Dave’s Music Database: Albums of the Year

Last updated 1/12/2021.

Dave’s Music Database: Albums of the Year

Dave’s Music Database aggregates multiple best-of album lists along with chart figures, sales, data, and album ratings to determine the best albums of all time. These are the best albums from each year from 1945 to present according to Dave’s Music Database. Check out other album of the year awards here. You can check out the top 25 albums for each of the following years: 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - These are the #1 albums for each year, according ot Dave’s Music Database. 2020: Taylor Swift Folklore 2019: Billie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 2018: Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour 2017: Kendrick Lamar Damn. 2016: Beyoncé Lemonade 2015: Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly 2014: Taylor Swift 1989 2013: Beyoncé Beyoncé 2012: Frank Ocean Channel Orange 2011: Adele 21 2010: Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2009: Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion 2008: Taylor Swift Fearless 2007: Radiohead In Rainbows 2006: Amy Winehouse Back to Black 2005: Coldplay X & Y 2004: Green Day American Idiot 2003: The White Stripes Elephant 2002: Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head 2001: The Strokes Is This It 2000: Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 1999: Santana Supernatural 1998: Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 1997: Radiohead OK Computer 1996: Beck Odelay 1995: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1994: Jeff Buckley Grace 1993: Nirvana In Utero 1992: R.E.M. Automatic for the People 1991: Nirvana Nevermind 1990: M.C. Hammer Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em 1989: The Stone Roses The Stone Roses 1988: Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back 1987: U2 The Joshua Tree 1986: Paul Simon Graceland 1985: Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1984: Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain soundtrack 1983: The Police Synchronicity 1982: Michael Jackson Thriller 1981: Men at Work Business As Usual 1980: AC/DC Back in Black 1979: The Clash London Calling 1978: Various Artists (including Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta) Grease soundtrack 1977: Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1976: Eagles Hotel California 1975: Bruce Springsteen Born to Run 1974: Gram Parsons Grievous Angel 1973: Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon 1972: David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars 1971: Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV 1970: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water 1969: The Beatles Abbey Road 1968: The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) 1967: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1966: The Beatles Revolver 1965: The Beatles Rubber Soul 1964: The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night 1963: The Beatles With the Beatles 1962: James Brown Live at the Apollo Volume 1 1961: Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (composers) West Side Story soundtrack 1960: Muddy Waters At Newport 1959: Miles Davis Kind of Blue 1958: Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) South Pacific soundtrack 1957: Meredith Willson (composer) The Music Man cast album 1956: Elvis Presley Elvis Presley (aka Rock ‘N’ Roll) 1955: Frank Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours 1954: Mario Lanza The Student Prince soundtrack 1953: Danny Kaye Hans Christian Anderson soundtrack 1952: Jane Froman With a Song in My Heart soundtrack 1951: George & Ira Gershwin (composers) An American in Paris soundtrack 1950: Miles Davis Birth of the Cool (recorded 1950, released 1957) 1949: Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) South Pacific cast album 1948: Cole Porter (composer) Kiss Me, Kate cast album 1947: Al Jolson Songs He Made Famous) soundtrack 1946: Irving Berlin (composer) Annie Get Your Gun cast album 1945: Bing Crosby Merry Christmas (aka ‘White Christmas’) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 1000 Albums of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards”