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.
- RCA Victor received 500,000 advance orders for Elvis' Christmas Album before its release, even though only 200,000 copies had initially been pressed. The album later spent four weeks at No. 1, received diamond certification in the US, and according to sources more than 17 million copies were shipped in the US. Irving Berlin also campaigned against Presley's version of “White Christmas.”
- Johnny Mathis released his first Christmas album, Merry Christmas. The album later became one of the most successful Christmas recordings, receiving 5× Multi-Platinum certification and selling more than 5 million copies.
- Frank Sinatra's album Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely reached number one on the US album chart.
- 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's compilation album A Date With Elvis reached number 32 on the U.S. chart.
- Elvis Presley reached No. 1 on the US album chart with his album “Something For Everybody”.
- The Beach Boys released the album Surfin' Safari in the US around this time.
- The Beach Boys released their debut album, “Surfin’ Safari”, on Capitol Records. The album also included their first single, “Surfin’”, and reached No. 32 on the US chart.
- 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 Beach Boys released their fourth album Little Deuce Coupe on Capitol Records. The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard chart and spent 46 weeks on the chart, later receiving RIAA platinum certification. It was among the first rock concept albums devoted entirely to automobiles. The cover featured a 1932 Ford Coupe, photographed for the album by Hot Rod magazine.
- 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.
- The Kinks released their debut album The Kinks.
- The Animals' debut album entered the US Billboard album chart and eventually reached No. 7, largely thanks to the song "House Of The Rising Sun." The British version of The Animals album was released a month later, had significantly different content, and reached No. 6 on the UK chart.
- 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!”.
- Elvis Presley's compilation album "Flaming Star And Summer Kisses" reached No. 11 in the UK.
- 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.
- The album What Now My Love became the third album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass to reach No. 1, out of a total of six albums released by the group.
- Simon and Garfunkel released the classic album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme.
- The duo Simon & Garfunkel released the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
- The Monkees' debut album, titled The Monkees, was released.
- 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.
- Big Brother and the Holding Company released the album “Cheap Thrills” on Columbia Records, featuring Janis Joplin as lead vocalist.
- 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.
- 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.
- Wet Wet Wet reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with their first compilation album, End of Part One: Their Greatest Hits.
- Iron Butterfly's album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida entered the Billboard chart; it later reached No. 10 and became a multi-platinum title, selling more than 25 million copies.
- The Doors reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their third studio album Waiting for the Sun. The album contained their first No. 1 single, “Hello, I Love You”, which contributed significantly to its success. The group decided to include the song on the album after abandoning plans to devote the entire first side to Morrison's poetic work “Celebration of the Lizard”.
- Elvis Presley released the album Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star And Others.
- 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.
- The Beatles’ eleventh studio album, “Abbey Road”, was released in the United States, one week after its UK release.
- Colgems Records released The Monkees’ eighth studio album, “The Monkees Present Micky, David, Michael”. It was the group’s second album after Peter Tork’s departure and the last to feature Michael Nesmith until 1996. The album reached No. 100 in the United States, while the singles “Listen to the Band” and “Good Clean Fun” reached Nos. 63 and 82 respectively.
- A&M Records released The Carpenters' debut album, "Offering," which included their cover of The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride." The album initially reached No. 150 on the Billboard album chart and the single No. 54, but after the duo's breakthrough the album was reissued under the title "Ticket to Ride."
- Frank Zappa released the album Hot Rats. Following this project, he moved away from the approach associated with his previous work with The Mothers of Invention.
- King Crimson released their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King. The recording combined jazz and classical elements with rock and had a major influence on progressive rock. The album reached number 5 in the UK and number 28 on the U.S. album chart and later received RIAA gold certification in the U.S. It contains the songs “21st Century Schizoid Man,” “Epitaph” and “The Court of the Crimson King.”
- The Kinks released the album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), their second consecutive concept project. The album is now regarded as one of the group's finest works of the late 1960s.
