| 1 | 1982 | Combat Rock | The Clash | Album | 4.1 | 23 |
| 2 | 1987 | The Joshua Tree | U2 | Album | 4.3 | 57 |
| 3 | 1991 | Nevermind | Nirvana | Album | 4.45 | 89 |
| 4 | 1969 | Trout Mask Replica | Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | Album | 4 | 11 |
| 5 | 1970 | Let It Be | The Beatles | Album | 4 | 52 |
| 6 | 1985 | Tim | The Replacements | Album | 3.75 | 14 |
| 7 | 1983 | Synchronicity | The Police | Album | 4.1 | 41 |
| 8 | 1972 | Transformer | Lou Reed | Album | 4.25 | 25 |
| 9 | 1970 | Bitches Brew | Miles Davis | Album | 4.65 | 39 |
| 10 | 1971 | Hunky Dory | David Bowie | Album | 4.3 | 35 |
| 11 | 1997 | The Boatman’s Call | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | Album | 3.8 | 17 |
| 12 | 1975 | Physical Graffiti | Led Zeppelin | Album | 4 | 40 |
| 13 | 1993 | Transient Random‐Noise Bursts With Announcements | Stereolab | Album | 3 | 8 |
| 14 | 1995 | (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? | Oasis | Album | 3.95 | 31 |
| 15 | 1981 | Heaven Up Here | Echo and the Bunnymen | Album | 3.6 | 12 |
| 16 | 1991 | Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black | Public Enemy | Album | 3.25 | 10 |
| 17 | 1993 | Vs. | Pearl Jam | Album | 4.45 | 22 |
| 18 | 1998 | Something About Airplanes | Death Cab for Cutie | Album | 5 | 6 |
| 19 | 1999 | Midnite Vultures | Beck | Album | 4 | 13 |
| 20 | 1989 | 13 Songs | Fugazi | Album + Compilation | 4 | 8 |
| 21 | 1970 | Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs | Derek and the Dominos | Album | 3.6 | 44 |
| 22 | 1969 | Tommy | The Who | Album | 4.2 | 47 |
| 23 | 1999 | Mule Variations | Tom Waits | Album | 4.6 | 9 |
| 24 | 1989 | Pretty Hate Machine | Nine Inch Nails | Album | 2.7 | 28 |
| 25 | 1989 | Paul’s Boutique | Beastie Boys | Album | 4.35 | 22 |
| 26 | 1993 | Zooropa | U2 | Album | 4.15 | 21 |
| 27 | 1990 | Dear 23 | The Posies | Album | 4 | 5 |
| 28 | 1991 | Blood Sugar Sex Magik | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Album | 4.15 | 26 |
| 29 | 1999 | On How Life Is | Macy Gray | Album | 4.5 | 7 |
| 30 | 2001 | White Blood Cells | The White Stripes | Album | 4.25 | 20 |
| 31 | 1997 | Dig Your Own Hole | The Chemical Brothers | Album | 3.9 | 15 |
| 32 | 1999 | The Soft Bulletin | The Flaming Lips | Album | 4 | 13 |
| 33 | 1967 | Surrealistic Pillow | Jefferson Airplane | Album | 4.15 | 27 |
| 34 | 1959 | Time Out | The Dave Brubeck Quartet | Album | 4.3 | 53 |
| 35 | 1998 | Hello Nasty | Beastie Boys | Album | 4.5 | 15 |
| 36 | 1996 | Emancipation | Prince | Album | 4 | 4 |
| 37 | 1960 | Giant Steps | John Coltrane | Album | 4.15 | 29 |
| 38 | 1968 | We’re Only in It for the Money | The Mothers of Invention | Album | 3.6 | 14 |
| 39 | 1996 | Being There | Wilco | Album | 4.4 | 10 |
| 41 | 1994 | Pulp Fiction: Music From the Motion Picture | Various Artists | Album + Soundtrack | 3.55 | 23 |
| 42 | 1980 | Zenyattà Mondatta | The Police | Album | 3.6 | 36 |
| 43 | 1969 | Arthur (or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire) | The Kinks | Album | 4.25 | 22 |
| 44 | 1988 | Nothing’s Shocking | Jane’s Addiction | Album | 4 | 14 |
| 45 | 1993 | The Colour of My Love | Céline Dion | Album | 3.8 | 12 |
| 46 | 1992 | Meantime | Helmet | Album | 4 | 9 |
| 47 | 1995 | Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | The Smashing Pumpkins | Album | 4.1 | 22 |
| 48 | 1978 | White Music | XTC | Album | 2.65 | 34 |
| 49 | 1988 | Daydream Nation | Sonic Youth | Album | 4 | 20 |
| 50 | 1990 | Heaven or Las Vegas | Cocteau Twins | Album | 3.7 | 13 |
| 51 | 2000 | Live | Built to Spill | Album + Live | 4 | 5 |
