Pop: Top 100 Albums

Pop: The Top 100 Albums

There are no inarguable terms to define rock music – or R&B, or country, or dance, or any other genre. Perhaps the most baffling, though, is pop music. Why? Because it’s an amalgam of all other genres. Just take a glance at the top ten on this list. Michael Jackson shows up with a couple of R&B/dance-oriented albums. Fleetwood Mac makes an appearance with classic rock. The Bee Gees and others give us their spin on disco. Carole King shows why she reigned supreme at the forefront of the singer/songwriter movement of the ‘70s. Alanis Morissette serves up a slice the kind of alternative rock which became mainstream in the ‘90s while Adele gives us a dose of blue-eyed British soul. A strong effort was made to focus on albums that generated multiple pop hits, did well on the album chart, and were big sellers. While albums like the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, and Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin IV are monster sellers, they only generated a mere three top-40 hits between them. Welcome to the world of pop music. All the different ingredients described above have been factored in – as well as an aggregate of a handful of lists focused on the best pop albums of all time (see sources at bottom of page) – to create the list you have before you. Hopefully there’s something here to fit your tastes. After all, pop is the great equalizer. It can bring disparate groups together because of a shared love of a particular album. Without further ado, here’s the top 100 pop albums of all time, as determined by Dave’s Music Database. Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here. 1. Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) 2. Various artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977) 3. George Michael Faith (1987) 4. Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977) 5. Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) 6. Michael Jackson Bad (1987) 7. Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985) 8. Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) 9. Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. (1984) 10. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (1984) 11. Adele 21 (2011) 12. Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006) 13. Shania Twain Come on Over (1997) 14. Taylor Swift 1989 (2014) 15. Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995) 16. Various artists (Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta et al) Grease (1978) 17. Michael Jackson Dangerous (1991) 18. Madonna Like a Virgin (1984) 19. Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979) 20. Def Leppard Hysteria (1987) 21. Phil Collins No Jacket Required (1985) 22. Janet Jackson Control (1986) 23. Taylor Swift Fearless (2008) 24. Lady Gaga The Fame (2008) 25. Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack, 1992) 26. Madonna Like a Prayer (1989) 27. Usher Confessions (2004) 28. Janet Jackson janet. (1993) 29. Mariah Carey Daydream (1995) 30. Katy Perry Teenage Dream (2010) 31. Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (1990) 32. Boyz II Men II (1994) 33. Whitney Houston Whitney (1987) 34. Wham! Make It Big (1984) 35. Various artists Dirty Dancing (soundtrack, 1987) 36. Madonna True Blue (1986) 37. Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) (2009) 38. Carole King Tapestry (1971) 39. Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down (1983) 40. The Police Synchronicity (1983) 41. Paula Abdul Forever Your Girl (1988) 42. Bruno Mars Unorthodox Jukebox (2012) 43. TLC Crazy Sexy Cool (1994) 44. The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (1967) 45. Beyoncé Dangerously in Love (2003) 46. New Kids on the Block Hangin’ Tough (1988) 47. Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) 48. Taylor Swift Red (2012) 49. Destiny’s Child Survivor (2001) 50. Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1986) 51. Ace of Base Happy Nation/The Sign (1993) 52. Bon Jovi New Jersey (1988) 53. Mariah Carey Music Box (1993) 54. Tina Turner Private Dancer (1984) 55. INXS Kick (1987) 56. Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera (1999) 57. Phil Collins …But Seriously (1989) 58. Journey Escape (1981) 59. Kelly Clarkson Breakaway (2004) 60. Lady Gaga Born This Way (2011) 61. Spice Girls Spice (1996) 62. Bobby Brown Don’t Be Cruel (1988) 63. Celine Dion Falling into You (1996) 64. Rihanna Loud (2010) 65. Milli Vanilli Girl You Know It’s True (aka All or Nothing) (1989) 66. Billy Joel The Stranger (1977) 67. Tears for Fears Songs from the Big Chair (1985) 68. Huey Lewis & the News Sports (1983) 69. U2 The Joshua Tree (1987) 70. Fergie The Dutchess (2006) 71. Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019) 72. Britney Spears …Baby One More Time (1999) 73. Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual (1983) 74. Backstreet Boys Millennium (1999) 75. Lionel Richie Dancing on the Ceiling (1986) 76. Lady Gaga The Fame Monster (2009) 77. Drake Scorpion (2018) 78. Ed Sheeran ÷ (Divide) (2017) 79. Genesis Invisible Touch (1986) 80. Hootie & the Blowfish Cracked Rear View (1994) 81. Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips (1990) 82. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987) 83. The Beatles Please Please Me (1963) 84. Huey Lewis & the News Fore! (1986) 85. Nickelback All the Right Reasons (2005) 86. T.I. Paper Trail (2008) 87. Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown (1979) 88. Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) 89. The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (1964) 90. Taylor Swift Midnights (2022) 91. Bruno Mars Doo Wops & Hooligans (2010) 92. Justin Bieber Purpose (2015) 93. Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976) 94. The Weeknd Starboy (2016) 95. The Weeknd After Hours (2020) 96. Various Artists (Whitney Houston et al) Waiting to Exhale (soundtrack, 1995) 97. Billy Joel An Innocent Man (1983) 98. Foreigner 4 (1981) 99. The Beatles Help! (1965) 100. Ariana Grande Thank U, Next (2019) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre lists Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre lists Amazon.com: “Essential CDs by Style: Pop Rock” Now dead link. Amazon.com: “Essential CDs by Style: Pop Vocal” Now dead link. AskMen.com (7/4/2004). “Top 200 Albums of All Time: Pop” This was actually 20 top-ten lists, each focused on 10 albums in a specific genre. AskMen.com (7/4/2004). “Top 200 Albums of All Time: Soft Rock” This was actually 20 top-ten lists, each focused on 10 albums in a specific genre. Barnes & Noble: “Fundamentals: Classic Pop” Now dead link. Barnes & Noble: “Fundamentals: Contemporary Pop” Now dead link. Barnes & Noble: “Fundamentals: Soft Rock” Now dead link. Barnes & Noble: “Fundamentals: Vocal Pop” Now dead link. Billboard.com: “Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums” Blender (April 2003): “500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die!: Pop” List is broken down into different genres. Buzzfeed.com (3/26/2014). “How Many of the Greatest Pop Albums of All Time Have You Heard?” Your guess is as good as mine as to why they created a list with the strange number of 147 albums. DavesMusicDatabase.com (8/3/2020). “The Biggest #1 Albums in U.S. Chart History” DavesMusicDatabase.com (8/3/2020). “The Longest-Charting Albums in U.S. Chart History” DavesMusicDatabase.com (9/11/2020). “World’s Best-Selling Albums: The Top 100+ Albums” MadeMan.com: “10 Best Pop Albums of All Time” Now dead link. Mojo (2001). “Mojo 1000: The Ulitmate CD Buyers Guide” The list had sections on various genres such as blues, country, jazz, soul, rock, reggae, and, of course, pop. NWItimes.com (4/27/2017). “The Best Pop Albums of All Time” Q magazine (April 2005). “The Ultimate Music Collection: Pop” RateYourMusic.com: “Chock Full O’ Hits: The Albums That Spawned the Most Top 10 Singles (US)” Record Collector (Jan. 2000). “Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 21st Century: Pop” BBC listeners were polled to determine the top 100 albums of all time. Tower.com: “Essentials: Pop/Rock” Now dead link. Udiscover.com (11/15/2019). “Best Pop Albums of All Time: 20 Essential Listens for Any Music Fan” Wikipedia.org: “List of Best-Selling Albums Worldwide” BBC listeners were polled to determine the top 100 albums of all time. First posted 11/22/2020; last updated 9/1/2024.