- 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.
- They released the album Metamorphosis, their fourth studio album and first recording without guitarist Eric Brann. The album also featured the song “Easy Rider”.
- 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".
- The Rolling Stones released their second live album, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!: The Rolling Stones in Concert. It was released by Decca Records in the UK and London Records in the US, reached number six in America and was certified platinum. In the UK, it reached number one and became the first live album to top the official chart; overall, it reached the Top 10 in nine countries.
- Pink Floyd released the album “Atom Heart Mother” through Harvest Records in the United Kingdom, and it became their first album to reach No. 1 on the British chart. In the United States, it reached No. 55 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape and later received RIAA gold certification. The experimental recording represented a transition between their early psychedelic period and their later distinctive sound. The original cover contained no text and showed only a cow in a pasture; photographer Storm Thorgerson said he photographed the first cow he found in the countryside near Potters Bar. Its owner said her name was Lulubelle III.
- Led Zeppelin released their third studio album, Led Zeppelin III. The band significantly moved away from its previous hard-rock sound, also incorporating folk and Celtic influences; the album included the song Immigrant Song.
- Led Zeppelin released their third studio album Led Zeppelin III on Atlantic Records. The album was recorded between January and August 1970, reached No. 1 in the United States and United Kingdom, and later received six-times-platinum certification in the United States and platinum certification in the United Kingdom. The album included “Immigrant Song,” which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its original cover featured a surreal collection of images and a rotating laminated disc with additional photographs.
- The Guess Who released their second album of 1970, titled Share the Land.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival's album Cosmo's Factory remained at number one on the U.S. album chart for an eighth week.
- The album Chicago II reached the U.S. album Top 10.
- James Taylor's album Sweet Baby James reached the U.S. album Top 10.
- Joe Cocker's album Mad Dogs & Englishmen reached number two on the U.S. album chart.
- Neil Young's album After the Gold Rush reached the U.S. album Top 10.
- Santana's album Abraxas debuted at number eight on the U.S. album chart.
- The Jackson 5's album Third Album rose from number 12 to number five on the U.S. album chart.
- The Moody Blues' album A Question of Balance rose from number seven to number three on the U.S. album chart.
- The Who's album Tommy reached the U.S. album Top 10.
- The soundtrack to the film Woodstock fell to number four on the U.S. album chart.
- The fifth studio album, titled *“Who's Next,” was released, originally conceived as part of Pete Townshend's ambitious Lifehouse project. The project was ultimately not completed, but many of the songs written for it found their way onto this album. The record features now-legendary tracks such as “Baba O'Riley,” “Bargain,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” and “Won't Get Fooled Again.”* Its prominent use of synthesizers and distinctive sound made it one of the most significant rock recordings of the early 1970s.
- 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.
- Paul McCartney's album Ram reached number one on the UK chart.
- Cat Stevens released his fifth studio album, “Teaser and the Firecat”. The album reached No. 2 in both the USA and the UK, reached No. 1 in Australia, and sold more than four million copies. It also produced major hits including “Moonshadow”, “Morning Has Broken”, and “Peace Train”.
- The album “Every Picture Tells a Story” reached No. 1 on the U.S. album chart. At the same time, Rod Stewart reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Maggie May” and “Reason to Believe.”
- John Lennon's Imagine LP was released. It reached #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and was later ranked #76 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
- 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.
- Curtis Mayfield's album Super Fly received a gold RIAA certification after reaching the top of the Billboard album chart. It was driven by two million-selling hits, “Freddie's Dead”, which reached No. 4, and the title track “Super Fly”, which reached No. 8. The album is one of the few soundtracks to earn more money than the film for which it was made.
- Genesis released their breakthrough album Foxtrot. The album included “Watcher of the Skies” and “Supper's Ready” and featured the lineup of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins.
