Kings of Leon Only by the Night (2008)
54. Mumford & Sons Babel (2012)
55. LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver (2007)
56. Frozen (soundtrack, 2013)
57. Coldplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)
58. Kanye West Late Registration (2005)
59. Beyoncé Beyoncé (2013)
60. Beck Sea Change (2002)
61. Bruce Springsteen The Rising (2002)
62. Mumford & Sons Sigh No More (2009)
63. Drake Take Care (2011)
64. Rihanna Anti (2016)
65. Bob Dylan Love and Theft (2001)
66. James Blunt Back to Bedlam (2004)
67. Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)
68. Frank Ocean Blond (2016)
69. Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi (2005)
70. Lana Del Rey Born to Die (2012)
71. U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)
72. Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes (2008)
73. Olivia Rodrigo Sour (2021)
74. D’Angelo & the Vanguard Black Messiah (2015)
75. Ed Sheeran X (Multiply) (2014)
76. Nickelback All the Right Reasons (2005)
77. D’Angelo Voodoo (2000)
78. The Libertines Up the Bracket (2002)
79. Brian Wilson Smile (2004)
80. PJ Harvey Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000)
81. Lorde Melodrama (2017)
82. Evanescence Fallen (2003)
83. Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago (2007)
84. Lin-Manuel Miranda (composer) Hamilton (musical, 2015)
85. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand (2007)
86. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City (2013)
87. Keane Hopes and Fears (2004)
88. Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019)
89. PJ Harvey Let England Shake (2011)
90. Taylor Swift Midnights (2022)
91. Kanye West Graduation (2007)
92. Taylor Swift Speak Now (2010)
93. Taylor Swift Folklore (2020)
94. High School Musical (TV soundtrack, 2006)
95. Sam Smith In the Lonely Hour (2014)
96. Avril Lavigne Let Go (2002)
97. Carrie Underwood Some Hearts (2005)
98. Bruno Mars Doo Wops & Hooligans (2010)
99. Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
100. Sturgill Simpson A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016)
Resources and Related Links:
First posted 12/13/2020; last updated 3/13/2024.
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Hi, are your lists based on US or worldwide?
ReplyDeleteLists on this site are generally aggregates from multiple sources, although mostly from US and UK-based sources. Sales figures, which also factor into many of the lists on this site, are typically based on worldwide sales. Chart data factored into lists is largely from the US, although I also incorporate the pop charts from the UK, Canada, and Australia.
DeleteAre compilation albums, such as 1 or curtain call, included in this list?
ReplyDeleteI decided to focus just on studio releases. Otherwise both the albums you cited would make the cut.
DeleteAre there any more and where would they rank if they were included? I do get the exclusion though, most big compilation albums all have music from the before the 21st century on them
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