So, as a sort of progress-marker, here's my "first 100" albums, rated and ranked as I've gone along (save for ones I've heard prior, which I've tried to indicate by color). Note that there's at least one album here that's technically not in keeping with my rules, but the way it flows and its intent make it feel more cohesive than most anthology albums to me (also: fuck you, it's my list! Lol )
Red = heard before this project, blue = new to me.
- A Tribe Called Quest | The Low End Theory | United States | 1991 | 10
- Wu-Tang Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | United States | 1993 | 10
- Sleater-Kinney | Dig Me Out | United States | 1997 | 10
- Little Simz | Sometimes I Might Be Introvert | United Kingdom | 2021 | 10
- Kate Bush | Hounds of Love | United Kingdom | 1985 | 10
- Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour | United States | 2018 | 10
- Nas | Illmatic | United States | 1994 | 10
- The Beatles | Revolver | United Kingdom | 1966 | 10
- Billy Joel | The Stranger | United States | 1977 | 10
- Radiohead | OK Computer | United Kingdom | 1997 | 10
- Os Mutantes | Os Mutantes | Brazil | 1968 | 10
- Prince and the Revolution | Purple Rain | United States | 1984 | 10
- The Replacements | Tim | United States | 1985 | 10
- The Beatles | Abbey Road | United Kingdom | 1969 | 10
- Stevie Wonder | Talking Book | United States | 1972 | 10
- Fleetwood Mac | Rumours | United Kingdom, United States | 1977 | 10
- The Replacements | Let It Be | United States | 1984 | 10
- The Smiths | The Queen is Dead | United Kingdom | 1986 | 10
- The Connells | Fun & Games | United States | 1989 | 10
- Stevie Wonder | Songs in the Key of Life | United States | 1976 | 10
- Raekwon | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx | United States | 1995 | 10
- Black Sabbath | Paranoid | United Kingdom | 1970 | 10
- Public Enemy | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | United States | 1988 | 10
- Ben Folds Five | Ben Folds Five | United States | 1995 | 10
- The Clash | London Calling | United Kingdom | 1979 | 10
- Nirvana | Nevermind | United States | 1991 | 10
- Bob Dylan | Highway 61 Revisited | United States | 1965 | 10
- Lauryn Hill | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | United States | 1998 | 10
- Bob Dylan | Blood on the Tracks | United States | 1975 | 10
- Pink Floyd | The Dark Side of the Moon | United Kingdom | 1973 | 10
- Aretha Franklin | I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You | United States | 1967 | 10
- Blondie | Parallel Lines | United States | 1978 | 10
- OutKast | Stankonia | United States | 2000 | 10
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Dare to Be Stupid | United States | 1985 | 10
- Green Day | Dookie | United States | 1994 | 10
- Joni Mitchell | Blue | Canada | 1971 | 10
- Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run | United States | 1975 | 10
- Beach House | Devotion | United States | 2008 | 10
- King Sunny Ade | The Best of the Classic Years | Nigeria | 2003 | 10
- Herbie Hancock | Head Hunters | United States | 1973 | 10
- Rina Sawayama | Hold the Girl | United Kingdom | 2022 | 10
- The Replacements | Pleased to Meet Me | United States | 1987 | 10
- Samia | Honey | United States | 2023 | 10
- Aretha Franklin | Lady Soul | United States | 1968 | 10
- U2 | Achtung Baby | Ireland | 1991 | 10
- R.E.M. | Automatic for the People | United States | 1992 | 10
- Miles Davis | Kind of Blue | United States | 1959 | 10
- Marvin Gaye | What’s Going On | United States | 1971 | 10
- Carole King | Tapestry | United States | 1971 | 10
- The Beatles | A Hard Day’s Night | United Kingdom | 1964 | 10
- Jay-Z | The Blueprint | United States | 2001 | 10
- The Beatles | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | United Kingdom | 1967 | 10
- Diana Ross | Diana | United States | 1980 | 10
- Aaliyah | One in a Million | United States | 1996 | 10
- The Velvet Underground & Nico | The Velvet Underground & Nico | Various | 1967 | 10
- Destiny's Child | The Writing's on the Wall | United States | 1999 | 9
- Wilco | Sky Blue Sky | United States | 2007 | 9
- Fleet Foxes | Fleet Foxes | United States | 2008 | 9
- U2 | The Joshua Tree | Ireland | 1987 | 9
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | In 3-D | United States | 1984 | 9
- Pixies | Doolittle | United States | 1989 | 9
- Bruce Springsteen | The River | United States | 1980 | 9
- The Beach Boys | Pet Sounds | United States | 1966 | 9
- Samia | The Baby | United States | 2020 | 9
- The Beatles | Rubber Soul | United Kingdom | 1965 | 9
- Loretta Lynn | Coal Miner's Daughter | United States | 1971 | 9
- Lorde | Melodrama | New Zealand | 2017 | 9
- The Pharcyde | Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde | United States | 1992 | 9
- The Rolling Stones | Exile on Main Street | United Kingdom | 1972 | 9
- Pavement | Slanted and Enchanted | United States | 1992 | 9
- 50 Cent | Get Rich or Die Tryin' | United States | 2003 | 9
- Renaissance | Turn of the Cards | United Kingdom | 1974 | 9
- Aerosmith | Rocks | United States | 1976 | 9
- AC/DC | Back in Black | Australia | 1980 | 9
- The Congos | Heart of the Congos | Jamaica | 1977 | 9
- The Beatles | Please Please Me | United Kingdom | 1963 | 9
- ABBA | Arrival | Sweden | 1976 | 8
- Dr. Dre | The Chronic | United States | 1992 | 8
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Straight Outta Lynwood | United States | 2006 | 8
- Amy Winehouse | Frank | United Kingdom | 2003 | 8
- Ramones | Ramones | United States | 1976 | 8
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Mandatory Fun | United States | 2014 | 8
- Primal Scream | Screamadelica | United Kingdom | 1991 | 8
- DJ Shadow | Endtroducing… | United States | 1996 | 8
- Electric Six | Fire | United States | 2003 | 8
- Madness | One Step Beyond | United Kingdom | 1979 | 8
- A Tribe Called Quest | People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm | United States | 1990 | 8
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Bad Hair Day | United States | 1996 | 8
- 2Pac | All Eyez on Me | United States | 1996 | 7
- De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising | United States | 1989 | 7
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Alpocalypse | United States | 2011 | 7
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Running with Scissors | United States | 1999 | 7
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Even Worse | United States | 1988 | 7
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Poodle Hat | United States | 2003 | 7
- Marillion | Misplaced Childhood | United Kingdom | 1985 | 7
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Off the Deep End | United States | 1992 | 6
- Clipping | Splendor & Misery | United States | 2016 | 6
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Alapalooza | United States | 1993 | 6
- “Weird Al” Yankovic | Polka Party | United States | 1986 | 5
- The Time | What Time is It? | United States | 1982 | 4
Also, to come clean on something you may have guessed by now: yes, I did totally make album lists for prior decade tournaments completely based on what I thought of the artists and the songs I'd heard by them. I just wanted to fit in since most other folks had album lists, but it probably threw off the results a bit and I've been ashamed by that ever since, which is partially why I've slowed down voting in the decade polls. So apologies about that! I look forward to participating in future tournaments when my album knowledge will be that of a scholar(-ish), not a poser.