Grammys: Albums of the Year Revisited

Grammy Awards: Albums of the Year Revisited

The Grammy for Album of the Year, given out annually since 1959, (see list here) is probably the most coveted award in the music industry. However, each year debate is sparked about whether the right album got the final nod. Here the DMDB compares the winner each year to its other nominees. Based on overall DMDB points, this list will show if the highest-ranked nominee each year won or not. Check out other album of the year awards here. 2022 WON: Harry Styles Harry’s House SHOULD’VE WON: Adele 30 2021 WON: Jon Batiste We Are SHOULD’VE WON: Olivia Rodrigo Sour 2020 WON: Taylor Swift Folklore SHOULD’VE WON: Taylor Swift Folklore 2019 WON: Bilie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? SHOULD’VE WON: Bilie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 2018 WON: Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour SHOULD’VE WON: Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour 2017 WON: Bruno Mars 24K Magic SHOULD’VE WON: Kendrick Lamar Damn. 2016 WON: Adele 25 SHOULD’VE WON: Adele 25 2015 WON: Taylor Swift 1989 SHOULD’VE WON: Taylor Swift 1989 2014 WON: Beck Morning Phase SHOULD’VE WON: Beyoncé Beyoncé 2013 WON: Daft Punk Random Access Memories SHOULD’VE WON: Kendrick Lamar Good Kid m.A.A.d. City 2012 WON: Mumford & Sons Babel SHOULD’VE WON: Frank Ocean Channel Orange 2011 WON: Adele 21 SHOULD’VE WON: 21 2010 WON: Arcade Fire The Suburbs SHOULD’VE WON: Arcade Fire The Suburbs 2009 WON: Taylor Swift Fearless SHOULD’VE WON: Taylor Swift Fearless 2008 WON: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand SHOULD’VE WON: Radiohead In Rainbows 2007 WON: Herbie Hancock River: The Joni Letters SHOULD’VE WON: Amy Winehouse Back to Black 2006 WON: Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way SHOULD’VE WON: Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds 2005 WON: U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb SHOULD’VE WON: Kanye West Late Registration 2004 WON: Ray Charles Genius Loves Company SHOULD’VE WON: Green Day American Idiot 2003 WON: OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below SHOULD’VE WON: The White Stripes Elephant 2002 WON: Norah Jones Come Away with Me SHOULD’VE WON: Eminem The Eminem Show 2001 WON: O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack SHOULD’VE WON: O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack 2000 WON: Steely Dan Two Against Nature SHOULD’VE WON: Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 1999 WON: Santana Supernatural SHOULD’VE WON: Supernatural 1998 WON: Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill SHOULD’VE WON: Shania Twain Come on Over 1997 WON: Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind SHOULD’VE WON: Radiohead OK Computer 1996 WON: Celine Dion Falling into You SHOULD’VE WON: Beck Odelay 1995 WON: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill SHOULD’VE WON: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1994 WON: Tony Bennett MTV Unplugged SHOULD’VE WON: Eric Clapton From the Cradle 1993 WON: Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack) SHOULD’VE WON: R.E.M. Automatic for the People 1992 WON: Eric Clapton Unplugged SHOULD’VE WON: U2 Achtung Baby 1991 WON: Natalie Cole Unforgettable…With Love SHOULD’VE WON: R.E.M. Out of Time 1990 WON: Quincy Jones Back on the Block SHOULD’VE WON: M.C. Hammer Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em 1989 WON: Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time SHOULD’VE WON: Nick of Time 1988 WON: George Michael Faith SHOULD’VE WON: George Michael Faith 1987 WON: U2 The Joshua Tree SHOULD’VE WON: U2 The Joshua Tree 1986 WON: Paul Simon Graceland SHOULD’VE WON: Graceland 1985 WON: Phil Collins Phil Collins No Jacket Required SHOULD’VE WON: Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1984 WON: Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down SHOULD’VE WON: Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (soundtrack) 1983 WON: Michael Jackson Thriller SHOULD’VE WON: Michael Jackson Thriller 1982 WON: Toto Toto IV SHOULD’VE WON: Donald Fagen The Nightfly 1981 WON: John Lennon & Yoko Ono Double Fantasy SHOULD’VE WON: John Lennon & Yoko Ono Double Fantasy 1980 WON: Christopher Cross Christopher Cross SHOULD’VE WON: Pink Floyd The Wall 1979 WON: Billy Joel 52nd