Billboard: Albums of the Year (1956-2024)

Billboard: Albums of the Year, 1956-2024

Billboard magazine has named an album of the year each year since 1956. The award is based on the album with the best overall chart performance in that calendar year. Check out other album of the year awards here. 2024: Taylor Swift Tortured Poets Department 2023: Morgan Wallen One Thing at a Time 2022: Bad Bunny Un Verano Sin Ti 2021: Olivia Rodrigo Sour 2020: Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding 2019: Bilie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 2018: Taylor Swift Reputation 2017: Kendrick Lamar Damn. 2016: Adele 25 2015: Taylor Swift 1989 2014: Frozen (soundtrack) 2013: Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience 2012: Adele 21 2011: Adele 21 2010: Susan Boyle I Dreamed a Dream 2009: Taylor Swift Fearless 2008: Alicia Keys As I Am 2007: Daughtry Daughtry 2006: Carrie Underwood Some Hearts 2005: 50 Cent The Massacre 2004: Usher Confessions 2003: 50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin’ 2002: Eminem The Eminem Show 2001: The Beatles 1 (compilation: 1962-70) 2000: N Sync No Strings Attached 1999: Backstreet Boys Millennium 1998: James Horner (composer) Titanic (soundtrack) 1997: Spice Girls Spice 1996: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995: Hootie & the Blowfish Cracked Rear View 1994: Ace of Base The Sign 1993: Various Artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack) 1992: Garth Brooks Ropin’ the Wind 1991: Mariah Carey Mariah Carey 1990: Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 1989: Bobby Brown Don’t Be Cruel 1988: George Michael Faith 1987: Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 1986: Whitney Houston Whitney Houston 1985: Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. 1984: Michael Jackson Thriller 1983: Michael Jackson Thriller 1982: Asia Asia 1981: REO Speedwagon Hi Infidelity 1980: Pink Floyd The Wall 1979: Billy Joel 52nd Street 1978: Various Artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack) 1977: Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1976: Peter Frampton Frampton Comes Alive! 1975: Elton John Greatest Hits (compilation: 1970-74) 1974: Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973: War The World Is a Ghetto 1972: Neil Young Harvest 1971: Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice (composers) Jesus Christ Superstar (studio album) 1970: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water 1969: Iron Butterfly In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 1968: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? 1967: The Monkees More of the Monkees 1966: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Whipped Cream & Other Delights 1965: Richard and Robert Sherman (composers) Mary Poppins (soundtrack) 1964: Jerry Herman (composer) Hello, Dolly! (cast album) 1963: Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (composers) West Side Story (soundtrack) 1962: Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (composers) West Side Story (soundtrack) 1961: Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (composers) Camelot (cast album) 1960: Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) The Sound of Music (cast album) 1959: Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn soundtrack 1958: Alan Jay Lerner/Frederick Loewe (composers) My Fair Lady (cast album) 1957: Alan Jay Lerner/Frederick Loewe (composers) My Fair Lady (cast album) 1956: Harry Belafonte Calypso Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” Billboard.com Wikipedia.org: Billboard Year-End Number One Singles and Albums Dave’s Music Database: “The All-Time Top 100 Albums According to Billboard” First posted 9/6/2020; last updated 12/23/2024.

World’s Best-Selling Albums Each Year, 1955-2022

World’s Best-Selling Albums: 1955-2022

Astonishingly, there is no clearcut resource for worldwide album sales. By pooling together data from various sources (links here), Dave’s Music Database has compiled a list of the best-selling album from each year since 1955. Check out other album of the year awards here. 2022: Bad Bunny Un Verano Sin Ti 2021: Adele 30 2020: BTS Map of the Soul: 7 2019: Taylor Swift: Lover 2018: Drake Scorpion 2017: Ed Sheeran ÷ (Divide) 2016: Drake Views 2015: Adele 25 2014: U2 Songs of Innocence 2013: Frozen (soundtrack) 2012: Taylor Swift Red 2011: Adele 21 2010: Katy Perry Teenage Dream 2009: Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) 2008: Lady Gaga The Fame 2007: Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad 2006: Amy Winehouse Back to Black 2005: Coldplay X & Y 2004: Usher Confessions 2003: Evanescence Fallen 2002: Norah Jones Come Away with Me 2001: Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor 2000: The Beatles 1 (compilation: 1962-70) 1999: Santana Supernatural 1998: Mariah Carey #1’s (compilation) 1997: Shania Twain Come on Over 1996: Celine Dion Falling into You 1995: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1994: Hootie & the Blowfish Cracked Rear View 1993: Mariah Carey Music Box 1992: Various Artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack) 1991: Michael Jackson Dangerous 1990: Madonna The Immaculate Collection 1989: Phil Collins …But Seriously 1988: Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 1987: Michael Jackson Bad 1986: Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 1985: Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1984: Bob Marley & the Wailers Legend 1983: ZZ Top Eliminator 1982: Michael Jackson Thriller 1981: Queen Greatest Hits (compilation) 1980: AC/DC Back in Black 1979: Pink Floyd The Wall 1978: Various Artists (including Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta) Grease (soundtrack) 1977: Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell 1976: Eagles Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (compilation: 1971-75) 1975: Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here 1974: Elton John Greatest Hits (compilation: 1970-74) 1973: Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon 1972: Simon & Garfunkel Greatest Hits (compilation) 1971 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV 1970: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water 1969: The Beatles Abbey Road 1968: Iron Butterfly In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 1967: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1966: The Beatles Revolver 1965: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The Sound of Music (soundtrack) 1964: The Beatles Beatles for Sale 1963: The Beatles With the Beatles 1962: Vaughn Meader The First Family 1961: Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (composers) West Side Story (soundtrack) 1960: Nat “King” Cole The Magic of Christmas (aka “The Christmas Song”) 1959: The Harry Simeone Chorale Sing We Now of Christmas (aka “The Little Drummer Boy”) 1958: Elvis Presley Golden Records (compilation) 1957: Elvis Presley Christmas Album 1956: Alan Jay Lerner (music) & Frederick Loewe (lyrics) My Fair Lady (cast album) 1955: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Oklahoma! (soundtrack) Resources and Related Links: Daves Music Database: “links for sales data” Dave’s Music Database: “Best-Selling Albums of All Time Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” Last updated 2/17/2023.

