The records that everyone reaches for.
Across fifteen years of Amoeba bags, certain records keep showing up. Not because we listed them — because the curators kept reaching for them. This is that list, ranked by pick count.
Rank
Record
Year · Genre
Picked by
Picks
01
Kind of Blue
Miles Davis
1959
Jazz
12×
02
Midnight Marauders
A Tribe Called Quest
1993
Rap
10×
03
Tender Buttons
Broadcast
2005
Alternative
10×
04
Grace
Jeff Buckley
1994
Rock
9×
05
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
1965
Jazz
9×
06
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
1993
Rap
MR
9×
07
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
1991
Rap
MR
8×
08
Post
Björk
1995
Pop
8×
09
To Pimp a Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
2015
Hip-Hop/Rap
GK
8×
10
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
1988
Hip-Hop/Rap
8×
11
Journey in Satchidananda
Alice Coltrane
1971
Jazz
7×
12
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
1970
Metal
7×
13
Either/Or
Elliott Smith
1997
Rock
7×
14
New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh
Erykah Badu
2010
R&B/Soul
7×
15
Horses
Patti Smith
1975
Punk
7×
16
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
1971
Glam Rock
7×
17
Tapestry
Carole King
1971
Singer/Songwriter
6×
18
Chet Baker Sings
Chet Baker
1954
Jazz
6×
19
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
1971
R&B/Soul
6×
20
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
1973
Jazz
ER
6×
21
Donuts
J Dilla
2006
Hip-Hop/Rap
6×
22
Blue
Joni Mitchell
1971
Singer/Songwriter
6×
23
Hounds of Love
Kate Bush
1985
Pop
6×
24
Madvillainy
Madvillain
2004
Hip-Hop/Rap
6×
25
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
1971
R&B/Soul
6×
26
Ride the Lightning
Metallica
1984
Metal
6×
27
Off the Wall
Michael Jackson
1979
Pop
6×
28
Pretty Hate Machine
Nine Inch Nails
1989
Alternative
6×
29
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Outkast
2003
Rap
6×
30
1999
Prince
1982
R&B/Soul
6×
31
Marquee Moon
Television
1977
Alternative
6×
32
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles
1967
Rock
6×
33
Disintegration
The Cure
1989
Alternative
6×
34
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
1979
Hard Rock
5×
35
Richard D. James Album
Aphex Twin
1996
Electronic
5×
36
#1 Record
Big Star
1972
Rock
5×
37
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
1997
Cuban
5×
38
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
1971
Rock
5×
39
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
1972
Rock
5×
40
Blackstar
David Bowie
2016
Rock
KK
5×
41
White Pony
Deftones
2000
Hard Rock
5×
42
Black Messiah
D’Angelo and The Vanguard
2014
R&B/Soul
T
5×
43
Ella and Louis
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
1956
Jazz
5×
44
Zombie
Fela Kuti
1977
Afro-Beat
5×
45
Hejira
Joni Mitchell
1976
Pop
5×
46
Red
King Crimson
1974
Prog-Rock/Art Rock
5×
47
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
1998
Pop
5×
48
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
1969
Hard Rock
5×
49
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
1994
Alternative
5×
50
Doolittle
Pixies
1989
Alternative
5×
51
The Best of Sade
Sade
1994
R&B/Soul
5×
52
Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space
Spiritualized
1997
Alternative
5×
53
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
1973
Motown
5×
54
Spirit of Eden
Talk Talk
1988
Pop
5×
55
Abbey Road
The Beatles
1969
Rock
5×
56
Revolver
The Beatles
1966
Rock
5×
57
London Calling
The Clash
1979
Punk
5×
58
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
1972
Rock
5×
59
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
1972
Rock
5×
60
21
Adele
2011
Pop
4×
61
songs
Adrianne Lenker
2020
Alternative
4×
62
Malibu
Anderson .Paak
2016
R&B/Soul
4×
63
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
1992
Electronic
4×
64
Calling Out of Context
Arthur Russell
2000
Alternative
4×
65
King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown
Augustus Pablo
1976
Dub
4×
66
Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
Blonde Redhead
2000
Alternative
4×
67
Ege Bamyasi
Can
1972
Rock
4×
68
Teens of Denial
Car Seat Headrest
2016
Alternative
KS
4×
69
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
1990
Rock
4×
70
Voodoo
D'Angelo
2000
R&B/Soul
4×
71
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
1989
Hip-Hop/Rap
4×
72
Love To Love You Baby
Donna Summer
1975
Disco
4×
73
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
1971
Rock
4×
74
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
2000
Hip-Hop/Rap
4×
75
Baduizm
Erykah Badu
1997
R&B/Soul
4×
76
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
1977
Rock
4×
77
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Gil Scott-Heron
1974
Vocal Jazz
4×
78
Plastic Beach
Gorillaz
2010
Pop
4×
79
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
1995
Alternative
4×
80
Control
Janet Jackson
1986
Pop
4×
81
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
2010
Hip-Hop/Rap
4×
82
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
2012
Hip-Hop/Rap
GK
4×
83
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
1971
Rock
4×
84
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
1970
Jazz
4×
85
The Infamous
Mobb Deep
1995
Hip-Hop/Rap
4×
86
Illmatic
Nas
1994
Hip-Hop/Rap
4×
87
Harvest
Neil Young
1972
Rock
4×
88
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
1969
Singer/Songwriter
4×
89
Black Gold (Live)
Nina Simone
1970
Jazz
4×
90
Tragic Kingdom
No Doubt
1995
Pop
4×
91
ATLiens
Outkast
1996
Hip-Hop/Rap
4×
92
Aquemini
Outkast
1998
Hip-Hop/Rap
4×
93
Dummy
Portishead
1994
Electronic
4×
94
Dirty Mind
Prince
1980
R&B/Soul
JK
MR
4×
95
Controversy
Prince
1981
R&B/Soul
MR
4×
96
In Rainbows
Radiohead
2007
Alternative
4×
97
Kid A
Radiohead
2000
Alternative
4×
98
Amnesiac
Radiohead
2001
Alternative
4×
99
A Moon Shaped Pool
Radiohead
2016
Alternative
GK
4×
100
Dopesmoker
Sleep
2022
Metal
4×