- Polydor Records released Cream's double compilation album "Heavy Cream" internationally, featuring "White Room", "Sunshine of Your Love", "Strange Brew" and other tracks from the band's back catalogue. Because UK buyers already had access to earlier compilations such as 1969's "Best of Cream", it did not enter the UK Albums Chart. The North American release was delayed until April 1973 and eventually peaked at No. 135 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.
- 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.
- Stevie Wonder released the album Innervisions, which became one of his most significant albums in soul and funk.
- Elton John released his seventh studio album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which became his most successful and best-selling studio album. It includes “Candle in the Wind,” “Bennie and the Jets,” and the title track. Bernie Taupin's lyrics were written in two and a half weeks, and Elton John composed most of the music in three days in Kingston, Jamaica. The album sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, sold eight million copies in the United States, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.
- Genesis released the album Selling England by the Pound, one of the significant recordings from the band's early progressive-rock period.
- 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.
- Judas Priest released their debut album, "Rocka Rolla". The recording captured a period when the band was developing the distinctive sound that would establish them as a major force in heavy metal several years later.
- The Who released the album “Odds and Sods”, compiled from previously unreleased recordings and rarities. The selection was prepared by John Entwistle, while the liner notes were written by Pete Townshend.
- John Lennon released the album Walls And Bridges in the UK. The album was created during his separation from Yoko Ono and became his US number-one album, reaching the top of the Billboard chart several weeks later.
- Rod Stewart released his final solo album for Mercury Records, Smiler. His former Faces bandmates also participated in the recording.
- King Crimson released the album Red, their seventh studio album and the group's final studio album with this lineup; it featured, among others, John Wetton and Bill Bruford.
- Billy Joel released his fourth studio album, Streetlife Serenade. At the time, he was touring and trying to build on his first major career success. His demanding concert schedule left him with less time to prepare the album than he would have liked.
- Montrose released the album Paper Money. The record marked a significant moment in the band's history because its original singer, Sammy Hagar, left after only two albums.
- 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.
- Jethro Tull released the album Minstrel in the Gallery, featuring arrangements by David Palmer's string quartet.
- Frank Zappa released the album Bongo Fury, recorded with Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band.
- The Who released their album The Who by Numbers in the UK. The album was released on October 3, 1975, by Polydor Records and was issued later in the USA. It reached No. 7 on the UK album chart and No. 8 in the USA. The record featured an interactive-style cover and represented another significant chapter in the band's career.
- Deep Purple released the band's only studio album featuring Tommy Bolin on guitar, “Come Taste the Band.” David Coverdale also sings on the album, before the formation of Whitesnake.
- Rod Stewart's sixth studio album, Atlantic Crossing, reached No. 1 on the UK album chart and stayed there for two weeks.
- 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.
- Nearly 14 months after its release, Fleetwood Mac's self-titled tenth studio album reached number one on the US Billboard 200 for one week, knocking Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive! from the top spot. It was the band's first album with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. It produced the hits “Over My Head,” “Rhiannon” and “Say You Love Me,” later sold more than five million copies in the US and was certified nine-times platinum. It was the first of three Fleetwood Mac albums to reach number one in the US.
- Stevie Wonder released the album Songs in the Key of Life, widely regarded as one of his most significant albums.
- Styx released the album “Crystal Ball”.
- Hall & Oates' second album Abandoned Luncheonette, containing the hit “She's Gone,” received gold certification just three weeks after its release.
- Stevie Wonder's album Songs in the Key of Life debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, becoming only the third album in history to do so. It was his first release after signing a $13 million contract with Motown. The double album was certified platinum and produced the hits “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” and “Isn't She Lovely.”
- Dr. Feelgood's live album "Stupidity" reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band's only UK No. 1 album and the first live album to debut at No. 1. Some of the album was recorded at The Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea.
