100 Best Albums of All Time: 80-61

Before you check this out, remember: When it comes to music, I'm a formalist. So I picked albums with terrific songwriting and composition, fabulous musicianship, engaging arrangements, and general complexity. However, things like impact, lyrics, longevity, and cultural impact were also taken into consideration, but to a much lesser degree. Read and enjoy! (Here's my first entry in this series: 100 Best Albums of All Time: 100-81...feel free to take a look!)

80.) Sea Change - Beck (2002): This is a beautiful album, sparse and unflinchingly melancholic. Although every song is captivating, tunes like "The Golden Age," "Paper Tiger," and "Already Dead" truly succeed in imbuing Beck with the folksy gravitas he intermittently aspires to.

79.) Rising - Rainbow (1976): This is when prog-rock, metal, and top-40 pop started blending together, and it's great. Rising is comprised equally of extended jam sessions, heavy instrumentation, and sugary hooks. It's satisfying and fun.

78.) Give It Up - Bonnie Raitt (1972): Holy crap, this is a fantastic recording. It's country, it's bluegrass, it's pop, it's blues, it's folk, it's jazz, and it's everything in between.

77.) Illmatic - Nas (1994): Nas is a guy I didn't listen to for a long time, mostly because I was a white middle-class suburbanite, one who enjoyed Jay-Z and Yeezy, and was aware of little else until college. But Nas is the real deal, and this record proves it. Liquid flow, wry lyrics, and funky-fresh instrumentation all add up to one of the best hip hop albums of all time.

76.) Odessy and Oracle - The Zombies (1968): When baroque-pop crashes headlong into the acid psychadelia of the late 60's, this is the music you get. Odessy and Oracle is a fun collection of songs, notable for its voluptuous harmonies. Also, it's arguably the purest representation of the zeitgeist outside The Beatles.

75.) Tapestry - Carole King (1971): It's not just that this is a terrific assortment of pop tunes, even though it is. It's King's lyrics and sweetly simple voice, and how they intertwine. That's why this album is so popular, so remembered, and so enduring.

74.) The Queen is Dead - The Smiths (1986): Simple vocals, ethereal guitar chords, poppy bass lines, and busy drums - they all coalesce into this fascinating post-pop-punk album. In my opinion, it's the best The Smiths have to offer, and is mandatory listening to fans of 80's rock.

73.) The Way I Feel - Gordon Lightfoot (1967): Although this is a truly exceptional folk album, it all boils down to the unadulterated genius of his epic "Canadian Railroad Trilogy." This massive, sprawling song is brilliant, and propels The Way I Feel from better-than-usual fare to an absolute stunner.

72.) Live Through This - Hole (1994): The lo-fi sub-genre of 90's rock had a few standout albums, particularly Exile in Guyville (which barely missed this list), but none had the guts to splash some grunge into the mix. But Hole did. As a result, this is one of the most engaging albums of the past 30 years, sharpened by sarcasm and sorrow.

71.) The Blueprint - Jay-Z (2001): In many ways, this is the quintessential hip hop album of the new millennium - it is polished, sly, irreverent, and very cool. Hova truly earns his nickname on this one.

70.) Dreamboat Annie - Heart (1975): I don't care if it's a little melodramatic - this is one of the shiniest gems the 70's rock scene has to offer. Listen, and get swept away in the powerhouse vocals and amazing musicianship.

69.) Talking Book - Stevie Wonder (1972): Oh yeah - Stevie has always been fantastic, and on this record, he proclaims it to the world. And while it's best remembered for chart-topping ditties like "Superstition" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," I think it's best typified by "I Believe (When I Fall in Love it will be Forever)," which is sultry and sweet.

68.) Back to Black - Amy Winehouse (2006): By mixing 21st century cynicism with traditional R&B songwriting, Winehouse reinvented Motown. This album is sincere, sardonic, and spectacular.

67.) My Favorite Things - Joey Alexander (2015): Somehow, one of the decade's best jazz albums burst forth from the imagination and ability of a 12-year-old. Joey Alexander is a musical prodigy, and here he shows off his impressive and eclectic skills.

66.) Moondance - Van Morrison (1970): These soulful songs are some of Morrison's best, especially the flirtatious title track and the weighty "Into the Mystic." If you're craving pop music that emphasizes melody and mood, then look no further than this.

65.) Nevermind - Nirvana (1991): Well, here it is - the album that killed the 80's. I fell in love with this record in the 9th grade, but didn't really appreciate it until after college. Nevermind is more than a musical statement; it was a reinvention of modern rock & roll. And although "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are" get all the attention, the deep cuts are just as compelling.

64.) A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles (1964): While this ain't necessarily The Beatles at their best, and it's certainly not their most mature sound, it's nonetheless a lovely little 60's pop record. "A Hard Day's Night" and "Can't Buy Me Love" are two of the brightest tunes of the decade.

63.) Pleased to Meet Me - The Replacements (1987): What I love about Pleased to Meet Me is that it kinda sounds like putting the 80's on shuffle - there's pop, there's rock, a touch of punk, a little jazz, and even a pinch of soul. When you finish listening to the whole thing, there's not one genre or mood that feels redundant. It's all varied, and it all flows. Wow.

62.) Lemonade - Beyonce (2016): I felt a little iffy about including this album on my list, simply because of how new it is. But...it would be criminal to neglect. Here, Beyonce's music is explosive, imaginative, humble, ferocious, weepy, and everything in between. It's a pop album of epic proportions, with unforgettable melodies and a truly standout vocal performance.

61.) In the Wee Small Hours - Frank Sinatra (1955): Here, we have another landmark work. In addition to being one of the best sounding records of the 1950's (it's warm, smooth, and incredibly emotive, thanks in large part to Frank's vocals), this is also perhaps the first concept album ever made. Each piece is tied together by loneliness, dejection, and heartache. Depressing, yes - but fabulous stuff.