Well it is my favourite but it's also very musical and listenable, so I'm gonna say - Foxtrot, by Genesis
Really is hard to pick - and I keep thinking of others that have made a big difference - What about Queen - Night at the Opera That is up there in the top ones too
The last album I listened to, where whilst listening to it I was thinking, 'this might be the best album ever made,' was Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder. To call it a work of genius wouldn't do it justice. It goes beyond genius into ineffable. If you had been sat in my chair the other night, in my frame of mind, with my ears, you would undoubtedly agree.
My pick(s) for best album could be any or all of the following, depending on what mood I'm in: The Band (sometimes referred to as "the brown album") ;" Van Morrison's Astral Weeks and/or Moondance; Derek & the Dominos' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs; Robert Johnson: King of theDelta Blues Singers; Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde; The Allman Brothers Band: At Fillmore East; Miles Davis's Bitches Brew; Bobby 'Blue' Bland's Two Steps from the Blues; Hank Williams' 40 Greatest Hits; Los Lobos' Kiko. I am trying very hard not to think beyond this list because I am sure I'd think of another dozen "best ever", My choices probably date me.
The best of Marcel Marceau......hands down......the most consistent performance ever committed to vinyl.
WTF is wrong with that pick? The Daptone sound made this a special and accessible album loved by millions.
The best album, both objectively and subjectively, is Dolly Mixture – Demonstration Tapes. Below is an image of the album sleeve:
In popular music - Kind Of Blue. Total genius and delivers in every aspect - conception, composition, arrangement, playing, recording quality.