| 1959 winner | 1959 | The Music From Peter Gunn | Henry Mancini | Album + Soundtrack | | 12 |
| 1960 winner | 1959 | Come Dance With Me! | Frank Sinatra with Billy May and His Orchestra | Album | | 6 |
| 1961 winner | 1961 | Behind the Button‐Down Mind of Bob Newhart | Bob Newhart | Other + Spokenword | | 3 |
| 1962 winner | 1961 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Album + Live | 5 | 8 |
| 1963 winner | 1962 | The First Family | Bob Booker and Earle Doud present The First Family featuring Vaughn Meader with Earle Doud ~ Naomi Brossart ~ Bob Booker ~ Norma MacMillan | Album | | 1 |
| 1964 winner | 1963 | The Barbra Streisand Album | Barbra Streisand | Album | | 8 |
| 1965 winner | 1964 | Getz/Gilberto | Stan Getz / João Gilberto featuring Antônio Carlos Jobim | Album | 4.5 | 25 |
| 1966 winner | 1965 | September of My Years | Frank Sinatra | Album | 4 | 7 |
| 1967 winner | 1965 | A Man and His Music | Frank Sinatra | Album | | 4 |
| 1968 winner | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | Album | 4.55 | 55 |
| 1969 winner | 1967 | By the Time I Get to Phoenix | Glen Campbell | Album | | 4 |
| 1970 winner | 1968 | Blood, Sweat & Tears | Blood, Sweat & Tears | Album | 4 | 19 |
| 1971 winner | 1970 | Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon and Garfunkel | Album | 4.25 | 34 |
| 1972 winner | 1971 | Tapestry | Carole King | Album | 4.15 | 34 |
| 1973 winner | 1971 | The Concert for Bangladesh | George Harrison | Album + Live | | 11 |
| 1974 winner | 1973 | Innervisions | Stevie Wonder | Album | 5 | 27 |
| 1975 winner | 1974 | Fulfillingness’ First Finale | Stevie Wonder | Album | 4.55 | 12 |
| 1976 winner | 1975 | Still Crazy After All These Years | Paul Simon | Album | 4 | 22 |
| 1977 winner | 1976 | Songs in the Key of Life | Stevie Wonder | Album | 4.5 | 21 |
| 1978 winner | 1977 | Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | Album | 4.65 | 55 |
| 1979 winner | 1977 | Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track | Various Artists | Album + Soundtrack | 5 | 22 |
| 1980 winner | 1978 | 52nd Street | Billy Joel | Album | 4.65 | 44 |
| 1981 winner | 1979 | Christopher Cross | Christopher Cross | Album | | 15 |
| 1982 winner | 1980 | Double Fantasy | John Lennon & Yoko Ono | Album | 4 | 23 |
| 1983 winner | 1982 | Toto IV | Toto | Album | 3.7 | 49 |
| 1984 winner | 1982 | Thriller | Michael Jackson | Album | 4.45 | 54 |
| 1985 winner | 1983 | Can’t Slow Down | Lionel Richie | Album | 4.35 | 19 |
| 1986 winner | 1985 | No Jacket Required | Phil Collins | Album | 2.65 | 35 |
| 1987 winner | 1986 | Graceland | Paul Simon | Album | 4.75 | 40 |
| 1988 winner | 1987 | The Joshua Tree | U2 | Album | 4.25 | 50 |
| 1989 winner | 1987 | Faith | George Michael | Album | 3 | 20 |
| 1990 winner | 1989 | Nick of Time | Bonnie Raitt | Album | 4 | 9 |
| 1991 winner | 1989 | Back on the Block | Quincy Jones | Album | | 5 |
| 1992 winner | 1991 | Unforgettable: With Love | Natalie Cole | Album | | 4 |
| 1993 winner | 1992 | Unplugged | Eric Clapton | Album + Live | 4 | 23 |
| 1994 winner | 1992 | The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album | Various Artists | Album + Soundtrack | 4 | 11 |
| 1995 winner | 1994 | MTV Unplugged | Tony Bennett | Album + Live | | 5 |
| 1996 winner | 1995 | Jagged Little Pill | Alanis Morissette | Album | 4.15 | 36 |
| 1997 winner | 1996 | Falling Into You | Céline Dion | Album | 3.65 | 14 |
| 1998 winner | 1997 | Time Out of Mind | Bob Dylan | Album | 4.4 | 18 |
| 1999 winner | 1998 | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | Lauryn Hill | Album | 4.15 | 13 |
| 2000 winner | 1999 | Supernatural | Santana | Album | 4.35 | 14 |
| 2001 winner | 2000 | Two Against Nature | Steely Dan | Album | 3.35 | 7 |
| 2002 winner | 2000 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Various Artists | Album + Soundtrack | 4 | 12 |