- ABBA released their fourth studio album, Arrival, featuring the hits "Dancing Queen," "Money, Money, Money" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You." The album reached No. 1 on the UK album chart and No. 20 in the United States. "Dancing Queen" topped both the US and UK charts. "Money, Money, Money" reached No. 56 in the United States and No. 3 in the UK, while "Knowing Me, Knowing You" reached No. 14 in the United States and No. 1 in Britain. Arrival became the UK's best-selling album of 1977, received RIAA gold certification and was added to the US National Recording Registry in 2024.
- Casablanca Records released Donna Summer's fourth studio album, Four Seasons of Love, a concept album depicting the four seasons of a romantic relationship. It contained five tracks, with two on the first side and three on the second. The album reached No. 29 on the US album chart and received RIAA gold certification for sales of 500,000 copies.
- 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”.
- Kansas released the album Point of Know Return, which became their highest-charting album in the United States and achieved multi-platinum certification.
- 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.
- Golden Earring released their thirteenth studio album, “Grab It for a Second”. After the previous tour with Ted Nugent, the band wanted to make a hard rock album, but the record label chose producer Jimmy Iovine. It was also the band’s last album with second guitarist Eelco Gelling.
- Rory Gallagher released his seventh solo studio album, “Photo-Finish”. The band was reduced to a power trio with drummer Ted McKenna of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Notable tracks on the album included “Shin Kicker”, “Shadow Play”, and “Overnight Bag”.
- Dire Straits released their self-titled debut album. It was initially more successful in the UK and Australia, later gaining ground in the US, where the single “Sultans of Swing” reached the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.
- Judas Priest released their fifth album, "Hell Bent for Leather" in the United States and "Killing Machine" in most other territories.
- Columbia Records released Billy Joel's sixth studio album, 52nd Street. The album spent eight non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard album chart and produced the hits "My Life," which reached No. 3 in the United States and No. 12 in the UK; "Big Shot," which reached No. 14 in the United States; and "Honesty," which reached No. 24. The album won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. In 1982, it was also among the first 50 albums released on compact disc.
- AC/DC released the live album "If You Want Blood You've Got It", the band's first live album and the only live album featuring Bon Scott as lead vocalist.
- 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”.
- Led Zeppelin released their eighth and final studio album, "In Through the Out Door," in the United States. It was the last album by the group to be released during drummer John Bonham's lifetime.
- 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.
- Randy Newman released the album “Born Again”, which followed his breakthrough but controversially perceived hit “Short People”.
- Kool & the Gang released their 11th studio album, "Ladies' Night". Driven by the title track, which reached No. 8 in the U.S., and the hit "Too Hot", which reached No. 5, the album topped the Billboard Top R&B / Hip-Hop Albums chart and reached No. 13 on the main album chart. The group earned its first platinum certification with the album.
- Led Zeppelin released the album "In Through the Out Door" in the UK.
- Cliff Richard released his 22nd studio album “Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile”, which included the internationally successful hit “We Don't Talk Anymore” (No. 7 in the US, No. 1 in the UK), as well as “Hot Shot” (No. 46 in the UK) and “Carrie” (No. 4 in the UK).
- The Police released their second album “Regatta de Blanc.” It was even more successful than their debut and earned the group its first Grammy Award in 1980. The French title can loosely be translated as “White Reggae.”
- Jimmy Buffett appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine while promoting the album Volcano. The album reached number 14 on the Billboard 200 and number 13 on the country chart. The singles Fins, Volcano, and Survive also charted. The article also covered the recording of the album in Montserrat at George Martin's AIR Studios near the then-inactive volcano.
- Joe Jackson released his second studio album I'm the Man.
- The Police released their second studio album Reggatta de Blanc on A&M Records. The album reached No. 1 in the UK and Australia and featured the hits Walking on the Moon and Message in a Bottle.
- The Who released the soundtrack album Quadrophenia.
- Fleetwood Mac brought forward the release of Tusk after its songs began mysteriously appearing on U.S. radio stations.
- Elton John released the album Victim of Love, which moved away from his usual piano-driven pop-rock style toward disco music.
- 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.
