Album events
- Frank Sinatra reached number one on the UK album chart with his tenth studio album “Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!”. In the US the album reached number two.
- Tommy Steele reached No. 1 on the British albums chart with "The Tommy Steele Story", the soundtrack to the film following his rise to fame.
- Miles Davis released the album Kind of Blue, one of the most influential jazz albums in history. John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Cannonball Adderley also participated in the recording, and the album had a major influence on the subsequent development of jazz.
- Elvis Presley reached No. 1 on the US album chart with his album “Something For Everybody”.
- Allan Sherman began an eight-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart with his third studio album, "My Son, the Nut".
- The Beatles began recording their fourth studio album at EMI Studios in London, then still untitled and later released as Beatles For Sale. The album marked a departure from the carefree tone of their earlier recordings, partly because of the band's exhaustion after a series of concert tours. Recording was completed on October 26 and the album was released on December 4, 1964. It later reached No. 1 in Australia, Finland, Germany and the UK.
- They released the UK EP 5 x 5, recorded at Chess Studios on Chicago's South Side, the home studio of their blues heroes. Keith Richards said that when they arrived at the building, they found Muddy Waters painting the ceiling. Several months later, the EP was expanded to album length and released in America as 12 x 5.
- Liberty Records announced that the album “The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles” was selling at a rate of 25,000 copies per day. The album later reached No. 14 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and remained on the chart for more than five months. Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian had actually spoken with The Beatles before beginning the project and later said that the group was very supportive.
- The Beatles' album „Something New“ received a gold certification.
- In the US, The Beatles released their fifth studio album Help!, one week after its UK release. The album also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name and reached No. 1 on the charts in Australia, the UK, Finland, and the US.
- The Beach Boys’ album “Today!” was released in the United Kingdom.
- Bob Dylan released the album “Highway 61 Revisited”, which marked his definitive transition to an electric sound. The album included, among others, “Like a Rolling Stone”, which reached No. 2, and the more than eleven-minute song “Desolation Row”.
- They released their self-titled album “The Hollies.”
- The Byrds released the album “Turn! Turn! Turn!”.
- The Beatles released the album “Revolver”, which marked a major development in their studio work. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spent a total of 77 weeks on the chart. It included, among others, the psychedelic track “Tomorrow Never Knows” and the song “Taxman”.
- The Mamas and the Papas’ second album was their self-titled album, released by Dunhill Records. It contained the singles “I Saw Her Again”, which reached No. 5 in the US and No. 11 in the UK, and “Words of Love”, which reached No. 5 in the US and No. 47 in the UK. The album reached No. 4 in the US and No. 24 in the UK.
- Pink Floyd released their debut album “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and reached No. 6 on the UK albums chart.
- Pink Floyd released their debut album, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.” Most of the songs were written by Syd Barrett, and the album was regarded as a landmark psychedelic rock album.
- Frank Zappa vydal u Capitol Records své debutové sólové studiové album „Lumpy Gravy“. Na albu dirigoval skupinu studiových hudebníků, ale sám na žádný nástroj nehrál. Album bylo krátce nato staženo kvůli žalobě MGM Records a výrazně upravená verze byla znovu vydána v roce 1968; album se v americkém Billboard 200 dostalo na 159. místo.
- Jimi Hendrix released the album Live at the Hollywood Bowl: August 18, 1967, containing a recording of his performance on this date, which was not officially released until 2023.
- Elvis Presley’s album Double Trouble reached number 34 on the UK album chart.
- Capitol Records released The Beach Boys’ album “Stack-o-Tracks”, assembled from the instrumental backing tracks of 15 songs from the group’s career to date. During one of their commercially weakest periods in the US, it became the first Beach Boys album not to chart in either the US or the UK. It was subsequently withdrawn from sale and remained unavailable for about two decades. Capitol reissued it on CD in 1990 and again in 2001; both editions were released without the original booklet that accompanied the vinyl version.
- Fleetwood Mac released their second album, “Mr. Wonderful”. Christine Perfect played keyboards on the album and, over the following few years, married John McVie and became a full member of Fleetwood Mac.
- Big Brother and the Holding Company released the album “Cheap Thrills”.
- The Byrds released their sixth studio album “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” through Columbia Records. The album marked a significant departure from their previous psychedelic folk-rock sound toward country and bluegrass and reached No. 77 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. Gram Parsons also contributed to the album. The album is considered one of the first major country-rock albums and became an important milestone for the emerging Los Angeles country-rock scene of the 1970s.
- The Crazy World of Arthur Brown released their self-titled album in the UK.
- Big Brother and the Holding Company released the album "Cheap Thrills" in the United States.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival released their third studio album, “Green River,” which became their first No. 1 album in the United States.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival released “Green River,” their third studio album and the second of three albums they released in 1969. The album was a major artistic and commercial success for the group.
- The Stooges released their self-titled debut album. Its raw sound and distorted guitars later became a major influence on a number of punk bands.
- Pink Floyd released the album “More”, the soundtrack to the film of the same name and a transitional album between Syd Barrett’s departure and the band’s later success with “The Dark Side of the Moon”.
