NME 500 Greatest Albums
NME 500 Greatest Albums is a ranked list published in 2013 — one of the 9 sources behind the music canon, weighted as critics' canon. 138 of its 500 entries appear in the aggregated canon.
- 1The Queen Is Dead — The SmithsCanon #64
- 2Revolver — The BeatlesCanon #2
- 3Hunky Dory — David BowieCanon #32
- 4Is This It — The StrokesCanon #91
- 5The Velvet Underground & Nico
- 6Different Class — PulpCanon #130
- 7The Stone Roses — The Stone RosesCanon #144
- 8Doolittle — PixiesCanon #87
- 9The Beatles (White Album)
- 10Definitely Maybe — OasisCanon #148
- 11Nevermind — NirvanaCanon #9
- 12Patti Smith, Horses
- 13Funeral — Arcade Fire
- 14Low — David BowieCanon #95
- 15Let England Shake — P.J. Harvey
- 16Closer — Joy DivisionCanon #108
- 17It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back — Public EnemyCanon #13
- 18Loveless — My Bloody ValentineCanon #84
- 19Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Now — Arctic Monkeys
- 20OK Computer — RadioheadCanon #38
- 21My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy — Kanye WestCanon #63
- 22Parklife — BlurCanon #238
- 23The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From M — David Bowie
- 24Exile on Main Street — Rolling StonesCanon #30
- 25What's Going On — Marvin GayeCanon #4
- 26Pet Sounds — The Beach BoysCanon #3
- 27Screamadelica — Primal ScreamCanon #233
- 28Back to Black — Amy WinehouseCanon #51
- 29Marquee Moon — TelevisionCanon #65
- 30Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) — Wu-Tang ClanCanon #58
- 31Dog Man Star — Suede
- 32Paul's Boutique — Beastie BoysCanon #42
- 33Modern Life Is Rubbish — Blur
- 34Abbey Road — The BeatlesCanon #1
- 35In Utero — NirvanaCanon #127
- 36Blood on the Tracks — Bob DylanCanon #29
- 37Forever Changes — LoveCanon #74
- 38Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols — Sex PistolsCanon #25
- 39London Calling — The ClashCanon #10
- 40Unknown Pleasures — Joy DivisionCanon #138
- 41Daydream Nation — Sonic YouthCanon #103
- 42Innervisions — Stevie WonderCanon #19
- 43Rubber Soul — The BeatlesCanon #16
- 44The Holy Bible — Manic Street Preachers
- 45Parallel Lines — BlondieCanon #80
- 46Debut — Bjork
- 47Strangeways, Here We Come — The Smiths
- 48Hounds of Love — Kate BushCanon #71
- 49Sound of Silver — LCD SoundsystemCanon #237
- 50Dusty in Memphis — Dusty SpringfieldCanon #45
- 51Rumours — Fleetwood MacCanon #22
- 52Let It Bleed — Rolling StonesCanon #28
- 53Station to Station — David BowieCanon #83
- 54Remain in Light — Talking HeadsCanon #39
- 55Sticky Fingers — Rolling StonesCanon #34
- 56After the Gold Rush (1970) — Neil Young
- 57The Man-Machine — Kraftwerk
- 58Surfer Rosa — PixiesCanon #173
- 59In Rainbows — RadioheadCanon #215
- 60Blue Lines — Massive AttackCanon #131
- 61The Clash- The Clash (1979)
- 62Blonde on Blonde — Bob DylanCanon #17
- 63Blue (1971) — Joni Mitchell
- 64Highway 67 Revisited — Bob Dylan
- 65R.E.M. — Automatic for the People
- 66The Bends — RadioheadCanon #136
- 67(What's the Story) Morning Glory — OasisCanon #82
- 68Astral Weeks — Van MorrisonCanon #27
- 69R.E.M. — Murmur