Frozen Soundtrack Hit #1 for first of 13 weeks

Frozen Soundtrack various artists

Released: November 25, 2013 Peak: 113 US, 1 UK, 17 CN, 12 AU Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, 1.01 UK, 10.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: Disney soundtrack

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Frozen Heart (Cast of Frozen) Do You Want to Build a Snowman? (Kristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monn, and Katie Lopez) (#51 US, #61 CAN, #45 AUS, #26 UK) For the First Time in Forever (Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel) (#57 US, #70 CAN, #62 AUS, #38 UK) Love Is an Open Door (Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana) (#49 US, #89 AUS, #52 UK) Let It Go (Idina Menzel) #5 US, #18 CAN, #16 AU, #11 UK, worldwide sales: 8.085 million) Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People (Jonathan Groff) In Summer (Josh Gad) (#90 AUS, #84 UK) For the First Time in Forever (Reprise) (Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel) Fixer Upper (Maria Wilson and Cast of Frozen) Let It Go (Demi Lovato) (#38 US, #31 CAN, #25 AU, #42 UK) Vuelie (Christophe Beck, Frode Fjelheim, & Cantus) Elsa and Anna * The Trolls * Coronation Day * Heimr Arnadair * Winter’s Waltz * Sorcery * Royal Pursuit * Onward and Upward * Wolves * The North Mountain * We Were So Close * Marshmallow Attack! * Conceal, Don’t Feel * Only an Act of True Love * Summit Siege * Return to Arendelle * Treason * Some People Are Worth Melting For * Whiteout * The Great Thaw (Vuelie Reprise) (Christophe Beck and Frode Fjelheim) Epilogue * score by Christophe Beck Total Running Time: 69:40

Rating: 4.091 out of 5.00 (average of 16 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Disney’s Frozen was a “welcome return to form” AMG in the tradition of animated musicals in which characters broke into song. AMG The story was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen. The movie took home the Oscar for Best Animated Featured Film and the soundtrack proved to be a monster. It became only the fourth soundtrack from an animated film to top the U.S. album charts. WK With 13 weeks logged on top, it became the biggest soundtrack since 1998’s Titanic. WK It became the best-selling album of 2013 with more than 10 million albums sold worldwide. Robert Lopez Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon), one of twelve people to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, AMG teamed up with Kristen Anderson-Lopez (In Transit, Winnie the Pooh) to write original Broadway-style songs for the soundtrack. Idina Menzel’s version of Let It Go won the Oscar for Best Song, sold more than 8 million worldwide, and garnered over 400 million views on YouTube. The soundtrack offered a balance of songs with comic relief (In Summer, Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People) alongside musical interplays (For the First Time in Forever) between the two leading ladies, sisters Anna and Elsa, voiced respectively by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel. In addition, Christophe Beck, fresh off an Oscar win for short Paperman, provided the score. His instrumentals provided “much of the soundtrack’s drama and suspense…[incorporating] orchestral, choral, and folk-inspired elements.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: AMG All Music Guide AZ Amazon WK Wikipedia First posted 3/2/2019; last updated 4/30/2022.

2013: Top 25 Albums

First posted 12/31/2013; updated 1/8/2021.

Dave’s Music Database: Top Albums of 2013

Based on a combination of year-end lists (see resources at bottom of page) and overall status in Dave’s Music Database, these are the top 25 albums of 2013. Be sure to also check out the DMDB post of the top 50 songs of 2013. Beyoncé Beyoncé Frozen soundtrack Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City Kacey Musgraves Same Trailer, Different Park Kanye West Yeezus Daft Punk Random Access Memories Arctic Monkeys AM Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience Lorde Pure Heroine Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2 Luke Bryan Crash My Party Arcade Fire Reflektor Haim Days Are Gone David Bowie The Next Day Drake Nothing Was the Same Queens of the Stone AgeLike Clockwork My Bloody Valentine MBV Chance the Rapper Acid Rap Disclosure Settle One Direction Midnight Memories Michael Bublé To Be Loved Blake Shelton Based on a True Story Janelle Monáe The Electric Lady Jay-Z Magna Carta…Holy Grail Katy Perry Prism Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” All Music Guide (Stephen Thomas Erlewine’s picks) Amazon AV Club Billboard Billboard (critics’ picks) TheBoot.com Buzzfeed CMJ Complex Fuse Guardian Guitar World Hollywood Reporter iTunes Kansas City Star (critic Tim Finn’s picks) Mercury Prize nominees Metacritic Mojo TheMorningNews.org NME (New Musical Express) NPR Paste Magazine Pitchfork Pop Crush Pop Matters Pretty Much Amazing Q Magazine Quietus Rate Your Music Rolling Stone Spin Stereogum United World Chart