Image via Apple Music
Apple Music lit up feeds around the world today with the latest release of its unexpectedly low-key “Top 100 Albums” series, revealing the recipients of the coveted top 10 spots. While the defining criteria and intentions remain unclear, the ambiguity of the list hasn’t mitigated the explosive discourse around it, with fans uniting in favor of their favorites and against others. As ever, top lists inspire a surge of attention (and clicks), and the scale and sweeping authority of Apple Music’s offering has made it ripe territory for heated debate, especially when it comes to the highest-ranked selections.
In its evaluation of all recorded music, Apple Music has given the highest spot to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the influential 1998 song from neo-soul pioneer Lauryn Hill. As the only solo release from the legendary singer-songwriter and MC most famous for her time in the Fugees, the landmark release includes such indelible hits as “Ex-Factor,” “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” which broke records upon its release and has continually earned it spots among all-time greatest lists from Rolling Stone, the Smithsonian, and the Library of Congress. Last night, the album was among the iconic releases inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame’s 50th anniversary class.
The top 10 is rounded out by Beyoncé’s Lemonade, Nirvana’s Nevermind, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, mAAd City (Deluxe Edition), Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Prince & The Revolution’s Purple Rain, The Beatles’ Abbey Road and lastly Michael Jackson’s Thriller at number two. This relatively subdued selection has inspired less controversy than entries 20-11; the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) at number 18 versus The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds at number 20 and Adele’s 21 at number 15 versus Joni Mitchell’s Blue at number 16 were particularly hot spots, prompting a wave of objections and counterarguments that was almost inevitable in this endeavour.
Relix readers will be pleased to note the inclusion of Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush, Steely Dan’s Aja, De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Are You Experienced?, The Velvet Underground and Nico’s Self-Titled, The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street (2010 remaster), Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Exodus (2013 remaster), Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin II, David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited, and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Jam fans will notice the lack of scene favorites, including releases by the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, and Phish. Other notable absences include The Band, James Brown, The Stooges, The Doors, Ray Charles, Parliament-Funkadelic, Al Green, The Byrds, Sly and the Family Stone, Otis Redding and Elvis Presley, as well as forgotten genres such as punk, jazz, funk, world music and the blues. Instead, the list favours current favourites such as Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey and Bad Bunny.
In a statement, Apple attributed the list to “a team of experts alongside a select group of artists including Maren Morris, Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Charli XCX, Mark Hoppus, Honey Dijon, and Nia Archives, as well as songwriters, producers, and industry professionals. The list is an editorial statement, entirely independent of any streaming numbers on Apple Music — a love letter to the records that have shaped the world we live and listen to.”
Read on for the full list of Apple Music’s picks for the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time, and learn more about the list at 100best.music.apple.com/us
Top 100 Apple Music Albums
100. Body Language – Robyn
99. Hotel California – The Eagles
98. ASTROWORLD – Travis Scott
97. Rage against the machine – Rage against the machine
96. Pure Heroine – Lorde
95. Confessions – USHER
94. False – Burial
93. A place at the table – Solange
92. Flower Boy – Tyler, the Creator
91. Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 – George Michael
90. Back in Black – AC/DC
89. The Fame Monster (Deluxe Edition) – Lady Gaga
88. I Put a Spell on You – Nina Simone
87. Blue lines: massive attack
86. My Life – Mary J Blige
85. The Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
84. Doggy Style – Snoop Dogg
83. Horses – Patti Smith
82. Get rich or die trying – 50 Cent
81. After the Gold Rush – Neil Young
80. The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem
79. Norman Rockwell! – Lana del Rey
78. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
77. Like a prayer – Madonna
76. A summer without you – Bad Bunny
75. Supa Dupa Fly – Missy Eliott
74. Downward Spiral – Nine Inch Nails
73. Aja – Steel Dan
72. SOS-SZA
71. Trans-European Express Train – Kraftwerk
70. Straight Outta Compton – NWA
69. Puppet Master (Remastered) – Metallica
68. Is This All? – The Strokes
67. Doll – Portishead
66. The Queen is Dead – The Smiths
65. 3 Feet Tall and Rising – De La Soul
64. Baduism – Erykah Badu
63. Do you have experience? – The Jimi Hendrix experience
62. All eyes on me – 2Pac
61. Luxury Love – Sade
60. The Velvet Underground and Nico (45th Anniversary Edition) – Velvet Underground and Nico
59. AM – Arctic Monkeys
58. (What’s the story?) Morning Glory – Oasis
57. Voodoo – D’Angelo
56. Disintegration (Remastered) – The Cure
55. ANTI – Rihanna
54. A Supreme Love – John Coltrane
53. Exile on Main Street (2010 Remaster) – The Rolling Stones
52. Appetite for Destruction – Guns ‘N Roses
51. Sign of the times – Prince
50. Love Dogs (2018 Remaster) – Kate Bush
49. The Joshua Tree – U2
48. Paul’s Boutique – Beastie Boys
47. Take Care (Deluxe Version) – Drake
46. Exodus (2013 Remaster) – Bob Marley & The Wailers
45. Homogeneous – Björk
44. Inner Visions – Stevie Wonder
43. Staying in the light – Talking Heads
42. Control – Janet Jackson
41. Aquemini – OutKast
40. I never loved a man like I love you – Aretha Franklin
39. Illmatic – Nas
38. Tapestry – Carole King
37. Enter Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Expanded Edition) – Wu-Tang Clan
36. BEYONCÉ – Beyoncé
35. London Calling – The Clash
34. It takes a nation of millions to stop us – Public Enemy
33. Kid A – Radiohead
32. Ready to Die (Remastered) – Notorious BIG
31. Jagged Little Pill (Remastered) – Alanis Morissette
30. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
29. The Low End Theory: A Tribe Called Quest
28. The Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
27. Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin
26. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
25. A Little Bit Sad – Miles Davis
24. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (2012 Remaster) – David Bowie
23. Discovery – Daft Punk
22. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
21. Revolver – The Beatles
20. Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys
19. The Chronicle – Dr. Dre
18. 1989 (Taylor’s version) – Taylor Swift
17. What’s Going On? – Marvin Gaye
16. Blue – Joni Mitchell
15. 21 – Adele
14. Revisiting Highway 61 – Bob Dylan
13. The Master Plan – Jay-Z
12. OK Computer – Radiohead
11. Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
10. Lemonade – Beyoncé
09. Nevermind – Nirvana
08. Back in Black – Amy Winehouse
07. Good boy, mAAd city (deluxe version) – Kendrick Lamar
06. Songs in the key of life – Stevie Wonder
05. Blonde – Frank Ocean
04. Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution
03. Abbey Road – The Beatles
02. Suspense – Michael Jackson
01. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill
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