500 Greatest Modern Perfumes

[Basenotes Robot]

500 Modern Classic Perfumes
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Basenotes celebrates its 15th Birthday in September 2015. Over those years we’ve seen lots of perfumes come, and (sadly) lots of perfumes go.

We’ve compiled a list of the 500 greatest fragrance launched in the time we’ve been around – modern classics if you like.

Some of the perfumes are made by international corporations, and some by an indie perfumer in their back-room. Some sell by the bucketload, and some are no longer available. Some would cost you hundreds of dollars, others you could pick up for less then $10.

They are ranked from 500 to 1, but please don’t get hung up on the order. All of these perfumes deserve a sniff if you have the chance. They tell the story of the perfume industry over the last fifteen years, and each are important in their own way – which is why we're revealing the list one fragrance at a time, in roughly hourly intervals. The full list will have been revealed on 25th September 2015.

The first fragrance will make its appearance today (8th September, which is roughly when we launched 15 years ago*) at the following time:

12noon	3pm	8pm	9pm	12.30am	4am
Los Angeles	New York	London	Paris	Mumbai	Tokyo

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How the list was compiled

Firstly we took all of the fragrances in our database that were launched between 2000 and the present. (Although Basenotes didn’t launch until September, we counted all fragrances launched that year).

We then took into account:

• star ratings (from wardrobes)
• number of members who own the fragrance (from wardrobes)
• number of people that want the fragrance (from wish lists)
• number of people that wear the fragrance (from the Scent of the Day feature)
• ratio of positive vs negative reviews (from reviews)
• page views (over the last 6 months)

Let us know your comments

Feel free to speculate on what you think might be in the list, or comment on the list once things get going.



Grant

View the list

* Can't remember the exact date...

 

[Grant]

I've finally finished this, so I'm making this thread live. This has taken me all summer, practically!

The list will start tomorrow but I'd be interesting in what have been your favourites over the last 15 years..., and what you think might be the top ten?

 

[badarun]

If based on popularity - Eau Sauvage edt, Fahrenheit, Acqua di Gio, GIT, Aventus, Platinum Egoiste might make the top 10.

Nobile, Eau Sauvage edt, Chanel Pour Monsieur, Egoiste, Antaeus, Derby, Knize Ten, Bel Ami will be among the contenders for my top 10 spot.

 

[Grant]

If based on popularity - Eau Sauvage edt, Fahrenheit, Acqua di Gio, GIT, Aventus, Platinum Egoiste might make the top 10.

Nobile, Eau Sauvage edt, Chanel Pour Monsieur, Egoiste, Antaeus, Derby, Knize Ten, Bel Ami will be among the contenders for my top 10 spot.

Just to clarify -- its of fragrance launched since 2000, so of yours, I think only Aventus would qualify...

 

[Grant]

Just to clarify -- its of fragrance launched since 2000, so of yours, I think only Aventus would qualify...

Okay thats weird, the first post isn't showing. I'll see if I can fix that....


Edit: fixed

 

[Grant]

Okay, I'm impatient! First fragrance is going up in 30mins...

http://www.basenotes.net/spraylists/18-500-greatest-modern-perfumes/

 

[PerfumedLady]

Yay, Happy Birthday Basenotes! And Happy Anniversary to you, Grant! Thank you so much for creating this wonderfully educational and just all around amazing place. Thank you for putting up with us and for all your hard work. You must be a fragrant saint.

Hmmm, guesses-well, I'd think personally several Chanels should be there. Coco Mademoiselle of course but I'd really love to see some Exclusifs make the list. Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noire maybe, as it seems to have brought them a new generation of clientele. Too many others to name and probably all tainted by my own biases. I know your choices will be great, even if different from some of my picks. Can't wait to see the list!

 

[hednic]

This will be a great and revealing source of info.Thank you Grant for all your effort and time A wonderful way to celebrate Basenotes birthday!

 

[Grant]

Yay, Happy Birthday Basenotes! And Happy Anniversary to you, Grant! Thank you so much for creating this wonderfully educational and just all around amazing place. Thank you for putting up with us and for all your hard work. You must be a fragrant saint.

Hmmm, guesses-well, I'd think personally several Chanels should be there. Coco Mademoiselle of course but I'd really love to see some Exclusifs make the list. Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noire maybe, as it seems to have brought them a new generation of clientele. Too many others to name and probably all tainted by my own biases. I know your choices will be great, even if different from some of my picks. Can't wait to see the list!

You may be right with some of your picks! I didn't choose any of the list though -- it was all compiled by analysing 15 years worth of site data! (most of the work involved was trying to make sure as many of the 500 in the list had notes details, pictures, and picking reviews; oh and coding a super easy way to add them to wardrobes)

 

[furrypine]

Really looking forward to seeing the list. I think Mugler will be near the top, with all the Pure-flankers.

 

[Bavard]

New ones since 2000, the year Basenotes started: Dior Homme, I'm guessing, will make the top 500!

 

[Grant]

First ones up: http://www.basenotes.net/spraylists/18-500-greatest-modern-perfumes/page/1#listno500

 

[Scarce]

Just to clarify -- its of fragrance launched since 2000, so of yours, I think only Aventus would qualify...

If Aventus isn't #1, I predict the site will self-immolate -- or at least it should.

j/k...

 

[PerfumedLady]

You may be right with some of your picks! I didn't choose any of the list though -- it was all compiled by analysing 15 years worth of site data! (most of the work involved was trying to make sure as many of the 500 in the list had notes details, pictures, and picking reviews; oh and coding a super easy way to add them to wardrobes)

Oh, I should have phrased that better! I did read how the list was compiled, not that you can tell from my post. Should have typed something to the effect of "the data's choices". Or something else altogether. Goodness, my brain is slow today!

Have just seen number 500! And I do not know this one. But I've had an idea; think I'll compile a to-sample list of those I haven't tried of the BN 500.

 

[LearnToSwim]

Damn around 2 weeks for the top 10, I'm impatient already

 

[Chris Bartlett]

Well, well, who’d have thought it? A Pell Wall perfume is the first out of the stocks in the top 500 list - Artemis get’s to be last and first - how cool is that?

Thank you Basenoters!

 

[Grant]

Well, well, who’d have thought it? A Pell Wall perfume is the first out of the stocks in the top 500 list - Artemis get’s to be last and first - how cool is that?

Thank you Basenoters!

Well done Chris

What I love, love *love* about this list -- is that it really is a snapshot of the last 15 years (the next one's up now, and a great indication of the variety of scents included on this list) -- it covers big houses, small indie people and a whole bunch inbetween.

Sadly, about 10% of the list is discontinued......

 

[HDD8]

I'm really looking forward to following this list, but I have one major reservation.....I can see myself being intrigued by a number of scents and it will end up costing me a fortune!

Happy 15th birthday Basenotes, and thank you Grant, for all your hard work over the years.

 

[stuigi]

Aramis Havana should be in the top 20.

 

[stuigi]

I am sure many will object to Fantasy, but it is actually a pleasant sweet fragrance similar to Escada Magnetism (for women) which has appealed to large numbers of young women.