- 70Up the Bracket — The Libertines
- 71Harvest (1972) — Neil Young
- 72Transformer — Lou ReedCanon #85
- 73Bob Dylan- Bringing It All Back Home
- 74Illmatic — NasCanon #67
- 75Green Day- Dookie
- 76Discovery — Daft PunkCanon #160
- 77White Blood Cells — The White Stripes
- 78Suede — Suede
- 79Kind of Blue — Miles DavisCanon #12
- 80Raw Power — Iggy & the StoogesCanon #146
- 81Trans-Europe Express — KraftwerkCanon #86
- 82Tapestry (1971) — Carole King
- 83The Band (1969) — The Band
- 84Hole- Live Through This
- 85Born to Run — Bruce SpringsteenCanon #7
- 86Grace — Jeff BuckleyCanon #97
- 87Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band — The BeatlesCanon #18
- 88For Your Pleasure — Roxy MusicCanon #175
- 89The Miseducation of Lauryn HillCanon #33
- 90A Grand Don't Come for Free — The Streets
- 91Purple Rain — Prince and the RevolutionCanon #8
- 92Radiator — Super Furry Animals
- 93Songs for the Deaf — Queens of the Stone Age
- 94Beggar's Banquet — The Rolling Stones
- 95Spirit of Eden — Talk Talk
- 96Fear of a Black Planet — Public EnemyCanon #118
- 97The Smiths — The Smiths
- 98In the Aeroplane Over the Sea — Neutral Milk Hotel
- 99The Libertines — The Libertines
- 100Hatful of Hollow — The Smiths
- 101Computer World — Kraftwerk
- 102The Soft Bulletin — The Flaming Lips
- 103Electric Ladyland — The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceCanon #48
- 104Fun House — The StoogesCanon #78
- 105Rain Dogs — Tom WaitsCanon #186
- 106Led Zeppelin IV — Led Zeppelin
- 107Rain Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine
- 108Pinkerton — Weezer
- 109Darkness on the Edge of Town — Bruce SpringsteenCanon #66
- 110Liege & Lief — Fairport Convention
- 111Dare — The Human League
- 112Liquid Swords — GZACanon #222
- 113If You're Feeling Sinister — Belle and Sebastian
- 114Radiohead Kid A
- 115Bandwagonesque — Teenage Fanclub
- 116Elephant — The White Stripes
- 117The Lexicon of Love — ABC
- 118Searching for the Young Soul Rebels — Dexy's Midnight Runners
- 119His 'N' Hers — Pulp
- 1203 Feet High and Rising — De La SoulCanon #196
- 121Selected Ambient Works 85-92 — Aphex Twin
- 122Technique — New Order
- 12313 — Blur
- 124Graceland — Paul SimonCanon #57
- 125James Brown Live at the Apollo
- 126Ill Communication — Beastie Boys
- 127Ramones- Ramones (1976)
- 128Urban Hymns — The Verve
- 129On the Beach — Neil YoungCanon #191
- 130Turn on the Bright Lights — Interpol
- 131Thriller — Michael JacksonCanon #6
- 132Dark Side of the Moon — Pink FloydCanon #24
- 133John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
- 134Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea- PJ Harvey
- 135The Marshall Mathers LP — EminemCanon #106
- 136Fever to Tell — Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- 137Blur — Blur
- 138Illinois — Sufjan Stevens
- 139Disintegration — The CureCanon #79
- 140Bryter Later — Nick Drake
- 141Natty Dread — Bob Marley and the WailersCanon #209
- 142Histoire De Melody Nelson — Serge Gainsbourg
- 143Desire — Bob Dylan
- 144The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Are You Experienced?
