Top 100 Favorite Albums of
New Age and Ambient Music

compiled by Piero Scaruffi in 1997

Full discography of new-age music | A more recent list of ambient music | Other music genres

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2000 revisions by Rocco Stilo (vinyl-only editions are marked in italic)

RankArtistTitle LabelYear
1. Constance Demby Novus MagnificatHearts Of Space1986
2. Steve Roach Dreamtime ReturnFortuna1988
3. Jon Hassell Vernal EquinoxLovely1977
4. Meredith Monk Songs From The Hills/ TabletWergo1979
5. Klaus Schulze IrrlichtOhr1972
6. Harold Budd Pavilion Of DreamsObscure1978
7. Popol Vuh Hosianna MantraPilz1972
8. John Fahey Fare Forward VoyagersTakoma1973
9. Mike Oldfield Tubular BellsVirgin1973
10. Brian Eno Music For Airports Ambient1978
11. Penguin Cafè Orchestra Music from the Penguin CafeEGRecords1976
12. Michael Jones After The RainNarada1988
13. Wim Mertens Maximizing The AudienceCrepuscule1985
14. Kenneth Newby Ecology Of SoulsSonglines1993
15. Jon Hassell Dream Theory In MalayaEdition EG1981
16. Meredith Monk Dolmen Music/ Education Of The GirlchildECM1981
17. Tangerine Dream AtemOhr1973
18. Cluster Cluster IIBrain1972
19. Kitaro Silk RoadKuckuck1980
20. David Lanz NightfallNarada1985
...and in alphabetical order...
Artist Title Label, Year
William Ackerman In Search Of The Turtle's Navel Windham Hill, 1976; id., 1998
William Ackerman It Takes A Year Windham Hill, 1977; id., 1986
Marcus Allen Petals Rising Sun, 1981; Narada, 1984
Marcus Allen Solo Flight Rising Sun, 1985; Narada, 1987
Ancient Future Natural Rhythms Philo, 1981; id., 1994
Aphrodite's Child 666 Vertigo, 1970; id., 1998
James Asher The Great Wheel Music West, 1990; Silver Wave, 1995
James Asher Globalarium Silver Wave, 1993
William Aura Lovely Day (reincluso in Lovely Day/Timeless) Higher Octave, 1981; id., 1998
Robbie Basho Song Of The Stallion Takoma, 1971
Teja Bell Summer Suite Rising Sun, 1983; Narada, 198#
Jay Scott Berry Symphony Of Light Celestial Sorcery, 1990
Richard Bone Eternal Now Quirkworks, 1996
Kevin Braheny Perelandra (reissued as: The Way Home) Hearts Of Space, 1984; id., 1988
Kevin Braheny Galaxies Hearts Of Space, 1988
Thom Brennan Mountains Rubicon, 1993; Polygram, 1998
Harold Budd Serpent/ Children Of The Hills (reincluso in: The Serpent (in Quicksilver)/Abandoned Cities Cantil, 1981; All Saints, 1992
Wendy Carlos Sonic Seasonings Columbia, 1972; East Side, 1998
Suzanne Ciani Seven Waves Japan, 1982; Atlantic/Finnadar, 1984; Seventh Wave, 1995
Suzanne Ciani Dream Suite Seventh Wave, 1994
Tim Clement Waterstation Chacra Alternative, 1990; id., 1995
Cluster Cluster (reissued 1980 as: Cluster 71) Philips, 1971; Sky, 1980; id., 1995
Holger Czukay Canaxis V Spoon, 1969; id., 1998
Mychael Danna Sirens Hearts Of Space, 1991
David Darling Eight String Religion Hearts Of Space, 1993
David Darling Dark Wood ECM, 1995
Constance Demby Sacred Space Music Sound Currents, 1982; Hearts of Space, 1989
Georg Deuter Silence Is The Answer Kuckuck, 1981; id., 1992
Bill Douglas Circle of Moons Hearts Of Space, 1995
Steve Douglas Rainbow Suite Bel Tree, 1981
Enya Watermark WEA, 1988; Geffen, 1990; Import, 1999
Brian Eno Music For Airports Ambient, 1978; Point, 1998
Eternal Wind I Flying Fish, 1984
John Fahey America Takoma, 1973; Fantasy, 1998
Forrest Fang The Wolf At The Ruins Ominous Thud, 1989
Forrest Fang Blind Messenger Cuneiform, 1997
Larry Fast Metropolitan Suite Audion, 1987; Polygram, 1998
Flesh & Bone Skeleton Woman Silver Wave, 1993
Peter Frohmader Through Time and Mystery GEMA, 1988
Peter Gabriel Passion Real World, 1989
Gandalf Journey To An Imaginary Land WEA, 1980
Michael Gettel San Juan Suite Miramar, 1986; Narada, 1998
Wayne Gratz Reminescence Narada, 1989
Peter Michael Hamel Colours Of Time Kuckuck, 1980; id., 1981
Peter Michael Hamel Transition Kuckuck, 1983
Don Harriss Abacus Moon Sonic Atmospheres, 1989
Mickey Hart Yamantaka Rolling Thunder, 1982; Celestial Harmonies, 1991
Jon Hassell Aka Darbari Java (Magic Realism) Editions EG, 1983; id., 1991
Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries Windham Hill, 1984; id., 1992
Michael Hoenig Departure From The Northern Wasteland Warner Brothers, 1978; Kuckuck, 1991
Paul Horn Sketches Lost Lake Arts, 1986; Windham Hill, 1990
Garry Hughes Ancient Evenings Audion, 1988
