Apple Music just released their definitive list of the Top 100 Albums of all time Wednesday morning. The list was met with a “mixed” reaction from listeners as it appears a lot of heavy favorites did not make the top 10 or were omitted from the list altogether.
This is not surprising news because Apple Music themselves said the list was “assembled with the help of artists and experts”, not leaving much room for fan input. Apple said the list is a “modern love letter to the records that have shaped the world we live and listen in today.”
That much is true. But, not everyone has time to comb through the entire list just to find out theirs did not cut. We’ve decided to give you an abridged version of the list and present the heavy hitters…The Top 10 Albums of All Time. But if you are interested in the FULL list, you can check it out here.
Some of these were obvious choices, others, maybe not so much. Take a look…
Apple Music’s Top 10 Albums
10. Lemonade - Beyoncé
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 03: Singer Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Starting off with the Queen B, Sasha Fierce… Beyoncé!
A relatively young album, released in 2016, Lemonade was the sixth studio album from Beyoncé. Primarily R&B, and Pop, the album is noted to have a fusion of reggae, hip-hop, soul, and trap music.
It features heavy hitters on guest vocals such as Jack White and The Weeknd. The album is also accompanied by a 65-minute film of the same name and used as a form of recognition and commemoration of African American culture.
9. Nevermind - Nirvana
A selection of prints by Michel Linssen from the Redferns collection, depicting Kurt Cobain playing the guitar in a recording studio, pictured at the Getty Images Hulton Archive, London E16, 12th September 2023.
The second studio album of the group was released in 1991, and it was the first to feature then-drummer Dave Grohl, who would go on to form a band nobody would ever listen to (*wink *wink). The album features likely the 5 most recognizable songs in Grunge: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “In Bloom”, “Come As You Are”, “Lithium” “Something In The Way”.
The album popularized the Seattle grunge movement and helped plunge it into the mainstream. Released just a few short years before leader singer Kurt Cobain’s death, it propelled them to being one of the biggest bands in the world, especially in 1992.
8. Back in Black - Amy Winehouse
LONDON – JUNE 27: Amy Winehouse performs during the 46664 concert in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life at Hyde Park on June 27, 2008 in London, England.
The second and final album of the English songstress, the album was autobiographical in nature. She mostly based the album on her rocky relationship with then-boyfriend, eventual husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, who at one point left Winehouse for an ex-girlfriend.
Among other hits, this album features the popular, and catchy song “Rehab”. The song is just that but in reverse. It’s about her refusal to enter a rehabilitation center and it became her signature song. It won three awards at the Grammys 50th ceremony, including Song of the Year.
7. good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe Version) - Kendrick Lamar
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: Kendrick Lamar accepts the Best Rap Album award for “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Let’s take a break from his current beef with Drake, and remember this gem. This is the second studio and first major label album by Kendrick, and it was released in 2012. The album was met with widespread critical acclaim with an average score of 91/100, and was praised for Kendrick’s storytelling narratives for his songs. It was named the best album of the year by BBC Complex, Fact, New York, and Pitchfork.
The album also featured Dr. Dre, Jay Rock, Anna Wise, and Drake…before the beef.
6. Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 19: Singers India Arie and Stevie Wonder attend the 8th Annual Black Entertainment Television (BET) Walk of Fame award show October 19, 2002 in Washington, DC. Wonder was presented as the BET honoree for this year.
Released in 1976, this is the EIGHTEENTH studio album from Stevie Wonder, and we almost didn’t get it! By this time, Stevie had not only become one of the most popular figures in R&B in the country but worldwide. By 1975, he had thoughts of retiring from music altogether. He was seriously considering traveling to Ghana to aid children in need. But, as plans were being made to schedule a farewell tour, he changed his mind.
Songs in the Key of Life was released as a double LP with a four-song bonus EP. Touted as his signature album, Stevie Wonder was quoted as saying “Songs in the Key of Life I’m most happy about. Just the time, being alive then. To be a father and then… letting go and letting God give me the energy and strength I needed.”