| 2003 winner | 2002 | Come Away With Me | Norah Jones | Album | 3.85 | 31 |
| 2004 winner | 2003 | Speakerboxxx / The Love Below | OutKast | Album | 3.35 | 10 |
| 2005 winner | 2004 | Genius Loves Company | Ray Charles | Album | | 13 |
| 2006 winner | 2004 | How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb | U2 | Album | 3.85 | 27 |
| 2007 winner | 2006 | Taking the Long Way | Dixie Chicks | Album | 4 | 9 |
| 2008 winner | 2007 | River: The Joni Letters | Herbie Hancock | Album | | 6 |
| 2009 winner | 2007 | Raising Sand | Robert Plant & Alison Krauss | Album | 3.4 | 13 |
| 2010 | 2008 | The Fame | Lady Gaga | Album | | |
| 2010 | 2008 | I Am… Sasha Fierce | Beyoncé | Album | 4.5 | 18 |
| 2010 | 2009 | Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King | Dave Matthews Band | Album | 4 | 6 |
| 2010 | 2009 | The E.N.D. | The Black Eyed Peas | Album | 3.15 | 21 |
| 2010 winner | 2008 | Fearless | Taylor Swift | Album | 4.15 | 31 |
| 2011 | 2008 | The Fame | Lady Gaga | Album | 4.2 | 56 |
| 2011 | 2010 | Need You Now | Lady Antebellum | Album | 4.5 | 6 |
| 2011 | 2010 | Recovery | Eminem | Album | 3.6 | 10 |
| 2011 | 2010 | Teenage Dream | Katy Perry | Album | 4 | 23 |
| 2011 winner | 2010 | The Suburbs | Arcade Fire | Album | 4.25 | 22 |
| 2012 | 2010 | Loud | Rihanna | Album | 4.4 | 13 |
| 2012 | 2010 | Doo-Wops & Hooligans | Bruno Mars | Album | 3.15 | 12 |
| 2012 | 2011 | Wasting Light | Foo Fighters | Album | 4 | 15 |
| 2012 | 2011 | Born This Way | Lady Gaga | Album | 4.05 | 21 |
| 2012 winner | 2011 | 21 | Adele | Album | 4.1 | 20 |
| 2013 | 2011 | Some Nights | fun. | Album | | 8 |
| 2013 | 2011 | El Camino | The Black Keys | Album | 4.4 | 11 |
| 2013 | 2012 | Blunderbuss | Jack White | Album | 4.65 | 8 |
| 2013 | 2012 | channel ORANGE | Frank Ocean | Album | 4.4 | 9 |
| 2013 winner | 2012 | Babel | Mumford & Sons | Album | 5 | 17 |
| 2014 | 2012 | The Heist | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis | Album | 4.35 | 7 |
| 2014 | 2012 | good kid, m.A.A.d city | Kendrick Lamar | Album | 4.45 | 17 |
| 2014 | 2012 | Red | Taylor Swift | Album | 4.4 | 18 |
| 2014 | 2013 | The Blessed Unrest | Sara Bareilles | Album | 3 | 7 |
| 2014 winner | 2013 | Random Access Memories | Daft Punk | Album | 4 | 16 |
| 2015 | 2013 | BEYONCÉ | Beyoncé | Album | 4 | 22 |
| 2015 | 2014 | Girl | Pharrell Williams | Album | 2 | 11 |
| 2015 | 2014 | In the Lonely Hour | Sam Smith | Album | 4.5 | 14 |
| 2015 | 2014 | x | Ed Sheeran | Album | 4.6 | 23 |
| 2015 winner | 2014 | Morning Phase | Beck | Album | 3 | 8 |
| 2016 | 2015 | To Pimp a Butterfly | Kendrick Lamar | Album | 4.8 | 8 |
| 2016 | 2015 | Sound & Color | Alabama Shakes | Album | 3 | 8 |
| 2016 | 2015 | Traveller | Chris Stapleton | Album | 4 | 6 |
| 2016 | 2015 | Beauty Behind the Madness | The Weeknd | Album | 4 | 8 |
| 2016 winner | 2014 | 1989 | Taylor Swift | Album | 4.15 | 22 |
| 2017 | 2015 | Purpose | Justin Bieber | Album | 3.8 | 13 |
| 2017 | 2016 | A Sailor’s Guide to Earth | Sturgill Simpson | Album | | 5 |
| 2017 | 2016 | Lemonade | Beyoncé | Album | 4.6 | 12 |
| 2017 | 2016 | Views | Drake | Album | 4 | 3 |
| 2017 winner | 2015 | 25 | Adele | Album | 3.85 | 15 |
| 2018 | 2016 | “Awaken, My Love!” | Childish Gambino | Album | 4 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2017 | DAMN. | Kendrick Lamar | Album | 4.15 | 10 |
| 2018 | 2017 | Melodrama | Lorde | Album | 4.8 | 9 |
| 2018 | 2017 | 4:44 | JAY‐Z | Album | 4.35 | 6 |
| 2018 winner | 2016 | 24K Magic | Bruno Mars | Album | 3 | 10 |
| 2019 | 2017 | H.E.R. | H.E.R. | Album + Compilation | | 3 |
| 2019 | 2018 | Black Panther: The Album (music from and inspired by) | Kendrick Lamar | Album + Soundtrack | 5 | 7 |
| 2019 | 2018 | By the Way, I Forgive You | Brandi Carlile | Album | | 3 |
| 2019 | 2018 | Invasion of Privacy | Cardi B | Album | 3.5 | 5 |
