The Top 100 Rock Albums of all time (according to "BestEver" albums

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To weigh in on this debate, Stacker compiled a list of the 100 best rock albums using data as of May 9, 2024, from Best Ever Albums, which ranks albums according to their appearance and performance on over 40,000 editorial and data-based charts like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Billboard.

#100


- Best Ever Albums score: 11,778
- Rank all-time: #126
- Rank in decade: #16
- Rank in year: #3
- Year: 1986


"Graceland," Paul Simon's seventh solo studio album, was released in 1986, a strange yet pivotal time for the American singer-songwriter. His working relationship with former musical partner Art Garfunkel had long crumbled, while his marriage to actor Carrie Fisher had ended in divorce. "Graceland" was a new beginning for Simon. With its innovative mix of South African music, pop, and rock, "Graceland" went on to become a cultural phenomenon and one of rock's greatest critical and commercial hits.

 

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#99



- Best Ever Albums score: 11,959
- Rank all-time: #122
- Rank in decade: #25
- Rank in year: #1
- Year: 1996

The breakthrough sophomore album from Belle and Sebastian made the seven-member Scottish group one of the greatest cult acts in indie rock. Released in 1996, "If You're Feeling Sinister" included songs written within just three months and released only half a year after the band's debut album.

 

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#98



- Best Ever Albums score: 12,018
- Rank all-time: #121
- Rank in decade: #24
- Rank in year: #2
- Year: 1992

The debut album by Rage Against the Machine was considered groundbreaking in its mix of rap with rock. The band blended guitar solos with angry lyrics, and it's widely considered to be the band's best work.

 

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#97



- Best Ever Albums score: 12,047
- Rank all-time: #120
- Rank in decade: #10
- Rank in year: #1
- Year: 2013

After releasing their first album straight out of college, Vampire Weekend's "Modern Vampires Of The City," their third record, showed how the band had matured since then. The album was a slight change in direction for the band, who were stepping away from their African-inspired indie towards something more experimental. It was a departure that paid off, with the album drawing many favorable critic reviews, as well as debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts.

 

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#96



- Best Ever Albums score: 12,068
- Rank all-time: #119
- Rank in decade: #15
- Rank in year: #4
- Year: 2002

"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" by The Flaming Lips was called "storytelling acid rock" and designed to entertain. It followed their earlier popular album, "The Soft Bulletin." The single "Do You Realize??" was named the official state rock song of Oklahoma, where the band originated. Frontman Wayne Coyne adapted the album into a stage musical in 2012.

 

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#95



- Best Ever Albums score: 12,083
- Rank all-time: #118
- Rank in decade: #23
- Rank in year: #2
- Year: 1999

The orchestral "The Soft Bulletin" by Oklahoma City's The Flaming Lips was more harmonious and personal than their earlier four-disc album "Zaireeka." It broadened the psychedelic rock band's popularity enormously, and they followed with an even more successful "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" in 2002.

 

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#94


- Best Ever Albums score: 12,209
- Rank all-time: #117
- Rank in decade: #15
- Rank in year: #2
- Year: 1987

"Appetite for Destruction" was the debut album for Guns N' Roses. Reviewers said it was the perfect mix of blues, swinging rhythm, and the soulful, charismatic lead vocals of Axl Rose. Its popularity grew slowly, taking almost a year to reach the top of the chart at Billboard.