Billboard has tracked the best-selling album of the year since 1956, but its measurement has shifted—from retailer reports to Nielsen SoundScan, and later to Luminate’s album-equivalent units for streaming. That change explains why, in 2022, Taylor Swift’s “Mi
Walk into any thrift store, family living room, or used-CD bin and you can feel it: the music of a year lands somewhere deeper than entertainment. It becomes a marker. A memory trigger.
Billboard has been ranking the best-selling album of the year since 1956, building a map of public taste. But the route to that map has changed. Before 1991, Billboard relied on retailer report. In 1991, it began using Nielsen SoundScan data, described by Billboard as more accurate. Then, since 2015, Nielsen SoundScan—now called Luminate—has incorporated album-equivalent units into its data to account for streaming.
That methodological shift helps explain a sharp split in results that readers can actually feel. In 2022, Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” was the best-selling album based on sales alone, while Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” was the top album overall, including album-equivalent units.
Methodology aside, the list also carries its own surprises. In 1967, The Beatles’ critically acclaimed “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was outsold by The Monkees’ “More of The Monkees.”
Using Billboard and Luminate’s data, Business Insider compiled all the best-selling albums and their respective notable singles dating back to 1956—so you can see which album was the soundtrack to your birth year (provided you’re 70 or younger).
1956: Harry Belafonte — “Calypso.” Notable singles: “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” “Jamaica Farewell.”
1957: “My Fair Lady (Original Broadway Cast).” Notable single: “The Rain in Spain.”
1958: “My Fair Lady (Original Broadway Cast).” Notable single: “With A Little Bit of Luck.”
1959: Henry Mancini — “Music from Peter Gunn.” Notable single: “Peter Gunn.”
1960: “The Sound of Music (Original Broadway Cast).” Notable singles: “Do-Re-Mi,” “The Sound of Music.”
1961: “Camelot (Original Broadway Cast).” Notable single: “If Ever I Would Leave You.”
1962: “West Side Story (Soundtrack).”
1963: “West Side Story (Soundtrack).” Notable single: “I Feel Pretty.”
1964: “Hello, Dolly! (Original Broadway Cast).” Notable single: “Hello, Dolly!”
1965: “Mary Poppins (Original Soundtrack).” Notable singles: “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
1966: Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass — “Whipped Cream & Other Delights.” Notable single: “A Taste of Honey.”
1967: The Monkees — “More of The Monkees.” Notable single: “I’m A Believer.”
1968: The Jimmy Hendrix Experience — “Are You Experienced.” Notable singles: “Purple Haze,” “Foxy Lady.”
1969: Iron Butterfly — “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” Notable single: “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
1970: Simon and Garfunkel — “Bridge over Troubled Water.” Notable singles: “Bridge over Troubled Water,” “The Boxer.”
1971: “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Notable single: “Superstar.”
1972: Neil Young — “Harvest.” Notable single: “Heart of Gold.”
1973: War — “The World Is a Ghetto.” Notable single: “The Cisco Kid.”
1974: Elton John — “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” Notable single: “Bennie and the Jets.”
1975: Elton John — “Elton John’s Greatest Hits.” Notable singles: “Your Song,” “Daniel.”
1976: Peter Frampton — “Frampton Comes Alive!” Notable single: “Show Me The Way.”
1977: Fleetwood Mac — “Rumours.” Notable singles: “Go Your Own Way,” “Don’t Stop.”
1978: “Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track.” Notable singles: “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Stayin’ Alive.”
1979: Billy Joel — “52nd Street.” Notable single: “My Life.”
1980: Pink Floyd — “The Wall.” Notable singles: “Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2).”
1981: REO Speedwagon — “Hi Infidelity.” Notable singles: “Keep on Loving You,” “Take It on the Run.”
1982: Asia — “Asia.” Notable single: “Heat of the Moment.”
1983: Michael Jackson — “Thriller.” Notable singles: “Thriller,” “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing).”
1984: Michael Jackson — “Thriller.” Notable singles: “Billie Jean,” “Beat It.”
1985: Bruce Springsteen — “Born in the U.S.A.” Notable singles: “Dancing In The Dark,” “Born In The U.S.A.”
1986: Whitney Houston — “Whitney Houston.” Notable singles: “How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love Of All.”
1987: Bon Jovi — “Slippery When Wet.” Notable singles: “You Give Love A Bad Name,” “Livin’ On A Prayer.”
1988: George Michael — “Faith.” Notable singles: “One More Try,” “Father Figure.”
1989: Bobby Brown — “Don’t Be Cruel.” Notable single: “My Prerogative.”
1990: Janet Jackson — “Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814.” Notable singles: “Miss You Much,” “Rhythm Nation.”
1991: Mariah Carey — “Mariah Carey.” Notable singles: “Vision of Love,” “Love Takes Time.”
1992: Billy Ray Cyrus — “Some Gave All.” Copies sold: 4,832,000. Notable singles: “Achy Breaky Heart.”