- Their debut album Three Dog Night received a gold record for sales of one million copies. After modest success with “Nobody” and “Try a Little Tenderness”, the label released the single “One”, which reached No. 5. Later editions of the album emphasized this hit in the title, and the album was certified platinum in 2008.
- Blind Faith released their self-titled debut album.
- The Latin rock band Santana released its self-titled debut studio album through Columbia Records. The album reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 34 in the United Kingdom. It included the single “Evil Ways”, which reached No. 9 in the U.S. and introduced Gregg Rolie as lead singer; Rolie later became a co-founder of the band Journey.
- Johnny Cash began a four-week run at number one on the US Billboard 200 (Billboard Top LPs and Tape) with his second live album, “Johnny Cash At San Quentin”. The album was a recording of a live concert for inmates at San Quentin State Prison and followed his previous successful live album “At Folsom Prison”. It was nominated for several Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and won Best Male Country Vocal Performance for the song “A Boy Named Sue”. It was later certified triple platinum in the US and gold in the UK.
- The Band's album “The Band” was released.
- The Rolling Stones released the album "Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)" in the UK.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival released the album "Green River".
- Frank Zappa released “Weasels Ripped My Flesh,” the second album credited to The Mothers of Invention after the group’s breakup in 1969. The album contains various live recordings and improvisations by the group dating from 1967, including “My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama.”
- Simon and Garfunkel's album “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was at No. 1 on the UK albums chart. The Beatles were second with “Let It Be” and Bob Dylan was third with “Self Portrait”.
- Jimmy Buffett released his debut album Down to Earth, a folk-rock collection that included “The Captain and the Kid,” written in honor of his late grandfather. The album sold only 374 copies.
- Black Sabbath released their debut album Black Sabbath in the US. The album had already been released in Britain on February 13, 1970, and laid the foundations for heavy metal.
- The Band released their third album, Stage Fright. The songs reflected the pressure that began to affect the group following the success of their previous two albums. The title track, sung by Rick Danko, was inspired by Robbie Robertson's experiences with stage fright during the band's early days of performing.
- The Carpenters released the album “Close to You”.
- The Velvet Underground’s album “Loaded” was released.
- The Beach Boys released their sixteenth studio album, "Sunflower", through Reprise Records. The album reached No. 151 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and No. 29 in the United Kingdom. It included the singles "Add Some Music to Your Life" and "Cool, Cool Water", originally recorded for the album "Smiley Smile".
- They released their iconic fifth studio album Who’s Next, which featured the classic songs “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. The album entered the US chart and later reached number 4, while in the UK it was released on August 25 and reached number one. It is the group's only album to reach the top of the chart in any country. John Mendelsohn of Rolling Stone described it as an intelligently conceived, brilliantly performed and produced rock album, and it later became widely regarded as one of the greatest rock recordings in history. In 2007, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
- The Who released their fifth studio album “Who's Next” in the UK, one of the most significant albums in rock history.
- The Beach Boys released their 17th studio album “Surf’s Up” through Brother/Reprise Records. The album reached No. 29 in the US and No. 15 in the UK and became their highest-charting album of new material in the US since 1967. Daryl Dragon can be heard on the album playing Moog synthesizer, organ, piano, electric guitar, bass guitar and vibraphone.
- Grateful Dead released their second live album, simply titled Grateful Dead. Rolling Stone magazine reported that Jerry Garcia had originally wanted to call it “Starfuck”. The album became the group’s first to reach the Top 25.
- The Moody Blues’ album “Seventh Sojourn” was released in the United States.
- Rod Stewart released the album "Never a Dull Moment".
- Van Morrison released the album “Saint Dominic's Preview” as part of its international release period.
- Tamla Records released Stevie Wonder’s sixteenth studio album, “Innervisions.” The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Soul LPs chart, and later won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
- Recording began on David Bowie's album "Young Americans" at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.
- John Denver's eighth studio album “Back Home Again” spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. It included the hits “Annie's Song” (US #1, UK #1), “Back Home Again” (US #5), and “Thank God I'm A Country Boy” (US #1). The album was certified gold in England and triple platinum in America.
- Harry Nilsson asked John Lennon to produce the album Pussy Cats. During the recording, a drug-fuelled jam session took place that included the only known joint recording session by John Lennon and Paul McCartney after the Beatles split up.
- Eric Clapton topped the U.S. album chart with „461 Ocean Boulevard“. Also in the Top 10 were John Denver, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Bad Company, Loggins & Messina, Robin Trower, Bob Dylan & The Band and Paul McCartney & Wings.
- RCA Records released the fourth studio album by the duo Daryl Hall & John Oates. The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, and the single “Sara Smile” became the duo's breakthrough hit in June 1976, also reaching No. 4 on the Hot 100.
- Bruce Springsteen released his third studio album “Born to Run” on Columbia Records, marking a major breakthrough in his career. The album reached number three on the US Billboard chart and eventually sold seven million copies in the US. The title track reached number 23 on the US chart and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” reached number 83.
- Boston released their self-titled debut album on Epic Records. Much of the album was recorded in Tom Scholz's basement studio, and it became the fastest-selling debut album in history and one of the best-selling debut albums of all time. It included the singles “More Than a Feeling” (#5 USA, #22 UK), “Foreplay / Long Time” (#22 USA) and “Peace of Mind” (#38 USA), and has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
- Led Zeppelin released the album "Presence" as part of its international release week.
