Four albums that had no business being on Apple Music's 100 Best list

The powers that be at Apple Music have decided to put together a 100 Best albums list. This is seemingly a little odd for a streaming service as they make money off people streaming whatever they want. Apple Music is basically saying, "Goodness, you are choosing that? It stinks! Try one of these instead."

The streaming giant could have also put together a list of best-selling albums from Apple. That might have been more accurate. Instead, Apple made some really weird choices. For instance, is the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds the 20th-best record? Of course, not. It should be much higher than that.

Apple also seemed bent on making sure some musical artists were on the list, but they did not necessarily add the artist's best record. That is the case with three of the performers that follow. I am not saying most of the albums that follow are bad; just that other albums are better and should have been on the list instead.

Four albums that should have been replaced on Apple Music's top 100 list

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Referring back to the above, Led Zeppelin II is obviously not a bad record. Until the very last record, the band did not make bad albums. LZ II features gems such as "Whole Lotta Love" and "Ramble On." But having this Led Zeppelin record on the list is a mistake.

Led Zeppelin IV is not only the group's best album, but it should rank on the top 10 of Apple's list. Every note is perfect and it is the epitome of what rock should sound like. Any song on the album is going to augment the overall quality of any other record ever made. The tracklist is ridiculous and includes "Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven," "When the Levee Breaks," and "Rock and Roll." How Apple can choose II over IV should make one wonder if Apple actually knows anything about music at all.

Steely Dan - Aja

Apple Music fell for Steely Dan's trick. That is making extremely well-produced records that fuse two genres - in this case, Steely Dan chooses to combine jazz and rock with a larger amount of jazz - and that somehow seems unique. The value of the album, like all Steely Dan records, turns out to be something between Kenny G and Leo Sayer.

Both Sayer and Mr. G made albums that are slick and glossy. That is something in which Steely Dan were experts. What they failed to do was churn out anything but soulless singles that make for good music to fall asleep to.

AC/DC - Back in Black

Back in Black is a very good album and a highly entertaining one. There is nothing wrong with the record being on a top 100 list. The same can be said of Led Zeppelin II. But like that album not being Zeppelin's best, Back in Black is not AC/DC's best.

Apple should have gone, if they were only going to have one AC/DC album, with Highway to Hell instead. That was the album that the band first capitalized on all its excellent gifts. Sure, there is metal involved, but this was still the Bon Scott days so the music was punk-infused and aggressive. Back in Black was grand, but Highway to Hell is its nastier cousin.

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Before Springsteen fans get upset, it should be noted that Born to Run is a great album. It also could be on a Top 100 list, but there was only one Springsteen album on Apple Music's list and Apple simply listed the wrong Springsteen album. Instead, Apple should have chosen Darkness on the Edge of Town.

This record would portend later Springsteen albums as he sounds weary and worn-down but still knows how to rock out. "Badlands" is brilliant and bombastic, while "Adam Raised a Cain" fights every note and is one of the more dangerous-sounding tracks in Springsteen's catalog.

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