100 Best Pop Albums of All Time

The Boston-based ensemble of singers, modeled on the successful boy band formula of New Edition, was formed in 1984 with members Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jon Knight, Danny Wood, and Joe McIntyre. The 1988 album “Hangin’ Tough” went 8x platinum, one of four New Kids LPs to gain platinum status. The album features teen favorites such as the title tune and the ballad “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever).”

The Irish rockers who became one of the world’s biggest bands in the late 1980s through relentless touring and critically acclaimed music, cemented their reputation with the release of “The Joshua Tree.” The album, named after the tree found in the Mojave Desert in the American West, focused on America and its various cultural and political influences. Released in 1987, “The Joshua Tree” became the group’s first No.1 album in the U.S. The album includes the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 songs “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

Pop-rocker and critics’ favorite Bonnie Raitt overcame personal adversity and a professional slump to release in 1989 her greatest commercial success at the time — her 10th album, “Nick Of Time.” The record was the first of her three platinum LPs. The album, whose title track was a hit, won three Grammy Awards, including Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Album of the Year.

“‘N Sync” was the self-titled album of the boy band formed in Orlando, Florida. The album climbed to 10 million in sales by January 2000, barely two years after its debut. Among the songs on the album was the single “I Want You Back,” which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1998, and “Tearin’ Up My Heart.”

Mariah Carey was already a commercial success by the time she released her third album, “Music Box,” in 1993. The record was her best selling at the time and remains tied for her most successful album along with 1998’s “Daydream.” “Music Box” includes two No. 1 hits: “Dreamlover” and “Hero.”

Barbadian diva Rhianna’s eighth studio album, originally released as a free digital download, represented a new direction for the singer — away from dance-oriented music and toward R&B and pop with hip hop accents. Four singles were released from “Anti,” most notably “Work,” a collaboration with Drake, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — Rhianna’s 14th song to reach that spot.

This album by the Philadelphia R&B and soul quartet is actually their number III studio album — but because one was a Christmas album, they didn’t count it for album-numbering purposes. Two No. 1 singles came out of “II” — “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee.” The latter replaced the former for the top spot on the Hot 100. Only two other artists had ever achieved this feat — The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

Certified 7x platinum, “Sports” was the source of four Top 10 hits: “Heart and Soul,” “I Want a New Drug,” “If This Is It,” and “The Heart of Rock and Roll.” The album itself reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. A two-disc 30th anniversary edition of the album was released in 2013.

The pop icon who defied convention and helped define 1980s pop and dance music released “Like a Virgin” in 1984. The album went 10x platinum after reaching 10 million in sales in 1998. The album featured the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping title song “Like a Virgin,” as well as the singles “Dress You Up,” and “Material Girl.”

Dallas native Meat Loaf (born Marvin Lee Aday) became known after appearing in the cult film “Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975). He leveraged a campy, hard-rocking persona into musical success with “Bat Out Of Hell.” The album, called a teen rock opera by music critics, was one of three of his LPs to go platinum. It features FM favorites such as “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” and “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth.”

“Unorthodox Jukebox,” the second studio album from Bruno Mars, features a variety of styles from the Honolulu-born singer and songwriter, including reggae, rock, and soul. The album remained on the Billboard 200 for 203 weeks and produced the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits “Locked Out Of Heaven” and “When I Was Your Man.”

Riding a wave of success from their debut album, the Backstreet Boys released “Millenium” in the United States less than two years later. The album set the record for first week sales in the U.S., selling 1.1 million copies upon its release. “I Want It That Way,” the first single from the record, spent 31 weeks on the Hot 100.

Celine Dion’s “Falling Into You” proves that pop isn’t just for teenagers. The adult contemporary pop album covers numerous love songs and dance pop numbers and includes the hit “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now,” which spent 30 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 2.

TLC — whose original members were Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas — became the first girl group in history to be awarded diamond status by the RIAA, meaning 10 million albums sold. “CrazySexyCool” has sold more than 23 million copies worldwide, and the Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 greatest albums ever made.

