Grammys: Albums of the Year, 1958-2024

Grammy Awards: Albums of the Year, 1958-2024

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. You can also scroll down or click here to see the DMDB ranking of the winners. Check out other album of the year awards here. Winners by Year: 2024: Beyoncé Cowboy Carter 2023: Taylor Swift Midnights 2022: Harry Styles Harry’s House 2021: Jon Batiste We Are 2020: Taylor Swift Folklore 2019: Bilie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 2018: Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour 2017: Bruno Mars 24K Magic 2016: Adele 25 2015: Taylor Swift 1989 2014: Beck Morning Phase 2013: Daft Punk Random Access Memories 2012: Mumford & Sons Babel 2011: Adele 21 2010: Arcade Fire The Suburbs 2009: Taylor Swift Fearless 2008: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand 2007: Herbie Hancock River: The Joni Letters 2006: Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way 2005: U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 2004: Ray Charles Genius Loves Company 2003: OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 2002: Norah Jones Come Away with Me 2001: O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack 2000: Steely Dan Two Against Nature 1999: Santana Supernatural 1998: Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 1997: Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind 1996: Celine Dion Falling into You 1995: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1994: Tony Bennett MTV Unplugged 1993: Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack) 1992: Eric Clapton Unplugged 1991: Natalie Cole Unforgettable…With Love 1990: Quincy Jones Back on the Block 1989: Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time 1988: George Michael Faith SHOULD’VE WON: George Michael Faith 1987: U2 The Joshua Tree 1986: Paul Simon Graceland 1985: Phil Collins No Jacket Required 1984: Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down 1983: Michael Jackson Thriller 1982: Toto Toto IV 1981: John Lennon & Yoko Ono Double Fantasy 1980: Christopher Cross Christopher Cross 1979: Billy Joel 52nd Street 1978: Various Artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever soundtrack 1977: Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1976: Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life 1975: Paul Simon Still Crazy After All These Years 1974: Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness’ First Finale 1973: Stevie Wonder Innervisions 1972: George Harrison et al The Concert for Bangladesh 1971: Carole King Tapestry 1970: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water 1969: Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears 1968: Glen Campbell By the Time I Get to Phoenix 1967: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1966: Frank Sinatra A Man and His Music 1965: Frank Sinatra September of My Years 1964: Stan Getz & João Gilberto Getz/Gilberto 1963: Barbra Streisand The Barbra Streisand Album 1962: Vaughn Meader The First Family 1961: Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (live) 1960: Bob Newhart The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart 1959: Frank Sinatra Come Dance with Me 1958: Henry Mancini Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack) Winners by DMDB Ranking: 1967: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1983: Michael Jackson Thriller 1977: Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1987: U2 The Joshua Tree 1978: Various Artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack) 1971: Carole King Tapestry 1970: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water 1976: Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life 1995: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 2011: Adele 21 1986: Paul Simon Graceland 1973: Stevie Wonder Innervisions 2015: Taylor Swift 1989 1998: Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 2002: Norah Jones Come Away with Me 1993: Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack) 2016: Adele 25 2003: OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 1988: George Michael Faith 2009: Taylor Swift Fearless 1984: Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down 1999: Santana Supernatural 2019: Bilie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 2001: Various Artists O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack) 1992: Eric Clapton Unplugged 2018: Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour 2010: Arcade Fire The Suburbs 1985: Phil Collins No Jacket Required 2023: Taylor Swift Midnights 1996: Celine Dion Falling into You 2012: Mumford & Sons Babel 2020: Taylor Swift Folklore 2005: U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 2008: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand 1997: Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind 1989: Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time 1981: John Lennon & Yoko Ono Double Fantasy 1991: Natalie Cole Unforgettable…With Love 2022: Harry Styles Harry’s House 1964: Stan Getz & João Gilberto Getz/Gilberto 1974: Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness’ First Finale 2006: Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way 2013: Daft Punk Random Access Memories 1961: Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (live) 1982: Toto Toto IV 1979: Billy Joel 52nd Street 1959: Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack) 2017: Bruno Mars 24K Magic 1969: Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears 2014: Beck Morning Phase 2024: Beyoncé Cowboy Carter 2004: Ray Charles Genius Loves Company 1965: Frank Sinatra September of My Years 1959: Frank Sinatra Come Dance with Me 1972: George Harrison et al The Concert for Bangladesh 1962: Vaughn Meader The First Family 1975: Paul Simon Still Crazy After All These Years 1960: Bob Newhart The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart 2000: Steely Dan Two Against Nature 1966: Frank Sinatra A Man and His Music 1980: Christopher Cross Christopher Cross 2021: Jon Batiste We Are 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: Grammy.com: Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Album of the Year Wikipedia.org: Grammy Award for Album of the Year Dave’s Music Database: “Grammys: Albums of the Year Revisited” Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” First posted 8/18/2020; last updated 2/3/2025.

