This guide gathers the first 200 albums from Rolling Stone’s “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list, 2020 edition, updated in 2023. It is not “our” ranking, but a historical map designed to help listeners find their way through decades of music. From the political soul of Marvin Gaye to the electronic experimentation of Radiohead, from the hip hop of Kendrick Lamar to the classic rock of The Beatles and Pink Floyd.
How to Read This List
Ranking: follows the official Rolling Stone order.
Year: helps place each record within its historical context.
Compilations and live albums: clearly indicated when the entry is a greatest hits collection or a live recording.
The First 200 Albums on the Rolling Stone List
Below you will find the first 200 titles exactly as they appear in the ranking, including release year and artist. You can use this structure to create internal links, in depth features, or listening pathways on SlaveToMusic.
- What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye (1971)
- Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys (1966)
- Blue – Joni Mitchell (1971)
- Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (1976)
- Abbey Road – The Beatles (1969)
- Nevermind – Nirvana (1991)
- Rumours – Fleetwood Mac (1977)
- Purple Rain – Prince (1984)
- Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan (1975)
- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1998)
- Revolver – The Beatles (1966)
- Thriller – Michael Jackson (1982)
- I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You – Aretha Franklin (1967)
- Exile on Main St. – The Rolling Stones (1972)
- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back – Public Enemy (1988)
- London Calling – The Clash (1979)
- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West (2010)
- Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan (1965)
- To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar (2015)
- Kid A – Radiohead (2000)
- Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen (1975)
- Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
- The Velvet Underground and Nico – The Velvet Underground (1967)
- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1967)
- Tapestry – Carole King (1971)
- Horses – Patti Smith (1975)
- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) – Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
- Voodoo – D’Angelo (2000)
- The Beatles (“The White Album”) – The Beatles (1968)
- Are You Experienced – Jimi Hendrix (1967)
- Kind of Blue – Miles Davis (1959)
- Lemonade – Beyoncé (2016)
- Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (2006)
- Innervisions – Stevie Wonder (1973)
- Rubber Soul – The Beatles (1965)
- Off the Wall – Michael Jackson (1979)
- The Chronic – Dr. Dre (1992)
- Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan (1966)
- Remain in Light – Talking Heads (1980)
- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie (1972)
- Let It Bleed – The Rolling Stones (1969)
- OK Computer – Radiohead (1997)
- The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest (1991)
- Illmatic – Nas (1994)
- Sign o’ the Times – Prince (1987)
- Graceland – Paul Simon (1986)
- Ramones – Ramones (1976)
- Legend – Bob Marley (1984, compilation)
- Aquemini – OutKast (1998)
- The Blueprint – Jay-Z (2001)
- The Great Twenty-Eight – Chuck Berry (1982, compilation)
- Station to Station – David Bowie (1976)
- Electric Ladyland – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)
- Star Time – James Brown (1991, compilation)
- The Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd (1973)
- Exile in Guyville – Liz Phair (1993)
- The Band – The Band (1969)
- Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin (1971)
- Talking Book – Stevie Wonder (1972)
- Astral Weeks – Van Morrison (1968)
- Paid in Full – Eric B. & Rakim (1987)
- Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses (1987)
- Aja – Steely Dan (1977)
- Stankonia – OutKast (2000)
- Live at the Apollo – James Brown (1963, live)
- A Love Supreme – John Coltrane (1965)
- Reasonable Doubt – Jay-Z (1996)
- Hounds of Love – Kate Bush (1985)
- Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette (1995)
- Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A (1988)
- Exodus – Bob Marley & The Wailers (1977)
- Harvest – Neil Young (1972)
- Loveless – My Bloody Valentine (1991)
- The College Dropout – Kanye West (2004)
- Lady Soul – Aretha Franklin (1968)
- Superfly – Curtis Mayfield (1972)
- Who’s Next – The Who (1971)
- The Sun Sessions – Elvis Presley (1976, compilation)
- Blonde – Frank Ocean (2016)
- Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols – Sex Pistols (1977)
- Beyoncé – Beyoncé (2013)
- There’s a Riot Goin’ On – Sly & The Family Stone (1971)
- Dusty in Memphis – Dusty Springfield (1969)
- Back in Black – AC/DC (1980)
- John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – John Lennon (1970)
