Apple Music Launches 100 Best Albums Countdown

Apple Music has launched its inaugural 100 Best Albums list, with a ten-day countdown commemorating the fun and encouraging group engagement.

The ten-day countdown begins today, as Apple Music has revealed the albums ranked 100-91.

Described as an “editorial statement” free from streaming numbers on the music platform, the 100 Best Albums list is set to act as a “love letter” to records that have shaped our world and the panel of judges voting for the albums.

Artists including Maren Morris, Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Charli XCX, Mark Hoppus, Honey Dijon, and Nia Archives have joined forces with songwriters, producers, and industry professionals to share Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums.

Ten albums will be revealed over the next ten days, and Apple Music will showcase the 100 Best Albums list through exclusive content, new Apple Music radio episodes, and a broadcast radio special when the top ten albums drop.

We’ll update this article as the remainder of the countdown is revealed in the coming days.

APPLE MUSIC’S 100 BEST ALBUMS LIST

100. Body Talk, Robyn

99. Hotel California, Eagles

98. ASTROWORLD, Travis Scott

97. Rage Against The Machine, Rage Against The Machine

96. Pure Heroine, Lorde

95. Confessions, USHER

94. Untrue, Burial

93. A Seat At The Table, Solange

92. Flower Boy, Tyler, The Creator

91. Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, George Michael

90. Back In Black, AC/DC

89. The Fame Monster (Deluxe Edition), Lady Gaga

88. I Put A Spell On You, Nina Simone

87. Blue Lines, Massive Attack

86. My Life, Mary J. Blige

85. Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves

84. Doggystyle, Snoop Dogg

83. Horses, Patti Smith

82. Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, 50 Cent

81. After The Gold Rush, Neil Young

“100 Best brings together all the things that make Apple Music the ultimate service for music lovers — human curation at its peak, an appreciation for the art of storytelling, and unparalleled knowledge of music and an even deeper love for it,” Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s Senior Director of Content and Editorial commented in a press release. “We have been working on this for a very long time, and it’s something we are all incredibly proud of and excited to share with the world.”

Scott Plagenhoef, Apple Music’s Global Head of Music Programming, commented on the “fun facts” the 100 Best Albums list will provide for listeners as a tool for discovery.

“For example, two of the records revealed today were promoted without the image of the artist, but for opposite reasons — Burial’s Untrue because the artist was still operating anonymously at the time, and George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 because the artist was actually retreating from fame.”

Apple Music’s Global Creative Director and Lead Anchor for Apple Music 1, Zane Lowe, added that putting the countdown together has been “a true labour of love, both in that it was incredibly difficult to do and in that we are all so passionate about it.”

Lowe said that the task was “practically mission impossible” and continued, “But as music fans, it was also amazing to really take a minute and sit and think about the music and albums and artists that we love so much in this context.

“If this list sparks more debate among fans outside of Apple Music and gets people talking passionately about the music they love, then we’ve done what we set out to do.”

The list has already incited debate among music fans. Some, for example, argued over Travis Scott’s Astroworld album being listed at #97 – one YouTube commenter argued that it “deserved more”, while another said it’s “nowhere near the 100 GREATEST albums of all time”. One user said of the entire list: “This is a terrible idea let’s be honest.”

“Hoping for lots of metal, rock and punk but expecting the usual ignorance of all three,” wrote one viewer, while another quipped, “Leave it to Apple to infuriate the masses.” One also predicted the overall outcome of the list: “I have a feeling this list is actually going to be embarrassing.”