# The best jazz albums of all time

The albums that appear on every list of the best jazz records, from Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock.

- 795 votes · 20 items
- Apr 3, 2025 · Felipe Gómez
- https://even.best/en/l/2214/the-best-jazz-albums-of-all-time

## Top 20

1. **Kind of Blue — Miles Davis** (65 · ▲72 ▼7) — 1959. Modal jazz and the best-selling jazz record ever.
2. **A Love Supreme — John Coltrane** (60 · ▲65 ▼5) — 1965. A spiritual suite in four parts.
3. **Mingus Ah Um — Charles Mingus** (41 · ▲49 ▼8) — 1959. Gospel, blues and swing with plenty of bite.
4. **Blue Train — John Coltrane** (40 · ▲45 ▼5) — 1957. His great hard bop album for Blue Note.
5. **Time Out — The Dave Brubeck Quartet** (39 · ▲47 ▼8) — 1959. Odd time signatures that became a hit, with "Take Five".
6. **The Shape of Jazz to Come — Ornette Coleman** (38 · ▲41 ▼3) — 1959. Free jazz shows its face.
7. **Moanin' — Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers** (34 · ▲38 ▼4) — 1958. Hard bop with church roots.
8. **Ellington at Newport — Duke Ellington** (28 · ▲36 ▼8) — 1956. The concert that revived his orchestra.
9. **Somethin' Else — Cannonball Adderley** (28 · ▲34 ▼6) — 1958. With Miles Davis as a guest.
10. **Saxophone Colossus — Sonny Rollins** (28 · ▲30 ▼2) — 1956. Textbook improvisation, with "St. Thomas".
11. **Bitches Brew — Miles Davis** (22 · ▲28 ▼6) — 1970. The doorway to electric fusion.
12. **Ella and Louis — Ella Fitzgerald y Louis Armstrong** (22 · ▲28 ▼6) — 1956. Two voices and a handful of standards.
13. **Getz/Gilberto — Stan Getz y João Gilberto** (20 · ▲29 ▼9) — 1964. Bossa nova conquers the world.
14. **Sunday at the Village Vanguard — Bill Evans Trio** (19 · ▲26 ▼7) — 1961. A trio in conversation, recorded live.
15. **Head Hunters — Herbie Hancock** (18 · ▲22 ▼4) — 1973. Jazz meets funk, and a best-seller.
16. **Lady in Satin — Billie Holiday** (17 · ▲21 ▼4) — 1958. Her worn voice with strings.
17. **The Köln Concert — Keith Jarrett** (17 · ▲19 ▼2) — 1975. An improvised solo piano concert that sold millions.
18. **The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady — Charles Mingus** (11 · ▲19 ▼8) — 1963. A suite for small band, almost a ballet.
19. **Giant Steps — John Coltrane** (11 · ▲16 ▼5) — 1960. The most feared chord changes in jazz.
20. **Speak No Evil — Wayne Shorter** (9 · ▲16 ▼7) — 1966. Mysterious compositions on Blue Note.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.