​SUPER 600                   SOURCES                GENRES                   FORUM                      TOP 100 SPOTIFY
​
​

​THE BEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME: THE SUPER 600

So, now that the wealth of music history is available to us at mouse-click, what better time to discover the greatest albums of the past. But what we need is a guide to signpost us through the maze. The 'Super 600' below brings together the best 600 albums, from the first great LPs to the end of the 2010s. 65 years of great music, covering all genres from jazz  to rock, metal, hip-hop and R&B. Based heavily on the recently (2020) published Rolling Stone magazine 500 Greatest Albums of All Time as a primary source, our list balances this against other magazine and music website lists to even out inconsistencies and deliver a balanced list.  And no greatest hits here - it is an 'albums' list. These are all key works that demand everyone's attention, in way that those that would follow beyond 600 do not.

This list is not our own favourites; instead we have tried to identify where the critical consensus lies, updating this and balancing out any biases - trying to fairly represent the greatest works across all genre; across all eras; from the USA/UK and other countries. We have tried to make sure the list fully and fairly recognises the important contributions of women and black and ethnic minority artists, but making sure that quality always remains the main determinant of inclusion and ranking. These are all albums that have withstood the test of time and remain fresh and relevant today. For those from recent years, they have of course not passed this test yet, but they are already proving influential. We think they will, but we will only know when the list is reviewed again in the future.

​Providing a definitive list is of course, an impossible task, but you don't have to agree with our inclusions and placings to enjoy it. Use it as a guide, step forward with an open mind and you are sure to discover lots of great new music. We are interested to hear your views though,, so please visit our Forum.

THE SUPER 600: THE BEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME
Scroll down to see all  (from 1-600)

The Super 600 is available below. You can view on this site or download the Excel file below. Whether you want a lockdown challenge, to accompany working from home, or a guide to building up your vinyl collection you would do well starting here. This a guide to open up your ears and mind to discover something new.  So dive in, explore and enjoy!  To see the Top 100 with links to play on Spotify click here.

Download Excel spreadsheet with additional info here for free (ad free, virus free) :

super_600_albums.xlsx
File Size:	66 kb
File Type:	xlsx

Download File

---

SOURCES - for complete list         click here

If you like us then please 'like' us and share:

Is the album dead? We don't think so. From releasing vinyl LPs to dropping mixtapes, artists have long wanted to release longform collections of songs to satisfy their creative ambitions. Whether the result is streamed, downloaded or bought in physical form doesn't matter; its the music that matters The album format has evolved: starting from when vinyl records could first accommodate 45 minutes, through the cassette, CD, iTunes and streaming eras, and it continues to evolve, even including an unexpected vinyl revival. There will always be collections of songs, created together and grouped by artists as cohesive works of art, and this what we mean by albums.

How to do the Lockdown Challenge

These albums can help you make it through the Covid-19 lockdowns, or any hard times. Whether you want to achieve something useful when you are stuck at home, or need musical company while you work from home. We recommend that you do the following:

1. Download the spreadhseet above.
2. Keep the list ordered by artist - to give you a variety of genres, let you get into each artist properly at once and stop you running out of steam as you get to the later ranked albums. But a bit of variety is always good so you can jump around the list.
3. Skip the albums you already own or know well but listen to each album in order, using a streaming service such as Spotify or Apple Music.
4. Try and listen to each album in full, but if its really not your thing try and listen to at least the first 3 songs. Turn off shuffle - its important to listen in the order the artist intended.
5. Mark down the ones you like (e.g. using the columns on the right of the spreadsheet). You can be left with a great Spotify library or a shopping list for your vinyl collection. 
6. Share the love! Tell your friends, please share links to this site. You can add your thoughts to our forum, vote for your favourites or even leave us an album of the day review.

Above all, have an open mind and we guarantee you will discover great new music.

What makes a Super 600 Album?

In our minds all the albums on the list needed to have the following. These factors determine how high they are ranked.

• Consistency - a great collection of songs, some classics but more importantly consistency throughout that keeps you listening without skipping.
• Cohesiveness - there needs to be a cohesive sound, theme, mood, or even a 'concept'. That difficult to describe thing that makes the album greater than the sum of its parts. The sequence is itself an important factor.
• Originality - this can't be an album that repeats current or past trends, or what the artist did last time. Is it adding something new tom the album art form, or moving music forward in a new direction?
• Influence - originality is no good if its a one-off or dead-end. Did other artists pick up on this and create great music themselves? This may happen straight away, or the album may stay underground until decades later when its wider influence is revealed.
• Impact - did the album have wider impact in its own times? Did it have an impact beyond music - e.g. on wider pop culture, fashion, even on changing how people think (this is the 'zeitgeist' thing). Is this impact lasting - does it leave us with something relevant to today's culture? The impact must extend beyond its genre, albums within the most popular genres of the time are generally going to have the greatest impact.
• Timelessness - simply, does the album still sound good today? Does it sound 'fresh', is it still relevant - musically, and in terms of its themes? It cannot sound dated. The older albums on the list are there because they have passed this test time and again. Newer albums need longer to assess this.

The Greatest Artists

Those with the highest number of albums in the Top 500 (4 or more) :

Bob Dylan                            11
The Beatles                          7

6 entries:
Bruce Springsteen               
David Bowie                         
Led Zeppelin                        
Neil Young                            
The Rolling Stones               
The Who 

5 entries:                              
Elvis Costello
Joni Mitchell
Kanye West
Miles Davis
R.E.M.

4 entries:
Beastie Boys
Bjork 
Bob Marley & the Wailers
​John Coltrane
Leonard Cohen
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
The Beach Boys
The Velvet Underground
Van Morrison

Comments - click here:  FORUM

SUPER 600                   SOURCES                GENRES                   FORUM                      TOP 100 SPOTIFY


BEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME

Copyright © 2020