The 12-time Grammy winning country women’s group from Dallas released the first of their five platinum albums in 1999. It was the first of the group’s three LPs that went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “Fly” spawned songs such as “Goodbye Earl,” about a woman who takes revenge on an abusive husband that reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Ready to Run.”

“The Stranger” was a breakthrough album for Piano Man Billy Joel. After weak sales of his previous album “Turnstiles,” Columbia Records was reportedly considering dropping him. Working with legendary producer Phil Ramone — whose credits range from John Coltrane to Paul Simon to Frank Sinatra — Joel came up with this certified hit. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, yielded five singles (four of which made the Top 40 on the Hot 100 chart), and won Grammy Awards in 1978 for Record of the Year and Song of the Year (for one of the singles, “Just the Way You Are”).

Canadian country queen Shania Twain had begun perfecting her brand of country pop years before her most successful album “Come on Over” (1997) with the release of “The Woman In Me” in 1995. It was the first of her collaborations with producer, songwriter, and the singer’s one-time spouse Robert John “Mutt” Lange. Notable tracks from the album include “Any Man of Mine” and “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”

The British rockers are considered by music historians to be the most consequential hard rock band. “Led Zeppelin II” was the second of their 18 platinum albums and the first of their seven No. 1 LPs on the Billboard 200. They wrote the songs for “Led Zeppelin II” while touring to promote songs from their debut album. Virtually every one of the nine songs on the album is heard frequently on classic rock stations, including “Ramble On,” “Heartbreaker,” “The Lemon Song,” and their lone Top 10 song “Whole Lotta Love.”

“The King of Pop” racked up 13 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and they were all included in the 2003 release “Number Ones.” Among the songs are “Beat It,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” and “Billie Jean.” The album surged back to the top of the charts in 2009 after Jackson’s death.

This chart-topping album spawned four hit singles: “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Who’s Crying Now,” “Still They Ride,” and “Open Arms.” Certified 9x platinum, it remains Journey’s best-selling studio album, outrun only by its “Greatest Hits” offering. Atari released a video game inspired by the album, “Journey Escape,” in 1982.

This is actually the second Fleetwood Mac album called simply “Fleetwood Mac.” (The first one, released in 1968, included Mick Fleetwood and John McVie but not Lindsay Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, or Christine McVie.) Interestingly, it took this iteration more than a year after its release to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Three Top 20 singles came out of the album, including “Rhiannon,” “Say You Love Me,” and “Over My Head.” In 2018, the band released a four-disc deluxe edition of the album, including demos, singles mixes, and live performances.

Sam Hunt’s 2014 album “Montevallo” exemplifies the modern strand of pop-country, driven by big electronic beats and hand claps. The album, Hunt’s first full length, produced five singles and spent 214 weeks on the Billboard 200.

Kanye West was among the producers working on this album, Drake’s fourth studio recording. Though it received mixed reviews, “Views” topped the Billboard 200 for 13 nonconsecutive weeks and became the first album in history to be streamed 1 billion times on Apple Music.

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s debut full-length album followed the release of five EPs. The album, which showcases Sheeran’s unique style of hip hop-influenced acoustic pop, helped propel him into the international spotlight, leading to his collaborations with artists such as One Direction and Taylor Swift.

It’s unsurprising that Paula Abdul has an ear for catchy dance music, considering her career as a dancer and choreographer prior to emerging as a pop musician. “Forever Your Girl” was the first of two albums Abdul released that would hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts, the other being 1991’s “Spellbound.” “Forever Your Girl” features four No. 1 hit songs: “Straight Up,” “Opposites Attract,” “Cold Hearted,” and its title track, “Forever Your Girl.”

The title of Adele’s debut album was also her age at the time when it was released. “19” won the English-born soul singer the Best New Artist Grammy in 2009. And a single from the album, “Chasing Pavements,” snagged that year’s Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award. Adele’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in 2008 is credited with having kick-started her career in the United States.