Street SHOULD’VE WON: Supertramp Breakfast in America 1978 WON: Various Artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever soundtrack SHOULD’VE WON: Various Artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever soundtrack 1977 WON: Fleetwood Mac Rumours SHOULD’VE WON: Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1976 WON: Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life SHOULD’VE WON: Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life 1975 WON: Paul Simon Still Crazy After All These Years SHOULD’VE WON: Elton John Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy 1974 WON: Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness’ First Finale SHOULD’VE WON: Paul McCartney & Wings Band on the Run 1973 WON: Stevie Wonder Innervisions SHOULD’VE WON: Stevie Wonder Innervisions 1972 WON: George Harrison et al The Concert for Bangladesh SHOULD’VE WON: Jesus Christ Superstar (cast album) 1971 WON: Carole King Tapestry SHOULD’VE WON: Carole King Tapestry 1970 WON: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water SHOULD’VE WON: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water 1969 WON: Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears SHOULD’VE WON: The Beatles Abbey Road 1968 WON: Glen Campbell By the Time I Get to Phoenix SHOULD’VE WON: The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour 1967 WON: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band SHOULD’VE WON: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1966 WON: Frank Sinatra A Man and His Music SHOULD’VE WON: The Beatles Revolver 1965 WON: Frank Sinatra September of My Years SHOULD’VE WON: Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) The Sound of Music soundtrack 1964 WON: Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto Getz/Gilberto SHOULD’VE WON: Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto Getz/Gilberto 1963 WON: Barbra Streisand The Barbra Streisand Album SHOULD’VE WON: Andy Williams Days of Wine and Roses 1962 WON: Vaughn Meader The First Family SHOULD’VE WON: Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music 1961 WON: Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (live) SHOULD’VE WON: Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (composers) West Side Story soundtrack 1960 WON: Bob Newhart The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart SHOULD’VE WON: Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot (performed by Erich Leinsdorf) 1959 WON: Frank Sinatra Come Dance with Me SHOULD’VE WON: Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (performed by Van Cliburn) 1958 WON: Henry Mancini Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack) SHOULD’VE WON: Pyotor Il’yich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (performed by Van Cliburn) This list doesn’t even take into consideration albums which didn’t get nominated and should have. Some contests admittedly had very worthy candidates pitted against each other, such as OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below vs. the White Stripes Elephant or Eric Clapton’s Unplugged vs. U2’s Achtung Baby. In other cases, such as The Bodyguard soundtrack vs. R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People or Celine Dion’s Falling into You vs. Beck’s Odelay the higher-ranked album would have been a more creative pick, but it is no surprise that the Grammys went with the more middle-of-the-road option. Still other times it is hard to fathom how a classic such as Pink Floyd’s The Wall can’t boast Grammy-winning status while Christopher Cross can. Vaughn Meader’s comedy album The First Family over Ray Charles’ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music? Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters instead of Amy Winehouse Back to Black? It’s also hard to not refer to the awards as the “Grannies” when they opt to honor Steely Dan for Two Against Nature TWO DECADES past their prime compared to Eminem at the height of his powers with The Marshall Mathers LP. Alas. It is what it is. Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Grammys: Albums of the Year” Grammy.com: Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Album of the Year Wikipedia.org: Grammy Award for Album of the Year Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” First posted 12/4/2011; last updated 2/4/2024.