AM's Top 200 Jazz Albums

[Harold]

I thought I'd update a list I posted on the old forum a while back: Acclaimed Music's top 200 jazz albums. (A few of these entries could be open for debate - you may not consider the Norah Jones or Louis Prima albums jazz. Conversely, you might think Nina Simone or The Lounge Lizards should be listed here.)

Pos / AM All-Time Pos / Artist / Title / Year:

1 / 35 / Miles Davis / Kind of Blue / 1959
2 / 61 / John Coltrane / A Love Supreme / 1965
3 / 84 / Miles Davis / Bitches Brew / 1970
4 / 306 / Dave Brubeck Quartet / Time Out / 1959
5 / 319 / Ornette Coleman / The Shape of Jazz to Come / 1959
6 / 329 / Eric Dolphy / Out to Lunch! / 1964
7 / 330 / Miles Davis / Birth of the Cool / 1954
8 / 343 / John Coltrane / Giant Steps / 1960
9 / 365 / Miles Davis / Sketches of Spain / 1960
10 / 367 / Sonny Rollins / Saxophone Colossus / 1956
11 / 378 / Miles Davis / In a Silent Way / 1969
12 / 383 / Stan Getz and João Gilberto / Getz/Gilberto [featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim] / 1964
13 / 386 / Charles Mingus / Mingus Ah Um / 1959
14 / 403 / Charles Mingus / The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady / 1963
15 / 413 / Duke Ellington / Ellington at Newport / 1956
16 / 440 / Herbie Hancock / Head Hunters / 1973
17 / 475 / Bill Evans / Sunday at the Village Vanguard / 1961
18 / 490 / Thelonious Monk / Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 / 1951
19 / 495 / Thelonious Monk / Brilliant Corners / 1957
20 / 502 / Oliver Nelson / The Blues and the Abstract Truth / 1961
21 / 506 / Benny Goodman / The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert / 1950
22 / 522 / Herbie Hancock / Maiden Voyage / 1965
23 / 523 / John Coltrane / My Favorite Things / 1961
24 / 560 / Ornette Coleman / Free Jazz / 1961
25 / 573 / Mahavishnu Orchestra / The Inner Mounting Flame / 1971
26 / 579 / Keith Jarrett / The Köln Concert / 1975
27 / 581 / Albert Ayler / Spiritual Unity / 1964
28 / 593 / Miles Davis / Porgy & Bess / 1958
29 / 596 / Billie Holiday / Lady in Satin / 1958
30 / 597 / Bill Evans / Waltz for Debby / 1961
31 / 606 / John Coltrane / Blue Train / 1958
32 / 607 / Wayne Shorter / Speak No Evil / 1965
33 / 609 / The Quintet [D. Gillespie/C. Mingus/C. Parker/B. Powell/M. Roach] / Jazz at Massey Hall/The Greatest Jazz Concert Ever / 1953
34 / 649 / Count Basie / The Atomic Mr. Basie / 1957
35 / 659 / Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers / Moanin' / 1958
36 / 682 / Cannonball Adderley / Somethin' Else / 1958
37 / 690 / Ella Fitzgerald / Sings the Cole Porter Songbook / 1956
38 / 727 / Erroll Garner / Concert by the Sea / 1956
39 / 750 / Lee Morgan / The Sidewinder / 1964
40 / 761 / Bud Powell / The Amazing Bud Powell / 1951
41 / 763 / Weather Report / Heavy Weather / 1977
42 / 797 / Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown / Sarah Vaughan/Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown / 1955
43 / 802 / Wes Montgomery / The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery / 1960
44 / 803 / Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane / Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane / 1961
45 / 823 / Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd / Jazz Samba / 1962
46 / 832 / Charles Mingus / Pithecanthropus Erectus / 1956
47 / 846 / Horace Silver / Song for My Father / 1965
48 / 847 / Miles Davis / Miles Ahead / 1957
49 / 852 / John Coltrane / Coltrane "Live" at the Village Vanguard / 1962
50 / 857 / Gil Evans / Out of the Cool / 1961
51 / 886 / Miles Davis / Milestones / 1958