- Elton John released the album "Blue Moves" as an advance release in the United Kingdom.
- The album “Wish You Were Here” was approaching one year on the British chart. Pink Floyd's ninth studio album was first unveiled at the Knebworth Festival in July 1975 and released in September of that year. It was an immediate success, and EMI was unable to press enough copies to meet demand. The album cover was created by the Hipgnosis team and featured a series of images based on the themes of “absence” and “unfulfilled presence,” including a handshake between two men in business suits, one of whom is on fire, a veil covering a naked woman in the Norfolk countryside and a diver in California's Mono Lake who leaves no splash.
- The album Going for the One reached No. 1 on the UK chart. It was Yes's second UK No. 1 album and also marked the return of keyboardist Rick Wakeman.
- A year after the group Labelle broke up, Patti LaBelle released her self-titled debut album, which featured one of her signature songs, “You Are My Friend”.
- Styx released the album “The Grand Illusion”, which became their breakthrough album and included the song “Come Sail Away”.
- Thin Lizzy released the album “Bad Reputation”. The group appeared as a three-piece on the recording after guitarist Brian Robertson left during the recording sessions. The album included the songs “Dancing in the Moonlight”, “Dear Lord” and “Killer Without a Cause”.
- Epic Records released Boston's second studio album Don't Look Back. The album reached No. 1 on the US Billboard chart and No. 9 in the UK, sold more than one million copies within its first ten days and later received a seven-times-platinum certification. The title track reached No. 4 and “A Man I'll Never Be” reached No. 31.
- The Who released the album Who Are You, the band's last studio album with drummer Keith Moon.
- Boston’s album “Don’t Look Back” was released.
- Devo released the album “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo”.
- Epic Records released Molly Hatchet's self-titled debut album. Although it reached No. 64 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, it later received RIAA platinum certification for sales of more than one million copies.
- Michael Jackson released his fifth studio album “Off the Wall” on Epic Records. The album reached No. 3 in the US and No. 5 in the UK, driven by four Top 10 singles: “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough” (US #1, UK #3), “Rock With You” (US #1, UK #7), “Off the Wall” (US #10, UK #7), and “She's Out of My Life” (US #10, UK #3). Despite the album's great success, it received only two Grammy nominations, and Jackson won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough”.
- Bob Dylan released his 19th studio album, “Slow Train Coming”, through Columbia Records, his first album following his conversion to Christianity. The religiously focused songs expressed his personal faith and emphasized the importance of Christian teaching and philosophy. The album reached No. 1 in Australia, New Zealand and Norway, No. 2 in the UK and No. 3 in the U.S. It included “Gotta Serve Somebody”, which reached No. 24 on the U.S. chart and became Dylan's last single to reach the U.S. Top 40. In 1980, it won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male. According to one of the sources, the album alienated some of his longtime fans.
- “In Through the Out Door” was released in the United States on August 22, 1979, as the band's eighth and final studio album. The album reached No. 1 on both the U.S. and British album charts and included the song “Fool in the Rain”, which reached No. 21 in the United States.
- Led Zeppelin released their final studio album, “In Through the Out Door”, in the United States.
- Randy Newman released the album “Born Again”, which followed his breakthrough but controversially perceived hit “Short People”.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono began recording the album “Double Fantasy.”
- John Lennon a Yoko Ono začali po pětileté přestávce nahrávat album „Double Fantasy“ ve studiu The Hit Factory v New Yorku. Album vyšlo v listopadu, dostalo se na první místo v USA, stalo se celosvětovým komerčním úspěchem a získalo Grammy za album roku.
- AC/DC achieved their first UK No. 1 album with “Back In Black.” It was the band’s first album recorded without original vocalist Bon Scott, who died on February 19, 1980, and the album was dedicated to him. It was also the band’s first album with Brian Johnson. In August 2024, it was certified 27× platinum in the US by the RIAA, representing 27 million certified units.
- Yes released the album Drama, on which Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of The Buggles joined the group as replacements for Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman.
- Roxy Music reached number one on the UK album chart with their seventh studio album “Flesh and Blood”. The album also reached number one in New Zealand and the Top 10 in five other countries.
- Jethro Tull released the album "A", one of the albums commemorated as part of the musical anniversaries for this day.
- UB40 released their debut album "Signing Off". The album reached No. 2 on the UK chart and became the first reggae album to reach such a high position. In 2010, to mark the band's 30th anniversary and the album's influence, the band performed the album in its entirety during a series of intimate concerts across the UK.
- Columbia Records released his 21st studio album, “Shot of Love,” which reached No. 6 in the UK and No. 33 in the US; its religious themes drew mixed critical reactions.
- The Rolling Stones released their 18th studio album „Tattoo You“ on their own Rolling Stones Records label. The album consisted largely of previously recorded outtakes and topped the charts for nine weeks. „Start Me Up“ became a major hit; the band had first recorded it in 1977 in a reggae rhythm but reworked it into a rock version for the album. The album reached No. 1 in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, France, New Zealand and the U.S.
- Foreigner’s album “4” was released in the United Kingdom.
