Apple Music has hailed The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as the greatest album ever released, with Hill's 1998 classic topping the streaming service's controversial Best Albums of All Time list.
The top 10 was announced this week and features The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Prince, Nirvana, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Kendrick Lamar and Stevie Wonder.
Lorde represents New Zealand on the list - her 2013 debut Pure Heroine is ranked 96th, with editors hailing it as "a new kind of teen pop, wise beyond its years".
In a statement about topping the list, Hill said: "I appreciate the acknowledgement, I really do, but I'd be remiss not to also acknowledge all of the music and artists who informed and inspired me."
"Thank you tons to every careful listener, thank you to every casual listener, and love to all the artists and those who support them fighting the good, courageous, and noble fight of presenting the art you love to a world that desperately needs it."
Apple Music, which is a competitor with Spotify, Amazon Music and Tidal, has copped criticism for the list since launching it on May 13. Some social media users have decried the number of relatively recent releases over older classics, as well as a perceived lack of diversity in the genres and nationalities represented.
As is always the case with such lists, fans of some artists are expressing displeasure at perceived snubs or exclusions. Among the notable omissions are Queen, Whitney Houston, The Who, Elvis Presley, Mariah Carey, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Blur, Pulp, James Brown, Tina Turner, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Pearl Jam, Katy Perry and the Sex Pistols.
The company describes the list as being "crafted by Apple Music's team of experts alongside a select group of artists, songwriters, producers and industry professionals".
"The list is an editorial statement, fully independent of any streaming numbers on Apple Music - a love letter to the records that have shaped the world music lovers live and listen in."
Apple Music's 100 Best Albums of All Time are as follows:
- Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
- Michael Jackson - Thriller
- The Beatles - Abbey Road
- Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain
- Frank Ocean - Blonde
- Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
- Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe Version)
- Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
- Nirvana - Nevermind
- Beyoncé - Lemonade
- Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
- Radiohead - OK Computer
- Jay-Z - The Blueprint
- Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
- Adele - 21
- Joni Mitchell - Blue
- Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
- Taylor Swift - 1989 (Taylor's Version)
- Dr. Dre - The Chronic
- The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
- The Beatles - Revolver
- Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
- Daft Punk - Discovery
- David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (2012 Remaster)
- Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
- Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
- Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
- A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
- Billie Eilish - WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
- Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (Remastered)
- Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die (The Remaster)
- Radiohead - Kid A
- Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
- The Clash - London Calling
- Beyoncé - BEYONCÉ
- Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) [Expanded Edition]
- Carole King - Tapestry
- Nas - Illmatic
- Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
- OutKast - Aquemini
- Janet Jackson - Control
- Talking Heads - Remain in Light
- Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
- Björk - Homogenic
- Bob Marley & The Wailers - Exodus (2013 Remaster)
- Drake - Take Care (Deluxe Version)
- Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique
- U2 - The Joshua Tree
- Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (2018 Remaster)
- Prince - Sign O’The Times
- Guns ‘N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
- The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (2010 Remaster)
- John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
- Rihanna - ANTI
- The Cure - Disintegration (Remastered)
- D’Angelo - Voodoo
- Oasis - (What’s The Story) Morning Glory
- Arctic Monkeys - AM
- Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground and Nico (45th Anniversary Edition)
- Sade - Love Deluxe
- 2Pac - All Eyez on Me
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
- Erykah Badu - Baduizm
- De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
- The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
- Portishead - Dummy
- The Strokes - Is this It
- Metallica - Master of Puppets (Remastered)
- N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
- Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express
- SZA - SOS
- Steely Dan - Aja
- Nine Inch Nails - Downward Spiral
- Missy Elliot - Supa Dupa Fly
- Bad Bunny - Un Verano Sin Ti
- Madonna - Like A Prayer
- Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- Lana Del Rey - Norman F***** Rockwell!
- Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
- Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
- 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin’
- Patti Smith - Horses
- Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
- Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
- Mary J Blige - My Life
- Massive Attack - Blue Lines
- Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You
- Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster (Deluxe Edition)
- AC/DC - Back in Black
- George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
- Tyler, The Creator - Flower Boy
- Solange - A Seat at the Table
- Burial - Untrue
- Usher - Confessions
- Lorde - Pure Heroine
- Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
- Travis Scott - ASTROWORLD
- The Eagles - Hotel California
- Robyn - Body Talk
