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 entries not in either of 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 BeatlesAlbum4.5567
21966Pet SoundsThe Beach BoysAlbum4.3554
31966RevolverThe BeatlesAlbum4.654
41965Highway 61 RevisitedBob DylanAlbum4.2534
51965Rubber SoulThe BeatlesAlbum4.4595
61971What’s Going OnMarvin GayeAlbum4.6542
71972Exile on Main St.The Rolling StonesAlbum4.351
81979London CallingThe ClashAlbum4.242
91966Blonde on BlondeBob DylanAlbum4.357
101968The Beatles (The White Album)The BeatlesAlbum4.3555
111975The Sun SessionsElvis PresleyAlbum + Compilation43
121959Kind of BlueMiles DavisAlbum4.55121
131967The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Velvet Underground & NicoAlbum4.538
141969Abbey RoadThe BeatlesAlbum4.661
151967Are You ExperiencedThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceAlbum4.148
161975Blood on the TracksBob DylanAlbum4.2527
171991NevermindNirvanaAlbum4.4588
181975Born to RunBruce SpringsteenAlbum4.167
191968Astral WeeksVan MorrisonAlbum416
201982ThrillerMichael JacksonAlbum4.4572
211982The Great Twenty‐EightChuck BerryAlbum + Compilation4
221990The Complete RecordingsRobert JohnsonAlbum + Compilation4.511
231970John Lennon/Plastic Ono BandJohn Lennon/Plastic Ono BandAlbum422
241973InnervisionsStevie WonderAlbum533
251963Live at the Apollo, 1962James BrownAlbum + Live4.510
261977RumoursFleetwood MacAlbum4.468
271987The Joshua TreeU2Album4.357
281971Who’s NextThe WhoAlbum4.460
291969Led Zeppelin (I)Led ZeppelinAlbum4.4561
301971BlueJoni MitchellAlbum4.2523
311965Bringing It All Back HomeBob DylanAlbum4.445
321969Let It BleedThe Rolling StonesAlbum4.336
331976RamonesRamonesAlbum4.1521
341968Music From Big PinkThe BandAlbum422
351972The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From MarsDavid BowieAlbum4.657
361971TapestryCarole KingAlbum4180
371976Hotel CaliforniaEaglesAlbum4.4561
382001The AnthologyMuddy WatersAlbum + Compilation21
391963Please Please MeThe BeatlesAlbum3.9570
401967Forever ChangesLoveAlbum4.4520
411977Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex PistolsSex PistolsAlbum4.4550
421967The DoorsThe DoorsAlbum4.5542
431973The Dark Side of the MoonPink FloydAlbum4.75117
441975HorsesPatti SmithAlbum4.324
451969The Band (“The Brown Album”)The BandAlbum4.1522
461984Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The WailersBob Marley & The WailersAlbum + Compilation4.1566
471965A Love SupremeJohn ColtraneAlbum4.637
481988It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us BackPublic EnemyAlbum3.625
491971At Fillmore EastThe Allman Brothers BandAlbum + Live4.530
501957Here’s Little RichardLittle RichardAlbum4.258
511970Bridge Over Troubled WaterSimon and GarfunkelAlbum4.141
521975Greatest HitsAl GreenAlbum + Compilation515
531964Meet The Beatles!The BeatlesAlbum4.2532
541991The Birth of SoulRay CharlesAlbum + Compilation1
551968Electric LadylandThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceAlbum4.254
561956Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyAlbum4.1517
571976Songs in the Key of LifeStevie WonderAlbum4.5532
581968Beggars BanquetThe Rolling StonesAlbum4.3530
591976Chronicle: The 20 Greatest HitsCreedence Clearwater Revival featuring John FogertyAlbum + Compilation4.835
601969Trout Mask ReplicaCaptain Beefheart & His Magic BandAlbum411
611970Greatest HitsSly & the Family StoneAlbum + Compilation3.57
621987Appetite for DestructionGuns N’ RosesAlbum4.465
631991Achtung BabyU2Album4.3536
641971Sticky FingersThe Rolling StonesAlbum4.443
651991Back to Mono (1958–1969)Various ArtistsAlbum + Compilation23
661970MoondanceVan MorrisonAlbum4.3533
672000Kid ARadioheadAlbum4.4529
681979Off the WallMichael JacksonAlbum3.8541
691971[Led Zeppelin IV]Led ZeppelinAlbum4.878
701977The StrangerBilly JoelAlbum4.243
711986GracelandPaul SimonAlbum4.3545
721972SuperflyCurtis MayfieldAlbum + Soundtrack4.2520
731975Physical GraffitiLed ZeppelinAlbum4.140
741970After the Gold RushNeil YoungAlbum4.6527
751991Star TimeJames BrownAlbum + Compilation4.53
761984Purple RainPrince and The RevolutionAlbum + Soundtrack4.340
771980Back in BlackAC/DCAlbum4.4550
781965Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings SoulOtis ReddingAlbum4.2519
791969Led Zeppelin IILed ZeppelinAlbum4.4560
801971ImagineJohn LennonAlbum443
811977The ClashThe ClashAlbum425
821972HarvestNeil YoungAlbum4.428
831967Axis: Bold as LoveThe Jimi Hendrix ExperienceAlbum3.9542
841967I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love YouAretha FranklinAlbum3.6519
851968Lady SoulAretha FranklinAlbum415
861984Born in the U.S.A.Bruce SpringsteenAlbum4.25206
871979The WallPink FloydAlbum4.4585
881968At Folsom PrisonJohnny CashAlbum + Live417
891969Dusty in MemphisDusty SpringfieldAlbum3.820
901972Talking BookStevie WonderAlbum4.4524
911973Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadElton JohnAlbum456
92197820 Golden GreatsBuddy HollyAlbum + Compilation36
931987Sign “☮︎” the TimesPrinceAlbum4.119
94197840 Greatest HitsHank WilliamsAlbum + Compilation34
951970Bitches BrewMiles DavisAlbum4.738
961969TommyThe WhoAlbum4.247
971963The Freewheelin’ Bob DylanBob DylanAlbum4.230
981978This Year’s ModelElvis Costello & The AttractionsAlbum4.3523
991971There’s a Riot Goin’ OnSly & the Family StoneAlbum3.520
1001968Odessey and OracleThe ZombiesAlbum3.925

Relationships

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