I was given a copy of this excellent book “The 100 Best Albums of All Time” in 2015 and I admired the compilation so much that I decided to try and collect a copy of each album on vinyl.
Initially I set myself some rules to make the hunt more interesting:
- Prefer second hand
- No online purchasing*
- Prefer original pressings (or early represses)
As I narrowed in on the list, I was forced to remove the second rule as it was getting ridiculously unlikely that I’d find all the copies in a realistic timeframe.
For the most part I’ve been successful in avoiding reissues, but economic realities make this hard to avoid.
On the 19th of October 2017 I completed my quest.
The last album (Aretha Franklin’s “Lady Soul”) arrived via an Australian seller on Discogs. It was a beautifully cared for original Australian pressing on heavy wax and it sounds amazing.
Here’s the complete list:
OP = Original Pressing/1st Pressing
RP = Repressing or Reissue
[Last Updated 02-03-2022]
| Number | Album | Notes |
| 1 | Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited | RP, (US) import |
| 2 | The Beatles – Revolver | OP (AU) |
| 3 | The Clash – London Calling | OP (UK) |
| 4 | Nirvana – Nevermind | RP (EU) |
| 5 | Van Morrison – Astral Weeks | RP (AU) |
| 6 | Joni Mitchell – Blue | OP (AU) |
| 7 | Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers | RP (US) |
| 8 | Fleetwood Mac – Rumours | OP (AU) & 2011 US remaster |
| 9 | Velvet Underground & Nico – Velvet Underground & Nico |
OP, (US) Verve torso |
| 10 | Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back |
OP (US) |
| 11 | Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (“Fabulous Beach Boys” – AU) |
OP (AU) |
| 12 | Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town |
OP (AU) |
| 13 | Television – Marquee Moon | OP (US) |
| 14 | Little Richard – Here’s Little Richard |
RP (AU/NZ) |
| 15 | Led Zeppelin – Untitled (Symbols) IV |
OP (JP & AU) |
| 16 | Radiohead – OK Computer | RP (EU) |
| 17 | The Band – The Band | OP, RP (AU, EU) |
| 18 | The Beatles – The Beatles (White Album) |
OP (UK, AU) |
| 19 | Pixies – Doolittle | RP (EU) |
| 20 | John Lennon – John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band |
OP (AU) |
| 21 | U2 – Achtung Baby | OP, (EU) |
| 22 | Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water |
RP, (US) Half Speed Mastered |
| 23 | Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde | RP, (‘68 AU) & (US) MoFi |
| 24 | Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols |
OP (AU) |
| 25 | Prince – Sign o’ the Times | OP |
| 26 | Arcade Fire – Funeral | RP |
| 27 | Michael Jackson – Thriller | OP |
| 28 | Neil Young – On the Beach | OP |
| 29 | Jay-Z – The Blueprint | OP |
| 30 | Massive Attack – Blue Lines | RP |
| 31 | The Smiths – The Queen is Dead | OP |
| 32 | Carole King – Tapestry | OP |
| 33 | David Bowie – Hunky Dory | OP |
| 34 | Ray Charles – Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music |
RP |
| 35 | Paul Simon – Graceland | OP |
| 36 | Iggy and the Stooges – Raw Power | RP |
| 37 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced? |
OP |
| 38 | Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul | OP |
| 39 | Ramones – Ramones | OP |
| 40 | Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St | OP |
| 41 | Patti Smith – Horses | OP |
| 42 | Miles Davis – Kind of Blue | OP, (CA) 6 eyes, (AU) & RP (UK) & (US) MoFi UHQC |
| 43 | Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation | OP |
| 44 | Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run | OP |
| 45 | The Beatles – Abbey Road | OP |
| 46 | Guns ‘n Roses – Appetite for Destruction |
OP & RP (AU, EU) both covers |
| 47 | Black Sabbath – Paranoid | OP (US, AU) |
| 48 | George Harrison – All Things Must Pass |
OP (AU & UK) |
| 49 | Green Day – American Idiot | RP |
| 50 | The Doors – The Doors | RP (AU ‘70s & US VMP reissue) |
| 51 | Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon |
OP (UK, AU) |
| 52 | James Brown – Live at the Apollo | RP (US) |
| 53 | Creedance Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory |
OP (AU) |
| 54 | Pearl Jam – Vs. | RP |
| 55 | The Wailers – Burnin’ | OP & RP (US, UK) |
| 56 | The Monkees – Headquarters | OP (US) |
| 57 | Talking Heads – Remain in Light | OP (AU) |
| 58 | Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells a story |
OP (AU) |
| 59 | Devo – Q. Are We Not Men? A. We are Devo! |
OP (AU) |
| 60 | Chuck Berry – After School Session | RP |
| 61 | Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP | RP |
| 62 | Blondie – Parallel Lines | OP |
| 63 | Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis |
RP (CA) |
| 64 | R.E.M. – Automatic for the People | OP |
| 65 | The Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go? |
OP |
| 66 | Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? |
RP |
| 67 | Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy |
OP |
| 68 | Jeff Buckley – Grace | RP |
| 69 | The White Stripes – Elephant | RP |
| 70 | Eagles – Hotel California | OP |
| 71 | Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot | RP |
| 72 | Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique | RP |
| 73 | Tom Waits – Rain Dogs | OP |
| 74 | Kate Bush – Hounds of Love | OP |
| 75 | The Who – Live at Leeds | RP |
| 76 | Joy Division – Closer | OP |
| 77 | Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express | RP (CA) |
| 78 | Randy Newman – Sail Away | OP |
| 79 | Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain |
RP |
| 80 | Curtis Mayfield – Curtis | RP |
| 81 | Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure | OP |
| 82 | The Strokes – Is This It | RP |
| 83 | Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust | OP |
| 84 | Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends |
OP |
| 85 | The Kinks – The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society |
RP, Japanese 80s EX |
| 86 | Pretenders – Pretenders | OP |
| 87 | The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers |
OP |
| 88 | Primal Scream -Screamadelica | OP |
| 89 | Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking |
OP |
| 90 | Elvis Costello and the Attractions – This Year’s Model |
OP |
| 91 | Portishead – Dummy | RP |
| 92 | AC/DC – Back in Black | OP |
| 93 | Beck – Odelay | OP |
| 94 | Gang of Four – Entertainment! | OP (AU) |
| 95 | Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On | RP |
| 96 | Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s Wham I’m Not |
OP |
| 97 | Queen – A Night at the Opera | OP |
| 98 | Derek and the Dominos – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs |
OP |
| 99 | PJ Harvey – Let England Shake | OP |
| 100 | The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo | RP, 2xLP Set |