Top 100 'greatest albums ever': did your favourite make the list?

Bringing together artists, songwriters, producers, and industry professionals, Apple said the list was an editorial statement, separate from streaming numbers on their platform.

They described the rankings as "a modern love letter to the records that have shaped the world we live and listen in to today".

Grammy-award-winning musician, Lauryn Hill took out the top spot with her 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Her first solo studio album, after fronting hip-hop trio The Fugees, won five Grammys, making her the first woman to win five or more awards in a night.

Apple Music characterised Hill as a "once-in-a-generation talent" whose inspiration stood the test of time.

"A stunningly raw, profound look into the spiritual landscape not just of one of the era's biggest stars, but of the era itself," Apple Music said in a statement.

"This is my award, but it's a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love," Hill said.

The top ten featured other classics including The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Prince and 21st-century icons such as Beyoncé, Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar.

The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Radiohead and Beyoncé were the only five artists to have two albums on the top 100 list.

10. Lemonade, Beyoncé (2016)

9. Nevermind, Nirvana (1991)

8. Back to Black, Amy Winehouse (2006)

7. good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe Version), Kendrick Lamar (2012)

6. Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder (1976)

5. Blonde, Frank Ocean (2016)

4. Purple Rain, Prince and The Revolution (1984)

3. Abbey Road, The Beatles (1969)

2. Thriller, Michael Jackson (1982)

1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill (1998)