Current:Home > NewsRoll over Beatles. Lauryn Hill tops Apple Music's new list of top 100 albums of all time. -WealthPro Academy
Roll over Beatles. Lauryn Hill tops Apple Music's new list of top 100 albums of all time.
View
Date:2025-04-28 04:12:01
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! (5)
Related
- Tropical weather brings record rainfall. Experts share how to stay safe in floods.
- New Jersey man flies to Florida to attack another player over an online gaming dispute, deputies say
- Pretty incredible! Watch two teenagers play soccer with an elk in Colorado
- Man who allegedly flew to Florida to attack gamer with hammer after online dispute charged with attempted murder
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Consolidated, ‘compassionate’ services pledged for new Illinois Department of Early Childhood
- New York Knicks acquiring Mikal Bridges in pricey trade with Brooklyn Nets. Who won?
- 32-year-old purchased 2 lottery tickets this year. One made him a millionaire.
- A Georgia governor’s latest work after politics: a children’s book on his cats ‘Veto’ and ‘Bill’
- Athing Mu, reigning 800-meter gold medalist, will miss Paris Olympics after falling during U.S. trials
Ranking
- Olympic disqualification of gold medal hopeful exposes 'dark side' of women's wrestling
- Judge sets $10M bond for second Venezuelan man accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl
- Eddie Murphy gives fans 'Shrek 5' update, reveals Donkey is 'gonna have his own movie' next
- Ulta’s Summer Beauty Sale Is Here—Score Redken, Estée Lauder, Sun Bum & More Beauty Faves up to 45% Off
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Minnesota Lynx win 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. Here's how much money the team gets.
- Illinois man accused in mass shooting at Fourth of July parade expected to change not-guilty plea
- Most Americans plan to watch Biden-Trump debate, and many see high stakes, AP-NORC poll finds
Recommendation
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
New York Knicks acquiring Mikal Bridges in pricey trade with Brooklyn Nets. Who won?
Explosion at homeless encampment injures, hospitalizes LA firefighter responding to flames
Amazon wants more powerful Alexa, potentially with monthly fees: Reports
Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
This Longtime Summer House Star Is Not Returning for Season 9
Biden and Trump are set to debate. Here’s what their past performances looked like
Amazon wants more powerful Alexa, potentially with monthly fees: Reports