1973
- Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon
- Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
- Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
- Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On
- Sarah Vaughan – Live in Japan
- Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
- Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- The Who – Quadrophenia
- Paul McCartney and Wings – Band on the Run
- Kinky Friedman – Sold American
Honorable Mentions
• The Beatles – 1962-1966/1967-1970
• David Bowie – Aladdin Sane
• Albert Brooks – Comedy Minus One
• Can – Future Days
• Creedence Clearwater Revival – More Creedence Gold
• Faust – Faust IV
• Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters
• Hawkwind – Space Ritual
• Iggy and the Stooges – Raw Power
• Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure
• Steely Dan – Countdown to Ecstasy
• Tom Waits – Closing Time
• Various Artists – Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey
1983
- New Order – Power, Corruption & Lies
- R.E.M. – Murmur
- Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
- Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
- Various Artists – The Big Chill (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- U2 – War
- Talking Heads – Speaking in Tongues
- Madonna – Madonna
- Marshall Crenshaw – Field Day
- Cyndi Lauper – She’s So Unusual
Honorable Mentions
• David Bowie – Let’s Dance
• Billy Bragg – Life’s a Riot with Spy vs Spy
• ESG – Come Away with ESG
• Hall & Oates – Rock ’n Soul Part 1
• The Jam – Snap!
• Malcolm McLaren – Duck Rock
• P-Funk All Stars – Urban Dancefloor Guerillas
• The Police – Synchronicity
• Sparks – In Outer Space
• The Style Council – Introducing the Style Council
• U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky
• The Who – Who’s Greatest Hits
1993
- Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
- Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
- Slowdive – Souvlaki
- Pet Shop Boys – Very
- By Any Means – Touchin’ on Trane
- The Afghan Whigs – Gentlemen
- Red House Painters – Rollercoaster
- Orbital – Brown Album
- William Orbit – Strange Cargo III
- U2 – Zooropa
Honorable Mentions
• Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish
• Garth Brooks – In Pieces
• Counting Crows – August and Everything After
• Janet Jackson – Janet
• Nirvana – In Utero
• Pearl Jam – Vs.
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits
• Prince – The Hits 1/The Hits 2
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
• Swervedriver – Mezcal Head
• A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders
• Various Artists – Living in Oblivion: The 80’s Greatest Hits Volume 1
2003
- Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism | The Postal Service – Give Up
- The White Stripes – Elephant
- The Format – Interventions + Lullabies
- Fountains of Wayne – Welcome Interstate Managers
- My Morning Jacket – It Still Moves
- Explosions in the Sky – The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
- Zwan – Mary Star of the Sea
- The Exploding Hearts – Guitar Romantic
- Grandaddy – Sumday
- OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Honorable Mentions
• The Beach Boys – Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the Beach Boys
• Brand New – Deja Entendu
• Dashboard Confessional – A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar
• Drive-By Truckers – Decoration Day
• Jay-Z – The Black Album
• King Geedorah – Take Me to Your Leader | Viktor Vaughn – Vaudeville Villain
• King Sunny Adé – The Best of the Classic Years
• Pet Shop Boys – PopArt: The Hits
• Liz Phair – Liz Phair
• Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
• R.E.M. – In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003
• Bruce Springsteen – The Essential Bruce Springsteen
• The Strokes – Room on Fire
• Rufus Wainwright – Want One
• Warren Zevon – The Wind
2013
- Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
- HAIM – Days Are Gone
- Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
- Kanye West – Yeezus
- Shane Carruth – Upstream Color
- Grateful Dead – Sunshine Daydream
- Jason Isbell – Southeastern
- My Bloody Valentine – m b v
- Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer Different Park
- David Bowie – The Next Day
Honorable Mentions
• Beyoncé – Beyoncé
• Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe
• Burial – Rival Dealer
• Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You
• CHVRCHES – The Bones of What You Believe
• Foxygen – We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
• Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse
• Janelle Monáe – The Electric Lady
• Lorde – Pure Heroine
• Mutual Benefit – Love’s Crushing Diamond
• Jessie Ware – Devotion
• Yo La Tengo – Fade