From the Beatles to Frank Sinatra

Does the world really need another list of the best albums of the pop music era? Of course, say the National Assn. of Recording Merchandisers and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The two organizations on Tuesday released “The Definitive 200,” a roster of key albums from the last half century as voted on by members of the retail advocacy organization. Those on the list will be highlighted and promoted by stores and online music merchants, as with the American Film Institute’s list of history’s greatest films.

Topping the list is the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” followed by Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Led Zeppelin’s “Led Zeppelin IV” and U2’s “The Joshua Tree.”

Albums by the Rolling Stones, Carole King, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys and Nirvana round out the Top 10.

The list is as current as Green Day’s “American Idiot” and Usher’s “Confessions” from 2004 and as old as Elvis Presley’s 1954 recordings at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn., and Frank Sinatra’s “In the Wee Small Hours” from the same year. The full list is at www.definitive200.com.

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Randy Lewis