Grammys: Albums of the Year Ranked

First posted 12/4/2011; updated 3/14/2021.

Grammy Awards: Albums of the Year Ranked

The Grammys are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The Album of the Year is considered the most prestigious of the awards, having been presented since 1959. The award goes to the artst, songwriter, producer, recording engineer, and mastering engineer for that album. Note: the year listed is when the album was eligible; the award was given the following year. That means, for example, that the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on January 26, 2020, to acknowledge recordings released between October 1, 2018 and August 31, 2019. Check out other album of the year awards here. 1967: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1983: Michael Jackson Thriller 1977: Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1987: U2 The Joshua Tree 1970: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water 1978: Various Artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack) 1976: Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life 1971: Carole King Tapestry 1986: Paul Simon Graceland 2011: Adele 21 1995: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1973: Stevie Wonder Innervisions 1993: Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack) 1998: Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 2015: Taylor Swift 1989 2002: Norah Jones Come Away with Me 2003: OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 2016: Adele 25 1988: George Michael Faith 1999: Santana Supernatural 2009: Taylor Swift Fearless 1984: Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down 2001: Various Artists O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack) 1992: Eric Clapton Unplugged 2010: Arcade Fire The Suburbs 1985: Phil Collins No Jacket Required 2018: Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour 2019: Bilie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 1996: Celine Dion Falling into You 2005: U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 1997: Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind 2012: Mumford & Sons Babel 2008: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand 1959: Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack) 1991: Natalie Cole Unforgettable…With Love 1964: Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto Getz/Gilberto 1981: John Lennon & Yoko Ono Double Fantasy 1974: Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness’ First Finale 1989: Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time 2020: Taylor Swift Folklore 1979: Billy Joel 52nd Street 1961: Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (live) 2013: Daft Punk Random Access Memories 2006: Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way 1982: Toto Toto IV 1969: Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears 2017: Bruno Mars 24K Magic 2014: Beck Morning Phase 1962: Vaughn Meader The First Family 2004: Ray Charles Genius Loves Company 1960: Bob Newhart The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart 1972: George Harrison et al The Concert for Bangladesh 1966: Frank Sinatra A Man and His Music 2000: Steely Dan Two Against Nature 1980: Christopher Cross Christopher Cross 1959: Frank Sinatra Come Dance with Me 1965: Frank Sinatra September of My Years 1975: Paul Simon Still Crazy After All These Years 1963: Barbra Streisand The Barbra Streisand Album 1990: Quincy Jones Back on the Block 1968: Glen Campbell By the Time I Get to Phoenix 2007: Herbie Hancock River: The Joni Letters 1994: Tony Bennett MTV Unplugged Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Grammys: Albums of the Year” Dave’s Music Database: “Grammys: Albums of the Year Revisited” 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”