Gold Artefacts Share Clues to Apple Music's 100 Best Albums

Apple Music unveils its complete 100 Best Albums list celebrating the greatest records ever made. Apple Music’s team of experts and artists, including Maren Morris, Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Charli XCX, Mark Hoppus, and more craft the list that serves as a love letter to the records that shaped, inspired, and fundamentally changed music. 

Across the last 10 days, listeners could join a countdown celebration as gold artefacts appeared on social media and billboards. The symbols offered clues to the albums that made the list, from symbolism and lyrical Easter eggs to hidden tracks. The artefacts tapped into fans’ eagerness to decode references to their favourite artists. 

From May 13th to 24th, music lovers watched the list unfold in real-time through hand-painted murals on streets in Los Angeles, New York and London. The murals were updated with new artefacts daily and curated specifically for its location, providing different clues in each city.

The artefacts were designed to appear as if cast in gold to symbolise enduring greatness. Each one was developed with intention and handcrafted details, reflecting the artistry behind each iconic album Hidden details throughout the process pay tribute to the artists, album art and their ranking on the Apple Music Best 100 Albums list. The difficulty of decoding these clues varies, with some easily recognisable and others containing deeper layers of album references.

• #1 Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Pencil: To reference its ranking, the #2 typically found on student’s pencil was replaced with #1.
• #18 1989 (Taylor’s Version) - Seagull: The seagull was given Taylor’s signature winged eyeliner.
• #6 Songs in the Key of Life - Key: The word “Life” was built into the key with in the same lettering found on the album cover.
• #5 Blonde - Ivy: To reference the album’s ranking on the list, 5 ivy leaves were included, with each leaf given 5 points. 
• #77 Like a Prayer - Praying Hand: The rings on the praying hands reference Madonna’s hands on her album cover.
• #12 Ok Computer - Mac: In a playful nod to the brand, “Ok” was etched into an Apple Macintosh 128K computer, in custom typography to match the original 1984 “hello” type.
• #27 Led Zeppelin II - Zeppelin: “II" was engraved in the tail wing of the zeppelin to distinguish it from the band’s debut album. 
• #53 Exile on Main Street - Dice: The dice referencing the signature track, “Tumbling Dice,” rotate with 5 & 3 primarily exposed due to its ranking as #53 on the list.

In addition to the artefacts and billboards, Apple Music’s collection of exclusive content also includes a brand-new 100 Best microsite, dedicated Apple Music Radio episodes, and more.