“American Idol” star Carrie Underwood made her debut with this album, which became the best selling country album in the United States for two years running — 2006 and 2007 — as well as the best selling album of any kind in the U.S. in 2006. “Some Hearts” was the best selling solo female debut album in country music history and the fastest selling country album debut since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales. The record garnered three Grammy Awards for Underwood in 2007, including Best New Artist.

The reliable hit-makers from Sayreville, New Jersey, who became one of the largest arena-rock acts of the 1980s, have produced six No.1 albums on the Billboard 200, and “Slippery When Wet” was their first. It went 12x platinum in 1995. The album generated the band’s first two No. 1 hits — “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer” — as well as the Top 10 single “Wanted Dead or Alive.”

The songs on Luke Bryan’s “Tailgates & Tanlines” range from classic country to pop-country, creating major mainstream success. The album spent 214 weeks on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 2. Four singles from the album charted in the Top 40: “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” “Drunk on You,” and “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.”

Jewel (born Jewel Kilcher), the folk singer who grew up in Alaska, lived out of her van on the West Coast as she struggled to build a singing career. She used that experience to craft heartfelt music to become one of the most popular female performers of the 1990s. Jewel had a string of four platinum albums. “Pieces Of You” was her first and her biggest, going 12x platinum in 2006 and climbing to No. 4 on the Billboard 200. Included on the album is one of her two Top 10 hits, the double-single “Foolish Games/You Were Meant For Me.”

“The Fame” spawned four international hit singles, including “Poker Face” and “Just Dance,” Lady Gaga’s first. Rolling Stone hailed “The Fame” as one of the 100 best debut albums of all time, and the record won Grammy Awards for Best Electronic/Dance Album, and “Poker Face” won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording.

Mumford & Sons, a Grammy-winning English folk revival group formed in 2007, shot to music fame with their debut album “Sigh No More.” The LP surged to No. 2 on the Billboard 200, one of five Top 10 albums for Mumford & Sons, and was the first of their three platinum albums. The record generated the singles “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man.”

Featuring guest appearances by Sting, Peter Gabriel, and others, this album by former Genesis drummer and vocalist Phil Collins generated four hit singles, two of which — “Sussudio” and “One More Night” — rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “No Jacket Required” won three Grammy Awards in 1985, including Album of the Year.

This Katy Perry album generated six singles, starting with the Hot 100 No. 1 hit “California Gurls,” featuring Snoop Dogg. Four of the other singles also topped the charts, making “Teenage Dream” only the second album in history to produce five No. 1 hits (the other being Michael Jackson’s “Bad”). Though it failed to win in any category, the album and its singles were nominated for a total of six Grammy Awards.

Canadian performer The Weeknd’s album “Beauty Behind The Madness” was certified 3x platinum in August 2016, just eight months after the recording was released. The album produced two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, “The Hills” and “Can’t Feel My Face.” A third song from the album, “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The combination of Britney Spears’ performance and the production work of Max Martin, who also worked extensively with the Backstreet Boys, turned out to be a winning one. Spears’ debut album spent six weeks at No. 1 and is certified 14x platinum. It also propelled the young singer to superstardom, due in part to the iconic music videos released alongside the album’s singles.

The formerly shaggy-haired balladeer from New Haven, Connecticut, started his career as a hard rocker before transitioning to blue-eyed soul and racking up seven platinum albums. “Soul Provider” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in April 1990 and produced hits such as Bolton’s first No. 1 single “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” which won him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Other Top 10 songs from “Soul Provider” were “How Can We Be Lovers” and “When I’m Back on My Feet Again.”

Critical reaction to this Luke Bryan album was mixed, but it did very well commercially — debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts and going platinum the month after it was released. It became the third best selling album of 2013. Six singles from “Crash My Party,” including the title track, were released over a 19-month period.

