Find Out What the Best-Selling Album Was in the Year You Were Born
Every year there’s one album that dominates the charts and everyone’s hearts.
Billboard has been keeping a list of all the best-selling albums (in the US) dating back to 1956 so you can find out which band or artist was worming their way into the public’s ears the year you were born (unless you’re over 61).
For tiny tots last year, it was rapper Drake’s album Views, while in 1997 it was all about Spice Girls’ debut Spice.
Back in 1987, Bon Jovi’s was topping the charts with Slippery When Wet while Elton John ruled the airwaves in 1975 with Elton John’s Greatest Hits.
Here’s the full list compiled by Business Insider, with the notable singles from each best-selling album.
2016: Drake – Views
Young Money
Copies sold: 4,140,000
Notable singles: ‘Hotline Bling’, ‘One Dance’
2015: Adele – 25
XL Recordings
Copies sold: 8,008,000
Notable singles: ‘Hello’, ‘When We Were Young’
2014: Taylor Swift – 1989
Big Machine Records
Copies sold: 3,661,000
Notable singles: ‘Shake It Off’, ‘Blank Space’, ‘Bad Blood’
2013: Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience
RCA Records
Copies sold: 2,430,000
Notable singles: ‘Suit & Tie’, ‘Mirrors’
2012: Adele – 21
Columbia Records
Copies sold: 4,410,000
Notable singles: ‘Someone Like You’, ‘Set Fire to the Rain’, ‘Rumour Has It’
2011: Adele – 21
Columbia Records
Copies sold: 5,824,000
Notable singles: ‘Rolling In The Deep’
2010: Eminem – Recovery
Aftermath Entertainment
Copies sold: 3,415,000
Notable singles: ‘Not Afraid’, ‘Love The Way You Lie’
2009: Taylor Swift – Fearless
Big Machine Records
Copies sold: 3,217,000
Notable singles: ‘Love Story’, ‘You Belong With Me’
2008: Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
Cash Money/Universal Motown
Copies sold: 2,880,000
Notable singles: ‘Lollipop’, ‘A Milli’
2007: Josh Groban – Noël
Reprise Records
Copies sold: 3,699,000
Notable single: ‘The First Noel (feat. Faith Hill)’
2006: High School Musical (Soundtrack)
Walt Disney Records
Copies sold: 3,719,000
Notable single: ‘Breaking Free’
2005: Mariah Carey – The Emancipation of Mimi
Island Def Jam
Copies sold: 4,968,606
Notable singles: ‘We Belong Together’, ‘Shake It Off’
2004: Usher – Confessions
Arista Records
Copies sold: 7,979,000
Notable singles: ‘Burn’, ‘Confessions Pt. II’, ‘Yeah!’
2003: 50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’
Shady Records/Aftermath Entertainment
Copies sold: 6,536,000
Notable singles: ‘In da Club’, ’21 Questions’
2002: Eminem – The Eminem Show
Aftermath Entertainment
Copies sold: 7,608,000
Notable singles: ‘Without Me’, ‘Sing For The Moment’
2001: Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory
Warner Bros. Records
Copies sold: 4,813,000
Notable single: ‘In The End’
2000: NSYNC – No Strings Attached
Jive Records
Copies sold: 9,936,000
Notable singles: ‘Bye Bye Bye’, ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’
1999: Backstreet Boys – Millennium
Jive
Copies sold: 9,446,000
Notable singles: ‘I Want It That Way’, ‘Larger Than Life’
1998: James Horner and Celine Dion – Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture
Sony Classical
Copies sold: 9,338,000
Notable single: ‘My Heart Will Go On’
1997: Spice Girls – Spice
Virgin Records
Copies sold: 5,302,000
Notable singles: ‘Wannabe’, ‘Say You’ll Be There’
1996: Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill
Maverick
Copies sold: 7,380,000
Notable singles: ‘You Oughta Know’, ‘Hand In My Pocket’
1995: Hootie and the Blowfish – Cracked Rear View
Atlantic Records
Copies sold: 7,020,000
Notable singles: ‘Hold My Hand’, ‘Only Wanna Be With You’
1994: Elton John/Hans Zimmer – The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Walt Disney Records
Copies sold: 4,934,000
Notable singles: ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’, ‘Circle of Life’
1993: Whitney Houston/Various Artists – The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album
Arista
Copies sold: 5,460,000
Notable single: ‘I Will Always Love You’
1992: Billy Ray Cyrus – Some Gave All
Mercury Records
Copies sold: 4,700,000
Notable singles: ‘Achy Breaky Heart’
1991: Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey
Columbia Records
Notable singles: ‘Vision of Love’, ‘Love Takes Time’
1990: Janet Jackson – Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814
A&M Records
Notable singles: ‘Miss You Much’, ‘Rhythm Nation’
1989: Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel
MCA Records
Notable single: ‘My Prerogative’
1988: George Michael – Faith
Columbia
Notable singles: ‘One More Try’, ‘Father Figure’
1987: Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet
Mercury
Notable singles: ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’, ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’
1986: Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston
Arista
Notable singles: ‘How Will I Know’, ‘Greatest Love Of All’
1985: Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A.
