Jazz: The Top 100 Albums
A hundred landmark jazz records, from Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives to the new London scene, ranked. Listen to each on Apple Music or Spotify.
100 albums
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1
Cool & modalKind of Blue
The modal landmark with John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, often cited as the best-selling jazz album of all time.
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2
SpiritualA Love Supreme
A four-part devotional suite by Coltrane’s classic quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones.
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3
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4
Post-bopMingus Ah Um
Blues, gospel and tributes, including “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” for Lester Young.
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5
Piano trio & soloSunday at the Village Vanguard
Live recordings of the trio with bassist Scott LaFaro, made shortly before his death.
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6
Bebop & hard bopBrilliant Corners
Monk’s knotty compositions played by a band including Sonny Rollins.
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7
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8
Bebop & hard bopMoanin’
A defining hard bop statement with Lee Morgan and Benny Golson; the title track is by pianist Bobby Timmons.
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9
Free & avant-gardeThe Shape of Jazz to Come
A pianoless quartet that loosened harmony and pointed toward free jazz, featuring “Lonely Woman”.
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10
Fusion & funkBitches Brew
Electric, studio-edited improvisation that helped launch jazz-rock fusion.
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11
Bebop & hard bopGiant Steps
Coltrane’s first album of all-original compositions, famed for its rapid chord changes.
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12
Bebop & hard bopSomethin’ Else
A rare sideman appearance by Miles Davis, including a celebrated “Autumn Leaves”.
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13
Cool & modalMaiden Voyage
A sea-themed modal album with Freddie Hubbard, George Coleman, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.
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14
Post-bopSpeak No Evil
Enigmatic compositions with Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter and Elvin Jones.
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15
Free & avant-gardeOut to Lunch!
Angular, adventurous music with Bobby Hutcherson’s vibraphone and Tony Williams on drums.
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16
Big band & orchestralThe Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
An extended ballet suite for large ensemble, and one of Mingus’s most ambitious works.
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17
Piano trio & soloThe Köln Concert
An improvised solo concert in Cologne and one of the best-selling piano recordings ever made.
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18
Latin & bossa novaGetz/Gilberto
The album that took bossa nova worldwide, with Astrud Gilberto singing “The Girl from Ipanema”.
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19
Big band & orchestralSketches of Spain
Gil Evans’s orchestral arrangements, including Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez.
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20
Big band & orchestralEllington at Newport
The 1956 festival set where Paul Gonsalves’s marathon solo on “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue” revived Ellington’s career.
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21
Soul jazzThe Sidewinder
A boogaloo-flavoured title track that became one of Blue Note’s biggest hits.
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22
Bebop & hard bopSong for My Father
Bossa-tinged hard bop inspired by Silver’s Cape Verdean heritage.
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23
Bebop & hard bopBlue Train
Coltrane’s only Blue Note album as leader, with Lee Morgan and Curtis Fuller.
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24
Bebop & hard bopSoul Station
Warm, relaxed tenor saxophone with Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Art Blakey.
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25
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26
Bebop & hard bop’Round About Midnight
Davis’s Columbia debut with his first great quintet, including John Coltrane.
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27
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28
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29
VocalElla Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book
The first of Fitzgerald’s celebrated Song Book series.
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30
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31
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32
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33
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34
Piano trio & soloNight Train
A blues-rooted trio set that closes with Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom”.
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35
Bebop & hard bopMonk’s Dream
Monk’s Columbia debut with his long-running quartet featuring Charlie Rouse.
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36
Piano trio & soloWaltz for Debby
A companion to the Village Vanguard sessions, named for Evans’s niece.
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37
Bebop & hard bopJazz at Massey Hall
Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach together in Toronto.
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38
Big band & orchestralThe Atomic Mr. Basie
Neal Hefti’s arrangements for the Basie band, including “Li’l Darlin’”.
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39
Post-bopDuke Ellington & John Coltrane
A meeting of generations, including “In a Sentimental Mood”.
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40
VocalJohn Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
Hartman’s rich baritone with Coltrane’s quartet on six ballads.
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41
Cool & modalMy Favorite Things
Coltrane’s soprano saxophone transforms the Rodgers and Hammerstein song.
