interesting list but kinda mixed up. number one is a bit of a pleasant shocker.


#20. Faith - George Michael
Play Album
Year: 1987 Units Sold: 10 Million
SPV: $9.19 Rating (Stars): 4 Grammys Won: 1
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $9.79

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#19. Appetite For Destruction - Guns N' Roses
Play Album
Year: 1987 Units Sold: 15 Million
SPV: $8.81 Rating (Stars): 4 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $9.81

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#18. Purple Rain - Prince
Play Album
Year: 1984 Units Sold: 13 Million
SPV: $8.74 Rating (Stars): 4.75 Grammys Won: 2
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $9.82

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#17. Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin
Play Album
Year: 1973 Units Sold: 11 Million
SPV: $9.10 Rating (Stars): 4.5 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $9.93

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#16. Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
Play Album
Year: 1984 Units Sold: 15 Million
SPV: $8.91 Rating (Stars): 5 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $10.29

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#15. Nevermind - Nirvana
Play Album
Year: 1991 Units Sold: 10 Million
SPV: $10.07 Rating (Stars): 4 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $10.67

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#14. Van Halen - Van Halen
Play Album
Year: 1978 Units Sold: 10 Million
SPV: $10.23 Rating (Stars): 4.25 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $10.84

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#13. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Play Album
Year: 1977 Units Sold: 19 Million
SPV: $9.52 Rating (Stars): 5 Grammys Won: 1
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $11.47

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#12. The Wall - Pink Floyd
Play Album
Year: 1979 Units Sold: 23 Million
SPV: $10.20 Rating (Stars): 4.75 Grammys Won: 1
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $12.51
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#11. The Joshua Tree - U2
Play Album
Year: 1987 Units Sold: 10 Million
SPV: $11.50 Rating (Stars): 4.5 Grammys Won: 2
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $12.54
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#10. Metallica - Metallica
Play Album
Year: 1991 Units Sold: 14 Million
SPV: $12.08 Rating (Stars): 4.25 Grammys Won: 1
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $13.38
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#9. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
Play Album
Year: 1969 Units Sold: 10 Million
SPV: $12.83 Rating (Stars): 4 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $13.60
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#8. Hotel California - Eagles
Play Album
Year: 1976 Units Sold: 16 Million
SPV: $12.00 Rating (Stars): 4.75 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $13.81
.
#7. The White Album - The Beatles
Play Album
Year: 1968 Units Sold: 19 Million
SPV: $12.00 Rating (Stars): 5 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $14.39
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#6. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
Play Album
Year: 1971 Units Sold: 23 Million
SPV: $12.42 Rating (Stars): 5 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $15.44
.
#5. Abbey Road - The Beatles
Play Album
Year: 1968 Units Sold: 12 Million
SPV: $14.94 Rating (Stars): 4.25 Grammys Won: 1
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $16.23
.
#4. Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
Play Album
Year: 1975 Units Sold: 16 Million
SPV: $14.31 Rating (Stars): 4.75 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $16.38
.
#3. Thriller - Michael Jackson
Play Album
Year: 1982 Units Sold: 27 Million
SPV: $13.49 Rating (Stars): 4.5 Grammys Won: 4
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $17.39
.
#2. Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd
Play Album
Year: 1973 Units Sold: 15 Million
SPV: $16.08 Rating (Stars): 5 Grammys Won: 0
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $18.57
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#1. Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder
Play Album
Year: 1976 Units Sold: 10 Million
SPV: $16.84 Rating (Stars): 5 Grammys Won: 2
Calculated value per unit based on the formula: $18.71

I agree with their #1 choice

Would you kindly post the source for this? Thanks!

If you go to that link each selection has a button where you can play the entire album on Rhapsody.

Some interesting things to note are that Led Zeppelin takes up fully 20% of the list with 4 different albums noted but NOT their second one with Whole Lotta Love on it.

Beatles and Pink Floyd both get 2 spots, the only other artists to appear multiple times.

Biggest surprise for me was Metallica coming in at #10. Metallica? Jeez...what crap. I guess that just shows to go ya that my tastes are definitly not mainstream.

Honestly, even though it's not my favorite on here, shouldn't Thriller have won?
If it's based on sales, awards and staying power, that's exactly what Thriller had more than any other album. No other albnum sold more, won more awards and is still influecing people and talked about like that album. Am I right?

That's true. All teh criterias only scream for Thriller to be #1. It's not that the album is just a success like Rhianna's album sold well, because she's popular at the moment. Thriller is a really fantastic album with fantastic artists on it.
BTW, the sales are only US sales. I find that boring.

graecophilos said:

Even still, out of all the albums on that list, Thriller still sold more than any in the US.....?

they say it's a close race between Thrille rand the Best of Eagles album...

Songs in the Key of Life consisted of a smorgasboard of the different sounds of music that Thriller was admittedly influenced by (that and Queen's Hot Space album).

RipHer2Shreds said:

oh sorry and thanks Majestic.

Here's the interesting thing I found out about the success of SITKOL, it was only the third album (after Elton John's 1975 albums "Captain Fantastic" and "Rock of the Westies") to debut at No. 1 on the albums chart and it stayed atop the chart for 14 weeks, that was groundbreaking in 1976-77.

Led Zeppelin owns this list! I really need to sit down and listen to their albums more often

thekidsgirl said:

Every top album ever list I see has Led Zeppelin all over their shit.

DiamondGlove said:

According to the formula used, what hurt Thriller is its staying power value (SPV). The fact that it sold so much and everyone has heard it decreases its worth a little compared to SitKoL which was a double album so it resells at a higher price than Thriller.

grammar
[Edited 7/30/08 11:48am]

sextonseven said:

And thriller hasn't aged that well IMO. Some great songs, yes, but some definite weak ones. Off The Wall has aged much much better.

Interesting how many of those albums won zero Grammys

I am listening to Songs in the key of life for the first time. I need to get this album.

cool list but where is supernatural ?

superspaceboy said:

Man, that album is terrific from start to finish. I love Music of My Mind and Talking Book and Innervisions better but Songs in the Key of Life is a great album too.

Like it has been said, that album covers a LOT of ground.

I think What's Goin On could have edged out a couple of those.

NDRU said:

Word up!

Timmy84 said:

Yeah I am pretty surprised at how good it is. Thing is I like Stevie, and I have a greatest hits collection but when I look at the albums for the "hits" I find one or two singles. I suppose he just wasn't a singles kind of guy,

superspaceboy said:

Him and Marvin.

Any list that ranks Hotel California highly is very questionable to me! I'm glad that they at least list the criteria, or I would have been very confused!

I think I know what my next music purchase is going to be.

superspaceboy said:

Thriller?

errant said:

Make sure it's the rerelease with Akon.

SITKOL is an excellent choice. Most days it just edges out Innervisions and Fulfillingness' First Finale as my favorite album by Stevie.

sextonseven said:

Oh yeah. I'll make sure I shelve it between the Ohh Hoo's and Eee Hee's!