Music ranking lists always prove controversial, and Apple Music‘s Top 100 Albums Of All Time list is no exception. Over the course of the past two weeks, the music streaming platform had taken to the streamer and to its social handles to reveal their picks for best albums of all time, day-by-day.
While the criteria on which the rankings were placed has been kept relatively quiet, those who made the selections were evidently given specific instructions.
How did Apple Music make their Top 100 Albums Of All Time list?
The Apple Music Top 100 Albums Of All Time List was curated by Apple Music’s internal team. Though it’s not clear who, specifically, made these rankings, nor the number of people who put the list together, the team was given a strict set of guidelines. According to Ebro Darden, who is the Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B for Apple Music, members of the Apple Music team made their picks based on:
* Albums that represented a cultural moment for the artist or genre.
* Albums that were complete thoughts, not just collections of hit songs.
* Albums that thoroughly represent culture in production and lyrics.
* Albums that inspired a generation to want to create more music.
* Albums that represent the BEST in storytelling, musicianship, recording and production.
* Albums that are timeless and reached far beyond the genre categorization.
Voters of the #100Best on @AppleMusic were challenged to not vote for our favorites, but ..
* Albums that represented a cultural moment for the artist or genre.
* Albums that were complete thoughts, not just collections of hit songs.
* Albums that thoroughly represent culture…
— the Old Man Ebro (@oldmanebro) May 21, 2024
The final picks, including Apple Music’s ranking for the best album of all time. You can see the full list here.