The Best Albums of All Time By Genre

With the close of the second decade of the 21st century, I thought I'd put together a list of the best albums of all time. Unlike past lists, I decided to break it up by genre and cap each at ten. There's a limit of one album per artist or band; hence no double dipping.

Obviously when you're dealing with a self-imposed limit, some tough choices have to be made. As a result there were a few notable exclusions in each genre. Like the perfectionist that I am, I kept tweaking it right up till the end.

A few explanations, I feel, are in order. First, concerning the Beatles, I opted for Abbey Road over Sgt. Pepper's or Rubber Soul because I believe it was the better album. It was for that reason that I chose Michael Jackson's Off the Wall over Thriller. It was simply a better album.

Then there was my decision to include two reggae albums in the World Music genre. I felt is was warranted based on the fact that they belong there. And as I'm sure you've noticed, the remaining eight selections are all from the continent of Africa. Seriously, if you broke down the over all contribution that African music has made across the globe, you'd be hard-pressed to cap it at fifty, much less ten. So I'm perfectly ok with eight out of ten coming from there.

In closing, I have listened to each of these albums thoroughly and can vouch for their inclusion in this list. While some may take umbrage with my final selections, I feel confident that I did the best I could under the circumstances. If you think you can do better, knock yourself out.

Here goes,

Rock

1. The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (1972)

2. Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

3. Derek & the Dominos: Layla (1970)

4. Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps (1979)

5. Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced? (1967) 

6. The Band: Music From Big Pink (1968)

7. The Who: Who’s Next (1971)

8. Grateful Dead: Live/Dead (1969) 

9. The Beatles: Abbey Road (1969)

10. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Street Survivors (1977)


Alt-Rock

1. The Clash: London Calling (1980)

2. Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (1988)

3. Wussy: Attica! (2014)

4. Television: Marquee Moon (1977)

5. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (2005)

6. Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires in the City (2013)

7. Yo La Tengo: I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)

8. Nirvana: Nevermind (1991)

9. Liz Phair: Exile in Guyville (1993)

10. P.J. Harvey: Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (2000)

Country / Alt-Country

1. Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)

2. Drive-By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (2008)

3. Iris DeMent: My Life (1994)

4. Joe Ely: Honky Tonk Masquerade (1978)

5. Rosanne Cash: Interiors (1991)

6. Willie Nelson: Spirit (1996)

7. Gram Parsons: Grievous Angel (1974)

8. John Prine: Sweet Revenge (1973)

9. Merle Haggard: If I Could Only Fly (2000)

10. Johnny Cash: At Folsom Prison (1968)

Singer-Songwriter

1. Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde (1966)

2. Paul Simon: Paul Simon (1972)

3. Patti Smith: Horses (1975)

4. Amy Rigby: Dairy of a Mod Housewife (1996)

5. Randy Newman: 12 Songs (1970)

6. Joni Mitchell: For the Roses (1972)

7. Van Morrison: Moondance (1970)

8. Tom Waits: Orphans (2006)

9. Leonard Cohen: Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)

10. Conor Oberst: Conor Oberst (2008)

R&B

1. Sly & the Family Stone: There’s a Riot Goin’ On (1971)

2. Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

3. Al Green: Call Me (1973)

4. Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)

5. Prince: Sign o’ the Times (1987)

6. Otis Redding: Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)

7. Marvin Gaye: Midnight Love (1982)

8. Parliament: Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome (1977)

9. Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (1979)

10. Ray Charles: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)

Rap / Hip-Hop

1. A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here … Thank you 4 Your Service (2016)

2. Tricky: Maxinquaye (1995)

3. Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)

4. The Roots: How I Got Over (2010)

5. Kanye West: Late Registration (2005)

6. Rihanna: Anti (2016)

7. Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)

8. The Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death (1997)

9. Ice-T: O.G.: Original Gangstar (1991)

10. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five: The Message (1982)


Jazz

1. Miles Davis: A Tribute To Jack Johnson (1971)

2. John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (1965)

3. David Murray: Shakill's Warrior (1991)

4. James Carter: The Real Quietstorm (1995)

5. Ornette Coleman: Of Human Feelings (1982)

6. Sonny Rollins: G Man (1987)

7. Eric Dolphy: Out To Lunch (1964)

8. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: Moanin' (1958)

9. Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown (1978)

10. James Blood Ulmer: Odyssey (1983)

World Music

1. The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (1986)

2. Franco & Rochereau: Omona Wapi (1985)

3. Bob Marley & the Wailers: Natty Dread (1975)

4. King Sunny Ade & His African Beats: Juju Music (1982)

5. Youssou N'Dour: Nothing's In Vain (2002)

6. Papa Wemba: Emotion (1995)

7. Culture: Two Sevens Clash (1987)

8. Amadou & Mariam: Dimanche à Bamako (2005)

9. Mzwakhe Mbuli: Resistance Is Defence (1992)

10. Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Matimila: Songs for the Poor Man (1989)