- George Thorogood And The Destroyers released their fifth studio album “Bad to the Bone.” The album, featuring the title track, reached No. 43 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and later received a gold certification from the RIAA.
- Alice Cooper's album “Zipper Catches Skin” was released.
- Judas Priest released the album “Screaming for Vengeance” in the United States.
- Black Sabbath vydali album „Born Again“, jediné album skupiny s Ianem Gillanem jako hlavním zpěvákem.
- Billy Joel released his ninth studio album "An Innocent Man". The album reached No. 4 in the U.S. and contained three Billboard Top 10 singles: "Tell Her About It" at No. 1, "Uptown Girl" at No. 3 and "An Innocent Man" at No. 10. It was later certified eight-times platinum.
- They released the album Rant N' Rave with the Stray Cats.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers released their self-titled debut album, produced with Andy Gill of Gang of Four.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers released their self-titled debut album, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, after years of performing in clubs.
- Scandal featuring Patty Smyth released the album “Warrior”. The collection of rock songs aimed at radio audiences reached the Top 20 thanks to the title hit and later achieved platinum certification.
- Puerto Rican boy band Menudo released their sixteenth studio album “Evolucion”. The album marked the first appearance of their new 12-year-old singer Ricky Martin.
- David Bowie released the album “Tonight.”
- They released the album Sacred Heart.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers released their second studio album, Freaky Styley, produced by George Clinton. Guitarist Hillel Slovak also returned to the band.
- Bon Jovi released their third studio album, Slippery When Wet, which reached No. 1 on the US chart. The album contained two US No. 1 singles, “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin' on a Prayer,” and later went twelve-times platinum.
- Chrysalis Records released Huey Lewis and the News' fourth studio album, “Fore!”. The album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard album chart and eventually sold more than three million copies. It produced five successful singles, including “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Stuck with You”, which reached No. 1 in the U.S., as well as “Doing It All for My Baby” at No. 6, “Hip to Be Square” at No. 3 and “I Know What I Like” at No. 9. The latter three songs peaked at No. 12, No. 93 and No. 41 respectively on the British chart.
- Paul Simon released his seventh solo studio album “Graceland”, which became his most successful album and his highest-charting album in more than a decade. It reached number three in the US and number one in the UK, and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. In 1987 it won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and in 2006 it was added to the US National Recording Registry.
- Tina Turner's album “Break Every Rule” was released.
- Tom Waits released the album Franks Wild Years on Island Records. The album reached No. 115 in the United States and No. 14 in Switzerland.
- Aerosmith released the album Permanent Vacation, their first album after overcoming addiction. Hits such as “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” and “Angel” launched a remarkable comeback for the band, which had spent the previous decade struggling with drug addiction and a creative crisis.
- The soundtrack to the film “Dirty Dancing” was released.
- Metallica released their first EP, “The $5.98 E.P. – Garage Days Re-Revisited”. It contained cover versions of popular metal and punk rock songs from the 1970s and 1980s.
- Midnight Oil released their sixth album, “Diesel and Dust”, inspired by their tour of Aboriginal communities in the Australian outback. The single “Beds Are Burning”, which called for the return of land rights to Indigenous Australians, became the band's breakthrough hit in the US.
- John Mellencamp released the album „The Lonesome Jubilee“, which continued his move toward folk-rock and included the hits „Paper in Fire“, „Check It Out“ and „Cherry Bomb“.
- Michael Jackson released the album "Bad", which followed his album "Thriller".
- INXS released the album “Kick” during its international release week.
- Edie Brickell & New Bohemians released their debut album “Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars.”
- The album Hysteria returned to No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and began its second period at the top of the chart.
- The band Good Question released their self-titled debut album.
- Guns N' Roses shortened the extensive Use Your Illusion project and split it into two albums.
- Metallica released their fourth studio album “...And Justice for All”, which included “One” and “To Live Is To Die” and represented their final project before a significant change in their early musical style.
- Kylie Minogue set a new British record when her debut album “Kylie” became the best-selling album by a female artist in Britain, with sales of almost two million copies. The album was produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, who also wrote nine of its ten tracks. Six singles were released from the album, including “I Should Be So Lucky”, which reached No. 1 in both Australia and the UK.
- Danzig, fronted by former Misfits singer Glenn Danzig, released their self-titled debut album, produced by Rick Rubin. The song “Mother” became a minor hit when it was reissued five years later.
- George Clinton released the album “The Cinderella Theory.”
- Elton John released the album "Sleeping With the Past", one of the albums commemorated as part of the musical anniversaries for August 29.
- They released their fifth album, “Dr. Feelgood,” which became their best-selling album and reached No. 1 on the chart. The group drew on their experiences in making the album; the title track deals with their drug dealers, while “Kickstart My Heart” tells the story of Nikki Sixx's near-fatal overdose.
- With the album “Repeat Offender”, Richard Marx achieved his first and only number-one album on the US Billboard 200.
- Black Sabbath released the album Tyr. It was the band's thirteenth studio album, with Tony Martin, Tony Iommi, Cozy Powell and other musicians in the lineup at the time. The album followed the band's previous work but featured a significant amount of keyboards while retaining its heavy sound.