- David Bowie released the album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
- British heavy metal band Diamond Head released their debut album Lightning to the Nations. The record later became an important influence on another generation of metal bands and had a major impact on Metallica, whose members eventually covered five of the album's seven songs: “Am I Evil?,” “Helpless,” “The Prince,” “It's Electric” and “Sucking My Love.” Other NWOBHM bands, such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Saxon, surpassed Diamond Head in popularity, but Metallica's cover versions demonstrated their influence and secured their place in music history.
- The Police released their third studio album Zenyatta Mondatta. The album reached No. 1 in Australia and the UK and No. 5 on the US Billboard 200, giving the group its first US Top 10 album. It featured the hits "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" and earned the group two Grammy Awards. The album sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.
- Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album was released in the US. Among other things, it contains the “Rock Notes” section, which begins with a fictional report about Rex Stardust, the lead electric triangle player of the band Toad the Wet Sprocket. Seven years later, a real band of the same name was formed in California and had hits in the 1990s with “Walk on the Ocean” and “All I Want.”
- Talking Heads released their fourth album, “Remain in Light,” the band's final album produced by Brian Eno. On the album, the group expanded on its experiments with African polyrhythms, which had begun with “I Zimbra” from the previous album Fear of Music. Producer Brian Eno worked with loops, samples, and other experimental techniques. The album sold more than one million copies worldwide and reached No. 19 on the US Billboard 200. The music video for “Once in a Lifetime,” featuring David Byrne's distinctive jerky movements, became popular on MTV.
- Thin Lizzy released the album Chinatown.
- The Police's third studio album, Zenyatta Mondatta, reached No. 1 on the UK album chart. It included successful songs such as "Don't Stand So Close to Me," "Canary in a Coalmine" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da."
- 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.
- The Police released their fourth album “Ghost in the Machine,” the last in their series of four consecutive autumn albums. The title comes from a psychological book by Arthur Koestler, and the album reached No. 2 in the United States. It included the hit “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.”
- Billy Joel released Songs in the Attic, the first live album recorded using digital technology. It contained songs he had recorded before his major breakthrough with “Just The Way You Are.”
- CBS Records released the children's album In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record.
- Alice Cooper's album “Zipper Catches Skin” was released.
- Judas Priest released the album “Screaming for Vengeance” in the United States.
- Peter Gabriel released the album "Security", also known as "Peter Gabriel 4".
- Accept released their fourth studio album, “Restless and Wild.” The album was self-produced by the band and included, among other songs, “Fast as a Shark,” which many consider one of the recordings that helped give rise to speed metal.
- While still a member of the Commodores, Lionel Richie released his self-titled solo debut album through Motown. The album was recorded with 35 backing musicians and strings, included “Truly,” “You Are” and “My Love,” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 1 on the Cashbox Album Chart, and later went four-times platinum in the U.S. and platinum in the UK.
- KISS released the album Creatures of the Night, marking a return to a harder rock sound. Ace Frehley still appeared on the cover, although the guitar parts on the recording were played by Vinnie Vincent.
- 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.
- Culture Club released their second album, Colour by Numbers, which features the hit “Karma Chameleon.” The song spent six weeks at number one on the UK singles chart and became the UK's best-selling single of the year. It also reached number one in the U.S., where it received a gold certification for one million copies sold.
- Lionel Richie released his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, which subsequently sold more than ten million copies in the United States.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers released their self-titled debut album, produced with Andy Gill of Gang of Four.
- 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.
- Queensrÿche released their first full-length studio album The Warning.
- David Bowie released his sixteenth studio album, Tonight. The album followed the success of Let's Dance and featured “Blue Jean”, “Loving the Alien” and the title track, a duet with Tina Turner. It also included three songs originally recorded by Iggy Pop, including “Tonight” and “Neighborhood Threat”. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.
- The album “Apollonia 6” was released.
- U2 released the album “The Unforgettable Fire”, on which they began working extensively with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The album included, among other songs, the hit “Pride”.