1993: Whitney Houston/Various Artists — “The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album.” Copies sold: 5,460,000. Notable single: “I Will Always Love You.”
1994: Elton John/Hans Zimmer — “The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.” Copies sold: 4,934,000. Notable singles: “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” “Circle of Life.”
1995: Hootie and the Blowfish — “Cracked Rear View.” Copies sold: 7,020,000. Notable singles: “Hold My Hand,” “Only Wanna Be With You.”
1996: Alanis Morissette — “Jagged Little Pill.” Copies sold: 7,380,000. Notable singles: “You Oughta Know,” “Hand In My Pocket.”
1997: Spice Girls — “Spice.” Copies sold: 5,302,000. Notable singles: “Wannabe,” “Say You’ll Be There.”
1998: James Horner and Celine Dion — “Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture.” Copies sold: 9,338,000. Notable single: “My Heart Will Go On.”
1999: Backstreet Boys — “Millennium.” Copies sold: 9,446,000. Notable singles: “I Want It That Way,” “Larger Than Life.”
2000: NSYNC — “No Strings Attached.” Copies sold: 9,936,000. Notable singles: “Bye Bye Bye,” “It’s Gonna Be Me.”
2001: Linkin Park — “Hybrid Theory.” Copies sold: 4,813,000. Notable single: “In The End.”
2002: Eminem — “The Eminem Show.” Copies sold: 7,608,000. Notable singles: “Without Me,” “Sing For The Moment.”
2003: 50 Cent — “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.” Copies sold: 6,536,000. Notable singles: “In da Club,” “21 Questions.”
2004: Usher — “Confessions.” Copies sold: 7,979,000. Notable singles: “Burn,” “Confessions Pt. II,” “Yeah!”
2005: Mariah Carey — “The Emancipation of Mimi.” Copies sold: 4,969,000. Notable singles: “We Belong Together,” “Shake It Off.”
2006: “High School Musical” (Soundtrack). Copies sold: 3,719,000. Notable single: “Breaking Free.”
2007: Josh Groban — “Noël.” Copies sold: 3,699,000. Notable single: “The First Noel (feat. Faith Hill).”
2008: Lil Wayne — “Tha Carter III.” Copies sold: 2,874,000. Notable singles: “Lollipop,” “A Milli.”
2009: Taylor Swift — “Fearless.” Copies sold: 3,217,000. Notable singles: “Love Story,” “You Belong With Me.”
2010: Eminem — “Recovery.” Copies sold: 3,415,000. Notable singles: “Not Afraid,” “Love The Way You Lie.”
2011: Adele — “21.” Copies sold: 5,824,000. Notable singles: “Rolling In The Deep.”
2012: Adele — “21.” Copies sold: 4,410,000. Notable singles: “Someone Like You,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” “Rumour Has It.”
2013: Justin Timberlake — “The 20/20 Experience.” Copies sold: 2,430,000. Notable singles: “Suit & Tie,” “Mirrors.”
2014: Taylor Swift — “1989.” Copies sold: 3,661,000. Notable singles: “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood.”
2015: Adele — “25.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 8,008,000. Notable singles: “Hello,” “When We Were Young.”
2016: Drake — “Views.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 4,140,000. Notable singles: “Hotline Bling,” “One Dance.”
2017: Ed Sheeran — “Divide.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 2,764,000. Notable singles: “Shape of You,” “Perfect.”
2018: Drake — “Scorpion.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 3,905,000. Notable singles: “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What,” “In My Feelings.”
2019: Post Malone — “Hollywood’s Bleeding.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 3,001,000. Notable singles: “Wow,” “Goodbyes,” “Circles.”
2020: Lil Baby — “My Turn.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 2,632,000. Notable singles: “Woah,” “Sum 2 Prove.”
2021: Morgan Wallen — “Dangerous: The Double Album.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 3,226,000. Notable singles: “7 Summers,” “Wasted on You.”
2022: Bad Bunny — “Un Verano Sin Ti.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 3,400,000. Notable singles: “Moscow Mule,” “Tití Me Preguntó.”
2023: Morgan Wallen — “One Thing at a Time.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 5,362,000. Notable singles: “You Proof,” “Thought You Should Know,” “Last Night.”
2024: Taylor Swift — “The Tortured Poets Department.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 6,955,000. Notable singles: “Fortnight,” “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart.”
2025: Taylor Swift — “The Life of a Showgirl.” Copies sold, including album-equivalent units: 5,607,000. Notable singles: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor.”
The years tell a story of changing measurement and changing music industries—first shaped by retailer reporting and Nielsen SoundScan. then reshaped again when streaming was folded into the math through album-equivalent units. The result is a chart that looks familiar, but behaves differently depending on when you were born.
Billboard best-selling album Nielsen SoundScan Luminate album-equivalent units Taylor Swift Adele Bad Bunny music charts streaming