Lionel Richie’s “Can’t Slow Down,” his second solo album, sold 10 million copies by December 1985, just over two years after its release. The blockbuster album that appealed to a broad audience spectrum includes two of his five Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Hello.”

Eminem released his first No. 1 record in 2000, “The Marshall Mathers LP.” The album balanced vulgar humor and dark imagery with hip hop beats and catchy choruses. It features numerous singles, including “The Real Slim Shady,” which was a huge hit on MTV and won its Video of the Year award.

The California hard rockers, powered by Eddie Van Halen’s innovative and wickedly fast guitar playing and the charismatic vocalist David Lee Roth, released their debut album to platinum success. “Van Halen” was the first of 13 platinum efforts and went 10x platinum in 1996. Among the tracks from the record is their cover of the Kinks’ song “You Really Got Me” and one of their signature songs, “Runnin’ With the Devil.”

Prince masterfully fused multiple genres on his “Purple Rain” soundtrack, including R&B and rock, and coated it with his expert pop sensibility. The songs “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The all-female country singers from Dallas built their following by bridging commercially appealing harmonies with more traditional country music. “Wide Open Spaces” was the first of their five platinum albums, and the most successful, certified 12x platinum in March of 2020. The record won the Best Country Album, one of 12 Grammy Awards for the group. The album includes the singles “There’s Your Trouble,” “I Can Love You Better,” and the title song.

Michael Jackson’s fifth studio album, “Off the Wall” marked two firsts for the now-controversial performer. It was his first recording for Epic Records, the label he stayed with for 30 years until his death, and the first Jackson album produced by the legendary Quincy Jones. One of the five singles released from the album, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” won the singer his first-ever Grammy Award — for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

“Supernatural” was Santana’s 18th studio album. Certified 15x platinum, it won eight Grammy Awards in 2000, including Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. A list of blue-chip guest stars — including Eric Clapton, Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, and Cee-Lo Green — joined this prolific Latin rock band leader Carlos Santana on the album. Six singles came out of “Supernatural,” including “Smooth,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks.

This Michael Jackson classic, released almost five years after his previous album “Thriller,” was the source of five No. 1 singles, including the title song. “Bad” sold 7 million copies worldwide in its first week of release and became the No. 1 album in 25 countries. It lingered in the top five on the Billboard 200 chart for 38 weeks. Though it was nominated for six Grammys, it won only for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Best Music Video.

Irish singer Enya became one of the prominent voices of atmospheric new age music in the 1990s — as a solo performer and member of the group Clannad. As a solo artist, Enya has had nine platinum albums, and “Shepherd Moons” was her most successful, going 5x platinum in 1996. “Caribbean Blue” was the lone single released from the album to chart on the Hot 100.

Country singer John Denver from Roswell, New Mexico, found massive crossover success in the 1970s with a string of singles hits. Denver recorded seven Top 10 hits, including four No. 1 tracks. Two of those chart-toppers, the exuberant “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” and the mellow “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” grace the greatest hits compilation, which was certified 9x platinum in 2001. The Grammy winner died in a plane crash in 1997 at age 53.

“Hysteria” marked the apex in popularity for Def Leppard, a group from England who filled stadiums in the 1990s with their pop-metal sound. “Hysteria” was the first of two No. 1 albums for the band, and it was certified 12x platinum in 1998. The record spawned four Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including Def Leppard’s lone No. 1 “Love Bites.” Other successes were “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Armageddon It,” and “Hysteria.”

“Come Away With Me” was the debut album of Norah Jones, a Brooklyn-born pop-jazz performer and the daughter of famed Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar and concert producer Sue Jones. The album was the first of the songwriting pianist’s three No. 1 LPs and the first of her four platinum records. “Come Away With Me” won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, and features the Grammy-winning Record of the Year “Don’t Know Why.”

