Idea for Top N albums sort algorithm

How about this:

sort by log(number_of_reviews) * avg_rating * avg_rating

The idea is that the number of reviews would be less important from a certain point on (depends on the base of the logarithm, it could be chosen in a way that from for example 100 reviews on, additional reviews don't change it's value much). And by using avg_rating^2, you achieve an increasing effect of very high average ratings.

Of course, if the logarithm is too complicated or not supported by the database, you could use min(100, number_of_reviews) instead.

Here is the TOP 100 using your LOG based algo:

log(number_of_reviews) * avg_rating * avg_rating

Close to the Edge 84.531259659807816
Dark Side of the Moon 81.59786284518718
Selling England By The Pound 81.102467235523704
Scenes From A Memory Metropolis Part II  80.382088333540423
Relayer 80.170164705540088
Octavarium 79.846921388459776
In the Court of the Crimson King 79.517012793216011
Images And Words  79.293232921620174
Foxtrot 78.124830761381929
Tales From Topographic Oceans  78.003157171218419
Fragile 77.63248422271387
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 77.380510511223648
The Wall 77.253019796836824
Wish You Were Here  75.061566115666295
Nursery Cryme 75.061566115666295
Animals 74.31025438626196
The YES Album 74.155663811674174
Red 73.521917602153437
Piper at the Gates of Dawn, The 73.521917602153437
Moving Pictures 72.692716516320061
Trespass 71.99695472528424
Meddle 71.99695472528424
Mirage 71.454529898473339
Brain Salad Surgery 70.893068781493014
Thick As A Brick  70.701449724745572
A Trick Of The Tail 70.701449724745572
Atom Heart Mother 70.507507956228054
In Absentia 70.112426154782099
Going for the One  69.911165639472344
Deadwing 69.911165639472344
Wind And Wuthering  69.707341227033467
2112 69.707341227033467
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence  69.500886749658946
The Snow Goose 69.500886749658946
Awake 69.500886749658946
Seconds Out 69.079809816580962
Lizard 68.865041491266723
Misplaced Childhood 68.865041491266723
Larks' Tongues in Aspic  68.202878032661047
Still Life 67.745704073556155
Hemispheres 67.745704073556155
Marbles  67.275081910255452
Tarkus 67.275081910255452
Dark Matter 67.034475872422803
Script for a Jester's Tear 67.034475872422803
Pawn Hearts 67.034475872422803
Permanent Waves 67.034475872422803
A Farewell to Kings 66.790196318330189
Moonmadness 66.542129333754744
The Human Equation 66.290155622264521
Discipline  66.034150160721467
A Social Grace 65.976433240381468
Aqualung 65.773981826772982
Hybris 65.240599102491515
Trilogy 64.967088168742706
Emerson, Lake and Palmer 64.688820285352804
Yessongs 64.405627051762394
Starless and Bible Black  64.405627051762394
A Passion Play  64.117330963719539
Frances The Mute 63.524670616833951
Operation: Mindcrime 63.219899497302841
Octopus 63.219899497302841
Pictures at an Exhibition 62.909210123589212
Signals 62.909210123589212
In the Land of Grey and Pink 62.592368086850335
U.K.  62.269124769770023
Fugazi 61.939216174526258
The Odyssey 61.939216174526258
Stand Up 61.602361627360935
Acquiring The Taste  61.602361627360935
Be 60.547034142692176
The Seventh House  60.547034142692176
Camel 60.179201851096998
Voyage of the Acolyte 60.179201851096998
Out Of Myself 60.179201851096998
Clutching at Straws  59.802713892533895
In a Glass House 59.802713892533895
Moonshine 59.802713892533895
Remedy Lane 59.417153067268927
Godbluff 59.417153067268927
Bridge Across Forever  59.02207126582298
Counterparts  59.02207126582298
Minstrel In The Gallery 59.02207126582298
Tubular Bells 59.02207126582298
The Visitor 59.02207126582298
Three Friends  59.02207126582298
Third 59.02207126582298
H to He, Who Am the Only One  58.616986338074341
Epilog 58.616986338074341
Benefit 58.616986338074341
Contagion 58.616986338074341
The Six Wives of Henry VIII 58.616986338074341
Snow 58.201378555622171
Leftoverture 58.201378555622171
Damnation 58.201378555622171
Heavy Horses  58.201378555622171
Ys 57.77468660230759
Lightbulb Sun 57.77468660230759
The Power And The Glory  57.336303015297759
Lateralus 57.336303015297759

Not bad, and quite simple