5. Blonde - Frank Ocean
MANCHESTER, TN – JUNE 14: Artist Frank Ocean performs during the 2014 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 14, 2014 in Manchester, Tennessee.
This was the second album of the R&B and Soul star. This album was actually released as a timed exclusive for Apple Music and iTunes. The album features a great list of guest vocals from André 3000, Beyoncé (who we just saw at #10), and Kim Burrell.
The album has an abstract and experimental sound, in comparison to Ocean’s previous releases. Released in 2016, supported by its main single “Nikes”, it debuted as #1 in several countries.
4. Purple Rain - Prince & The Revolution
HOLLYWOOD – FEBRUARY 22: **EXCLUSIVE** Musician Prince performs onstage at “The Purple Party” for LotusFlow3r.com held at Avalon on February 22, 2009 in Hollywood, California.
The sixth studio album from Prince, or The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. This was released in 1984 as the soundtrack to the Film of the same name. This album was musically, “denser” than previous releases, showcasing the skills and tools of the entire band. This album traded number one spots twice with Bruce Springsteen’s Born in The USA.
Purple Rain established Prince as a figurehead in the 1980s and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010. Lionel Richie Prince for making this album and taking a “very important step” in advancing the concept of creating music videos for songs.
3. Abbey Road - The Beatles
19th May 1967: The Beatles celebrate the completion of their new album, ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, at a press conference held at the west London home of their manager Brian Epstein. The LP is released on June 1st.
The eleventh album recorded by the Fab Four, and it was the last one recorded as a group. Although Let It Be was the last album finished before the band’s break up in 1970. With so many memorable hits from The Beatles, it’s hard to imagine we only had them at their peak for 10 years. The album upon release received mixed reviews, with the artificially added noises being called “inauthentic” by some.
The cover of the Beatles Crossing Abbey Road has to be one of the most famous and most imitated album covers of all time. It has become such a popular destination for fans, that a webcam has been in operation there since 2011, and was given a grade 2 listed status for “cultural and historical significance”
Who could forget, shortly after this album’s release, the “Paul is Dead” theory spread across college campuses, with those who believed the rumor saying the image depicted the group walking out of a cemetery into a funeral procession. Lennon, the religious figure in white, Ringo, dressed in black as an Undertaker, Harrison, dressed in denim as the gravedigger, and Paul, being the only one out of step with the rest of them was the barefoot corpse.
2. Thriller - Michael Jackson
NEW YORK – JUNE 30: A fan of pop star Michael Jackson holds up a picture of him outside the Apollo Theater in Harlem, where the deceased pop star first performed at age 9, June 30, 2009 in New York City. Thousands of people lined up outside the famous theater to pay tribute to Jackson, bringing flowers, singing, and performing impromptu dances. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
One can make this argument that Thriller was Michael Jackson at his absolute peak, based solely on the song catalog. Songs, that are STILL regularly featured on radio and circulating the top charts on Spotify. Released in 1982, this album features great songs such as: “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”, “Human Nature”, “Pretty Young Thing”, “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, and of course the signature song, “Thriller”, which becomes a staple of radio every Halloween. Who could forget that music video!? It felt like a fantastic short film!
This album also features guest vocals from Paul McCartney in “The Girl Is Mine”. This album shot Michael Jackson to a level of stardom not attained by an African American in pop-culture at that time, and made him the “late 20th century’s preeminent pop icon.”
1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill
CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 14: Recording artist Lauryn Hill pays tribute to Nina Simone during the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium on April 14, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Music fans might be surprised this is number one, but then again, others might not. Certainly not fans of Lauryn Hill! And, OF COURSE, a Jersey Native took the #1 Spot.
“Miseducation” is actually the ONLY studio album from Lauryn Hill. It made its impactful debut in 1998 and offered a raw look at not only the music of the 90s, but of the decade itself.
The album touches on her pregnancy, turmoil with her former group “The Fugees”, and themes of love. Hill said the pregnancy helped inspire her to create once again, and it won the year’s best album in multiple critic polls including Rolling Stone and Time.
Upon hearing the news she was the #1 Album, Hill said “This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love.”
Congratulations to Lauryn Hill.
