CONSENSUS TOP 40 ALBUMS

The readers’ best list, based on a scoring system that awards 10 points for every first-place vote, nine points for every second-place listing, etc.

No. Group/Artist Album Title, Year of Release Points 1 The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” 1967 495 2 The Rolling Stones “Exile on Main Street,” 1972 272 3 The Who “Who’s Next,” 1971 254 4 Elvis Presley “Sun Sessions,” 1955 251 5 Bob Dylan “Blonde on Blonde,” 1966 227 6 The Beatles “Abbey Road,” 1969 223 7 Bob Dylan “Highway 61 Revisited,” 1965 214 8 Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run,” 1975 210 9 The Beatles “Rubber Soul,” 1965 207 10 Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon,” 1973 190 11 Bruce Springsteen “Born in the U.S.A.,” 1984 179 12 The Beatles “Revolver,” 1966 149 13 Stevie Wonder “Songs in the Key of Life,” 1976 148 14 The Beatles “The Beatles,” 1968 146 15 David Bowie “Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars,” 1972 141 16 Bruce Springsteen “The River,” 1980 129 17 U2 “War,” 1983 122 18 The Sex Pistols “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols,” 1977 117 19 Led Zeppelin “Led Zeppelin IV,” 1971 115 20 The Who “Tommy,” 1969 108 21 Velvet Underground “The Velvet Underground and Nico,” 1967 107 22 Pink Floyd “The Wall,” 1979 106 23 The Beach Boys “Pet Sounds,” 1966 105 24 The Ramones “The Ramones,” 1976 104 Tie Fleetwood Mac “Rumours,” 1977 104 26 The Rolling Stones “Let It Bleed,” 1969 103 27 The Clash “London Calling,” 1980 101 28 The Rolling Stones “Sticky Fingers,” 1971 98 29 The Doors “The Doors,” 1968 97 30 Peter Gabriel “So,” 1986 95 31 Bob Dylan “Blood on the Tracks,” 1975 94 32 Van Morrison “Astral Weeks,” 1968 91 33 The Rolling Stones “Some Girls,” 1978 84 34 Creedence Clear- water Revival “Green River,” 1969 80 Tie John Lennon “Plastic Ono Band,” 1970 80 36 Roxy Music “Avalon,” 1982 77 37 Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On,” 1971 75 38 The Who “Quadrophenia,” 1973 74 39 Paul Simon “Graceland,” 1986 51 40 U2 “The Unforgettable Fire,” 1984 50