Lucia Hwong House of Sleeping Beauties Private, 1985
In The Nursery Koda Wax Trax, 1988; EFA, 1998
Mark Isham Vapor Drawings Windham Hill, 1983; id., 1987
Jean-Michel Jarre Equinoxe Disques Dreyfus, 1978; Mobile Fidelity, 1995
Michael Jones Michael's Music (reissued as: Pianoscapes) Sona Gaia, 1981; Narada, 1985
Michael Jones Amber Narada, 1987
Michael Jones Air Born Narada, 1994
Peter Kater & Carlos Nakai Natives Silver Wave, 1990
Peter Kater & Carlos Nakai Migration Silver Wave, 1992
Georgia Kelly The Sound Of Spirit Heru, 1981
Steve Kindler Dolphin Smiles Global Pacific, 1987
Bernd Kistenmacher Wake Up In The Sun Musique Intemporelle, 1987; Green Tree, 1997
Bernd Kistenmacher Outlines Musique Intemporelle, 1990; Green Tree, 1997
Kitaro Oasis Canyon, 1979; Domo, 1998
Kraftwerk Autobahn Philips, 1974; EMI, 1995
David Lanz Heartsounds Narada, 1983
David Lanz Cristofori's Dream Narada, 1988
Ottmar Liebert Nouveau Flamenco Higher Octave, 1989; Virgin, 1998
Joaquin Lievano Ecologie Miramar, 1996
Lightwave Tycho Brahe Crystal Lake, 1993; Hearts Of Space, 1994
Lightwave Mundus Subterraneus Hearts Of Space, 1995
Ray Lynch No Blue Thing Music West, 1989; Windham Hill, 1992
Mannheim Steamroller Fresh Aire II American Gramaphone, 1977; id., 1987
Ingram Marshall Fog Tropes/Gradual Requiem (reissued: Fog Tropes/Gradual Requiem/Gambuh I New Albion, 1983; id., 1988
Jasun Martz The Pillory All Ears, 1978; Neoteric, 1981; APM, 1994
Loreena McKennitt The Mask And Mirror WEA, 1994
Wim Mertens A Man Of No Fortune Crepuscule, 1986; id., 1988
Wim Mertens Close Cover Windham Hill, 1986; id., 1991
Stephan Micus Implosions Japo, 1977; ECM, 1991
Stephan Micus Ocean Japo, 1986; Polygram, 1990
Mo Boma Myths Of The Near Future (1) Extreme, 1994
Meredith Monk Key Lovely, 1977; id., 1995
Meredith Monk Turtle Dreams ECM, 1983; Polygram, 1990
Montreux Sign Language Windham Hill, 1987
Montreux Let Them Say Windham Hill, 1989
Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece (reissued: C.O. 1970-73) Earthquake, 1973; Cuneiform, 1999
Nightcrawlers I (reincluso in: Traveling Backwards) Synkronos, 1984; Manikin, 1997
Patrick O'Hearn Ancient Dreams Private, 1985; Atlantic, 1986
Mike Oldfield Hergest Ridge Virgin, 1974; Atlantic, 1990
Orb U.F.Orb Big Life, 1992; Island, 1994
Oregon Distant Hills Vanguard, 1973; id., 1992
Penguin Cafe Orchestra Music From The Penguin Cafe Obscure, 1976; Editions EG, 1990
Popol Vuh In Den Garten Pharaos Pilz, 1971; Spalax, 1994; Ohr, 1999
Elian Radigue Trilogie De La Mort XI, 1998
Raphael Angels Of The Deep Hearts Of Space, 1995
Robert Rich Rainforest Hearts Of Space, 1989
Robert Rich Seven Veils Hearts Of Space, 1997
Steve Roach Strata (con Robert Rich) Hearts Of Space, 1990
Steve Roach World's Edge Fortuna, 1992
Steve Roach The Magnificent Void Hearts Of Space, 1996
Klaus Schonning Symphodysse` I Fonix, 1989; Access Denmark, 1991
Klaus Schonning Symphodysse` III Fonix, 1991; Access Denmark, 1991
Klaus Schulze Cyborg Kosmische Musik, 1973; Spalax, 1995
Klaus Schulze X Brain, 1978; Thunderbolt, 1996
Paul Schutze New Maps Of Hell Extreme, 1992
Jonn Serrie Ixlandia Miramar, 1995
Shadowfax Shadowdance Windham Hill, 1983; id., 1987
Michael Shrieve Big Picture Fortuna, 1989
Kim Skovbye Scandinavia (con Klaus Schonning) Fonix, 1990
Paul Speer Collection 1983: Spectral Voyages Catero, 1984; Paul Speer, 1998
Michael Stearns Chronos Sonic Atmosphere, 1985
Tim Story Beguiled Hearts Of Space, 1991
Suspended Memories Forgotten Gods Hearts Of Space, 1993
Tangerine Dream Alpha Centauri Ohr, 1971; Castle Comm., 2000
Tangerine Dream Zeit Ohr, 1972; Castle Comm., 2000
Third Ear Band Third Ear Band Harvest, 1970; BGO, 1990
Tonto's Expanding Head Band Zero Time (reincluso in: Tonto Rides Again) Embryo, 1971; Viceroy, 1997
Ralph Towner Diary ECM, 1974; id., 1996
Trance Mission Trance Mission City Of Tribes, 1993
Turtle Island String Quartet Turtle Island String Quartet Windham Hill, 1988
Vangelis L'Apocalypse Des Animaux Polydor, 1973; Polygram, 1987
Vangelis Heaven And Hell RCA, 1975; Windham Hill, 1997
Vidna Obmana Spiritual Bonding Extreme, 1994; id., 1996
George Winston Autumn Windham Hill, 1980; id., 1990
Paul Winter Common Ground A&M, 1978; id., 1989


Full discography of new-age music | A more recent list of ambient music | Other music genres