Wikipedia

"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine Rolling Stone. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in a special issue of the magazine in 2003 and a related book in 2005.

Critics have accused the lists of lending disproportionate weight to artists of particular races and genders. In the original list, most of the selections were albums by white male rock musicians, with the top position held by the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). In 2012, Rolling Stone published a revised edition, drawing on the original and a later survey of albums released up until the early 2000s.

Another updated edition of the list was published in 2020, with 269 new entries replacing albums from the two previous editions. It was based on a new survey and did not consider the surveys conducted for the 2003 and 2012 lists. The 2020 list featured more artists of color and female artists, topped by Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (1971). It received similar criticisms as the previous lists. Another revision was published in 2023.

Since 2020 Rolling Stone has also produced a weekly podcast called Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums, which, according to magazine, is based on an "updated version of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list". The podcast is hosted by Brittany Spanos, a staff writer at the magazine.

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Release groups

#YearTitleArtistTypeRatingReleases
11967Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club BandThe BeatlesAlbum4.5572
21966Pet SoundsThe Beach BoysAlbum4.355
31966RevolverThe BeatlesAlbum4.6561
41965Highway 61 RevisitedBob DylanAlbum4.2537
51965Rubber SoulThe BeatlesAlbum4.45101
61971What’s Going OnMarvin GayeAlbum4.4546
71972Exile on Main St.The Rolling StonesAlbum4.2552
81979London CallingThe ClashAlbum4.242
91966Blonde on BlondeBob DylanAlbum4.158
101968The Beatles (The White Album)The BeatlesAlbum4.457
111975The Sun SessionsElvis PresleyAlbum + Compilation34
121959Kind of BlueMiles DavisAlbum4.45129
131967The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Velvet Underground & NicoAlbum4.440
141969Abbey RoadThe BeatlesAlbum4.5564
151967Are You ExperiencedThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceAlbum4.0552
161975Blood on the TracksBob DylanAlbum4.227
171991NevermindNirvanaAlbum4.592
181975Born to RunBruce SpringsteenAlbum4.199
191968Astral WeeksVan MorrisonAlbum3.916
201982ThrillerMichael JacksonAlbum4.579
211982The Great Twenty‐EightChuck BerryAlbum + Compilation44
221990The Complete RecordingsRobert JohnsonAlbum + Compilation4.512
231970John Lennon/Plastic Ono BandJohn Lennon/Plastic Ono BandAlbum4.125
241973InnervisionsStevie WonderAlbum4.6535
251963Live at the Apollo, 1962James BrownAlbum + Live411
261977RumoursFleetwood MacAlbum4.1573
271987The Joshua TreeU2Album4.362
281971Who’s NextThe WhoAlbum4.464
291969Led Zeppelin (I)Led ZeppelinAlbum4.563
301971BlueJoni MitchellAlbum4.1527
311965Bringing It All Back HomeBob DylanAlbum4.346
321969Let It BleedThe Rolling StonesAlbum4.339
331976RamonesRamonesAlbum4.221
341968Music From Big PinkThe BandAlbum3.724
351972The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From MarsDavid BowieAlbum4.6559
361971TapestryCarole KingAlbum3.8180
371976Hotel CaliforniaEaglesAlbum4.364
382001The AnthologyMuddy WatersAlbum + Compilation2.51
391963Please Please MeThe BeatlesAlbum3.874
401967Forever ChangesLoveAlbum4.0521
411977Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s The Sex PistolsSex PistolsAlbum4.351
421967The DoorsThe DoorsAlbum4.648
431973The Dark Side of the MoonPink FloydAlbum4.75123
441975HorsesPatti SmithAlbum4.224
451969The Band (“The Brown Album”)The BandAlbum422
461984Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The WailersBob Marley & The WailersAlbum + Compilation4.1567
471965A Love SupremeJohn ColtraneAlbum4.540
481988It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us BackPublic EnemyAlbum3.6528
491971At Fillmore EastThe Allman Brothers BandAlbum + Live431
501957Here’s Little RichardLittle RichardAlbum410
511970Bridge Over Troubled WaterSimon and GarfunkelAlbum4.1544
521975Greatest HitsAl GreenAlbum + Compilation416
531964Meet The Beatles!The BeatlesAlbum4.2535
541991The Birth of SoulRay CharlesAlbum + Compilation32
551968Electric LadylandThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceAlbum4.355
561956Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyAlbum3.818
571976Songs in the Key of LifeStevie WonderAlbum4.3534
581968Beggars BanquetThe Rolling StonesAlbum4.2531
591976Chronicle: The 20 Greatest HitsCreedence Clearwater Revival featuring John FogertyAlbum + Compilation4.837
601969Trout Mask ReplicaCaptain Beefheart & His Magic BandAlbum411
611970Greatest HitsSly & the Family StoneAlbum + Compilation3.57
621987Appetite for DestructionGuns N’ RosesAlbum4.466
631991Achtung BabyU2Album4.440
641971Sticky FingersThe Rolling StonesAlbum4.3548
651991Back to Mono (1958–1969)Various ArtistsAlbum + Compilation23
661970MoondanceVan MorrisonAlbum434
672000Kid ARadioheadAlbum4.529
681979Off the WallMichael JacksonAlbum3.844
691971[Led Zeppelin IV]Led ZeppelinAlbum4.880
701977The StrangerBilly JoelAlbum4.1547
711986GracelandPaul SimonAlbum4.3545
721972SuperflyCurtis MayfieldAlbum + Soundtrack4.2522
731975Physical GraffitiLed ZeppelinAlbum4.0541
741970After the Gold RushNeil YoungAlbum4.4527
751991Star TimeJames BrownAlbum + Compilation4.54
761984Purple RainPrince and The RevolutionAlbum + Soundtrack4.345
771980Back in BlackAC/DCAlbum4.4555
781965Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings SoulOtis ReddingAlbum4.2519
791969Led Zeppelin IILed ZeppelinAlbum4.561
801971ImagineJohn LennonAlbum4.0543
811977The ClashThe ClashAlbum4.1525
821972HarvestNeil YoungAlbum4.3529
831967Axis: Bold as LoveThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceAlbum442
841967I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love YouAretha FranklinAlbum3.5520
851968Lady SoulAretha FranklinAlbum415
861984Born in the U.S.A.Bruce SpringsteenAlbum4.35211
871979The WallPink FloydAlbum4.586
881968At Folsom PrisonJohnny CashAlbum + Live419
891969Dusty in MemphisDusty SpringfieldAlbum3.5520
901972Talking BookStevie WonderAlbum425
911973Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadElton JohnAlbum3.8558
92197820 Golden GreatsBuddy HollyAlbum + Compilation36
931987Sign “☮︎” the TimesPrinceAlbum4.123
94197840 Greatest HitsHank WilliamsAlbum + Compilation34
951970Bitches BrewMiles DavisAlbum4.542
961969TommyThe WhoAlbum4.2548
971963The Freewheelin’ Bob DylanBob DylanAlbum4.2531
981978This Year’s ModelElvis Costello & The AttractionsAlbum4.3524
991971There’s a Riot Goin’ OnSly & the Family StoneAlbum3.420
1001968Odessey and OracleThe ZombiesAlbum3.926

Relationships

official homepages:http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531 [info]
Wikidata:Q240550 [info]