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Best albums of all time

Most all-time lists are a critics' poll from the seventies with three records swapped in since. This one is the people who use Riffiter, rating what they actually go back to, and it moves every week.

According to Riffiter listeners, the best album of all time is Reign in Blood by Slayer, rated 4.7/5 by 23 listeners. Weighted across 15,185 rated albums.

  1. Reign in Blood cover№ 1Reign in BloodSlayer · 19864.6Weighted score4.7 avg · 23 ratings
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  1. 2What's Going On coverWhat's Going OnMarvin Gaye · 19714.5 score · 4.7 avg · 15 ratings
  2. 3Purple Rain coverPurple RainPrince · 19844.5 score · 4.6 avg · 21 ratings
  3. 4Bubba coverBubbaKaytranada · 20194.5 score · 4.7 avg · 14 ratings
  4. 5Müptezhel coverMüptezhelEzhel · 20174.5 score · 5.0 avg · 5 ratings
  5. 6Love Songs coverLove SongsMichael Jackson · 20024.5 score · 5.0 avg · 5 ratings
  6. 7Paradises coverParadisesLadytron · 20264.5 score · 5.0 avg · 5 ratings
  7. 8Illmatic coverIllmaticNas · 19944.5 score · 4.5 avg · 33 ratings
  8. 9Ipséité coverIpséitéDamso · 20174.4 score · 4.6 avg · 16 ratings
  9. 10The Fat of the Land coverThe Fat of the LandThe Prodigy · 19974.4 score · 4.6 avg · 15 ratings
  10. 11Brothers coverBrothersThe Black Keys · 20104.4 score · 4.6 avg · 13 ratings
  11. 12$ad Boyz 4 Life II cover$ad Boyz 4 Life IIJunior H · 20234.4 score · 4.9 avg · 5 ratings
  12. 137220 cover7220Lil Durk · 20224.4 score · 4.9 avg · 5 ratings
  13. 14The Man·Machine coverThe Man·MachineKraftwerk · 19784.4 score · 4.9 avg · 5 ratings
  14. 15Battle Cry coverBattle CryJudas Priest · 20164.4 score · 4.6 avg · 16 ratings
  15. 16Carré coverCarréWeRenoi · 20234.4 score · 5.0 avg · 4 ratings
  16. 17Vespertine coverVespertineBjörk · 20014.4 score · 4.6 avg · 15 ratings
  17. 18DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS coverDeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToSBad Bunny · 20254.4 score · 4.7 avg · 8 ratings
  18. 19Highway 61 Revisited coverHighway 61 RevisitedBob Dylan · 19654.4 score · 4.7 avg · 8 ratings
  19. 20Low coverLowDavid Bowie · 19774.4 score · 4.7 avg · 8 ratings
  20. 21Destin coverDestinNinho · 20194.4 score · 4.5 avg · 18 ratings
  21. 22Spiderland coverSpiderlandSlint · 19914.4 score · 4.5 avg · 18 ratings
  22. 23Humble as the Sun coverHumble as the SunBob Vylan · 20244.4 score · 4.5 avg · 18 ratings
  23. 24Clandestino coverClandestinoManu Chao · 19984.4 score · 4.4 avg · 64 ratings
  24. 25Beats, Rhymes & Life coverBeats, Rhymes & LifeA Tribe Called Quest · 19964.4 score · 4.7 avg · 7 ratings
  25. 26TRUSTFALL (Tour Deluxe Edition) coverTRUSTFALL (Tour Deluxe Edition)P!nk · 20234.4 score · 4.7 avg · 7 ratings
  26. 27Visitor (Deluxe) coverVisitor (Deluxe)Sienna Spiro · 20264.4 score · 4.7 avg · 7 ratings
  27. 281999 cover1999Joey Bada$$ · 20124.4 score · 4.5 avg · 25 ratings
  28. 2999.9% cover99.9%Kaytranada · 20164.4 score · 4.6 avg · 11 ratings
  29. 30Let's Get It On coverLet's Get It OnMarvin Gaye · 19734.4 score · 4.6 avg · 11 ratings
  30. 31The Sound of The Smiths coverThe Sound of The SmithsThe Smiths · 20084.4 score · 4.4 avg · 37 ratings
  31. 32I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard coverI Wish You Love: More From The BodyguardWhitney Houston · 20174.4 score · 4.8 avg · 6 ratings
  32. 33Are You Experienced coverAre You ExperiencedJimi Hendrix · 20104.4 score · 4.8 avg · 6 ratings
  33. 34Corleone coverCorleoneLacrim · 20144.4 score · 4.6 avg · 10 ratings
  34. 35Zooropa coverZooropaU2 · 19934.4 score · 4.6 avg · 10 ratings
  35. 36Time Flies… 1994-2009 coverTime Flies… 1994-2009Oasis · 20104.4 score · 4.6 avg · 10 ratings
  36. 37Blonde on Blonde coverBlonde on BlondeBob Dylan · 19664.4 score · 4.5 avg · 14 ratings
  37. 38BLUE LIPS coverBLUE LIPSScHoolboy Q · 20244.4 score · 4.5 avg · 26 ratings
  38. 39MM..FOOD coverMM..FOODMF DOOM · 20044.4 score · 4.4 avg · 38 ratings
  39. 40Sliver: The Best of the Box coverSliver: The Best of the BoxNirvana · 20054.4 score · 4.5 avg · 17 ratings
  40. 4111ta Stock Sound cover11ta Stock SoundKurdo · 20124.4 score · 4.5 avg · 13 ratings
  41. 42Sometimes I Might Be Introvert coverSometimes I Might Be IntrovertLittle Simz · 20214.4 score · 4.5 avg · 13 ratings
  42. 43The Boatman's Call coverThe Boatman's CallNick Cave & The Bad Seeds · 19974.4 score · 4.6 avg · 9 ratings
  43. 44Corinne Bailey Rae coverCorinne Bailey RaeCorinne Bailey Rae · 20064.4 score · 4.8 avg · 5 ratings
  44. 45The Best Of coverThe Best OfMarvin Gaye · 20094.4 score · 4.8 avg · 5 ratings
  45. 46Everything You've Come to Expect coverEverything You've Come to ExpectThe Last Shadow Puppets · 20164.4 score · 4.8 avg · 5 ratings
  46. 47Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous coverLifestylez ov da Poor & DangerousBig L · 19954.4 score · 4.8 avg · 5 ratings
  47. 48King of All Kings coverKing of All KingsHate Eternal · 20024.4 score · 4.8 avg · 5 ratings
  48. 49Morningrise (2023 Abbey Road Remaster) coverMorningrise (2023 Abbey Road Remaster)Opeth · 19964.4 score · 4.8 avg · 5 ratings
  49. 50Power, Corruption & Lies coverPower, Corruption & LiesNew Order · 19834.4 score · 4.8 avg · 5 ratings

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FAQ

What is the best album of all time?
On Riffiter it is Reign in Blood by Slayer, rated 4.7 out of 5. That is a live number from listener ratings, not a critics' poll, so it moves.
How is this all-time ranking calculated?
Every album's score is a Bayesian weighted average: an album with two perfect ratings is pulled toward the site-wide mean until it collects enough votes to earn its own average. That stops an obscure record with three fans outranking one with four hundred.
Why does this list differ from the usual all-time lists?
The published canons are mostly critic polls written decades ago and reprinted since. This one is the people who use Riffiter, so it leans toward what listeners return to rather than what was important at the time.