Columbia
Notable singles: ‘Dancing In The Dark’, ‘Born In The U.S.A.’
1984: Michael Jackson – Thriller
Epic
Notable singles: ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Beat It’
1983: Michael Jackson – Thriller
Epic
Notable singles: ‘Thriller’, ‘P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)’
1982: Asia – Asia
Geffen Records
Notable single: ‘Heat of the Moment’
1981: REO Speedwagon – Hi Infidelity
Epic Records
Notable singles: ‘Keep on Loving You’, ‘Take It on the Run’
1980: Pink Floyd – The Wall
Columbia
Notable singles: ‘Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)’
1979: Billy Joel – 52nd Street
Family Productions
Notable single: ‘My Life’
1978: Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track
RSO Records
Notable singles: ‘How Deep Is Your Love’, ‘Stayin’ Alive’
1977: Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
Warner Bros.
Notable singles: ‘Go Your Own Way’, ‘Don’t Stop’
1976: Peter Frampton – Frampton Comes Alive!
A&M Records
Notable single: ‘Show Me The Way’
1975: Elton John – Elton John’s Greatest Hits
DJM Records
Notable singles: ‘Your Song’, ‘Daniel’
1974: Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
MCA Records
Notable single: ‘Bennie and the Jets’
1973: War – The World Is a Ghetto
United Artists
Notable single: ‘The Cisco Kid’
1972: Neil Young – Harvest
Reprise Records
Notable single: ‘Heart of Gold’
1971: Jesus Christ Superstar
Decca
Notable single: ‘Superstar’
1970: Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water
Columbia
Notable singles: ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’, ‘The Boxer’
1969: Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Atco
Notable single: ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’
1968: The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced
Track Records
Notable singles: ‘Purple Haze’, ‘Foxy Lady’
1967: The Monkees – More of The Monkees
Colgems Records
Notable single: ‘I’m A Believer’
1966: Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – Whipped Cream & Other Delights
A&M Records
Notable single: ‘A Taste of Honey’
1965: Mary Poppins (Original Soundtrack)
Walt Disney Records
Notable singles: ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’, ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’
1964: Hello, Dolly! (Original Broadway Cast)
20th Century Fox Records
Notable single: ‘Hello, Dolly!’
1963: West Side Story (Soundtrack)
Columbia Masterworks
Notable single: ‘I Feel Pretty’
1962: West Side Story (Soundtrack)
Columbia Masterworks
Notable single: ‘Maria’
1961: Camelot (Original Broadway Cast)
Columbia Records
Notable single: ‘If Ever I Would Leave You’
1960: The Sound of Music (Original Broadway Cast)
Columbia Masterworks
Notable single: ‘Do-Re-Mi’, ‘The Sound of Music’
1959: Henry Mancini – Music from Peter Gunn
RCA Victor Records
Notable single: ‘Peter Gunn Theme’
1958: My Fair Lady (Original Broadway Cast)
Columbia Records
Notable single: ‘With A Little Bit of Luck’
1957: My Fair Lady (Original Broadway Cast)
Columbia Records
Notable single: ‘The Rain in Spain’
1956: Harry Belafonte – Calypso
RCA Victor Records
Notable singles: ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’, ‘Jamaica Farewell’
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