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Evening Standard
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William Mata

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill tops Apple Music's 100 best albums of all time

Apple Music has released its 100 Best Albums list, crowning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as the number one. 

Released in 1998, the R&B classic is Hill’s only album which has spent 87 weeks inside the UK album chart top 100. 

Michael Jackson’s Thriller was number two on Apple’s list, with Abbey Road by The Beatles third, and Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution fourth. Frank Ocean was fifth, interestingly, with the 2016 album Blonde and not his acclaimed 2012 debut Channel Orange. 

Apple Music staff and artists compiled the list, including Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Marem Morris, and Charli XCX. It was not based on sales or streams. 

Of course, it is very subjective and there are some surprises. Fleetwood Mac fans might be miffed that Rumours missed the top 10. The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd was good enough for only number 28, while U2’s Achtung Baby missed the top 100. 

There was no room for any album by renowned artists such as Blur / Gorillaz, The Killers, The White Stripes, Arcade Fire, Katy Perry, and even Coldplay. Taylor Swift’s 1989 made it to number 18.

Hill, 48, an enigmatic presence in the music industry these days, collected the award on Tuesday (May 21). 

“This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love.” she said.

The top 10 albums were announced in a countdown show hosted by radio presenters Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden alongside musicians Maggie Rogers and Nile Rogers.

Apple Music’s 100 best albums of all time

100. Body Talk by Robyn

99. Hotel California by Eagles

98. Astroworld by Travis Scott

97. Rage Against the Machine by Rage Against the Machine

96. Pure Heroine by Lorde

95. Confessions by Usher

94. Untrue by Burial

93. A Seat at the Table by Solange

92. Flower Boy by Tyler, the Creator

91. Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 by George Michael

90. Back in Black by AC/DC

89. The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga

88. I Put a Spell on You by Nina Simone

87. Blue Lines by Massive Attack

86. My Life by Mary J. Blige

85. Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves

84. Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg

Lana Del Rey is number 79 for Norman F**king Rockwell (PA Archive)

83. Horses by Patti Smith

82. Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent

81. After the Gold Rush by Neil Young

80. The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem

79. Norman F***ing Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey

78. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John

77. Like a Prayer by Madonna

76. Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny

75. Supa Dupa Fly by Missy Eliott

74. The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails

73. Aja by Steely Dan

72. SOS by SZA

71. Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk

70. Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A

69. Master of Puppets by Metallica

68. Is This It by The Strokes

67. Dummy by Portishead

66. The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths

65. 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul

64. Baduizm by Erykah Badu

63. Are You Experienced? by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

62. All Eyez on Me by 2Pac

61. Love Deluxe by Sade

60. The Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico

59. AM by Arctic Monkeys

58. (What's the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis

57. Voodoo by D'Angelo

56. Disintegration by The Cure

Rihanna is at number 55 with Anti (PA Archive)

55. Anti by Rihanna

54. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane

53. Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones

52. Appetite for Destruction by Guns 'N Roses

51. Sign o' the Times by Prince

50. Hounds of Love by Kate Bush

49. The Joshua Tree by U2

48. Paul's Boutique by Beastie Boys

47. Take Care by Drake

46. Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers

45. Homogenic by Björk

44. Innervisions by Stevie Wonder

43. Remain in Light by Talking Heads

42. Control by Janet Jackson

41. Aquemini by OutKast

40. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin

39. Illmatic by Nas

38. Tapestry by Carole King

37. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan

36. Beyoncé by Beyoncé

35. London Calling by The Clash

34. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy

33. Kid A by Radiohead

32. Ready to Die by Notorious B.I.G.

31. Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette

30. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish

29. The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest

28. The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

27. Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin

26. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West

25. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis

24. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars by David Bowie

23. Discovery by Daft Punk

22. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

21. Revolver by The Beatles

20. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys

19. The Chronic by Dr. Dre

18. 1989 (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift

17. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye

16. Blue by Joni Mitchell

15. 21 by Adele

14. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan

13. The Blueprint by Jay-Z

12. OK Computer by Radiohead

11. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

10. Lemonade by Beyoncé

9. Nevermind by NirvanaBest

Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black is number 8... not to be confused with Back in Black (number 90) (Redferns)

8. Back to Black by Amy Winehouse

7. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City by Kendrick Lamar

6. Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder

5. Blonde by Frank Ocean

4. Purple Rain by Prince & The Revolution

3. Abbey Road by The Beatles

2. Thriller by Michael Jackson

1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill

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