Dave's Music Hall of Fame: Album Inductees (May 2023)

The Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums Originally posted 5/22/2023. January 22, 2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the DMDB blog. To honor that, Dave’s Music Database announced its own Hall of Fame. This month marks the eighteenth group of album inductees. These are taken from are taken from the DMDB’s top pop albums of all time list. The focus of this set inductees is only on those pop albums from the ‘60s through ‘80s. Previous inductees to fit this category are Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, Def Leppard’s Hysteria, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Journey’s Escape, Carole King’s Tapestry, The Police’s Synchronicity, Prince’s Purple Rain, Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A., U2’s The Joshua Tree, Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, the Grease soundtrack, and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. See the full list of album inductees here.

The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (1964) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

The Beatles’ third album featured all original songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney – and what a collection it was. In addition to the chart-topping title cut and “Can’t Buy Me Love,” the album featured “I Should Have Known Better,” “And I Love Her,” and “If I Fell.” The U.S. version topped the charts for 14 weeks but was vastly inferior with only 8 of the 14 cuts from the UK version and four unnecessary instrumentals. Read more.

The Beatles Help! (1965) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

As impressive as A Hard Day’s Night was, the Beatles outdid themselves with Help! Once again, the U.S. version was a truncated collection rounded out by unnecessary instrumentals. Both the U.S. and UK versions featured the #1’s “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride,” but the latter album also had “Yesterday,” another #1 in the U.S. The collection also included “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” and “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl.” Read more.

