El siguiente listado es una ponderación de los rankings históricos publicados en las revistas  especializadas Rolling Stone, New Musical Express, Virgin, Meldoy Maker, Q y la lista de la página Rate Your Music. Los 100 discos que aparecen como esenciales son (en este orden):

1 Revolver - The Beatles
2 The Beatles (White Album) - The Beatles
3 Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground
4 London Calling - The Clash
5 What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
6 Pet Sounds - Beach Boys
7 Exile on Main Street - Rolling Stones
8 OK Computer - Radiohead
9 Hunky Dory - David Bowie
10 Blood On The Tracks - Bob Dylan
11 The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
12 The Bends - Radiohead
13 Astral Weeks - Van Morrison
14 Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
15 Forever Changes - Love
16 Nevermind - Nirvana
17 IV - Led Zeppelin
18 Let It Bleed - Rolling Stones
19 The Doors - The Doors
20 Marquee Moon - Television
21 Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band - The Beatles
22 It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
23 Abbey Road - The Beatles
24 Nevermind The Bollocks, Here Comes The Sex Pistols - Sex Pistols
25 Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd
26 Closer - Joy Division
27 Who's Next - The Who
28 Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
29 Doolittle - Pixies
30 Bring It All Back Home - Bob Dylan
31 Ramones - Ramones
32 Electric Ladyland - Jimi Hendrix
33 Sign O' The Times - Prince
34 Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
35 Automatic For The People - REM
36 Back In Black - AC/DC
37 Grace - Jeff Buckley
38 After the Gold Rush - Neil Young
39 Sticky Fingers - Rolling Stones
40 Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
41 Kind Of Blue - Miles Davis
42 Rubber Soul - The Beatles
43 Blonde on Blonde - Bob Dylan
44 Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
45 Horses - Patti Smith
46 The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
47 A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
48 Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix
49 Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
50 Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder
51 Transformer - Lou Reed
52 The Clash - The Clash
52 Blue - Joni Mitchell
54 The Band - The Band
55 Beggars Banquet - Rolling Stones
56 Moondance - Van Morrison
57 II - Led Zeppelin
58 Five Leaves Left - Nick Drake
59 Parallel Lines - Blondie
60 I - Led Zeppelin
61 Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul - Otis Redding
62 I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin
63 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
64 Low - David Bowie
65 There's a Riot Goin On - Sly and The Family Stone
66 The Joshua Tree - U2
67 The Wall - Pink Floyd
68 Graceland - Paul Simon
69 Dusty In Memphis - Dusty Springfield
70 Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
71 Purple Rain - Prince
72 Achtung Baby - U2
73 Surfer Rosa - Pixies
74 Live At The Apollo (1963) - James Brown
75 Live at Fillmore East - The Allman Brothers Band
76 Harvest - Neil Young
77 Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
78 Odessey & Oracle - The Zombies
79 Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys
80 SuperFly - Curtis Mayfield
81 Tapestry - Carole King
82 Raw Power - The Stooges
83 Slanted & Enchanted - Pavement
84 Giant Steps - John Coltrane
85 Fun House - The Stooges
86 New Year's Model - Elvis Costello
87 At Folsom Prison - Johny Cash
88 Axis: Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix
89 Remain in Light - Talking Heads
90 Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
91 Dummy - Portishead
92 Murmur - REM
93 Appetite For Destruction - Guns 'n' Roses
94 Psychocandy - Jesus & Mary Chain
95 Freewhillin' Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
96 Exodus - Bob Marley & The Wailers
97 The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground
98 Bitches Brew - Miles Davis
99 Pink Moon - Nick Drake
100 Master Of Puppets - Metallica