The albums on this list were chosen partly for their artistic achievement and influence. I won't pretend that this is a particularly daring list of albums of the rock and roll era. The majority of these are in or around the core of the canon of contemporary music. But keep in mind, the most important factor in ranking and paring down this list of greatest LPs is the album's longevity, its ability to repeatedly induce a reaction like, "Damn that was good! That's what I'm talking about when I talk about good music, my friend."

I can tell you honestly that all 100 of these albums still do that to me.

1. London Calling (1979)
   The Clash
2. The Band (1969)
   The Band
3. Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
   Velvet Underground
4. Armed Forces (1979)
   Elvis Costello
5. Pet Sounds (1966)
   The Beach Boys
6. Odessey & Oracle (1968)
   The Zombies
7. Remain in Light (1980)
   Talking Heads
8. Parallel Lines (1978)
   Blondie
9. Tapestry (1971)
   Carole King
10. I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (1967)
    Aretha Franklin
    
    
11. Queen is Dead (1986)
    The Smiths
12. Astral Weeks (1968)
    Van Morrison
13. Rubber Soul (1965)
    The Beatles
14. Let It Bleed (1969)
    Rolling Stones
15. Peter Gabriel 3 (1980)
    Peter Gabriel
16. Hunky Dory (1971)
    David Bowie
17. Loveless (1991)
    My Bloody Valentine
18. Rumours (1977)
    Fleetwood Mac
19. OK Computer (1997)
    Radiohead
20. Horses (1976)
    Patti Smith
    
    
21. Blue (1971)
    Joni Mitchell
22. Daydream Nation (1988)
    Sonic Youth
23. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
    Lauryn Hill
24. White Blood Cells (2001)
    The White Stripes
25. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972)
    David Bowie
26. Deja Vu (1970)
    Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
27. Sign 'O' The Times (1987)
    Prince
28. Graceland (1986)
    Paul Simon
29. White Light/White Heat (1968)
    Velvet Underground
30. Are Your Experienced? (1967)
    Jimi Hendrix
    
    
31. The Soft Bulletin (1999)
    Flaming Lips
32. Murmur (1983)
    R.E.M.
33. Innervisions (1973)
    Stevie Wonder
34. If You're Feeling Sinister (1997)
    Belle and Sebastian
35. The White Album (1968)
    The Beatles
36. Closer (1980)
    Joy Division
37. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
    Wilco
38. Third/Sister Lovers (1975)
    Big Star
39. Surrealistic Pillow (1967)
    Jefferson Airplane
40. Nas (1994)
    Illmatic
    
    
41. For Your Pleasure (1973)
    Roxy Music
42. Magnetic Fields (1999)
    69 Love Songs
43. Exile on Main Street (1972)
    Rolling Stones
44. Forever Changes (1967)
    Love
45. Born to Run (1975)
    Bruce Springsteen
46. Marquee Moon (1977)
    Television
47. Blood on the Tracks (1974)
    Bob Dylan
48. The Stone Roses (1989)
    The Stone Roses
49. Moondance (1970)
    Van Morrison
50. Surfer Rosa (1988)
    The Pixies
    
    
51. Highway 61 Revisted (1965)
    Bob Dylan
52. After the Gold Rush (1970)
    Neil Young
53. The Bends (1995)
    Radiohead
54. Pretenders (1980)
    Pretenders
55. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
    Derek and the Dominoes
56. Nevermind (1991)
    Nirvana
57. Odelay (1996)
    Beck
58. Dusty in Memphis (1969)
    Dusty Springfield
59. Sticky Fingers (1971)
    Rolling Stones
60. Bookends (1966)
    Simon & Garfunkel
    
    
61. Paul's Boutique (1989)
    Beastie Boys
62. Let It Be (1984)
    The Replacements
63. Pink Flag (1977)
    Wire
64. Blue Lines (1991)
    Massive Attack
65. Spiderland (1991)
    Slint
66. Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
    Stevie Wonder
67. Los Angeles (1980)
    X
68. Revolver (1966)
    The Beatles
69. Dummy (1994)
    Portishead
70. My Aim is True (1977)
    Elvis Costello
    
    
71. American Beauty (1970)
    Grateful Dead
72. Maggot Brain (1971)
    Funkadelic
73. Exodus (1977)
    Bob Marley
74. (What's The Story) Morning Glory (1995)
    Oasis
75. Who's Next (1971)
    The Who
76. What's Going On (1971)
    Marvin Gaye
77. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969)
    Neil Young
78. New York Dolls (1973)
    New York Dolls
79. Maxinquaye (1995)
    Tricky
80. Entertainment! (1980)
    Gang of Four
    
    
81. Live Through This (1994)
    Hole
82. Blank Generation (1977)
    Richard Hell & the Voidoids
83. Exile in Guyville (1993)
    Liz Phair
84. Abbey Road (1969)
    The Beatles
85. Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
    Pink Floyd
86. Synchronicity (1983)
    The Police
87. Double Nickels on the Dime (1989)
    The Minutemen
88. Thriller (1982)
    Michael Jackson
89. Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
    Bruce Springsteen
90. Like a Prayer (1989)
    Madonna
    
    
91. Violator (1990)
    Depeche Mode
92. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
    Ray Charles
93. Grace (1994)
    Jeff Buckley
94. Low (1977)
    David Bowie
95. Rio (1982)
    Duran Duran
96. Blonde on Blonde (1966)
    Bob Dylan
97. Endtroducing (1996)
    DJ Shadow
98. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
    Public Enemy
99. To Bring You My Love (1995)
    PJ Harvey
100. Velvet Underground (1969)
     Velvet Underground