- 145Odessey & Oracle — The ZombiesCanon #98
- 146Relationship of Command — At the Drive-In
- 147Channel Orange — Frank OceanCanon #172
- 148Bruce Springsteen Nebraska
- 149Either/Or — Elliott SmithCanon #181
- 150Original Pirate Material — The Streets
- 151Dry — P.J. Harvey
- 152Deserter's Songs — Mercury Rev
- 153The La's — The La's
- 154To Bring You My Love — P.J. Harvey
- 155Music for the Jilted Generation — The Prodigy
- 156Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space — Spiritualized
- 157Psychocandy — The Jesus and Mary ChainCanon #244
- 158Two Dancers — Wild Beasts
- 159Entertainment! — Gang of FourCanon #179
- 160XTRMNTR — Primal Scream
- 161The Suburbs (2011) — Arcade Fire
- 162The Boxer — The National
- 163Neu '75! — Neu
- 164At Folsom Prison — Johnny CashCanon #76
- 165Let Love In — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- 166This Is Hardcore — Pulp
- 167Lady Soul — Aretha FranklinCanon #35
- 168Dummy — PortisheadCanon #102
- 169Don't Stand Me Down — Dexy's Midnight Runners
- 170Smashing Pumpkins
- 171Fear of Music — Talking Heads
- 172Songs in the Key of Life — Stevie WonderCanon #5
- 173III — Led Zeppelin
- 174I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning — Bright Eyes
- 175Young Americans — David Bowie
- 176Want One — Rufus Wainwright
- 177Young Team — Mogwai
- 178The Coral — The Coral
- 179Miss E...So Addictive — Missy Elliott
- 180Germ Free Adolescents — X-Ray Spex
- 181Music Has the Right to Children — Boards of Canada
- 182Everything Must Go — Manic Street Preachers
- 183Speakerboxxx/The Love Below — OutkastCanon #225
- 184Kala — MIA
- 185Paid in Full — Eric B. & RakimCanon #113
- 186The Blueprint — Jay-ZCanon #75
- 187Isn't Anything — My Bloody Valentine
- 188John Coltrane — A Love Supreme
- 189A Wizard / a True Star — Todd Rundgren
- 190Piper at the Gates of Dawn — Pink FloydCanon #152
- 191Elastica (Album)
- 192Franz Ferdinand — Franz Ferdinand
- 193Gold — Ryan Adams
- 194Appetite for Destruction — Guns 'N' RosesCanon #41
- 195A Hard Day's Night — The BeatlesCanon #151
- 196Rattus Norvegicus — The Stranglers
- 197Back in Black — AC/DCCanon #59
- 198Sign of the Times — Prince
- 199Giant Steps — The Boo Radleys
- 200Last Splash — The Breeders
- 201Hex Enduction Hour — The Fall
- 202Maxinquaye — Tricky
- 203Teen Dream — Beach House
- 204Bad — Michael JacksonCanon #129
- 205Straight Outta Compton — N.W.A.Canon #50
- 206Slanted and Enchanted — PavementCanon #111
- 207Pearl- Janis Joplin
- 208Risque — Chic
- 209The Kick Inside — Kate Bush
- 21069 Love Songs — The Magnetic Fields
- 211Nightclubbing — Grace Jones
- 212Youth and Young Manhood — Kings of Leon
- 213Funkadelic — One Nation Under a Groove
- 214Moon Safari — Air
- 215Mezzanine — Massive Attack
- 216Power, Corruption, & Lies — New Order
- 217Lust for Life — Iggy Pop
- 218Primary Colours — The Horrors
- 219All Mod Cons — The Jam
- 220Alligator — The National
- 221Broken English- Marianne Faithfull
- 222Fever Ray — Fever Ray
- 223Neon Bible — Arcade Fire
- 224Heaven Up Here — Echo & the Bunnymen
- 225Electric Warrior — T. RexCanon #114
- 226The Doors — The DoorsCanon #60
- 227Imagine — John LennonCanon #110
- 228Brighten the Corners — Pavement
- 229Metal Box — Public Image, Ltd.
