This series of nearly 200 books and counting are published by various authors who have submitted proposals. Each pocket-sized book focuses on a specific album, often giving in-depth insight not just into the making of that album and details about individual songs, but the context in which the album was made and its place in musical history.
Check out other publications and organizations’ best-of album lists here.
- Abba Gold: Greatest Hits (compilation: 1974-82, released 1992)
- AC/DC Highway to Hell (1979) <
- The Afghan Whigs Gentlemen (1993)
- Tori Amos Boys for Pele (1996)
- Andrew W.K. I Get Wet (2002)
- Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (compilation: 1985-92, released 1992)
- Arcade Fire The Suburbs (2010)
- Babes in Toyland Fontanelle (1992)
- Angelo Badalamenti Twin Peaks (TV soundtrack, 1990)
- The Band Music from Big Pink (1968)
- BBC Radiophonic Workshop A Retrospective (2008)
- The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966)
- The Beach Boys Smiley Smile (1967)
- Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique (1989)
- Beat Happening Beat Happening (1985)
- The Beatles Let It Be (1970)
- Belle & Sebastian If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)
- Big Star Radio City (1974)
- Björk Homogenic (1997)
- Black Sabbath Master of Reality (1971)
- Blondie Parallel Lines (1978)
- Body Count Body Count (1992)
- David Bowie Diamond Dogs (1974)
- David Bowie Low (1977)
- Garth Brooks In the Life of Chris Gaines (1999)
- James Brown Live at the Apollo Volume 1 (live, 1962)
- Jeff Buckley Grace (1994)
- Kate Bush Hounds of Love (1985)
- The Byrds The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
- John Cale Paris 1919 (1973)
- Maria Callas Lyric and Colooratura Arias (1955)
- Camp Lo Uptown Saturday Night (1997)
- Can Tago Mago (1972)
- Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Trout Mask Replica (1969)
- Cardi B Invasion of Privacy (2018)
- Wendy Carlos Switched on Bach (1969)
- Johnny Cash American Recordings (1994)
- Cat Power Moon Pix (1998)
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Murder Ballads (1996)
- The Clash Sandinista! (1980)
- Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club (aka “One Night Stand”) (live, recorded 1963, released 1985)
- Elvis Costello & the Attractions Armed Forces (1979)
- D'Angelo Voodoo (2000)
- Danger Mouse The Grey Album (2001)
- Miles Davis Bitches Brew (1970)
- DC Talk Jesus Freak (1995)
- The Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
- Depeche Mode 101 (live, 1988)
- Devo Freedom of Choice (1980)
- J Dilla Donuts (2006)
- Dinosaur Jr. You’re Living All Over Me (1987)
- Celine Dion Let’s Talk about Love (1997)
- DJ Shadow Endtroducing… (1996)
- Nick Drake Pink Moon (1972)
- Drive-By Truckers Southern Rock Opera (2001)
- Duran Duran Rio
- Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
- Earth, Wind & Fire That’s the Way of the World (soundtrack, 1975)
- Brian Eno Another Green World (1975)
- ESG Come Away (1983)
- The Flaming Lips Zaireeka (1997)
- Fleetwood Mac Tusk (1979)
- The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)
- Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace (1972)
- Fugazi In on the Kill Taker (1993)
- Serge Gainsbourg Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)
- Gang of Four Entertainment! (1979)
- Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (live, 1961)
- Bobbie Gentry Ode to Billie Joe (1967)
- The Geto Boys The Geto Boys (1990)
- The Go-Go’s Beauty and the Beat (1981)
- Grateful Dead Workingman’s Dead (1970)
- Guided by Voices Bee Thousand (1994)
- Guns N’ Roses Use Your Illusion I (1991)
- Guns N’ Roses Use Your Illusion II (1991)
- Merle Haggard Okie from Muskogee (1969)
- PJ Harvey Rid of Me (1993)
- Donny Hathaway Live (live, 1972)
- Richard Hell & the Voidoids Blank Generation (1977)
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland (1968)
- Hole Live Through This (1994)
- The Isley Brothers 3+3 (1973)
- Janet Jackson The Velvet Rope (1997)
- Michael Jackson Dangerous (1991)
- Jawbreaker 24 Hour Revenge Therapy (1994)
- The Jesus & Mary Chain Psychocandy (1985)
- Jethro Tull Aqualung (1971)
- Elton John Blue Moves (1976)
- Joy Division Unknown Pleasures (1979)
- Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole Facing Future (1993)
- Carole King Tapestry (1971)
- The Kinks Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
- Koji Knodo Super Mario Bros. (1985)
- Kraftwerk Computerwelt (Computer World) (1981)
- Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
- k.d. lang Ingénue (1992)
- LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver (2007)
- Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
- Little Richard Here’s Little Richard (1957)
- Living Colour Time's Up (1990)
- Love Forever Changes (1967)
