LOS ANGELES (AP) – Let the debate begin. Who has the best music albums of all time?
Apple Music certainly has an idea. The music streaming giant announced its 10 greatest albums of all time on Wednesday with Lauryn Hill’s The iconic 1998 “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” takes first place. Hill’s debut album outperformed other classic records by Beyonce,The Beatles,Michael Jackson,Prince,Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar,Amy Winehouse,Franck Ocean And Nirvana.
“It’s my price, but it’s a rich and deep story, involving so many people, so much sacrifice, so much time and so much collective love,” Hill said after receiving the news.
Top 10 albums culminated with Apple Music debut 100 best albums, which began last week with a 10-day countdown. There are only five artists with two albums on the full list, including The Beatles, Wonder, Prince, Radiohead and Beyoncé.
The process began several months ago when Apple Music’s editorial team of editors and music experts, including Zane Lowe (global creative director and lead presenter of Apple Music 1) and Ebro Darden (global editorial manager hip-hop and R&B), generated a list. of candidates from the last 65 years.
“This list is not a popularity contest,” Darden said. “We challenged everyone not to vote based on your favorites. You’re invited to the panel because you have musical knowledge beyond what you listen to when you’re on the elliptical machine.
Members of Apple Music’s internal team submitted their personal album lists via the company’s voting microsite. Votes were weighted based on album placement: the higher the ranking, the more votes awarded.
Apple Music used the same voting methodology for a select group of external voters including artists, songwriters, producers and select media outlets.
And now we are here. With comments from Lowe and Darden, here is Apple Music’s Top 10 Albums list:
1. Lauryn Hill, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (1998)
DARDEN: We really lean on what she did on this album. The songwriting, what she shared, what was going on in her life, that she actually put to music. The fact that she has just become a mother. All R&B vibes. Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway as well as D’Angelo’s “Nothing Even Matters.” The social commentary in “Doo Wop (That Thing)”. It’s hip-hop. It’s R&B. There’s a dancehall element to it. She’s a powerful woman who’s independent and like, “Yo, I got something to say.” And by the way, the son she sings about on the album is Bob Marley’s grandson… That checks so many boxes.
Michael Jackson performs during the Super Bowl halftime show in 1993. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, file)
2. Michael Jackson, “Thriller” (1982)
LOWE: It’s the biggest hit album of all time. I think everyone I’ve talked to about this list automatically assumes it will be #1. That’s because we’ve spent decade after decade seeing her essentially #1. It came out at a time when music was number one. entertainment around the world. People were looking forward to this Michael Jackson record even more than going to see a movie. “Thriller” is an incredible record. Everything is in order. But it didn’t bother me that Lauryn came in at #1 and “Thriller” landed at #2.
The Beatles in Liverpool on July 10, 1964. (AP Photo, File)
3. The Beatles, “Abbey Road” (1969)
DARDEN: “Abbey Road” has taken on a more modern life in the social media space with TikTok. Maybe that’s why he landed so high. When you sing song for song on “Abbey Road,” I think that musically represents a happy moment for the Beatles. It sounds a lot more like the raw Beatles than the pop Beatles.
Prince performs at the Forum in Inglewood, California, February 18, 1985. (AP Photo/Liu Heung Shing, File)
4. Prince and the Revolution, “Purple Rain” (1984)
DARDEN: I love that he’s a black artist making soulful rock and pop records. I loved the movie. These are phenomenal memories. It’s not my favorite Prince album. I’m more of a “Sign O’ The Times.” Dance, music, sexual romance. I’m a huge Prince fan, so I’m happy this got the votes. I think “Purple Rain” endures (in an iconic way).
Frank Ocean performs at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, file)
5. Frank Ocean, “Blonde” (2016)
LOWE: I had that number over five. I simply love this album. I feel like Frank is like Prince. He’s like Michael. He’s like Lauryn. He’s like Marvin (Gaye). He’s like Radiohead. He is one of the great outliers who has found a massive place in our hearts. They don’t make music to appeal to a large audience, and yet somehow the music they make reaches us. “Blond” didn’t hit some sales goals like some of the bigger albums on this list… But every time I put it on, it moves me differently each time.
Stevie Wonder performs at the 2022 American Music Awards. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)
6. Stevie Wonder, “Songs in the Key of Life” (1976)
LOWE: It starts with a message and ends with some time to process everything that happened in between. Ultimately, it finally gives you a moment to take everything you’ve been listening to and absorb it. He channeled something major.
Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2017 Coachella Music & Arts Festival. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, file)
7. Kendrick Lamar, “good kid, mAAd city” (2012)
DARDEN: I’m glad it went this high. It was his first album. He wrote an audio film about his neighborhood and being a reluctant kid surrounded by all this toxicity and chaos and mayhem. He’s trying to get out of it. He created opportunities for himself and his friends to survive.
Amy Winehouse performs in London, June 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)
8. Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black” (2006)
LOWE: It’s about heartbreak, rejection, unrequited love and the pain you feel when you have feelings for someone who doesn’t have the same feelings in return. You don’t know what to do with this emotion. It’s very human. If we all live long enough, we are going to experience some real heartbreak in our lives. This album took that experience and made us sing, dance and move. It’s one of the most elegant albums about heartbreak ever recorded. It’s an incredible act of magic.
Nirvana band members Krist Novoselic, from left, Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain in 1993. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
9. Nirvana, “Whatever” (1991)
LOWE: It was a combination of true skill, beautiful instincts, total courage and vulnerability. He showed the ability to deal with what ( Kurt Cobain ) felt it and dressed it in a way that made people want to dance, jump, sing and scream. But if you really listen, as tens of millions of people have, it’s deeper than that. And we got it. This album was the start of me being able to sit down and have a conversation about anxiety and depression with my mom, my brother, and my friends. If he could write about it, why can’t I write about it?
Beyoncé performs at the Wolstein Center in 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
10. Beyoncé, “Lemonade” (2016)
DARDEN: This was the first time we saw Beyoncé’s personal life. Her sister just beat up her husband in an elevator, and everyone is busy now… I like “Lemonade” but it’s not my favorite Beyoncé album. “Renaissance” is one of my favorite Beyoncé albums. But if you experienced that “Lemonade” moment, it was a big deal.