Phil Collins No Jacket Required (1985) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

A Facebook post by Amanti Del Rock famously claimed that in the 1980s, one out of every four songs on the radio was by Phil Collins. While it was a humorously exaggerated claim, he did seem to be inescapable that decade, alternating between solo hits and success with his band Genesis. No Jacket Required was the album that established Collins as a superstar, giving him #1 hits with “One More Night” and “Sussudio” as well as top-10 hits “Don’t Lose My Number” and “Take Me Home.” The Grammy winner for Album of the Year would sell more than 25 million copies worldwide. Read more.

Whitney Houston Whitney (1987) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut album sent three songs to #1, setting up an impossibly high bar for her sophomore effort. Whitney pulled off the unthinkable – another four chart-toppers, including the iconic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” It gave her a record seven consecutive #1 songs. The album spent eleven weeks atop the Billboard album chart and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Read more.

Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Jackson’s 1986 album Control gave her five top-ten hits, putting her in the top tier pop echelon alongside her famous brother Michael. His Thriller album spawned a record-setting seven top-tens. Janet outdid him with seven top-five hits from her Rhythm Nation 1814 album – four of them went all the way to #1. Read more.

Michael Jackson Bad (1987) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Michael Jackson faced an impossible task in creating a follow-up to Thriller, the best-selling album of all time. Bad would still sell an impressive 35 million copies worldwide and it would outdo its predecessor on one front. It became the first album in history to generate five chart-topping hits. Read more.

Billy Joel The Stranger (1977) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Billy Joel landed his first top-40 hit in 1973 with the iconic “Piano Man” but couldn’t match that accomplishment over his next couple of albums. 1977’s The Stranger, however, established Joel as a pop force to be reckoned with. He had a #3 hit with “Just the Way You Are” as well as top-40 hits “Movin’ Out,” “”Only the Good Die Young,” and “She’s Always a Woman.” The Grammy Hall of Fame inductee was his most successful album, selling 15 million copies worldwide. Read more.

Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual (1983) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

Lauper’s video for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was a perfect fit for MTV, showcasing her vibrant personality and equally colorful wardrobe. It became a fun party song that was also embraced as a message of female empowerment. It could have been a one-hit wonder, but she followed it with the chart-topping “Time After Time,” a ballad that showed she had some depth as well. She also landed top-five hits with “She Bop” and “All Through the Night.” She won the Grammy for Best New Artist and garnered nominations for Album, Record, and Song of the Year. Read more.

Madonna Like a Virgin (1984) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

It isn’t often one can pinpoint the exact moment someone became a star. With Madonna, it was when she sang “Like a Virgin” while she writhed on stage in a wedding dress at the MTV Video Music Awards. The song spent six weeks at #1 and propelled the album of the same name to the top as well. The album also generated the top-five hits “Material Girl,” “Angel,” and “Dress You Up.” As if that weren’t enough, in the middle of the album’s success, she also topped the charts with “Crazy for You” from the movie Vision Quest and, in the UK, with “Into the Groove” from Desperately Seeking Susan. Read more.

George Michael Faith (1987) Inducted May 2023 as “Top Classic Pop (‘60s to ‘80s) Albums.”

George Michael sailed to success with Wham! and the #1 hit “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” He followed that with his own chart-topping “Careless Whisper,” making it clear that he was on the verge of becoming a breakout solo star. His 1987 album Faith more than accomplished that task. It generated four #1 songs, spent twelve weeks atop the Billboard album chart, and sold 25 million copies worldwide. It also won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Read more.

George Michael spent 1st of 12 weeks at #1 with Faith

Faith George Michael

Released: November 3, 1987 Peak: 112 US, 16 RB, 11 UK, 15 CN, 3 AU Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 1.2 UK, 25.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. Faith (10/24/87) #1 US, #2 UK, #5 AC, sales: 0.5 m Father Figure (1/9/88) #1 US, #11 UK, #3 AC, #6 RB I Want Your Sex (6/6/87) #2 US, #3 UK, #43 RB, sales: 1.0 m One More Try (4/16/88) #1 US, #8 UK, #1 AC, #1 RB, sales: 0.5 m Hard Day (10/17/87) #21 RB Hand to Mouth Look at Your Hands Monkey (7/9/88) #1 US, #13 UK, #8 RB Kissing a Fool (10/8/88) #5 US, #18 UK, #1 AC, #33 RB Total Running Time: 49:37