- The Doors – The Doors (1967)
- Bitches Brew – Miles Davis (1970)
- Hunky Dory – David Bowie (1971)
- Baduizm – Erykah Badu (1997)
- After the Gold Rush – Neil Young (1970)
- Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen (1978)
- Axis: Bold as Love – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
- Supa Dupa Fly – Missy Elliott (1997)
- Fun House – The Stooges (1970)
- Take Care – Drake (2011)
- Automatic for the People – R.E.M. (1992)
- Master of Puppets – Metallica (1986)
- Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams (1998)
- Red – Taylor Swift (2012)
- Music from Big Pink – The Band (1968)
- Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1969)
- The Clash – The Clash (1977)
- 3 Feet High and Rising – De La Soul (1989)
- Sticky Fingers – The Rolling Stones (1971)
- At Fillmore East – The Allman Brothers Band (1971, live)
- Live Through This – Hole (1994)
- Marquee Moon – Television (1977)
- When the Pawn… – Fiona Apple (1999)
- Transformer – Lou Reed (1972)
- Court and Spark – Joni Mitchell (1974)
- Control – Janet Jackson (1986)
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John (1973)
- The Queen Is Dead – The Smiths (1986)
- Is This It – The Strokes (2001)
- Good Kid, M.A.A.D City – Kendrick Lamar (2012)
- Disintegration – The Cure (1989)
- Late Registration – Kanye West (2005)
- Hotel California – Eagles (1976)
- Stand! – Sly & The Family Stone (1969)
- Moondance – Van Morrison (1970)
- This Year’s Model – Elvis Costello (1978)
- The Downward Spiral – Nine Inch Nails (1994)
- Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin (1969)
- Achtung Baby – U2 (1991)
- Paul’s Boutique – Beastie Boys (1989)
- My Life – Mary J. Blige (1994)
- Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music – Ray Charles (1962)
- A Night at the Opera – Queen (1975)
- The Wall – Pink Floyd (1979)
- 1999 – Prince (1982)
- Dummy – Portishead (1994)
- 40 Greatest Hits – Hank Williams (1978, compilation)
- Hejira – Joni Mitchell (1976)
- The Score – Fugees (1996)
- The Joshua Tree – U2 (1987)
- Maggot Brain – Funkadelic (1971)
- 21 – Adele (2011)
- The Immaculate Collection – Madonna (1990, compilation)
- Paranoid – Black Sabbath (1970)
- Catch a Fire – Bob Marley & The Wailers (1973)
- Doolittle – Pixies (1989)
- Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen (1984)
- The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground (1969)
- Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin (1975)
- The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem (2000)
- Parallel Lines – Blondie (1978)
- Grace – Jeff Buckley (1994)
- Channel Orange – Frank Ocean (2012)
- John Prine – John Prine (1971)
- Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen (1982)
- Faith – George Michael (1987)
- Pretenders – The Pretenders (1980)
- Rid of Me – PJ Harvey (1993)
- Amazing Grace – Aretha Franklin (1972)
- The Black Album – Jay-Z (2003)
- Let It Be – The Replacements (1984)
- (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis (1995)
- Mama’s Gun – Erykah Badu (2000)
- Synchronicity – The Police (1983)
- Ten – Pearl Jam (1991)
- Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
- Different Class – Pulp (1995)
- Saturday Night Fever – Various Artists (1977, soundtrack)
- At Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash (1968, live)
- Murmur – R.E.M. (1983)
- 20 Golden Greats – Buddy Holly (1978, compilation)
- Violator – Depeche Mode (1990)
- Can’t Buy a Thrill – Steely Dan (1972)
- The Stranger – Billy Joel (1977)
- Disraeli Gears – Cream (1967)
- Daydream Nation – Sonic Youth (1988)
- Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
- In Utero – Nirvana (1993)
- The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff (1972, soundtrack)
- Damn – Kendrick Lamar (2017)
- Fear of a Black Planet – Public Enemy (1990)
- Every Picture Tells a Story – Rod Stewart (1971)
- Otis Blue – Otis Redding (1965)
- Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G. (1997)
- Forever Changes – Love (1967)
- Bringing It All Back Home – Bob Dylan (1965)
- Sweet Baby James – James Taylor (1970)
- Brown Sugar – D’Angelo (1995)
- She’s So Unusual – Cyndi Lauper (1983)
- Beggars Banquet – The Rolling Stones (1968)
- Blood Sugar Sex Magik – Red Hot Chili Peppers (1991)
- AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted – Ice Cube (1990)
- Electric Warrior – T. Rex (1971)
- Dig Me Out – Sleater-Kinney (1997)
- Tommy – The Who (1969)
- At Last! – Etta James (1961)
- Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys (1986)
- Willy and the Poor Boys – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
- Bad – Michael Jackson (1987)
- Songs of Leonard Cohen – Leonard Cohen (1967)
- Body Talk – Robyn (2010)
- Meet the Beatles! – The Beatles (1964)
- The B-52’s – The B-52’s (1979)
- Slanted and Enchanted – Pavement (1993)
- Diamond Life – Sade (1984)