- 230Aladdin Sane — David Bowie
- 231The Chronic — Dr. DreCanon #46
- 232The Songs of Leonard Cohen — Leonard CohenCanon #167
- 233Down in Albion — Babyshambles
- 234Behavior — Pet Shop Boys
- 235Murder Ballads — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- 236Suicide — Suicide
- 237The Xx — The Xx
- 238Show Your Bones — Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- 239Boy in Da Corner — Dizzee Rascal
- 240New Boots and Panties!! — Ian Dury
- 241Ray of Light — MadonnaCanon #193
- 242Off the Wall — Michael JacksonCanon #49
- 243The Hissing of Summer Lawns — Joni MitchellCanon #202
- 244Smother — Wild Beasts
- 245Fuzzy Logic — Super Furry Animals
- 246MTV Unplugged in New York — Nirvana
- 247Glasvegas — Glasvegas
- 248The Slim Shady LP — EminemCanon #246
- 249The Fat of the Land — The Prodigy
- 250Weezer Blue Album
- 251Surf's Up — The Beach Boys
- 252Visions — Grimes
- 253Exile on Main St. — Pussy Galore
- 254Meat Is Murder — The Smiths
- 255The English Riviera — Metronomy
- 256Elvis Costello — This Year's Model
- 257The Boatman's Call — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- 258Five Leaves Left — Nick Drake
- 259Yo! Bum Rush the Stage — Public Enemy
- 260The Specials — The Specials
- 261Live! — Bob Marley and the Wailers
- 262Criminal Minded — Boogie Down Productions
- 263I Speak Because I Can — Laura Marling
- 264The Beatles- Please Please Me
- 265Celebrity Skin — Hole
- 266A Rush of Blood to the Head — Coldplay
- 267Stupidity — Dr. Feelgood
- 268Todd — Todd Rundgren
- 269Skying — The Horrors
- 270The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
- 271Loaded — The Velvet UndergroundCanon #183
- 272Parachutes — Coldplay
- 273The College Dropout — Kanye WestCanon #121
- 274Green — R.E.M.Canon #192
- 275Quadrophenia — The Who
- 276Ocean Rain — Echo and the Bunnymen
- 277Reading, Writing and Arithmetic — Sundays
- 278Cut — The SlitsCanon #214
- 279Trout Mask Replica — Captain BeefheartCanon #217
- 280Drukqs — Aphex Twin
- 281My Aim Is True — Elvis CostelloCanon #185
- 282Gran Prix — Teenage Fanclub
- 283Roxy Music — Roxy Music
- 28413 Songs — Fugazi
- 285Midnight Love — Marvin Gaye
- 286Dust — Screaming Trees
- 287Reign in Blood — Slayer
- 288Music of My Mind — Stevie Wonder
- 289The Modern Lovers — The Modern LoversCanon #203
- 290Expecting to Fly — The Bluetones
- 291Younger Than Yesterday — The ByrdsCanon #239
- 292The New Fellas — The Cribs
- 293High Land, Hard Rain — Aztec Camera
- 294Myths of the Near Future — Klaxons
- 295Doggystyle — Snoop Doggy DoggCanon #241
- 296Let's Dance — David Bowie
- 297Ege Bamyasi — Can
- 298Duck Rock — Malcolm McLaren
- 29916 Lovers Lane — The Go-Betweens
- 300The Who by Numbers — The Who
- 301World of Echo — Arthur Russell
- 302Homework — Daft Punk
- 303Mingus Ah Um — Charles Mingus
- 304U.F.Orb — The Orb
- 305Every Picture Tells a Story — Rod StewartCanon #134
- 306The Freewheelin' Bob DylanCanon #137
- 307Midnite Vultures — Beck
- 308It's a Shame About Ray — Lemonheads
- 309Metallica — MetallicaCanon #162
- 310Countdown to Ecstasy — Steely Dan
- 311Guerrilla — Super Furry Animals
- 312Cocteau Twins Treasure
- 313Frank's Wild Years — Tom Waits
- 314Spiderland — Slint
- 315Cheap Thrills — Big Brother & the Holding CompanyCanon #236
- 316Imperial Bedroom — Elvis Costello & the Attractions
- 317Grievous Angel — Gram Parsons
- 318O.G. — Ice-T
- 319Who's Next — The WhoCanon #40
- 320Swordfishtrombones — Tom Waits
- 321Lost Souls — Doves
- 322This Is Happening — LCD Soundsystem
- 323Bitches Brew — Miles DavisCanon #62
- 324Lifes Rich Pageant — R.E.M.
