The 10 Greatest Jazz
Albums of All Time

The most structurally radical album on this list, and the most divisive. Coleman abandoned traditional chord structures entirely, freeing his quartet to follow melodic and emotional logic rather than harmonic convention. Critics were split; other musicians were shaken. It launched the free jazz movement and permanently expanded what jazz was allowed to be. The title turned out to be a statement of fact. Appears on 11 of 14 lists, ranked higher by professional critics (#3 at Jazzwise, #4 JazzFuel, #5 uDiscover) than by fan communities (#28 on RateYourMusic).

The most unconventional mainstream hit in jazz history. Time Out was built entirely around unusual time signatures: 9/8, 6/4, 3/4, 5/4, and "Take Five," recorded in 5/4, became jazz's most recognizable melody. Columbia Records famously had reservations about releasing it; it became one of the best-selling jazz records of all time. Appearing on 10 of 14 lists (#3 on uDiscover and top40weekly, #4 on JazzGuitar.be and the beckchris meta-list, but #18 at Jazzwise and #31 on RateYourMusic), it demonstrates that musical innovation and mass accessibility are not mutually exclusive.

The apex of hard bop tenor saxophone. Rollins sets the standard for thematic development in improvisation, his ability to take a short melodic idea and develop it endlessly without losing coherence or swing is unmatched. The calypso-inflected opener "St. Thomas" is one of jazz's most joyful recordings. The album captures a musician at the absolute height of his powers, on a day when everything went right. A benchmark for every tenor player who followed. Appears on 11 of 14 lists, with #5 placements from Jazzwise, JazzFuel and the JazzGuitar.be poll, and #6 on the beckchris meta-list.

Quintessential Blue Note hard bop, made extraordinary by Miles Davis sitting in as a sideman on Cannonball's session, a rare reversal of their usual roles. The warmth and soulfulness here are unrivaled: Adderley's alto saxophone sings with a richness that few players before or since have matched. The opening "Autumn Leaves" is among the most perfect recordings in jazz. It appears on 10 of 14 lists and is #1 on the Aebersold list, #3 in the JazzGuitar.be poll, #4 at The Sound of Vinyl, and #7 at uDiscover.

"Coltrane changes", the rapid-fire harmonic substitutions Coltrane pioneered here, permanently altered jazz theory and remain technically demanding for improvisers to this day. Where Kind of Blue opened space, Giant Steps compressed it, cycling through key centers at a pace that left other musicians breathless. It was the last great bebop harmonic statement before Coltrane himself moved toward the freedom of modal jazz. A towering achievement of musical intellect. Appears on 12 of 14 lists, more than any album below #2, but tends to sit just outside the top 10 (#11 at Jazzwise, #15 JazzFuel, #24 uDiscover). Its best placements are #2 on the All About Jazz list and #5 on Rolling Stone's 500 among jazz albums.

Recorded live on June 25, 1961, just eleven days before bassist Scott LaFaro was killed in a car accident, these twin releases capture a singular musical conversation that can never be recreated. Evans, LaFaro, and drummer Paul Motian play with an extraordinary democratic interplay that redefined what a piano trio could be. The loss of LaFaro gives the recordings an almost unbearable poignancy. The definitive statement of chamber jazz. Appears on 10 of 14 lists, with the highest placements from Jazzwise (#4, for Sunday at the Village Vanguard) and The Sound of Vinyl (#3).

The most debated entry on the list, and the most forward-looking. Bitches Brew birthed jazz fusion, blending electric instruments, rock rhythms, and studio experimentation with the improvisational depth of jazz. The cast reads like a who's-who of the next decade: Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Joe Zawinul, Jack DeJohnette. It is the third-ranked jazz album on Rolling Stone's 500 (#87 overall) and #5 on RateYourMusic, but only four of the twelve ranked lists put it in their top 10. That tension itself tells you everything about the album's importance.