52 / 888 / Charles Mingus / Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus / 1960
53 / 889 / Thelonious Monk / Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2 / 1952
54 / 911 / Charles Mingus / Blues and Roots / 1960
55 / 968 / Sonny Rollins / A Night at the "Village Vanguard" / 1958
56 / 974 / Ornette Coleman / Change of the Century / 1960
57 / 976 / Sonny Rollins / Way Out West / 1957
58 / 980 / John Coltrane / Ascension / 1966
59 / 984 / Ella Fitzgerald / Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook / 1959
60 / 985 / Charles Mingus / Tijuana Moods/New Tijuana Moods / 1962
61 / 1009 / Mahavishnu Orchestra / Birds of Fire / 1973
62 / 1012 / Andrew Hill / Point of Departure / 1965
63 / 1017 / Duke Ellington with Charles Mingus and Max Roach / Money Jungle / 1962
64 / 1021 / Miles Davis / On the Corner / 1972
65 / 1042 / Miles Davis / A Tribute to Jack Johnson / 1971
66 / 1062 / Max Roach / We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite / 1961
67 / 1069 / Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong / Ella and Louis / 1956
68 / 1086 / John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman / John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman / 1963
69 / 1125 / Miles Davis / Miles Smiles / 1967
70 / 1135 / Hank Mobley / Soul Station / 1960
71 / 1136 / Sun Ra / Jazz in Silhouette / 1958
72 / 1138 / Chick Corea / Return to Forever / 1972
73 / 1148 / Ella Fitzgerald / Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook / 1956
74 / 1161 / Dexter Gordon / Our Man in Paris / 1963
75 / 1176 / Count Basie / April in Paris / 1956
76 / 1184 / Miles Davis / Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet / 1961
77 / 1196 / Count Basie and Joe Williams / Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings / 1955
78 / 1217 / Louis Armstrong / Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy / 1954
79 / 1231 / Sonny Rollins / The Bridge / 1962
80 / 1245 / Miles Davis / Nefertiti / 1968
81 / 1257 / Miles Davis / Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet / 1957
82 / 1263 / Art Blakey Quintet / A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 / 1954
83 / 1266 / Peter Brötzmann / Machine Gun / 1968
84 / 1273 / Miles Davis / Round About Midnight / 1957
85 / 1276 / Carla Bley & Paul Haines / Escalator Over the Hill / 1971
86 / 1279 / Chick Corea / Now He Sings, Now He Sobs / 1968
87 / 1285 / Art Pepper / Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section / 1957
88 / 1287 / Clifford Brown & Max Roach / Daahoud/Clifford Brown & Max Roach / 1954
89 / 1292 / Sonny Rollins / Tenor Madness / 1956
90 / 1307 / Lennie Tristano / Lennie Tristano / 1956
91 / 1310 / Norah Jones / Come Away with Me / 2002
92 / 1316 / Lambert, Hendricks and Ross / The Hottest New Group in Jazz / 1959
93 / 1317 / Duke Ellington / Far East Suite / 1967
94 / 1343 / Art Tatum / The Tatum Group Masterpieces, Vol. 8 / 1956
95 / 1355 / Dexter Gordon / Go / 1962
96 / 1358 / Cecil Taylor / Unit Structures / 1966
97 / 1366 / Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong / Porgy and Bess / 1957
98 / 1379 / Sarah Vaughan / Images/Swingin' Easy / 1954
99 / 1390 / Thelonious Monk / Monk's Music / 1958
100 / 1404 / Modern Jazz Quartet / Fontessa / 1956
101 / 1410 / Miles Davis / Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet / 1958
102 / 1411 / Archie Shepp / Fire Music / 1965
103 / 1414 / Herbie Hancock / Takin' Off / 1962
104 / 1419 / Miles Davis / Live Evil / 1971
105 / 1423 / McCoy Tyner / The Real McCoy / 1967
