The best art rock albums

Ranked by every score on sleeves, critics' and listeners'. An album with few scores is pulled toward the average until more come in, so one perfect score cannot top the list.

  1. 1FuneralArcade Fire · 4.8 from 3 scores
  2. 2In RainbowsRadiohead · 4.7 from 3 scores
  3. 3Merriweather Post PavilionAnimal Collective · 4.5 from 3 scores
  1. 4Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club BandThe Beatles5 from 1 score
  2. 5Hounds of LoveKate Bush5 from 1 score
  3. 6The BeatlesThe Beatles5 from 1 score
  4. 7Kid ARadiohead4.5 from 2 scores
  5. 8Yankee Hotel FoxtrotWilco4.5 from 2 scores
  6. 9Thirteenth StepA Perfect Circle4.5 from 1 score
  7. 10Mellon Collie and the Infinite SadnessThe Smashing Pumpkins4.5 from 1 score
  8. 11Different ClassPulp4.5 from 1 score
  9. 12The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Velvet Underground4.5 from 1 score
  10. 13Neon BibleArcade Fire4.2 from 3 scores
  11. 14The Devil and God Are Raging Inside MeBrand New4.2 from 3 scores
  12. 15Ants From Up ThereBlack Country, New Road4 from 1 score
  13. 16Out of the BlueElectric Light Orchestra4 from 1 score
  14. 17The King of LimbsRadiohead3.8 from 3 scores
  15. 18AmnesiacRadiohead3.8 from 2 scores
  16. 19Viva la Vida or Death and All His FriendsColdplay3.5 from 1 score
  17. 20Year ZeroNine Inch Nails3.7 from 3 scores
  18. 21Hail to the ThiefRadiohead3.5 from 2 scores
  19. 22The 2nd LawMuse3.3 from 3 scores
  20. 23A Thousand SunsLinkin Park2.5 from 1 score
  21. 24X&YColdplay3.2 from 3 scores
  22. 25Ghosts I–IVNine Inch Nails2.5 from 2 scores
  23. 26LateralusTool1 from 1 score
  24. 27The FragileNine Inch Nails1 from 1 score