These Are the 40 Best Pop Albums Ever Made

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.