After experiencing musical success with The New Christy Minstrels and The First Edition, Kenny Rogers’ career really took off in the 1970s as America’s country-signing crooner. The Houston native has had 21 songs top the Hot Country Songs chart. His greatest hits compilation went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in December of 1980. It includes his signature song “The Gambler” as well as Top 10 hits “Lady,” “Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer,” and “Lucille.”

This first Elton John’s greatest hits compilation was a huge success, spending 10 weeks at No. 1. Nearly every song on the album reached the Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart — including “Candle In the Wind,” “Bennie And The Jets,” and “Crocodile Rock” — proving the British singer to be a master at crafting pop hits.

J. Cole, born in Frankfurt, Germany, and raised in North Carolina, is one of the most commercially successful rap artists of the 21st century. He’s had five albums reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 from 2011 to 2018. All five went platinum, with “2014 Forest Hills Drive” (named after his childhood address) the biggest seller, ringing up sales of 3 million records. The single from the album “No Role Models” reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Texas-boogie band were MTV mainstays with their signature beards and fur-lined guitars. Seven of their albums cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, and seven albums went platinum, including “Eliminator,” which is certified 10x platinum. On the album is one the group’s signature hits, “Legs,” one of its two Top 10 hits. Also on the album are the frequently played “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’.”

Twenty One Pilots draw influence from numerous genres, including reggae, rap, and rock, blending it into infectious pop. The group’s fourth album, “Blurryface,” is the first album ever with all songs in it certified at least gold as singles by the RIAA. This is due in large part to the huge number of streams the album has had on music platforms such as Spotify.

One of the biggest musical trends to take hold during the 1990s was the rise of boy bands. While the Backstreet Boys weren’t the first of this type of group, they were one of the most popular. Their debut album has both ballads and more upbeat dance songs and includes the Top 10 hits “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” and “All I Have to Give.”

Adele took nearly five years to complete her third album, “25,” following the release of her second, “21.” The wait was worth it for fans, and the album sold 3.38 million copies in its opening week — the top-selling one-week sales for an album since Nielsen began tracking that data in 1991. The ballad-laden record also spent 10 weeks in the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200.

The original cast recording of “Hamilton,” the long-running theatrical phenomenon, was on the Billboard 200 for 230 weeks. The album is just one of four cast records to have been on the Billboard chart for more than 150 weeks over the past 50 years. The others are the original London cast recording of “The Phantom of the Opera,” the full original London cast recording of “Phantom,” and the original Broadway cast recording of “Hair.”

The first studio album by English R&B and pop singer Sam Smith, “In the Lonely Hour” won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. It was 2014’s third best selling album in the U.S. and second best seller in the U.K. Five singles from the album were released between 2013 and 2015. The entire album got a reboot in late 2015, with 13 new tracks added.

Though no longer together, America’s greatest folk-rock duo reunited in 1972 for a benefit concert for presidential candidate George McGovern at Madison Square Garden. To capitalize on the attention brought by the event, Columbia Records decided to release a greatest hits album. Nine of the tracks on the 14-song LP include their three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits — “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Mrs. Robinson,” and “The Sound of Silence.” The collection also includes previously unheard live recordings of “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her,” “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” “Homeward Bound,” and “Kathy’s Song.” “Simon And Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits” was certified 14x platinum in 2003.

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band have sent 31 songs to the Hot 100 chart throughout their career, seven of which broke into the Top 10. Fourteen of their hits appear on this diamond-certified compilation, including “Night Moves,” “Old Time Rock & Roll,” and “Like a Rock.” The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.

Alanis Morissette’s emotionally charged third album is one of the most memorable releases of the 1990s. It hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 thanks to its numerous hit songs, including “All I Really Want,” “You Oughta Know,” and “Hand in My Pocket.” Morissette recently set out on a 25th anniversary tour in support of the album, which also recently spawned a Broadway musical.