106 / 1427 / Modern Jazz Quartet / Django / 1956
107 / 1429 / Sonny Rollins / Freedom Suite / 1958
108 / 1439 / Herbie Hancock / Empyrean Isles / 1964
109 / 1456 / George Russell / New York N.Y. / 1959
110 / 1460 / Charlie Parker / Charlie Parker with Strings / 1950
111 / 1485 / Miles Davis / Miles Davis at Plugged Nickel, Chicago / 1976
112 / 1487 / Charles Mingus / Mingus at Antibes / 1960
113 / 1490 / Duke Ellington and John Coltrane / Duke Ellington and John Coltrane / 1963
114 / 1493 / Ella Fitzgerald / Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook / 1957
115 / 1494 / Jackie McLean / Let Freedom Ring / 1962
116 / 1498 / Jimmy Smith / Back at the Chicken Shack / 1960
117 / 1500 / Dinah Washington / Dinah Jams / 1954
118 / 1503 / Tony Williams Lifetime / Emergency! / 1969
119 / 1510 / Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie / Bird & Diz / 1952
120 / 1536 / Billie Holiday / Lady Sings the Blues / 1956
121 / 1539 / Jimmy Smith / The Sermon! / 1959
122 / 1542 / Larry Young / Unity / 1966
123 / 1551 / Ornette Coleman / Dancing in Your Head / 1977
124 / 1572 / Lee Morgan / Search for the New Land / 1964
125 / 1583 / John Coltrane / Meditations / 1966
126 / 1586 / Dave Holland / Conference of the Birds / 1973
127 / 1602 / Count Basie / At Newport / 1957
128 / 1606 / George Russell / The Jazz Workshop / 1957
129 / 1625 / Pat Metheny / Pat Metheny Group / 1978
130 / 1642 / Jimmy Giuffre 3 / Thesis / 1961
131 / 1653 / Charles Mingus / Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus / 1964
132 / 1657 / Cassandra Wilson / Blue Light 'Til Dawn / 1993
133 / 1667 / Sonny Clark / Cool Struttin' / 1958
134 / 1676 / McCoy Tyner / Enlightenment / 1974
135 / 1688 / Chick Corea & Return to Forever / Light as a Feather / 1973
136 / 1705 / John Coltrane / Coltrane Plays the Blues / 1962
137 / 1706 / Duke Ellington / ...And His Mother Called Him Bill / 1968
138 / 1708 / Lee Konitz & Lennie Tristano / Subconscious-Lee / 1949
139 / 1722 / George Russell / Ezz-Thetics / 1961
140 / 1724 / Anita O'Day / Anita Sings the Most / 1957
141 / 1726 / John Coltrane / Ballads / 1963
142 / 1729 / John Coltrane / Coltrane Jazz / 1961
143 / 1730 / Wayne Shorter / Juju / 1964
144 / 1731 / Ahmad Jamal / At the Pershing: But Not for Me / 1958
145 / 1733 / Horace Silver / Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers / 1955
146 / 1734 / Sun Ra / Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra / 1965
147 / 1737 / Miles Davis / Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet / 1959
148 / 1749 / Wes Montgomery / Full House: Recorded 'Live' at Tsubo / 1962
149 / 1752 / Cecil Taylor / Conquistador! / 1967
150 / 1762 / Stan Kenton / New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm / 1953
151 / 1770 / John Zorn / Naked City / 1990
152 / 1774 / Duke Ellington / Such Sweet Thunder / 1957
153 / 1777 / Nat King Cole / After Midnight / 1956
154 / 1783 / Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio / The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio / 1952
155 / 1792 / Thelonious Monk / Thelonious Monk Trio / 1953
156 / 1793 / Wayne Shorter / Adam's Apple / 1966
157 / 1795 / Jimmy Giuffre 3 / Fusion / 1961
158 / 1811 / Dizzy Gillespie / At Newport / 1958
159 / 1814 / Herbie Hancock / Mwandishi / 1971
160 / 1823 / Dizzy Gillespie with Roy Eldridge / Dizzy Gillespie with Roy Eldridge/Roy and Diz / 1954
161 / 1834 / Betty Carter / The Audience with Betty Carter / 1979
162 / 1856 / Lester Young - Teddy Wilson Quartet / Pres & Teddy / 1956
163 / 1859 / Louis Prima / The Wildest! / 1956