- Living Colour released their second studio album, Time's Up. The album followed the success of their debut Vivid and continued to combine hard rock and heavy metal with elements of funk, punk, hip-hop and jazz. It reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200, the song “Type” reached the Top 5 of the Mainstream Rock chart, and the album later won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for the title track.
- Prince released his twelfth studio album, “Graffiti Bridge”, which includes the songs “Thieves in the Temple” and “New Power Generation”. The album reached No. 1 in Britain and also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, in which Prince starred.
- Alice in Chains released their debut album “Facelift”, one of the early grunge albums to achieve widespread popularity. The album was among the recordings released on August 21, 1990 that combined hard rock with alternative rock.
- Anthrax released the album “Persistence of Time”, which ranks among their most successful recordings.
- Firehouse released their debut album “Firehouse”. During the hair metal boom, the album went on to achieve double-platinum certification, largely thanks to the power ballad “Love of a Lifetime”.
- Jane's Addiction released their second studio album “Ritual de lo Habitual”, a significant alternative rock album that singer Perry Farrell described as being filled with “sex and violence and joy and happiness”. The album later sold more than two million copies and reached No. 19 in the US.
- Prince released the soundtrack to the film “Graffiti Bridge”.
- Ratt released the album “Detonator”, which marked the end of their most successful period. It was their fifth album in six years.
- Alice in Chains released their debut studio album “Facelift” in the United States through Columbia Records. The album subsequently sold more than three million copies and became the first grunge album to receive an RIAA gold certification.
- The Black Crowes’ album “Shake Your Money Maker” was released in the United Kingdom.
- Luciano Pavarotti reached his third No. 1 on the UK albums chart with his album “The Essential Pavarotti II”.
- They released their fifth studio album Metallica, known as The Black Album, which reached No. 1 in eight countries and sold 16 million copies in the U.S.
- Cypress Hill released their debut album Cypress Hill, whose lead single was “How I Could Just Kill A Man”, about gang life in South Gate, California.
- Rock band Spin Doctors released their debut studio album, “Pocket Full of Kryptonite”. Driven by the hits “Little Miss Can't Be Wrong” and “Two Princes”, it sold more than 5 million copies. The album reached No. 1 in Australia, Canada and New Zealand and the Top 3 in the U.S. and Britain.
- Elvis Presley reached No. 57 on the U.K. album chart with the three-disc box set „Collectors Gold“.
- Blur released their debut studio album “Leisure”.
- Spin Doctors released their debut album “Pocket Full of Kryptonite”.
- Pearl Jam released their debut album “Ten” through Epic Records. The album became a cornerstone of grunge and contained the hits “Alive”, “Even Flow” and “Jeremy”. In the USA, it received a 13-times platinum RIAA certification, corresponding to 13 million copies sold, while more than 15 million copies were sold worldwide. Initially, the album was not a major success, but with the rise of grunge it reached No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 the following year.
- Metallica’s album, commonly known as The Black Album, was released in the United Kingdom.
- Garth Brooks released the album Ropin' the Wind.
- The Beach Boys released their 27th studio album, “Summer in Paradise,” the band’s only studio album without any involvement from Brian Wilson.
- Exodus released their fifth studio album, Force of Habit.
- British boy band Take That released their debut album “Take That & Party”, which remained on the UK album chart for more than a year.
- The Wallflowers released their self-titled debut album.
- Alice in Chains' album “Dirt” was released.
- Eric Clapton released “Unplugged”, recorded for the MTV Unplugged television series in January of the same year. The album included “Tears in Heaven” and an acoustic version of “Layla”, helped revive his career and became his best-selling album. It reached number one in the US and number two in the UK and sold 26 million copies worldwide.
- Billy Joel released “River of Dreams,” his final album of pop songs.
- Type O Negative released their fifth studio album, Bloody Kisses, one of the few gothic metal albums to receive platinum certification.
- The album „The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration“, honoring Bob Dylan's career, was released.
- Billy Joel began a three-week run at No. 1 on the US album chart with his twelfth studio album “River of Dreams”. Joel said that most of the music for the album came to him in his sleep, inspiring its title. The album eventually sold more than four million copies in the United States. The album cover was painted by his second wife, former model Christie Brinkley, and was later voted the worst album cover of the year.
- Neil Young released the album “Sleeps with Angels,” which served as his emotional tribute to Kurt Cobain.
- Lynyrd Skynyrd released their eighth album, “Endangered Species”, which featured acoustic reworkings of many of the band’s best-known songs. The album reached No. 115 on the Billboard 200.
- Barenaked Ladies released their second studio album, Maybe You Should Drive.
- Neil Young released his 22nd studio album, Sleeps with Angels. The album reached No. 9 in the US and No. 2 in the UK and received gold certification in both countries.
- Singer, songwriter and guitarist Jeff Buckley released his first and only studio album, “Grace”, through Columbia Records. The album later sold more than three million copies worldwide and received critical acclaim.
- The soundtrack to the film “Natural Born Killers”, compiled by Trent Reznor, was released. The album combined dialogue from the film with recordings by a very diverse range of artists, including Bob Dylan, Patsy Cline and Dr. Dre.
- Hootie & the Blowfish released their debut album “Cracked Rear View”, which later became one of the best-selling albums of the 1990s.
- Prince reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with his fifteenth studio album “Come”.