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42
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43
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44
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45
Fusion & funkIn a Silent Way
Ambient electric textures with Joe Zawinul, John McLaughlin and Herbie Hancock.
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46
Bebop & hard bopCookin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet
From the marathon 1956 sessions, opening with “My Funny Valentine”.
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47
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48
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49
Fusion & funkThe Inner Mounting Flame
John McLaughlin’s high-velocity jazz-rock debut with the band.
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50
Fusion & funkReturn to Forever
Latin-tinged electric jazz with Flora Purim, Joe Farrell and Stanley Clarke.
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51
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52
SpiritualJourney in Satchidananda
Harp, tamboura and saxophone in a meditative, Indian-influenced suite.
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53
Post-bopThe Real McCoy
Tyner’s first Blue Note album after leaving Coltrane, with Joe Henderson, Ron Carter and Elvin Jones.
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54
Free & avant-gardePoint of Departure
Unconventional forms played by a sextet including Eric Dolphy and Joe Henderson.
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55
Soul jazzIdle Moments
Unhurried guitar-led blues and ballads with Joe Henderson and Bobby Hutcherson.
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56
Bebop & hard bopThe Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery
Montgomery’s thumb-picked octaves on “Four on Six” and “West Coast Blues”.
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57
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58
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59
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60
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61Free & avant-garde
Unit Structures
Dense, part-composed, part-improvised music from the free jazz pianist.
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62
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63
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64
Bebop & hard bopWay Out West
A pianoless trio with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne playing Western-themed standards.
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65
Bebop & hard bopA Night at the Village Vanguard
Live trio recordings from the famous New York club.
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66
Post-bopWe Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite
A civil rights suite featuring vocalist Abbey Lincoln.
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67
Big band & orchestralMingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Large-ensemble reworkings of Mingus’s best-known tunes.
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68
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69
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70
Bebop & hard bopThe Blues and the Abstract Truth
Blues-based compositions, including “Stolen Moments”.
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71
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72
Piano trio & soloA Charlie Brown Christmas
The soundtrack to the TV special, including “Christmas Time Is Here”.
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73
Piano trio & soloAt the Pershing: But Not for Me
A spare, influential live trio set featuring “Poinciana”.
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74
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75
Free & avant-gardeFree Jazz: A Collective Improvisation
Two quartets improvising together, on the album that named a movement.
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76
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77
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78Piano trio & solo
Thelonious Himself
Monk alone at the piano, interpreting standards and his own tunes.
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79Bebop & hard bop
Blues & Roots
Mingus’s gospel- and blues-drenched answer to critics of his complex writing.
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80
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81
Post-bopMiles Smiles
The second great quintet at its loosest, including Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints”.
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82
VocalElla in Berlin: Mack the Knife
A live concert where Fitzgerald improvised the lyrics she forgot to “Mack the Knife”.
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83
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84
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85
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86
Fusion & funkEmergency!
A pioneering organ-trio fusion record with John McLaughlin and Larry Young.
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87
Big band & orchestralLiberation Music Orchestra
Songs of protest and the Spanish Civil War, arranged by Carla Bley.
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88
Early jazz & swingThe Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings
Armstrong’s 1925–28 recordings, which established the jazz soloist as the music’s centre.
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89
Free & avant-gardeNice Guys
The Chicago collective’s ECM debut, ranging from reggae grooves to free improvisation.
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90
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91
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92Post-bop
Black Codes (From the Underground)
Marsalis’s quintet with Branford Marsalis revisits the spirit of 1960s acoustic jazz.
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93Piano trio & solo
The Art of the Trio, Vol. 1
The first in Mehldau’s influential series of trio albums.
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94
VocalBlue Light ’til Dawn
Acoustic, blues-rooted reimaginings of songs by Robert Johnson, Joni Mitchell and others.
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95
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96
ContemporarySeven Days of Falling
The Swedish trio blends jazz piano with pop and electronic textures.
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97
Big band & orchestralConcert in the Garden
A Grammy-winning big band album funded and sold through the fan platform ArtistShare.
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98
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99
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100Contemporary
Your Queen Is a Reptile
Shabaka Hutchings’s London band, powered by tuba and two drummers.
No albums match those filters.