Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums is a definitive list of the greatest albums ever made, with Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” securing the top spot. Among the esteemed entries, three Caribbean artists, Bob Marley and Rihanna, are featured prominently.
Bob Marley’s ninth studio album with The Wailers, “Exodus,” is ranked at No. 46. Released in 1977 under Island Records, this album marked a shift from the band’s previous works, emphasizing themes of change, religion, politics, and sexuality. Recorded in London following Marley’s attempted assassination in December 1976, “Exodus” achieved critical and commercial success, catapulting Marley to international fame. The album was remastered and re-released 40 years later, with many tracks included on Marley’s greatest hits compilation, “Legend,” more than any other of his recordings.
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Rihanna’s eighth studio album, “Anti,” is placed at No. 55. Recorded in 2014 after her departure from Def Jam Records, it was released in 2016 through Roc Nation and Westbury Road. This album marked a departure from Rihanna’s previous dance-centric tracks, embracing a mix of dancehall, psychedelic soul, and alternative R&B, with influences spanning doo-wop, country, and rap. “Anti” became Rihanna’s second album to reach Number 1 in the United States and the first by a Black woman to remain on the Billboard 200 list for 300 weeks.
Additionally, Jamaican-American Biggie Smalls’ (The Notorious B.I.G.) “Ready to Die” is ranked at No. 32. Released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records, the album features productions by Sean “Puffy” Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse, among others. The partly autobiographical album narrates the rapper’s experiences as a young criminal and was the only studio album released during his lifetime. Biggie was tragically murdered sixteen days before the release of his second album, “Life After Death,” in 1997.