- Oasis released their debut album "Definitely Maybe", which immediately reached No. 1 on the UK album chart upon its first release. At the time of its release, it was the fastest-selling debut album in the UK. The album spent 177 weeks on the UK chart and marked the beginning of Oasis's success in the US, where it sold more than one million copies.
- The Cranberries released the album "No Need to Argue" as part of its international release week.
- Jeff Buckley released the album “Grace”.
- Oasis released their debut album, "Definitely Maybe", in the United Kingdom.
- They released their debut album “Garbage”, which included hits such as “Queer” and “Only Happy When It Rains”.
- The rock group Black Grape reached number one on the UK chart with their debut studio album “It’s Great When You’re Straight…Yeah”.
- Foo Fighters' debut album was released in the United Kingdom; it had already been released in the United States in July of the same year.
- Heart released the album "The Road Home", one of the albums commemorated as part of the musical anniversaries for August 29.
- Tom Petty released the album “She's the One,” which also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, written and directed by Edward Burns.
- Pearl Jam released their fourth studio album “No Code” through Epic Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the US album chart, but was not as commercially successful as their previous three albums and quickly fell down the chart.
- Puff Daddy & The Family reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their debut album “No Way Out”. The album also reached No. 1 in Austria, Canada and Switzerland, and No. 8 in the UK.
- Backstreet Boys released their second album Backstreet's Back in international markets. The album reached No. 1 in several countries, including Canada, Spain and Germany. In the US, some of its songs appeared on their next album, Millennium, in 1999.
- They released the reunion live album The Dance on Reprise Records, capturing their successful return in the classic lineup and their appearance on MTV Unplugged. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold one million copies in just eight weeks. Although it was primarily a live retrospective of well-known concert songs and fan favorites, it also contained new material by the group’s principal songwriters, including two songs by Lindsey Buckingham.
- Oasis released their long-awaited third studio album “Be Here Now” through Creation Records. It became an immediate commercial success, selling more than 350,000 copies on its first day and becoming one of the fastest-selling albums ever. The album reached No. 1 in sixteen countries around the world, although it later received mixed reactions and was criticized as overly long and derivative. Britpop was beginning to lose popularity. The album cover was photographed at Stocks House in Hertfordshire, the former home of Victor Lownes, head of Playboy Clubs in the UK.
- Creed released their debut album “My Own Prison”.
- WAR released the album Coleccion Latina, their twentieth recording.
- Kid Rock released Devil Without a Cause, his first album on Lava Records after being dropped by Jive and releasing two independent albums. The album sold 11 million copies and turned the rap-rock musician into a major star.
- Korn released their most successful album, Follow the Leader, which featured the songs “Freak on a Leash” and “Got the Life.”
- Lauryn Hill released her debut solo studio album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. The album sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, reached number one in Canada, Ireland and the US and number two in the UK. It became the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
- Eighteen-year-old Christina Aguilera released her self-titled debut album, which contained three No. 1 hits: „Genie in a Bottle“, „What a Girl Wants“ and „Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)“. The album ushered in a new era of teen pop alongside her former Mickey Mouse Club colleague Britney Spears.
- Warner Bros. released Prince's album „The Vault...Old Friends 4 Sale“.
- Scottish rock band Travis reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with their second studio album “The Man Who”.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers released the album “Californication” as part of its international release.
- Led by the successful single "Ready To Run", the Dixie Chicks released their second major-label album, "Fly".
- Nineteen-year-old Craig David released his debut album Born To Do It, which debuted at number one on the UK album chart and became the fastest-selling debut album by a British solo artist.
- Craig David reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with his debut studio album “Born to Do It”.
- De La Soul released “Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump”, their first album in four years. The album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- Nelly began a five-week run at No. 1 on the US album chart with his debut studio album “Country Grammar”.
- Alicia Keys’ album “Songs in A Minor” was released in the United Kingdom.
- Mary J. Blige released her fifth studio album “No More Drama” through MCA Records. The album debuted and peaked at No. 2 in the US and received two Grammy nominations.
- Puddle Of Mudd released their debut album “Come Clean”. The album sold more than three million copies, driven by the hits “Blurry”, “Control”, and “She Hates Me”.
- Bruce Springsteen reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with his twelfth studio album “The Rising.” The album also reached No. 1 in eleven other countries, including the US, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.
- The Everly Brothers released the album A Night at the Royal Albert Hall, documenting their concert performance.
- Twenty-five years after Elvis Presley's death, an album containing his 30 US No. 1 singles was released, with "A Little Less Conversation" included as a bonus track.
- Coldplay released their second studio album “A Rush of Blood to the Head”. The album won Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album, Best Rock Performance for “In My Place” and Record of the Year for “Clocks”. In 2007, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included it on its list of 200 Definitive Albums. The album reached No. 1 in 12 countries and contained the UK Top 10 singles “In My Place”, “The Scientist” and “Clocks”.
- Queens Of The Stone Age released their third album “Songs For The Deaf”. Dave Grohl played drums on the album, taking time away from Foo Fighters.
- Eva Cassidy reached No. 1 on the British albums chart with her third studio album, "Imagine". The album was released posthumously following her untimely death in 1996 and contained ten cover songs by artists including John Lennon, Stevie Wonder and Paul Anka.
