UPDATE May 22, 2024

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill takes No. 1 spot

Special guest artists Nile Rodgers and Maggie Rogers sit down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden in a special countdown finale

In 1974, Stevie Wonder was the most critically revered pop star in the world; he was also considering leaving the music industry altogether. So when Songs in the Key of Life was released two years later, demand was so high that it became, at the time, the fastest-selling album in history. The album, which runs nearly 90 minutes, is effortlessly melodic, broad in scope, and deeply personal. Sonically, culturally, and emotionally, Songs in the Key of Life is much more than a gigantic collection of songs — it forms an entire worldview.