Rating: 4.219 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings) Quotable: “One of the finest pop albums of the ‘80s” – Steve Huey, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “A superbly crafted mainstream pop/rock masterpiece,” SH Faith was George “Michael’s stunning solo debut after four years in the lightweight British duo Wham!” MR and it made him “an international solo star.” SH He scored four consecutive #1 hits in the U.S. with singles from the album (“Faith”, “Father Figure”, “One More Try”, and “Monkey”). That made him the only British male solo artist to land that many chart-toppers from one album. WK He book-ended his four #1’s with two more top 10 hits (“I Want Your Sex” and “Kissing a Fool”). Some of those songs “were among the decade’s best pop.” MR “Faith’s ingenuity lies in the way it straddles pop, adult contemporary, R&B, and dance music as though there were no distinctions between them.” SH The album made Michael “the first white solo artist to hit number one on the R&B album charts. Michael had already proven the soulful power of his pipes by singing a duet with Aretha Franklin on the 1987 smash ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),’ but he went even farther when it came to crafting his own material, using sophisticated ‘70s soul as an indispensable part of his foundation.” SH However, he didn’t just cross genres. He was equally successful at “funky dance-pop and airy, shimmering ballads.” SH As for the former, “Michael appropriates the Bo Diddley beat for the rockabilly-tinged title track” SH In regards to the latter, there was “the heartfelt ballad Father Figure.” MR However, he also proved “himself a better-than-decent torch singer on the cocktail jazz of Kissing a Fool.” SH “Michael arranged and produced the album himself, and the familiarity of many of these songs can obscure his skills in those departments – close listening reveals his knack for shifting elements in and out of the mix and adding subtle embellishments when a little emphasis or variety is needed.” SH “Though Faith couldn’t completely shake Michael’s bubblegum image in some quarters, the album’s themes were decidedly adult.” SH With its “wicked R&B groove” MR I Want Your Sex was the most notorious example, of course, but even the love songs were strikingly personal and mature, grappling with complex adult desires and scarred by past heartbreak.” SH “All of it adds up to one of the finest pop albums of the ‘80s, setting a high-water mark that Michael was only able to reach in isolated moments afterward.” SH “Unlike so much 1980s treacle, this disc hold ups surprisingly well.” MR Notes: A 2011 remaster added “A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part 3)” to the original album and added a second disc of remixes (three of “Monkey” and one of “Hard Day”), instrumental versions of “Faith” and “Kissing a Fool,” covers of two Stevie Wonder songs (“I Believe When I Fall in Love” and “Love’s in Need of Love Today”), and the song “Fantasy.”

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for George Michael SH Steve Huey, All Music Guide MR Michael Ruby, Amazon.com (essential recording) WK Michael Ruby, Wikipedia First posted 3/25/2008; last updated 2/28/2024.

George Michael hit #1 with “Faith”

Faith George Michael

Writer(s): George Michael (see lyrics here) Released: October 12, 1987 First Charted: October 23, 1987 Peak: 14 US, 15 CB, 15 GR, 13 RR, 5 AC, 2 UK, 14 CN, 11 AU, 8 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.6 UK, 1.79 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 28.17 video, 396.95 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: George Michael started his transition from half of the bubblegum-pop duo Wham! to a more serious artist in 1987. First, he dueted with Aretha Franklin on the #1 song “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me.” He followed that with the controversial “I Want Your Sex,” a #2 solo hit with a decidedly more adult message. The title cut from his first solo album, Faith, could arguably be viewed as Michael finally planting his flag in the “now I’m a serious artist” land for good. “Faith” topped the charts at the end of 1987 and was followed to the #1 spot by “Father Figure,” “One More Try,” and “Monkey,” giving the album four chart-topping hits. This one, however, spent the longest time on top and was named the song of the year by Billboard magazine. The album went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year. The “rockabilly-tinged title track” AMG was supposedly written as a rock and roll pastiche, which is demonstrated by the incorporation of Bo Diddley’s classic rock and roll beat WK which is also present on Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and U2’s “Desire.” SF While the video depicted Michael playing guitar, he didn’t know how to play. SF Thank Scottish session player Hugh Burns for the guitar lick which harkened back to the ‘50s Sun Records-era and Bo Diddley. SF Michael worked with Burns for hours to synch the guitar sound to his vocals. SF However, the song definitely had a modern touch as well. It was one of the first digital recordings, meaning he could write and record lyrics line-by-line and even word-by-word. Whie the process was tedious, it let Michael scrutinize every syllable to create the polished track he wanted. SF Resources: AMG All Music Guide FB Fred Bronson (2007). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (4th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 685. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 11/26/2020; last updated 2/3/2023.