Current:Home > InvestRoll over Beatles. Lauryn Hill tops Apple Music's new list of top 100 albums of all time. -Wealth Evolution Experts
Roll over Beatles. Lauryn Hill tops Apple Music's new list of top 100 albums of all time.
View
Date:2025-04-26 06:29:43
Lauryn Hill's "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" has been named the best album ever made, according to a new list released by Apple Music. And the rest of the top 10 shows a strong push toward hip-hop and R&B artists, and away from the classic rock titans that have long dominated similar canonical roundups.
Apple Music called Hill's 1998 LP a "stunningly raw, profound look into the spiritual landscape not just of one of the era's biggest stars, but of the era itself," praising Hill for being a "once-in-a-generation talent whose inspiration and innovation can be heard through the decades."
Hill's album, her solo debut after reaching international success with The Fugees, won five Grammy Awards upon its initial release, setting a new record for the most Grammys won by a female artist in a single ceremony.
Apple Music's new list was determined with the participation of artists, songwriters, producers, industry professionals and Apple's own editorial staff members. Apple Music emphasized that it was not meant to be taken as a reflection of the platform's most-streamed offerings, but rather "a love letter to the records that have shaped the world music lovers live and listen in."
Top 100 album lists have long been a staple of music industry media, popularized by such outlets as Rolling Stone, whose own lists throughout the decades have cemented the "all-timer" reputations of such Baby Boomer stalwarts as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys.
In contrast, Apple Music's new list is more strongly centered around female artists, and artists of color. Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean are all ranked high up among Hill's runners-up, though The Beatles' "Abbey Road" and Nirvana's "Nevermind" ensured rock its position in the overall top 10:
- Lauryn Hill, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" (1998)
- Michael Jackson, "Thriller" (1982)
- The Beatles, "Abbey Road" (1969)
- Prince and the Revolution, "Purple Rain" (1984)
- Frank Ocean, "Blonde" (2016)
- Stevie Wonder, "Songs in the Key of Life" (1976)
- Kendrick Lamar, "good kid, m.A.A.d city" (2012)
- Amy Winehouse, "Back to Black" (2006)
- Nirvana, "Nevermind" (1991)
- Beyoncé, "Lemonade" (2016)
Beyoncé, Prince, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles and Radiohead are the only acts with more than one album represented in the overall list of 100.
Apple Music's top 10 features four albums from the 21st century, whereas even the most recent edition of Rolling Stone's top albums list (which positioned Hill's album in 10th place) remained a predominately pre-Y2K zone. The 1990s were the most-represented decade overall, with 23 albums included. The oldest album on the list: Miles Davis's 1959 "Kind of Blue."
As for Bob Dylan, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones, their included albums ranked 14th ("Highway 61 Revisited"), 20th ("Pet Sounds") and 53rd ("Exile on Main Street").
The most-represented genre among the top 100, according to Apple Music's own tags, is hip-hop; more than one-fifth of the list is made up of albums within that genre, compared to the 18% of albums tagged as rock, and the 16% filed under pop.
Those following Lamar's beef with rapper Drake will note that the latter, while on the overall list of 100 albums, ranks much further down than his sparring partner — Drake's 2011 album "Take Care" shows up in 47th place.
Swifties can rest easy that Taylor Swift made the list, landing in 18th place with "1989 (Taylor's Version)."
- In:
- Michael Jackson
- Beatles
- Prince
- Music
- Lauryn Hill
Eric Henderson is Managing Editor, Midwest for CBSNews.com. He has won three Emmy Awards, an Eric Sevareid Award and two Edward R. Murrow Awards.
veryGood! (84897)
Related
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- FACT FOCUS: False claims follow Minnesota governor’s selection as Harris’ running mate
- Ex-Illinois deputy shot Sonya Massey out of fear for his life, sheriff's report says
- Lucille Ball's daughter shares rare photo with brother Desi Arnaz Jr.
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Extreme heat is impacting most Americans’ electricity bills, AP-NORC poll finds
- For Hindu American youth puzzled by their faith, the Hindu Grandma is here to help.
- There will be no 'next Michael Phelps.' Calling Leon Marchand that is unfair
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Illinois Gov. Pritzker criticizes sheriff for hiring deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey
Ranking
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- US rolls into semifinals of Paris Olympic basketball tournament, eases past Brazil 122-87
- US women will be shut out of medals in beach volleyball as Hughes, Cheng fall to Swiss
- Gabby Thomas wins gold in 200, leading American track stars in final at Paris Olympics
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Billy Bean, second openly gay ex-MLB player who later worked in commissioner’s office, dies at 60
- Software upgrades for Hyundai, Kia help cut theft rates, new HLDI research finds
- Paris Olympics highlights: Gabby Thomas, Cole Hocker golds lead USA's banner day at track
Recommendation
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
Weak spots in metal may have led to fatal Osprey crash off Japan, documents obtained by AP reveal
New York City’s freewheeling era of outdoor dining has come to end
Pitbull Stadium: 'Mr. Worldwide' buys naming rights for FIU football stadium
Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
2024 Olympics: Snoop Dogg Delivers Golden Performance for Team USA
Authorities arrest man accused of threatening mass casualty event at Army-Navy football game
Judge keeps alive Vermont lawsuit that accuses police of force, discrimination against Black teen