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.

The Weeknd hit #1 with “Starboy”

Starboy The Weeknd with Daft Punk

Writer(s): Abel Tesfaye, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Thomas Bangalter, Martin McKinney, Henry Walter, Jason Quenneville (see lyrics here) Released: September 22, 2016 First Charted: October 8, 2016 Peak: 11 US, 11 DG, 26 AC, 10 A40, 17 RB, 2 UK, 17 CN, 2 AU, 26 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 11.0 US, 1.18 UK, 13.26 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2042.0 video, 2548.04 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: After landing two #1 hits from his previous albums, the Weekend found his way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a third time with the title cut from his next album, Starboy. It also reached the pinnacle in Canada, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Mexico, Norway, and Sweden. The song’s road to #1 was not a quick one. “Starboy” debuted at #40 and made an impressive leap to #3 the next week. However, it got stuck in the runner-up position for eight non-consecutive weeks behind the Chainsmokers’ “Closer” and Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles” before finally ascending to the top. The song grew out of a beat by Guy Manuel de Homen-Christo. He heard the song while in a studio in France. He’d been invited to Paris after expressing interest in working with Daft Punk. WK The R&B and electropop song shows how the Weeknd “understands the impotance of constant evolution in both his music and his image.” WK Like David Bowie and his Starman persona, the Weeknd sought to create a new image for himself. He developed Starboy, which was Jamaican slang for a cool or important person, by shedding his famous dreadlocks. SF [is infused] with lyrics that contain themes of extravagance of a celebrity life” WK and how it “can make an entertainer fragile.” WK Meanwhile, the video creates a story around “the Weeknd’s attempt to murder his former personality” WK by “suffocating himself, clipping his old hairstyle, and crushing his glass-framed platinum records.” WK Grant Singer directed after previously working with the Weeknd on “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills.” Resources: SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 2/6/2021; last updated 7/22/2023.

Pharrell Williams hit #1 in the U.S. with “Happy”

Happy Pharrell Williams

Writer(s): Pharrell Williams (see lyrics here) Released: November 21, 2013 First Charted: January 18, 2014 Peak: 110 US, 18 BA, 111 DG, 14 ST, 13 RR, 16 AC, 16 A40, 14 AA, 112 RB, 14 UK, 110 CN, 112 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 11.0 US, 2.63 UK, 15.12 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2446.02 video, 1219.47 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: 2013 was a remarkable year for Pharrell Williams. He aided Robin Thicke in landing at #1 for 12 weeks atop the pop charts with “Blurred Lines” and gave Daft Punk an assist on their #2 hit “Get Lucky,” which took home a Grammy for Record of the Year. Thanks to Pharrell’s work on the latter, ecstatic record label managers encouraged him to record a solo album, something he hadn’t done since 2006’s In My Mind. Things kicked off with “Happy,” a song which Pharrell contributed to the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack and served as the first single for his 2014 album G I R L. The single was launched with a website, 24hoursofhappy.com which was billed as the world’s first 24-hour music video. The song is played repeatedly with people in Los Angeles dancing and miming along with the song. Pharrell appeared in the first segement of each hour. The song, which Williams had originally written for Cee-Lo Green, became the year’s most inescapable hit, spending 10 weeks atop the U.S. pop charts and hitting #1 in 23 other countries. With 12 million in worldwide sales, “Happy” ranks as one of the 100 best-selling songs of all time. The song also garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. The standard four-minute video has garnered more than 500 million views on YouTube, making it one of the top 100 most-watched music videos in history. His falsetto on the song earned favorable comparisons from critics to Curtis Mayfield. Music journalist Paul Tingen called “Happy” a “mid-tempo soul song in a faux-Motown style” WK while Rolling Stone critic Jody Rosen called it a “standout” with a “sprightly neo-soul funk groove.” WK Huw Woodward, critic from Renowned for Sound, described the song as a “happy affair with a cheerful beat and exuberant vocal that would indicate that the…singer is finding a lot of lightheared fun…in both music and life.” WK Contactmusic.com’s Holly Williams described the “unbelievably catchy” song as “the kind…that makes you want to dance and sing along.” WK Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Pharrell Williams SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia.org Last updated 7/24/2023.