- Nelly returned to No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart with his second studio album, "Nellyville".
- The Coral achieved their first UK No. 1 album with their second studio album, “Magic and Medicine”.
- The compilation album “Songbird”, containing live recordings and rehearsal recordings by the late Eva Cassidy, reached number one on the UK chart.
- Warren Zevon released his final studio album “The Wind”. Shortly before recording began, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, and guests on the album included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Jackson Browne. Zevon died just two weeks after its release.
- Ashlee Simpson had the album “Autobiography” at No. 1.
- Maroon 5 reached No. 1 on the UK chart with their debut studio album “Songs About Jane”. Over the years, the album also reached No. 1 in France, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
- Björk released the album “Medúlla”, which was composed almost entirely of human voices.
- Ray Charles' album "Genius Loves Company" was released posthumously by Concord Records. It was the last album Charles recorded and completed before his death in June 2004. It featured recordings with guest musicians including Natalie Cole, Elton John, James Taylor, Norah Jones, B. B. King, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won eight Grammy Awards in 2005, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
- Staind reached No. 1 on the US album chart with their fifth studio album “Chapter V”. It was their third album to reach the top of the chart.
- Journey released the album "Generations", one of the albums commemorated as part of the musical anniversaries for August 29.
- Eric Clapton released the album “Back Home”, his first album of original material since the 2001 album “Reptile”. Guests on the album included his former Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood and Billy Preston. Clapton also included “Love Comes to Everyone” by his late friend George Harrison.
- Kanye West released his second studio album “Late Registration”.
- At the age of 17, Rihanna released her debut album “Music Of The Sun”. Its first single was the successful song “Pon De Replay”, which drew on her Bajan heritage and used Caribbean rhythms.
- Christina Aguilera released her first album after a four-year break, “Back To Basics”. The album reached No. 1 on the chart and was her first album to top the chart since her 1999 debut.
- She released her debut album Memories Are Made of This, featuring songs associated with her father Dean Martin as well as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. The album was produced by her husband John Griffeth and spent 40 weeks in the iTunes Top 10 during 2006 and 2007.
- The 22nd edition of the US Now! series, “Now That’s What I Call Music! 7”, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The compilation album was released by Sony BMG and contained songs by various artists, including Rihanna, Sean Paul, Nickelback, Keith Urban and Beyoncé.
- Deana Martin, daughter of Dean Martin, released her first album “Memories Are Made of This”. The collection included her versions of hits by her father as well as songs by Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
- Christina Aguilera scored her first No. 1 album in the UK with her fifth studio album “Back to Basics”.
- With their fourth studio album “Eyes Open”, Snow Patrol reached number one on the UK album chart. With more than 1.5 million copies sold, it was, according to the source, the best-selling album of the year in the United Kingdom.
- The soundtrack to the film High School Musical 2 was released and reached number one on the US chart in its first week, selling approximately 615,000 copies. By the end of 2007, it became the second-best-selling album of the year, with nearly 3 million copies sold. Only Josh Groban's Christmas album Noël sold more.
- At the age of 31, he released his debut album I'll Stay Me. Before that, he had found success as a songwriter in Nashville, writing songs including “Good Directions” for Billy Currington and “My Honky Tonk History” for Travis Tritt.
- The soundtrack to the film “High School Musical 2” began a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It also reached No. 1 in Canada and on the compilation charts in Italy and the United Kingdom.
- ABBA reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with the second remastered edition of the compilation album “Gold: Greatest Hits.”
- Noah and the Whale released their debut album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down on Mercury/Vertigo. Laura Marling, who was a member of the band at the time of recording, also sings on the album, as does Emmy the Great.
- The Jonas Brothers released the album “A Little Bit Longer,” which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart.
- Lady Gaga, a 22-year-old singer who had spent two years performing on the New York club scene, released her debut album “The Fame”. The album presented fame primarily as a matter of attitude. Thanks to the hits “Just Dance” and “Poker Face”, she became known around the world, not just in her own imagination.
- The cast of the film “Mamma Mia!” reached number one on the US Billboard 200 with the “Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack”, which included performances by Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Colin Firth, among others.
- Irish pop-rock trio The Script reached number one on the UK album chart with their debut album “The Script”, just one week after its release.
- Christian rock band Skillet released their seventh studio album “Awake”. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, tying Underoath's “Define The Great Line” and Casting Crowns' “The Altar and the Door” as the highest-charting Christian rock albums. It included the hits “Hero” and “Monster” as well as “Awake and Alive”, the band's first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100.
- Arcade Fire released the album “The Suburbs.” It was released in the United Kingdom on August 2, while its release in the United States and Canada followed on August 3.
- Iron Maiden released the studio album The Final Frontier, which debuted at No. 1 on the UK album chart and became their fourth UK chart-topping album.
- Alternative rock group Arcade Fire reached No. 1 in the US with their third studio album “The Suburbs”. The album also reached No. 1 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Portugal and the UK.
- Eminem reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with his seventh studio album “Recovery”. The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards and reached No. 1 in seventeen countries.
- Katy Perry released her third studio album „Teenage Dream“ on Capitol Records, her second album for a major label. The album reached No. 1 in the U.S. and several other countries and later sold more than 12 million copies. Its first five singles, beginning with „California Gurls“, all reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.
