Excel is not at all a bad visualization tool...it's just that the lowest-common denominator of white-collar types use it, hence, the seemingly many terrible examples. By the time you're skilled enough to figure out R or D3, you're less likely to do something completely ugly...often because it's hard to add flair. However, D3 is starting to see way too many people who think adding force-directed balls is a good visualization, when such an interface is worse than what most Excel visualizations end up being.

I was hoping the OP would focus on the beauty of the table as a visualization, something I wish was used more often despite its simplicity.

Tufte's small multiples is a kind of table, and a very effective one. This was one of my favorite examples he uses in his books, and helped to get Gotti acquitted:

http://www.thejuryexpert.com/wp-content/uploads/gotti.jpg

Here's a modern take by the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/08/24/sports/top-fin...