164 / 1860 / Mel Tormé / Swings Shubert Alley / 1960
165 / 1867 / Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers / A Night in Tunisia / 1961
166 / 1875 / Ornette Coleman / This Is Our Music / 1961
167 / 1876 / Pharoah Sanders / Karma / 1969
168 / 1884 / Dizzy Gillespie / Groovin' High / 1955
169 / 1902 / Tony Bennett and Bill Evans / The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album / 1975
170 / 1916 / Charles Mingus / Let My Children Hear Music / 1972
171 / 1922 / Eric Dolphy / At the Five Spot, Vol. 1 / 1961
172 / 1945 / Thelonious Monk / Misterioso / 1958
173 / 1947 / Miles Davis / E.S.P. / 1965
174 / 1958 / Rahsaan Roland Kirk / The Inflated Tear / 1968
175 / 1959 / Wynton Kelly Trio & Wes Montgomery / Smokin' at the Half Note / 1965
176 / 1965 / Julie London / Julie Is Her Name / 1955
177 / 1966 / Joe Henderson / Inner Urge / 1965
178 / 1970 / Bill Evans / Portrait in Jazz / 1960
179 / 1974 / Albert Ayler / Albert Ayler in Greenwich Village / 1967
180 / 1975 / Miles Davis / Ascenseur pour l'échafaud / 1958
181 / 1978 / Art Blakey / Thelonious Monk / Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk / 1958
182 / 1993 / Chet Baker / Chet Baker Sings / 1954
183 / 2018 / Miles Davis / Tutu / 1986
184 / 2020 / Cecil Taylor / Nefertiti, the Beautiful One Has Come / 1963
185 / 2022 / Ornette Coleman / Something Else!!!! / 1958
186 / 2029 / Art Ensemble of Chicago / Les Stances a Sophie / 1970
187 / 2030 / Oscar Peterson / Night Train / 1963
188 / 2033 / Anthony Braxton / For Alto / 1971
189 / 2036 / Lambert, Hendricks and Ross / Sing a Song of Basie / 1957
190 / 2041 / Lennie Tristano / Crosscurrents / 1949
191 / 2051 / Gerry Mulligan Quartet / Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Chet Baker / 1953
192 / 2060 / John Zorn / Spillane / 1987
193 / 2064 / John Coltrane / Crescent / 1964
194 / 2067 / John Coltrane / Soultrane / 1958
195 / 2078 / Sarah Vaughan / In the Land of Hi-Fi / 1955
196 / 2080 / John McLaughlin / Extrapolation / 1969
197 / 2081 / Thelonious Monk / Thelonious Alone in San Francisco / 1960
198 / 2087 / Charlie Haden / Liberation Music Orchestra / 1970
199 / 2092 / Ornette Coleman / At the Golden Circle, Volume One / 1966
200 / 2096 / Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers / Free for All / 1964

[VanillaFire1000]

Very interesting. I still feel like Jazz is a little under-represented in the big list. It could always use more Ella.

[Henry]

Thanks for posting this list.

It appears that Norah Jones is the only entrant on this list since 1990. John Zorn has one album in the 1980's and another in 1990. Miles Davis also has an album from 1986.

But, the dominance of recordings prior to 1980 is astounding.

[Mattceinicram]

Thanks for posting this!!

[Brad]

wanted to bump this great list and give a belated thanks to Harold for pulling it together!

[Blanco]

Great list! Thanks for sharing

[irreduciblekoan]

Thank you for bumping this, Brad. I missed it the first time around. As a jazz fan, this is EXACTLY the sort of thing I want. Thanks, Harold!

And yes, it's very sad that only "classic" jazz albums tend to go on best-of lists now, and that recent ones (since the '80s) have basically been ignored by mainstream lists. On any given year these days, like 2012, how many jazz albums can we find on the spreadsheet? If any sites/publications DO include jazz albums, they make a separate list, and those sub-lists may not be counted in the spreadsheet.

Therefore, Coltrane gets lots of love here, but newer artists like Bill Frisell don't.