While the popularity of listening to entire albums straight through has waned in recent years, musicians continue to release music in this format. Certain artists’ albums are exceptionally popular among listeners, selling millions of copies in an age when many fans prefer to stream their music one single at a time.
24/7 Tempo reviewed historical data from the Billboard 200 top album chart going back to 1963, the first year for which Billboard top 200 albums data is available. These rankings are primarily based on physical album sales but include streaming and downloads starting in 2014.
Listeners’ favorite albums have changed dramatically since the LP (long-playing) format gained popularity in the 1950s. The 1960s ushered in the era of rock and roll, which eventually gave way to pop music by artists such as Michael Jackson. Today’s top albums come from musicians such as Taylor Swift, Adele, Drake, Ed Sheeran, and Post Malone.
Some groups that have not produced new music for decades are enjoying a resurgence. One example is Queen, which was boosted by the Oscar-winning film “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Other bands on a rebound are Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles, all of whom recorded some of the most popular albums ever. Here are the 100 best albums of all time.
Click here to see the most popular album every year since 1963
To determine the most popular album the year you were born, 24/7 Tempo reviewed historical data from the Billboard 200 top album chart going back to 1963. Billboard’s album rankings are based on Nielsen SoundScan sales data.
We ranked the albums based on an aggregate score composed of the number of weeks they spent on the Billboard 200 chart in the year of their release weighted by the position they occupied each week. A week at No. 1, for example, would be worth 200 times more than a week spent at No. 200 in the aggregate score.
An album’s score is based on its performance in the 365 days following its first appearance on the Billboard 200 chart. To be considered, an album must have also reached the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 for at least one week. Soundtrack albums were excluded from consideration.
Certified U.S. sales refers to certified units as reported by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). These figures reflect albums distributed to retail stores and consumers in the United States, minus returns, as well as digital downloads and streaming.
1964
> Most popular album: In The Wind
> Artist: Peter, Paul & Mary
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: N/A
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1965
> Most popular album: People
> Artist: Barbra Streisand
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 1 million
1966
> Most popular album: !!Going Places!!
> Artist: Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: N/A
1967
> Most popular album: More Of The Monkees
> Artist: The Monkees
> Weeks spent on chart: 48
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 5 million
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1968
> Most popular album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
> Artist: The Beatles
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 11 million
1969
> Most popular album: Blood, Sweat & Tears
> Artist: Blood, Sweat & Tears
> Weeks spent on chart: 48
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 4 million
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1970
> Most popular album: Deja Vu
> Artist: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
> Weeks spent on chart: 39
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 7 million
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1971
> Most popular album: Abraxas
> Artist: Santana
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 5 million
1972
> Most popular album: Tapestry
> Artist: Carole King
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
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1973
> Most popular album: The Dark Side Of The Moon
> Artist: Pink Floyd
> Weeks spent on chart: 42
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 15 million
1974
> Most popular album: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
> Artist: Elton John
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 8 million
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1975
> Most popular album: One Of These Nights
> Artist: Eagles
> Weeks spent on chart: 27
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 4 million
1976
> Most popular album: Frampton Comes Alive
> Artist: Peter Frampton
> Weeks spent on chart: 48
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 8 million
1977
> Most popular album: Rumours
> Artist: Fleetwood Mac
> Weeks spent on chart: 45
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 20 million
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1978
> Most popular album: Some Girls
> Artist: The Rolling Stones
> Weeks spent on chart: 28
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 6 million
1979
> Most popular album: Breakfast In America
> Artist: Supertramp
> Weeks spent on chart: 40
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 4 million
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1980
> Most popular album: Against The Wind
> Artist: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
> Weeks spent on chart: 42
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 5 million
1981
> Most popular album: Hi Infidelity
> Artist: REO Speedwagon
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
1982
> Most popular album: Escape
> Artist: Journey
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 9 million
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1983
> Most popular album: Thriller
> Artist: Michael Jackson
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 33 million
1984
> Most popular album: Can’t Slow Down
> Artist: Lionel Richie
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
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1985
> Most popular album: Born In The U.S.A.
> Artist: Bruce Springsteen
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 15 million
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1986
> Most popular album: Brothers In Arms
> Artist: Dire Straits
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 9 million
1987
> Most popular album: Slippery When Wet
> Artist: Bon Jovi
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 12 million
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1988
> Most popular album: Faith
> Artist: George Michael
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
1989
> Most popular album: Girl You Know It’s True
> Artist: Milli Vanilli
> Weeks spent on chart: 41
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 6 million
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1990
> Most popular album: Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em
> Artist: M.C. Hammer
> Weeks spent on chart: 43
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
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1991
> Most popular album: Mariah Carey
> Artist: Mariah Carey
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 9 million
1992
> Most popular album: Ropin’ The Wind
> Artist: Garth Brooks
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 14 million
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1993
> Most popular album: Some Gave All
> Artist: Billy Ray Cyrus
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 9 million
1994
> Most popular album: janet.
> Artist: Janet Jackson
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 6 million
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1995
> Most popular album: II
> Artist: Boyz II Men
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 12 million
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1996
> Most popular album: Jagged Little Pill
> Artist: Alanis Morissette
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 16 million
1997
> Most popular album: Falling Into You
> Artist: Celine Dion
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 11 million
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1998
> Most popular album: Let’s Talk About Love
> Artist: Celine Dion
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
1999
> Most popular album: …Baby One More Time
> Artist: Britney Spears
> Weeks spent on chart: 48
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 14 million
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2000
> Most popular album: Supernatural
> Artist: Santana
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 15 million
2001
> Most popular album: Country Grammar
> Artist: Nelly
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
2002
> Most popular album: Songs In A Minor
> Artist: Alicia Keys
> Weeks spent on chart: 43
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 7 million
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2003
> Most popular album: The Eminem Show
> Artist: Eminem
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
2004
> Most popular album: Confessions
> Artist: Usher
> Weeks spent on chart: 38
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
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2005
> Most popular album: American Idiot
> Artist: Green Day
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 6 million
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2006
> Most popular album: All The Right Reasons
> Artist: Nickelback
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
2007
> Most popular album: Me And My Gang
> Artist: Rascal Flatts
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 4 million
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2008
> Most popular album: Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus
> Artist: Miley Cyrus
> Weeks spent on chart: 39
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 3 million
2009
> Most popular album: Fearless
> Artist: Taylor Swift
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 10 million
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2010
> Most popular album: The E.N.D.
> Artist: The Black Eyed Peas
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 2 million
2011
> Most popular album: My World 2.0
> Artist: Justin Bieber
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 4 million
2012
> Most popular album: 21
> Artist: Adele
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 14 million
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2013
> Most popular album: Unorthodox Jukebox
> Artist: Bruno Mars
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 4 million
2014
> Most popular album: Crash My Party
> Artist: Luke Bryan
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 4 million
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2015
> Most popular album: 1989
> Artist: Taylor Swift
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 9 million
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2016
> Most popular album: 25
> Artist: Adele
> Weeks spent on chart: 53
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 11 million
2017
> Most popular album: Views
> Artist: Drake
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 6 million
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2018
> Most popular album: ÷ (Divide)
> Artist: Ed Sheeran
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 4 million
2019
> Most popular album: beerbongs & bentleys
> Artist: Post Malone
> Weeks spent on chart: 52
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: 3 million
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2020
> Most popular album: Hollywood’s Bleeding
> Artist: Post Malone
> Weeks spent on chart: 42
> Life-time certified U.S. sales: N/A
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