The longevity of the Bee Gees is a testament to their ability to migrate from folksy, mainstream pop in the 1960s to the big-beat disco sounds of the 1970s. “Saturday Night Fever” was the group’s biggest triumph. The album became the first soundtrack album to produce four No. 1 singles — “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever,” and “If I Can’t Have You.” The album topped the Billboard 200 for 24 consecutive weeks and became the first film soundtrack album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Billy Joel’s first greatest hits album is one of the top-selling albums of all time — the RIAA certified it 23x double diamond. The album includes the majority of Joel’s hits, including the two No. 1 hits “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” and “Tell Her About It.” The songwriter had enough material to release a third volume of greatest hits in 1997.

The debut release from Boston was the best-selling album of all time in 1976. Songs like “More Than a Feeling” and “Peace of Mind” were major hits on pop radio, and continue to receive play on classic radio stations today. The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

Whitney Houston’s 1985 debut album introduced a new, enduring style of diva-pop. Including a mix of catchy R&B tunes and big ballads that Houston would come to be known for, the album features three No. 1 singles: “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” and “Greatest Love of All.”

Garth Brooks established himself as a force to be reckoned with on his self-titled debut, which combines rock and roll with country and pop. The album includes the singles “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Not Counting You,” and “The Dance.” It was certified diamond by the RIAA in 2006.

Perhaps the most famous pop album, and album cover, of all time, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” seems to capture the 1960s zeitgeist. It was No. 1 in the United States for 15 weeks after its release in June of 1967. No singles were released in conjunction with the album, and none of the songs were banded, meaning there was no break in the music, compelling the listener to hear the songs uninterrupted. The complexity of the music is reflected in the final song, “A Day in the Life,” with its soaring orchestral arrangements completed by the famously extended E-major piano chord.

Zac Brown and company served up a memorable helping of Jimmy Buffett-tinged country pop with their major label debut. The album, which features singles such as “Toes” and “Chicken Fried,” earned the Zac Brown Band the Grammy for Best New Artist and remains their most commercially successful release in the U.S.

Pop-jazzman Kenny G spent 214 weeks on the Billboard 200 with his 1992 instrumental album “Breathless,” peaking at No. 2. Originally marketed as purely a jazz record, the album quickly moved into the realm of pop, with singles released to pop radio. While some jazz purists took issue with the music, it was good enough to earn Kenny G a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for “Forever In Love.”

With help from the likes of Jay-Z, Big Sean, and 2 Chainz, “Nothing Was the Same” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, yielding seven hit singles and becoming the seventh best selling album of 2013. Drake recorded “Nothing Was the Same” in Marvin Gaye’s famous studio, Marvin’s Room, and told the youth-oriented media platform Complex that the album was heavily influenced by Gaye’s 1978 album “Here, My Dear.”

Linkin Park had huge success with their debut album that fuses rock and rap in a tight pop package. It features the singles “One Step Closer,” “Crawling,” and “In the End,” and was the best-selling album of 2001.

Taylor Swift was only 16 years old when she recorded her debut album. Having either written or co-written every song on the album, Swift proved herself an exceptionally talented newcomer. She leveraged that success, and it wasn’t long before she became an international pop superstar. The album produced five singles, including “Teardrops on My Guitar,” which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

This soundtrack album from the 1992 romantic thriller of the same name, starring Whitney Houston as a diva plagued by a stalker and Kevin Costner as the ex-Secret Service agent who protects her, includes six songs by Houston. The balance of the album features a range of performers, including Kenny G, Joe Cocker, and Curtis Stigers. Three singles from the album, all sung by Houston, won her the distinction of being the first female performer to have three songs in the Top 40 at the same time. One of these, “I Will Always Love You” (written by Dolly Parton), spent 14 weeks in the No.1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

With this album, her fifth studio recording, Taylor Swift abandoned her country roots, moving solidly into pop. The record won Swift the Album of the Year at the 2015 Grammys and toted up first-week sales of 1.287 million copies. This was her third album to sell over 1 million in its first week of release. Of the seven singles that came out of “1989,” three — “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” and a remixed version of “Bad Blood” with guest star Kendrick Lamar — reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.