- David Bowie reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with the album Tonight. The album included, among other songs, the single “Blue Jean.”
- The album The Unforgettable Fire reached number one on the UK album chart and remained there for two weeks. It became U2’s second album to top the UK chart. It was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois and included the single “Pride (In the Name of Love).”
- 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.
- His 1976 Christmas album “O Holy Night” became the first classical album to receive platinum certification after selling more than one million copies in the United States.
- 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.
- Elton John's album "Leather Jackets" reached No. 1 on the UK chart.
- 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.
- 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".
- Pink Floyd released “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”, their thirteenth studio album and the band's first without founding member Roger Waters. Following the legal dispute, David Gilmour led the group. The album helped restore the band's prominent position, was followed by an extensive world tour and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. It reached No. 3 in the US and UK and No. 1 in New Zealand.
- Exodus released their second studio album Pleasures of the Flesh.
- Columbia Records released Bruce Springsteen's eighth studio album, "Tunnel of Love". Although members of The E Street Band performed on some of the tracks, Springsteen recorded most of the parts himself, often using drum machines and synthesizers. The album topped the charts in both the US and UK and reached the Top Ten in fourteen other countries. It became one of Springsteen's major studio releases.
- Def Leppard's album Hysteria began gaining momentum on the U.S. album chart.
- The soundtrack to the film Dirty Dancing rose from number 12 to number seven on the U.S. album chart.
- Heart's album Bad Animals fell to number ten on the U.S. album chart.
- John Cougar Mellencamp's album The Lonesome Jubilee reached the U.S. album Top 10.
- Pink Floyd's album A Momentary Lapse of Reason entered the U.S. album Top 10.
- U2's album The Joshua Tree reached number nine on the U.S. album chart.
- Whitney Houston's album Whitney reached the U.S. album chart behind Michael Jackson's Bad.
- Sting released his second solo album, ...Nothing Like the Sun.
- 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.
- Def Leppard’s album Hysteria reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and, according to the source, returned to the top for the third time.
- New Kids On The Block released the breakthrough album "Hangin' Tough". It reached No. 1 in the U.S. and produced five successful singles, including the title track, which topped the chart, and "You've Got It (The Right Stuff)", which reached No. 3.
- Keith Richards released his first solo album, Talk Is Cheap. The album was created during a period of tension within the Rolling Stones, and its release was connected with the disagreements between Richards and Mick Jagger at the time.
- U2 released the live album Rattle And Hum.
- Sarah McLachlan released her debut album, Touch, on Nettwerk Records. The album was remixed and reissued the following year.
- 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.
- Soundgarden released their second studio album, Louder Than Love, on A&M Records. It was their major-label debut, reached number 108 on the US Billboard 200 and included the singles “Loud Love” and “Hands All Over.” The source describes it as the first grunge album released by major label A&M.
- Lenny Kravitz made his debut with the album "Let Love Rule", released through Virgin Records. He created almost the entire album himself – writing and producing all the songs and playing most of the instruments. At a time when mainstream pop was beginning to embrace grunge with its dark guitar sound and bleak view of society, Kravitz offered a simple message rooted in funk: "Let Love Rule".
- Iron Maiden released the album “No Prayer for the Dying”, which foreshadowed guitarist Adrian Smith’s departure from the band.
- Neil Young released the album “Freedom,” his 17th studio album, which according to the source marked a return to form after years of poorly received work. After leaving Geffen Records because of longstanding problems, he recorded for his original label, Reprise. The album opened and closed with different versions of “Rockin' in the Free World,” which reflected the social and political atmosphere of the late 1980s and became his highest-charting hit at the time on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It also included “Don't Cry,” “Eldorado,” and “On Broadway,” which had first been released on the EP “Eldorado.”
- Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley released his solo album "Trouble Walkin'".
- 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.
- 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.
