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Editorial music curation is one of Apple Music’s strong suits, as evidenced by the service’s excellent playlists. Apple is taking that to the next level now, with the release of a list of it 100 best albums of all time. You can find a link to the list in the Apple Music app, but rather annoyingly, the list itself can only be viewed on a webpage, much like the Apple Music Replay collection.
If you ask a hundred people to make a list of their favorite albums, you’ll get 100 different lists. The same is true for Apple Music’s list of 100 best albums. There are plenty of great albums in this list, but you could spend the rest of your life arguing about the order. For example, I think albums such as Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue should be in the top 10, but you may think they’re fairly placed in the twenties. Another problem with this list is that it appears to be focused on English albums. If you’re a fan of music from other languages or non-English speaking regions, you’re not going to find much representation in Apple Music’s list. Apple hasn’t detailed the exact methodology for this list, but it has offered this explanation: “Assembled with the help of artists and experts, it’s a modern love letter to the records that have shaped the world we live and listen in today.”
What one can’t dispute is that the list includes some top-notch albums. If you enjoy music, you’ll definitely find lots of great albums in Apple Music’s list.
A better way to listen to albums on Apple Music
The Apple Music app is good enough for most people, but it’s not well-suited for people who dislike playlists and prefer listening to albums exclusively. Since Apple’s list is all about music albums, you might want to consider using a third-party Apple Music app instead of the official one. Albums (free, $19/year for premium features) is a great app that lets you keep the focus off playlists and on the album order songs were released in.
While the free tier should be good enough for most, the premium tier includes Last.fm integration, better stats, and improved customization.
Apple Music’s 100 best albums of all time
With that out of the way, here are Apple Music’s 100 best albums of all time, starting from Apple’s favorite and working down. Each album links to Apple Music’s website, where you can sign in and listen as long as you have an active Apple Music subscription.
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The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill
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Thriller – Michael Jackson
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Abbey Road – The Beatles
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Purple Rain – Prince & Revolution
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Blonde – Frank Ocean
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Song in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder
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good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe Version) – Kendrick Lamar
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Back to Black – Amy Winehouse
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Nevermind – Nirvana
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Lemonade – Beyoncé
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Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
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OK Computer – Radiohead
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The Blueprint – JAY-Z
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Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
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21 – Adele
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Blue – Joni Mitchell
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What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
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1989 (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
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The Chronic – Dr. Dre
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Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys
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Revolver – The Beatles
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Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
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Discovery – Daft Punk
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars – David Bowie
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Kind of Blue – Miles Davis
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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
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Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin
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The Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
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The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
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WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
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Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette
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Ready to Die – Notorious B.I.G.
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Kid A – Radiohead
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It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
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London Calling – The Clash
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BEYONCÉ – Beyoncé
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Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) – Wu-Tang Clan
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Tapestry – Carole King
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Illmatic – Nas
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I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You – Aretha Franklin
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Aquemini – Outkast
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Control – Janet Jackson
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Remain in Light – Talking Heads
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Innervisions – Stevie Wonder
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Homogenic – Björk
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Exodus – Bob Marley and the Wailers
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Take Care – Drake
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Paul’s Boutique – Beastie Boys
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The Joshua Tree – U2
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Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
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Sign O’ the Times – Prince
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Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
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Exile on Main St. – The Rolling Stones
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A Love Supreme – John Coltrane
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ANTI – Rihanna
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Disintegration – The Cure
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Voodoo – D’Angelo
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(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis
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AM – Arctic Monkeys
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The Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground & Nico
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Love Deluxe – Sade
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All Eyez on Me – 2Pac
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Are You Experienced – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
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Baduizm – Erykah Badu
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3 Feet High and Rising – De La Soul
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The Queen Is Dead – The Smiths
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Dummy – Portishead
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Is This It – The Strokes
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Master of Puppets – Metallica
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Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A
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Trans Europe Express – Kraftwerk
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SOS – SZA
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Aja – Steely Dan
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The Downward Spiral – Nine Inch Nails
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Supa Dupa Fly – Missy Elliott
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Un Verano Sin Ti – Bad Bunny
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Like a Prayer – Madonna
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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
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Norman Fg Rockwell – Lana Del Rey
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The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem
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After the Gold Rush – Neil Young
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Get Rich or Die Tryin’ – 50 Cent
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Horses – Patti Smith
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Doggystyle – Snoop Dogg
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Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
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My Life – Mary J. Blige
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Blue Lines – Massive Attack
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I Put a Spell on You – Nina Simone
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The Fame Monster (Deluxe Edition) – Lady Gaga
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Back in Black – AC/DC
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Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 – George Michael
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Flower Boy – Tyler, The Creator
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A Seat at the Table – Solange
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Untrue – Burial
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Confessions – Usher
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Pure Heroine – Lorde
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Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
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ASTROWORLD – Travis Scott
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Hotel California – Eagles
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Body Talk – Robin