- 325Sea Change — Beck
- 326I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One — Yo La Tengo
- 327Mutations — Beck
- 328Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots — The Flaming Lips
- 329Heroes — David Bowie
- 330Third — Portishead
- 331Kick Out the Jams — MC5Canon #216
- 332H.M.S. Fable — Shack
- 333Band on the Run — Paul McCartney & Wings
- 334The Avalanches-Since I Left You
- 335...Like Clockwork — Queens of the Stone Age
- 336Raw Like Sushi- Neneh Cherry
- 337The Grey Album — Danger Mouse
- 338Ready to Die — Notorious B.I.G.Canon #61
- 339Pearl Jam Ten
- 340We Are Family — Sister Sledge
- 341Closing Time — Tom Waits
- 342Laser Guided Melodies — Spiritualized
- 343John Wesley Harding — Bob Dylan
- 344Beautiful Freak — Eels
- 345Punch the Clock — Elvis Costello
- 346Low-Life — New Order
- 347Dirty — Sonic Youth
- 348Whitney — Whitney Houston
- 349An Awesome Wave — Alt-J
- 350B.M.R.C. — Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- 351Sweetheart of the Rodeo — The ByrdsCanon #156
- 352White Light/White Heat — The Velvet UndergroundCanon #187
- 353McLusky Do Dallas — McLusky
- 354Hot Buttered Soul — Isaac Hayes
- 355New York Dolls — New York DollsCanon #190
- 356Bossanova — Pixies
- 357Copper Blue — Sugar
- 358Rock Bottom — Robert Wyatt
- 359We're Only in It for the Money — Mothers of Invention
- 360Room on Fire — The Strokes
- 361A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse — The Faces
- 362Hello Nasty — Beastie Boys
- 363Damaged — Black Flag
- 364For Emma, Forever Ago — Bon Iver
- 365Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables — The Dead Kennedys
- 366Songs of Love and Hate — Leonard Cohen
- 367Nights Out — Metronomy
- 368Hail to the Thief — Radiohead
- 369Strange Mercy — St. Vincent
- 370Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever — The Cribs
- 371Odelay — Beck
- 372Atomizer — Big Black
- 373There's No Place Like America Today — Curtis Mayfield
- 374In the Wee Small Hours — Frank SinatraCanon #124
- 375Vauxhall and I — Morrissey
- 376Live at the Harlem Square Club — Sam CookeCanon #226
- 377Stormcock — Roy Harper
- 378Pink Flag — WireCanon #250
- 379The Boy With the Arab Strap — Belle & Sebastian
- 380Silent Alarm — Bloc Party
- 381David Bowie Scary Monsters
- 382Bridge Over Troubled Water — Simon & GarfunkelCanon #94
- 383Someone to Drive You Home — The Long Blondes
- 384Elvis Presley- Elvis Presley (1956)
- 385Get Behind Me Satan — The White Stripes
- 386Revival — Gillian Welch
- 387Combat Rock — The Clash
- 388Happy Sad — Tim Buckley
- 389Le Tigre — Le Tigre
- 390A Northern Soul — The Verve
- 391Burial — Burial
- 392Beauty and the Beat — Edan
- 393Dirty Mind — Prince
- 394Chairs Missing — Wire
- 395De Stijl — The White Stripes
- 396L.A.M.F. — Heartbreakers
- 397Reasonable Doubt — Jay-ZCanon #211
- 398Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere — Neil YoungCanon #247
- 399The Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- 400This Nation's Saving Grace — The Fall
- 40120 Jazz Funk Greats — Throbbing Gristle
- 402Twenty One — Mystery Jets
- 403Vespertine — Bjork
- 404No Other — Gene Clark
- 405Otis Blue — Otis ReddingCanon #88
- 406Rated R — Queens of the Stone Age
- 407Going Blank Again — Ride
- 408Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain — Pavement
- 409Tago Mago — Can
- 410Antics — Interpol
- 411Madvillainy — Madvillain