- George Michael released his second solo album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, through Columbia and Epic Records. The album later sold more than eight million copies and reached the Top 3 in ten countries, including No. 1 in the United Kingdom.
- Queensryche released Empire, a triple-platinum album featuring the song “Silent Lucidity.”
- Ringo Starr released his first live album, Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band. His All-Starr Band featured Joe Walsh, Dr. John, Billy Preston, Rick Danko and Levon Helm of The Band, Clarence Clemons and Nils Lofgren of the E Street Band. Bruce Springsteen also appeared as a guest during the tour.
- Hindu Love Gods, a project featuring Warren Zevon and members of R.E.M., released their self-titled album Hindu Love Gods.
- 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.
- Rush released their fourteenth studio album, Roll the Bones, through Anthem Records. The album sold more than one million copies and reached No. 3 in the US and No. 10 in the UK.
- 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.
- The Beach Boys released their 27th studio album, Summer in Paradise. According to the source, it sold poorly, and the group did not release another album of original material until 2012.
- Elvis Presley's five-disc box set The King of Rock 'n' Roll – The Complete 50's Masters reached number 159 on the US chart.
- Prince released an album featuring a graphic symbol on its cover that later became his name.
- 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.
- Counting Crows released the album August and Everything After.
- Def Leppard released Retro Active, an album compiled from previously unreleased tracks, B-sides, and studio recordings from various periods of the band's career.
- The Pet Shop Boys' album "Very" reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It featured the hit single "Go West" and also topped the charts in Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.
- 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," which served as a somber emotional tribute to the late Kurt Cobain. The album was a major success, reaching No. 9 in the US and No. 2 in the UK, earning gold certifications 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.
- The album After the Storm by Crosby, Stills and Nash was released.
- Bad Religion released their eighth studio album, "Stranger Than Fiction". It was their only gold-certified album in the United States and their final recording with founding guitarist Brett Gurewitz before his return seven years later.
- The Cranberries began releasing material connected with the album "No Need to Argue".
- Dream Theater released the album Awake.
- Korn released their self-titled debut album, Korn, whose intense songs explored singer Jonathan Davis's personal demons. This theme would continue to appear frequently in the band's lyrics. The album initially attracted little attention, but after the band built a fan base, it sold more than two million copies.
- 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.
- Jethro Tull released the album Roots to Branches.
- Oasis released their second album “(What's the Story?) Morning Glory,” which entered the British album chart at No. 1 and, according to the source, turned the British band into global stars. It sold more than 18 million copies worldwide and in 2010 received the award for Best British Album of the Last 30 Years at the BRIT Awards. The epic song “Champagne Supernova,” released as a single only in the United States, reached No. 1 on the Modern Rock chart.
- A five-CD compilation album by Elvis Presley, Walk a Mile in My Shoes – The Essential '70s Masters, was released.
- No Doubt released their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, featuring the hits “Just a Girl” and “Don't Speak.” The album reached number one in nine countries, including the U.S. and Canada, sold 10 million copies in America, and catapulted singer Gwen Stefani to fame.
- Peter Frampton released his second live album, Frampton Comes Alive! II, through IRS Records, 21 years after the enormous success of the 1975 album Frampton Comes Alive!, which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. The new album featured live versions of songs from his solo albums of the 1980s and 1990s, but it was not commercially successful, reaching only number 121 in the UK and failing to enter the U.S. Billboard 200.
- 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.
- The Cranberries released the album To the Faithful Departed.
- 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.
- Fleetwood Mac reached No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with their live album "The Dance". The album featured live versions of some of their biggest hits, including "The Chain", "Dreams" and "Rhiannon".
- Fleetwood Mac reached No. 1 on the US album chart with the live album The Dance, recorded following the group's reunion after a ten-year break. It sold more than 5 million copies in the US. The album featured the singles “Landslide”, “The Chain” and “Silver Springs” and received three Grammy nominations in 1998.
- 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.
