Top album – Yearly #1s
This list is about the number 1 most successful album per release year (understand “which have generated the most sales”).
Please keep in mind that some artists are missing, because their analysis has not been done yet. Here is the complete list of covered artists.
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Top album – Equivalent album sales (EAS) – Yearly #1s
| Year | Album | EAS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 |  |
The Voice Of Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra | 2,168,000 |
| 1948 |  |
Christmas Songs By SinatraFrank Sinatra | 9,861,000 |
| 1954 |  |
Songs For Young LoversFrank Sinatra | 5,024,000 |
| 1955 |  |
In The Wee Small HoursFrank Sinatra | 3,980,000 |
| 1956 |  |
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!Frank Sinatra | 19,089,000 |
| 1957 |  |
Elvis' Christmas AlbumElvis Presley | 36,668,000 |
| 1958 |  |
Come Fly With MeFrank Sinatra | 11,887,000 |
| 1959 |  |
Come Dance With Me!Frank Sinatra | 4,821,000 |
| 1960 |  |
G.I. BluesElvis Presley | 4,474,000 |
| 1961 |  |
Blue HawaiiElvis Presley | 30,900,000 |
| 1962 |  |
Surfin' SafariThe Beach Boys | 4,882,000 |
| 1963 |  |
Please Please MeThe Beatles | 40,281,000 |
| 1964 |  |
A Hard Day's NightThe Beatles | 33,802,000 |
| 1965 |  |
Help!The Beatles | 45,700,000 |
| 1966 |  |
RevolverThe Beatles | 31,999,000 |
| 1967 |  |
The DoorsThe Doors | 40,289,000 |
| 1968 |  |
The Beatles (White Album)The Beatles | 38,393,000 |
| 1969 |  |
Abbey RoadThe Beatles | 59,560,000 |
| 1970 |  |
Bridge Over Troubled WaterSimon & Garfunkel | 46,535,000 |
| 1971 |  |
Led Zeppelin IVLed Zeppelin | 59,435,000 |
| 1972 |  |
Machine HeadDeep Purple | 35,798,000 |
| 1973 |  |
The Dark Side Of The MoonPink Floyd | 59,050,000 |
| 1974 |  |
Natty DreadBob Marley & The Wailers | 15,069,000 |
| 1975 |  |
A Night At The OperaQueen | 43,943,000 |
| 1976 |  |
Hotel CaliforniaEagles | 73,371,000 |
| 1977 |  |
Saturday Night FeverBee Gees & Various Artists | 71,583,000 |
| 1978 |  |
GreaseVarious Artists | 54,451,000 |
| 1979 |  |
The WallPink Floyd | 54,599,000 |
| 1980 |  |
Back In BlackAC/DC | 63,558,000 |
| 1981 |  |
EscapeJourney | 35,370,000 |
| 1982 |  |
ThrillerMichael Jackson | 123,388,000 |
| 1983 |  |
SynchronicityThe Police | 39,253,000 |
| 1984 |  |
Born In The U.S.A.Bruce Springsteen | 50,230,000 |
| 1985 |  |
Brothers In ArmsDire Straits | 47,992,000 |
| 1986 |  |
Slippery When WetBon Jovi | 54,038,000 |
| 1987 |  |
BadMichael Jackson | 66,701,000 |
| 1988 |  |
Tracy ChapmanTracy Chapman | 28,824,000 |
| 1989 |  |
...But SeriouslyPhil Collins | 31,029,000 |
| 1990 | No FencesGarth Brooks | 34,014,000 | |
| 1991 |  |
NevermindNirvana | 61,363,000 |
| 1992 |  |
The BodyguardWhitney Houston & Various Artists | 55,997,000 |
| 1993 |  |
Music BoxMariah Carey | 35,758,000 |
| 1994 |  |
DookieGreen Day | 28,755,000 |
| 1995 |  |
Jagged Little PillAlanis Morissette | 43,034,000 |
| 1996 |  |
Falling Into YouCéline Dion | 43,330,000 |
| 1997 |  |
Come On OverShania Twain | 47,352,000 |
| 1998 |  |
Ray of LightMadonna | 21,619,000 |
| 1999 |  |
...Baby One More TimeBritney Spears | 33,524,000 |
| 2000 |  |
Hybrid TheoryLinkin Park | 38,737,000 |
| 2001 |  |
Laundry ServiceShakira | 19,319,000 |
| 2002 |  |
The Eminem ShowEminem | 40,582,000 |
| 2003 |  |
FallenEvanescence | 25,791,000 |
| 2004 |  |
American IdiotGreen Day | 24,297,000 |
| 2005 |  |
All The Right ReasonsNickelback | 20,062,000 |
| 2006 |  |
Back To BlackAmy Winehouse | 26,948,000 |
| 2007 |  |
Good Girl Gone Bad: ReloadedRihanna | 26,662,000 |
| 2008 |  |
The Fame / The Fame MonsterLady Gaga | 42,948,000 |
| 2009 |  |
The E.N.D.Black Eyed Peas | 22,258,000 |
| 2010 |  |
Doo-Wops & HooligansBruno Mars | 31,832,000 |
| 2011 |  |
21Adele | 54,829,000 |
| 2012 |  |
RedTaylor Swift | 28,117,000 |
| 2013 |  |
FrozenVarious Artists | 23,257,000 |
| 2014 |  |
1989Taylor Swift | 41,310,000 |
| 2015 |  |
25Adele | 34,142,000 |
| 2016 |  |
StarboyThe Weeknd | 21,912,000 |
| 2017 |  |
Divide (÷)Ed Sheeran | 36,994,000 |
| 2018 |  |
Beerbongs & BentleysPost Malone | 19,073,000 |
| 2019 |  |
LoverTaylor Swift | 21,557,000 |
| 2020 |  |
After HoursThe Weeknd | 19,387,000 |
| 2021 |  |
SourOlivia Rodrigo | 20,634,000 |
| 2022 |  |
Un Verano Sin TiBad Bunny | 21,586,000 |
| 2023 |  |
One Thing At A TimeMorgan Wallen | 11,215,000 |
| 2024 |  |
The Tortured Poets DepartmentTaylor Swift | 14,090,000 |
| 2025 |  |
MayhemLady Gaga | 5,166,000 |
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Artists
SPS – Best-selling artists ever | by decade | by period | by discography strength
Tools: Artist dashboard | Compare artists
Sales – Albums | Physical singles | Digital singles
Streams – Most streamed on Spotify | all audio DSPs
Tools: Playcounts | Royalties | Global reach | Stats history
Others KPIs – Top Spotify | Monthly listeners | Followers | Popularity | Virality | Top money makers
Albums
SPS – Top albums | #1 each year
Sales – Best-selling albums
Streams – Most streamed | Top debuts
Songs
SPS – Top songs | #1 each year
Sales – Physical | Digital
Streams – Most streamed | Trending