The debut album from South Carolina’s Hootie & the Blowfish was a smash success, being certified platinum 21 times. The album features several pop-rock anthems, including the group’s only Top 10 hits: “Only Wanna Be With You,” “Let Her Cry,” and “Hold My Hand.”

Hard rockers Guns N’ Roses brought metal back to the mainstream with 1987’s “Appetite for Destruction.” In addition to featuring the band’s only chart-topping hit — “Sweet Child O’ Mine” — the album includes the enduring singles “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City.” With 30 million sales worldwide, it is the best-selling debut album of all time.

This smash-hit pop country album, Shania Twain’s third studio recording, has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide — twice the number shipped in the U.S. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and held that position for 50 nonconsecutive weeks. A dozen of the album’s 16 tracks were released as singles, and all were country hits, including three No. 1s — “Love Gets Me Every Time,” “You’re Still the One,” and “Honey, I’m Home.”

Dan Reynolds, lead singer for Imagine Dragons, has said that the band’s debut album “Night Visions” was in the works for three years. Six of the 11 tracks on the album had been previously released on EPs. One of these, “It’s Time,” reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 as an EP track and became the band’s first commercial success. “Night Visions” reached the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Pink Floyd’s concept album about a rockstar named Pink is the band’s most commercially successful release in the United States, selling 23 million copies. In addition to popular tracks such as “Run Like Hell” and “Comfortably Numb,” the album features Pink Floyd’s lone No. 1 hit — “Another Brick In The Wall (Part II).” “The Wall” also produced an elaborate stage show and a movie.

“Hotel California” is the Eagles’ top-selling regular album in the U.S., and was certified 26x platinum in 2018. The album has strong pop hooks and includes beloved singles such as “Hotel California” and “New Kid in Town,” both of which hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. The album won the band two Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year.

Released during the summer of 1991, Pearl Jam’s debut album is among the most essential releases in the grunge and alternative rock genres. “Ten” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and is the band’s most commercially successful record, thanks in part to the strength of singles “Alive,” “Even Flow,” and “Jeremy.”

The ubiquitous Canadian rapper’s second studio album, “Take Care” features guest appearances from Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, André 3000, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, and other notables. It debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, spawned four Top 40 singles, and won the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2012.

The second album from singer-songwriter Carole King proved to be her most enduring work. A widely loved album of emotional pop music, “Tapestry” hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in June 1971, and stayed on the chart for a total of 318 weeks. The combined singles “It’s Too Late” and “I Feel The Earth Move” also hit No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Multi-instrumentalist Bruno Mars turned heads with his debut album “Doo-Wops & Hooligans.” In addition to holding songwriting credits on every track, Mars played the majority of instruments. The result is a laid back modern classic that spent an impressive 459 weeks on the Billboard 200 — amongst the most of those albums on this list.

The Rolling Stones’ “Hot Rocks 1964-1971” covers many highlights from the band’s early years. The album opens with the Top 10 hit “Time Is on My Side” and covers 20 more fan favorites such as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Get Off of My Cloud,” and “Street Fighting Man.” The double-LP is the Stones’ most highly certified album, having sold 12 million copies in the U.S.

The Beatles album with the iconic cover of the Fab Four crossing Abbey Road debuted in October of 1969. It includes the double-sided hit “Something”/”Come Together,” which peaked at No. 1 on Nov. 29, 1969. There are elements of blues and progressive rock on the album that also features Moog synthesizers. It would be the last studio album on which all four would collaborate.

The Los Angeles-based hard rockers led by singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash parlayed songs about sex and drugs into platinum record sales. Their “Greatest Hits,” one of seven Guns N’ Roses albums to reach the Billboard 200 Top 10, went 5x platinum in 2011. The compilation contains such songs as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (their lone No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100), and “Patience.”