- Madness One Step Beyond (1979)
- Madonna Erotica (1992)
- Madvillain Madvillainy (2004)
- The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs (1999)
- Manic Street Preachers The Holy Bible (1994)
- Massive Attack Blue Lines (1991)
- The MC5 Kick Out the Jams (1968)
- Metallica Metallica (aka “The Black Album”) (1991)
- George Michael Faith (1987)
- Ministry The Land of Rape and Honey (1988)
- The Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
- Joni Mitchell Court and Spark (1974)
- The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers (recorded 1973, released 1976)
- Modest Mouse The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
- Janelle Monáe The Arch Android (2010)
- Bob Mould Workbook (1989)
- My Bloody Valentine Loveless (1991)
- Nas Illmatic (1994)
- The National Boxer (2007)
- Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
- New Kids on the Block Hangin’ Tough (1988)
- Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
- Nirvana In Utero (1993)
- No Doubt Tragic Kingdom (1995)
- Oasis Definitely Maybe (1994)
- Sinéad O'Connor Universal Mother (1994)
- Odetta One Grain of Sand (1963)
- Van Dyke Parks Song Cycle (1969)
- Dolly Parton White Limozeen (1989)
- Pavement Wowee Zowee (1995)
- Pearl Jam Vs. (1993)
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Southern Accents (1985)
- Liz Phair Exile in Guyville (1993)
- The Pharcyde Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992)
- Phish A Live One (1995)
- Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
- Pixies Doolittle (1989)
- The Pogues Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash (1985)
- Portishead Dummy (1994)
- Elvis Presley From Elvis in Memphis (1969)
- Prince Sign ‘O’ the Times (1987)
- John Prine John Prine (1971)
- Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
- Pulp This Is Hardcore (1998)
- Radiohead OK Computer (1997)
- Radiohead Kid A (2000)
- The Raincoats The Raincoats (1979)
- Ramones Ramones (1976)
- Lou Reed Transformer (1972)
- R.E.M. Murmur (1983)
- The Replacements Let It Be (1984)
- Minnie Riperton Come to My Garden (1970)
- The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street (1972)
- The Rolling Stones Some Girls (1978)
- Roxy Music Avalon (1982)
- The Shangri-La's Golden Hits (1966)
- Sigur Rós Parentheses ( ) (2002)
- Siouxsie & the Banshees Peep Show (1988)
- Slayer Reign in Blood (1986)
- Sleater-Kinney Dig Me Out (1997)
- Slint Spiderland (1991)
- Sly & the Family Stone There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971)
- Elliott Smith XO (1998)
- Patti Smith Horses (1975)
- The Smiths Meat is Murder (1985)
- Sonic Youth Daydream Nation (1988)
- Britney Spears Blackout (2007)
- Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis (1969)
- Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
- Steely Dan Aja (1977)
- The Stone Roses The Stone Roses (1989)
- Suicide Suicide
- Donna Summer Once Upon a Time (1977)
- Talking Heads Fear of Music (1979)
- Television Marquee Moon (1977)
- They Might Be Giants Flood (1990)
- Richard & Linda Thompson Shoot Out the Lights (1982)
- Throbbing Gristle 20 Jazz Funk Greats (1979)
- A Tribe Called Quest People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythms (1990)
- 24-Carat Black Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth (1973)
- U2 Achtung Baby (1991)
- The Velvet Underground & Nico Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
- Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones (1983)
- Ween Chocolate and Cheese (1994)
- Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
- The Who Sell Out (1967)
- Wild Tchoupitoulas Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976)
- Brian Wilson Smile (2004)
- Wire Pink Flag (1977)
- Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
- Yo La Tengo And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
- Young Marble Giants Colossal Youth (1980)
- Neil Young Harvest (1972)
- various artists I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen (1991)
- various artists Red Hot + Blue (1990)
Coming in 2026:
- The B-52’s Cosmic Thing (1989)
- Mary J. Blige What’s the 411? (1992)
- Cher Believe (1998)
- The Cure Disintegration (1989)
- Gorillaz Plastic Beach (2010)
- Woody Guthrie Dust Bowl Ballads (1940)
- Whitney Houston I’m Your Baby Tonight (1990)
- Interpol Antics (2004)
- Mazzy Star So Tonight That I Might See (1993)
- Moss Icon Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly (1993)
- Frank Ocean Blond (2016)
- Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell (2015)
- Stiff Little Fingers Inflammable Material (1979)
- Violent Femmes Violent Femmes (1983)
- Weird Al Yankovic Weird Al Yankovic (1983)
Resources and Related Links:
First posted 8/13/2024. |
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