- Iron Maiden reached No. 1 on the UK chart with their fifteenth studio album “The Final Frontier”. The album was a major international success and topped the charts in 28 countries worldwide.
- Papa Roach released their first live album, "Time for Annihilation". In addition to nine live tracks, it contained five new studio recordings and reached No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
- Jay-Z and Kanye West's collaborative album “Watch the Throne” reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200. It also reached the top in Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Australia and the UK.
- Electronic trio Nero reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with their album “Welcome Reality”.
- Roadrunner Records released Lynyrd Skynyrd's fourteenth studio album “Last of a Dyin' Breed” in the US. Guitarist John Lowery, better known by his stage name John 5, contributed to several songs. The album reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200, No. 3 on the Top Rock Albums chart and No. 83 in the UK.
- Luke Bryan released the album Crash My Party, which was later named Billboard Album of the Year for 2014.
- The band Alabama reunited to mark the 40th anniversary of their founding for the album “Alabama & Friends”, a tribute album featuring some of their biggest hits performed by contemporary country artists such as Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and Jason Aldean.
- 5 Seconds of Summer reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their debut studio album, “5 Seconds of Summer.” The album was an international hit and reached No. 1 in fourteen countries.
- The soundtrack to the superhero film “Guardians of the Galaxy”, assembled from prominent hits of the 1970s, reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and remained there for two weeks. It featured songs by various artists, including Blue Swede, David Bowie, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye and The Runaways.
- The album Step Back was released less than two months after Johnny Winter’s death at the age of 70. The project features a number of guest musicians, including Eric Clapton, Joe Perry of Aerosmith and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Winter received his only Grammy Award for the album, winning in the Best Blues Album category.
- She released her solo album Midnight, marking the end of her group Grace Potter And The Nocturnals. Her current and future husbands played on the album: Matt Burr, whom she married in 2013, and Eric Valentine, whom she married in 2017.
- Her fifth studio album “Woman” reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and became her second album to reach the top spot.
- The soundtrack album to the musical fantasy adventure comedy film “Descendants” reached No. 1 in the United States.
- Dr. Dre’s album “Compton” was released internationally.
- The soundtrack album to the superhero film “Suicide Squad” reached No. 1 on the US album chart. It included songs by artists such as Eminem, Skylar Grey, Lil Wayne, Imagine Dragons, CCR and Wiz Khalifa.
- Arcade Fire reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with their fifth studio album “Everything Now.” The album also reached No. 1 in Belgium, Ireland, Portugal and the US that year.
- Queens of the Stone Age's album “Villains” was released.
- With her third studio album “Rainbow”, she reached number one on the US Billboard 200.
- Travis Scott released his third studio album, “Astroworld.”
- Ariana Grande's fourth studio album "Sweetener" reached No. 1 on the UK album chart. The album featured Pharrell Williams, Nicki Minaj, and Missy Elliott, also reached No. 1 in the US, and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, Grande's first Grammy win.
- Eminem released his surprise album "Kamikaze".
- Skillet released their tenth studio album, “Victorious,” featuring, among other tracks, “Legendary” and “Save Me.”
- American rapper Nathan Feuerstein, known as NF, reached No. 1 in the US with his fourth studio album “The Search”.
- Taylor Swift released her seventh studio album “Lover” through Republic Records, her first album after ending her partnership with her former label Big Machine Records. The optimistic-sounding record contrasted with her previous album “Reputation”. All 18 tracks entered the Billboard Hot 100, setting a record for the number of songs by a female artist simultaneously on the chart. The album reached number one in 20 countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Norway, Sweden and the UK, and became her sixth US number-one album on the Billboard chart.
- Tool released the album “Fear Inoculum”, their first new studio project in 13 years. The album reached No. 1 in the USA.
- Lana Del Rey released the album “Norman Fucking Rockwell!”.
- Tool released their fifth studio album “Fear Inoculum”, their first album in 13 years. Their previous album was “10,000 Days” from 2006. The album debuted at No. 1 in six countries and two of its songs were nominated for Grammy Awards. “7empest” won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
- Rapper Young Thug reached No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart with his debut studio album, "So Much Fun".
- “A Celebration of Endings”, the eighth studio album by alternative rock band Biffy Clyro, debuted at No. 1 on the UK album chart. It was the group's third consecutive album to reach the top.
- Katy Perry released her sixth studio album “Smile” through Capitol Records. The album was linked to the video game Katy's Quest, which the singer plays in the music video for the title track.
- The Killers were at number one on the UK album chart with their sixth studio album Imploding the Mirage, which at the time was the third-fastest-selling album of the year. It was also their sixth consecutive album to reach the top in the United Kingdom.
- Billie Eilish reached No. 1 on the US album chart with her second album “Happier Than Ever”. It became her second US No. 1 album and also topped album charts in 27 other countries. At the 64th Grammy Awards, the album and its title track received a total of seven nominations, including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.
- Kanye West released the album "Donda" after several delays and a series of livestreamed listening events.
- Sabrina Carpenter released her sixth album “Short n' Sweet”. With hits including “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”, the album represented her major breakthrough and placed her among successful singers who first became famous as actresses.