| 51 | 2001 | I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings | Radiohead | Album + Live | 3 | 11 |
| 52 | 1999 | Come On Die Young | Mogwai | Album | 4 | 13 |
| 53 | 1994 | Live Through This | Hole | Album | 4.35 | 11 |
| 54 | 1994 | Under the Pink | Tori Amos | Album | 4.65 | 20 |
| 55 | 1992 | 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of… | Arrested Development | Album | 3 | 13 |
| 56 | 1995 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Album | 4.1 | 20 |
| 57 | 1987 | Earth · Sun · Moon | Love and Rockets | Album | 4 | 6 |
| 58 | 1997 | Whatever and Ever Amen | Ben Folds Five | Album | 4 | 13 |
| 59 | 1969 | From Elvis in Memphis | Elvis Presley | Album | 3.6 | 17 |
| 60 | 1999 | Bourbonitis Blues | Alejandro Escovedo | Album | | 1 |
| 61 | 1995 | …And Out Come the Wolves | Rancid | Album | 4.5 | 9 |
| 62 | 1994 | Dookie | Green Day | Album | 3.9 | 28 |
| 63 | 1981 | Moving Pictures | Rush | Album | 4.3 | 46 |
| 64 | 1973 | The Dark Side of the Moon | Pink Floyd | Album | 4.75 | 120 |
| 65 | 1993 | Fumbling Towards Ecstasy | Sarah McLachlan | Album | 4.8 | 13 |
| 65 | 1997 | Surfacing | Sarah McLachlan | Album | 3.65 | 17 |
| 66 | 1990 | Ani DiFranco | Ani DiFranco | Album | 4.65 | 8 |
| 66 | 1991 | Not So Soft | Ani DiFranco | Album | 4.65 | 3 |
| 66 | 1993 | Puddle Dive | Ani DiFranco | Album | 4.65 | 1 |
| 67 | 1996 | This Fire | Paula Cole | Album | 3 | 6 |
| 68 | 1981 | Kollaps | Einstürzende Neubauten | Album | 4.5 | 5 |
| 69 | 1983 | War | U2 | Album | 4 | 40 |
| 70 | 1992 | New Miserable Experience | Gin Blossoms | Album | 4 | 12 |
| 71 | 1993 | August and Everything After | Counting Crows | Album | 4.3 | 23 |
| 72 | 1994 | Smash | Offspring | Album | 4.25 | 16 |
| 73 | 1987 | Electric | The Cult | Album | 3.35 | 15 |
| 74 | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | Album | 4.55 | 67 |
| 75 | 1989 | Captain Swing | Michelle Shocked | Album | | 5 |
| 75 | 1992 | Am I Not Your Girl? | Sinéad O’Connor | Album | 3.15 | 7 |
| 76 | 2000 | Mama’s Gun | Erykah Badu | Album | 4.35 | 9 |
| 77 | 1987 | You’re Living All Over Me | Dinosaur | Album | 3.95 | 11 |
| 78 | 1984 | Footsteps in the Dark: Greatest Hits, Volume Two | Cat Stevens | Album + Compilation | | 4 |
| 79 | 1992 | The Wallflowers | The Wallflowers | Album | 4 | 4 |
| 80 | 1991 | Out of Time | R.E.M. | Album | 3.9 | 28 |
| 81 | 1995 | The Presidents of the United States of America | The Presidents of the United States of America | Album | 4.15 | 17 |
| 82 | 2000 | Public Places | Russell Simins | Album | | 2 |
| 84 | 2001 | M!ssundaztood | P!nk | Album | 3.7 | 28 |
| 85 | 1984 | Zen Arcade | Hüsker Dü | Album | 5 | 5 |
| 86 | 1984 | Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers | Bob Marley & The Wailers | Album + Compilation | 4.15 | 66 |
| 87 | 1990 | The Immaculate Collection | Madonna | Album + Compilation | 4.45 | 18 |
| 89 | 1983 | Rock for Light | Bad Brains | Album | 4 | 8 |
| 90 | 1993 | Ten Summoner’s Tales | Sting | Album | 4.15 | 23 |
| 91 | 1996 | Sublime | Sublime | Album | 5 | 17 |
| 92 | 1983 | Violent Femmes | Violent Femmes | Album | 4.15 | 22 |
| 93 | 1985 | Listen Like Thieves | INXS | Album | 4.4 | 18 |
| 94 | 1999 | Things Fall Apart | The Roots | Album | 3.7 | 9 |
| 95 | 1994 | Music for the Jilted Generation | The Prodigy | Album | 4 | 28 |
| 96 | 1992 | Check Your Head | Beastie Boys | Album | 4.4 | 21 |
| 96 | 1994 | Ill Communication | Beastie Boys | Album | 4.35 | 18 |
| 97 | 1985 | The Best of The Doors | The Doors | Album + Compilation | 4.5 | 21 |