Florida rockers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who provided much of the soundtrack of the 1980s, had their biggest album success with their “Greatest Hits” collection, which racked up 12 million in sales. “Greatest Hits” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was one of 13 Top 10 albums for the group. Included on the record are their three Top 10 singles, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” “Free Fallin’,” and “Don’t Do Me Like That.”

“The Beatles” is also known as the “White Album,” and it is among the group’s most provocative works. It was recorded in 1968 as creative differences were fraying the group. Included on the double album are stream-of-consciousness efforts like “Revolution 9” and the searing guitar in the song “Helter Skelter.” The single “Revolution” was the biggest hit from the album, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 24x platinum in February 2019, the highest selling Beatles album.

The album title tells it all — it includes every Beatles song that topped the Billboard chart, from “Love Me Do” to “The Long And Winding Road.” “1” inhabited the Billboard 200 for 410 weeks. With the Beatles, you are never short of superlatives, and “1” supplied one more. As the album reached No. 1 atop the Billboard 200, the Beatles have become the only performers who had an album climb to the top position in the U.S. in four decades –1960s, 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s.

British hard rockers Led Zeppelin have sold the fifth-most albums in history, almost 112 million in the U.S., based on data from the Recording Industry Association of America. “Led Zeppelin IV” was their greatest success, selling 23 million records. It contains classic songs such as “Black Dog,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “Going to California,” and one of rock’s icons, “Stairway to Heaven.”

The grunge rockers from Washington state, led by lead singer Kurt Cobain and featuring drummer Dave Grohl, have had eight albums go platinum. “Nevermind,” the band’s best-selling album with 10 million records sold, launched alternative rock into the mainstream. Among the songs on the album are the anthemic “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are.”

“Back in Black” by the Australian rockers AC/DC is one of the biggest-selling rock albums of all time, certified 25x platinum. The album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in December 1980, one of nine Top 10 albums by AC/DC. Among the songs still heard on classic rock radio are the title song, “Hell’s Bells,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and “Shoot to Thrill.”

The San Francisco rockers rank at No. 6 on this list of best pop albums with their greatest hits collection, which has spent an eye-popping 605 weeks on the Billboard 200 and reached 15 million copies sold in April of 2008. Among the best-known songs of the collection are “Any Way You Want It,” “Separate Ways,” and the anthem “Don’t Stop Believin’,” whose popularity soared after it was played on the final episode of the hit crime show “The Sopranos.”

Fleetwood Mac’s blockbuster hit album about addiction and heartbreak went 20x platinum in 2014, 37 years after its release. It features the band’s only Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Dreams” and includes such familiar Fleetwood Mac tunes as “Go Your Own Way,” “You Make Loving Fun,” and “Second Hand News.” “Rumours” is one of 18 albums on this list that spent at least 300 weeks on the Billboard 200.

Adele’s sophomore album turned the singer into an international superstar, with its lead track “Rolling In The Deep” topping the singles charts in 11 countries. The recording won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 54th Grammy Awards.

“Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975” album from the Eagles surged past Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” last August to become the best selling album of all time in the United States. The RIAA said the album, released in 1976, was certified 38x platinum, meaning sales and streams of the recording climbed to 38 million copies. Among the hits on the Eagles album are two of their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles, “One of These Nights” and “Best of My Love.”

Pink Floyd’s ethereal “The Dark Side of the Moon” has only grown in mystique since its original release in 1973. It was on the Billboard 200 album chart for an astounding 949 weeks, has sold 45 million records worldwide, and is certified 15x platinum by the RIAA. Among the prog rock album’s iconic songs are “Money,” “Us and Them,” “Time,” and “The Great Gig in the Sky.”

Michael Jackson earned his title as “King of Pop” with his sixth solo album, “Thriller.” The album is packed with hits, seven of which made it to the Top 10, including “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” and “Human Nature.” It was the first of four albums to ever accomplish this feat. The album is the second best selling of all time in the U.S., behind only Eagles’ “Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975.” However, it is reportedly the best-selling album worldwide, having sold an estimated 47 million copies.