Apple Music has announced the release of its much-anticipated 100 Best Albums of all time: a celebratory list of the greatest records ever made, crafted by its team of experts alongside a select group of artists, including Maren Morris, Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Charli XCX, Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Honey Dijon, and Nia Archives, in addition to a further collection of songwriters, producers, and industry professionals.
The list is an editorial statement and the team’s experts have stressed that its compilation is independent of any streaming numbers on Apple Music. It is designed as a love letter to the records that have shaped the world music lovers live and listen in.
Apple Music brings its 100 Best Albums to life with a countdown celebration beginning today, revealing 10 albums each day for the next 10 days, along with a brand-new 100 Best microsite, new and exclusive content, dedicated Apple Music Radio episodes, and more besides.
The top ten will be revealed on May 22 with a roundtable discussion between artists Nile Rodgers and Maggie Rogers as well as Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden.
“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,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s senior director of content and editorial in an official statement. “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.”
“Putting this list together was a true labor of love, both in that it was incredibly difficult to do and in that we are all so passionate about it,” said Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1.
He added, “We were tasked with selecting the 100 best — that’s practically mission impossible. 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 first 10 albums, revealed today, offer a glimpse into Apple Music’s unique approach with 100 Best. With seven of the 10 records hailing from the 21st century, two from the 90s, only one from the 70s, and various genres represented, the list spotlights contemporary artists like Tyler, The Creator; Robyn; Lorde; Travis Scott; Solange; Burial; and more who have helped define this century through their music and its influence on others.
“There are so many fun facts for our listeners to discover about these albums,” Scott Plagenhoef, Apple Music’s global head of music programming said in a statement. “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 ‘100 Best Albums’ (Numbers 100 – 90):
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
Visit the official Apple Music 100 Best Albums Of All Time website.