- 412Entroducing... — DJ Shadow
- 413Pills N Thrills and Bellyaches — Happy Mondays
- 414Dig Your Own Hole — The Chemical Brothers
- 415Chet Baker Sings — Chet Baker
- 416Meriweather Post Pavillion — Animal Collective
- 4171977 — Ash
- 418Electro-Shock Blues — Eels
- 419Let It Come Down — Spiritualized
- 420People's Instinctive Travels — A Tribe Called Quest
- 421Radio City — Big Star
- 422Too-Rye-Ay — Dexy's Midnight Runners
- 423Live at Leeds — The WhoCanon #206
- 424The Joshua Tree — U2Canon #47
- 425Nancy and Lee — Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood
- 426Goo — Sonic Youth
- 427Here Come the Warm Jets — Brian Eno
- 428Born in the U.S.A. — Bruce SpringsteenCanon #140
- 429Bleed American — Jimmy Eat World
- 430Scott4 — Scott Walker
- 431Badmotorfinger — Soundgarden
- 432Tindersticks — Tindersticks
- 4332001 — Dr. Dre
- 434Steve McQueen — Prefab Sprout
- 435Easter — Patti Smith
- 436Mirrored — Battles
- 437Dear Science — TV on the Radio
- 438Aha Shake Heartbreak — Kings of Leon
- 439The Futureheads — The Futureheads
- 440Life's a Riot With Spy vs. Spy — Billy Bragg
- 441Arrival — ABBA
- 442Al Green Is Love
- 443Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle — Bill Callahan
- 444Violator — Depeche ModeCanon #195
- 445Tusk — Fleetwood Mac
- 446The Warning — Hot Chip
- 447Diamond Dogs — David Bowie
- 448Sci-Fi Lullabies — Suede
- 449AM — Arctic Monkeys
- 450Rid of Me — P.J. HarveyCanon #205
- 451Third / Sister Lovers — Big Star
- 452The B-52'S- The B-52'S
- 453The House of Love — The House of Love
- 454The Writing on the Wall — Destiny's Child
- 455Vampire Weekend — Vampire Weekend
- 456September of My Years — Frank Sinatra
- 457Black Cherry — Goldfrapp
- 458Yankee Hotel Foxtrot — Wilco
- 459The Black Album — Jay-Z
- 460Bleach — Nirvana
- 461Generation Terrorists — Manic Street Preachers
- 462Master of Puppets — MetallicaCanon #93
- 463Pod — The Breeders
- 464Because of the Times — Kings of Leon
- 465High Violet — The National
- 466The W — Wu-Tang Clan
- 467The Idiot — Iggy Pop
- 468Chutes Too Narrow — The Shins
- 469Holland — The Beach Boys
- 470Graduation — Kanye West
- 471Oracular Spectacular — MGMT
- 472Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness — Smashing Pumpkins
- 473A Storm in Heaven — The Verve
- 474Tarot Sport — Fuck Buttons
- 475Smoke Ring for My Halo — Kurt Vile
- 476Foo Fighters — Foo Fighters
- 477Crystal Castles — Crystal Castles
- 478Trouble Will Find Me — The National
- 479The Real Ramona — Throwing Muses
- 480Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
- 481Smile — Brian Wilson
- 482Lady in Satin — Billie Holliday
- 483Blood and Chocolate — Elvis Costello & the Attractions
- 484The River — Bruce Springsteen
- 485Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar
- 486Homogenic — Bjork
- 487Sound Affects — The Jam
- 488I'm Your Man (1988) — Leonard Cohen
- 489George Best — The Wedding Present
- 490Back in the USA — MC5
- 491Actually — Pet Shop Boys
- 492Hidden — These New Puritans
- 493Blood — This Mortal Coil
- 494The Head on the Door — The Cure
- 495Hot Fuss — The Killers
- 496Album — Girls
- 497Random Access Memories — Daft Punk
- 498Berlin — Lou Reed
- 499Star — Belly
- 500Stankonia — OutkastCanon #178
List compiled and published by its original authors; positions shown as published. Canon ranks link to each entry's full evidence page.