- Rock group Marilyn Manson reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 album chart with their third studio album Mechanical Animals.
- Elvis Presley's album Memories – The '68 Comeback Special was released.
- 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".
- David Bowie released the album Hours…
- David Bowie released the album “Hours...”, which was first made available as a complete digital album for download over the Internet. It became the first complete album by a major artist to be officially released in this way. The physical CD followed in October 1999.
- Paul McCartney released the album “Run Devil Run,” returning to his rock 'n' roll roots after the period following the death of his wife Linda. The album consisted mainly of rock 'n' roll cover versions, including “Coquette” and “Movie Magg.” Musicians who played on the recording included David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and Ian Paice of Deep Purple.
- Paul McCartney released the album Run Devil Run, his first album following the death of Linda McCartney in April 1998. The album combined early rock 'n' roll covers with new original songs and reached No. 27 in the US and No. 12 in the UK.
- Garth Brooks released an album as “Chris Gaines,” a fictional character created for a planned film. The concept alienated some fans, and the album was Brooks's first since 1995 not to debut at No. 1; it ranked behind Creed's Human Clay.
- Tom Jones went to number one in the United Kingdom with his thirty-fourth studio album "Reload." The LP sold over 4 million copies worldwide and features the international hit "Sex Bomb."
- 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”.
- Smashing Pumpkins, who had announced their breakup, released Machina II: The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music in an extremely limited run of just 25 copies. The band sent them to fans and associates with instructions to copy and distribute the album online.
- Paul Simon released You're the One, his tenth studio album, approximately ten years after his previous album The Rhythm of the Saints.
- The Beatles released their autobiography. The book contained 350,000 words, cost £35 and, according to the publishers, had more than 1.5 million orders worldwide; shops in Japan and the UK opened at midnight in anticipation of demand.
- 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”.
- System of a Down released their second studio album, Toxicity, regarded as a classic of the Armenian folk-metal genre. It sold more than three million copies, reached number one in North America and featured three of their best-known songs: “Chop Suey!,” “Toxicity” and “Aerials.”
- The album Junichiro Koizumi Presents: My Favorite Elvis Songs, featuring a selection of Elvis Presley songs compiled by the Japanese prime minister, was released in Japan.
- Bruce Springsteen released his twelfth studio album, “The Rising”, on Columbia Records. It was his first studio album with the E Street Band in 18 years and later reached No. 1 in both the UK and the US.
- 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” in the UK on Parlophone. 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".
- Bruce Springsteen released the album The Rising in the United Kingdom.
- Eminem returned to No. 1 on the US album chart with his fourth studio album The Eminem Show. The album was an international hit and topped the charts in 17 countries, including the UK, Canada and Australia.
- Good Charlotte released their second album, “The Young and the Hopeless”, which became an important recording in the pop-punk scene. It included songs such as “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” and “The Anthem”.
- Disturbed reached No. 1 on the U.S. Albums Chart with their second studio album Believe. The album also reached No. 1 in New Zealand.
- Bon Jovi released their eighth studio album, “Bounce,” through Island Records. The album reached the Top 10 in ten countries, peaked at No. 2 in both the UK and U.S., and sold more than two million copies.
- Tom Petty released the album The Last DJ, a concept inspired by legendary Los Angeles radio DJ Jim Ladd. He worked on the album with The Heartbreakers, and Lindsey Buckingham appeared as a backing vocalist on one track.
- Six months after the death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in a car accident, TLC released their fourth album, 3D, which Lopes had worked on before her death.
- The Coral released their second studio album, “Magic and Medicine”, on Deltasonic.
- 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.
- The Darkness began a four-week run at No. 1 on the UK album chart with their debut studio album "Permission to Land".
- The Neptunes, the production duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, took their compilation album "The Neptunes Present…Clones" to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
- Elvis Presley released the compilation album Elvis 2nd To None, a follow-up to ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits. The collection included Presley hits not featured on the previous compilation, other notable recordings, the previously unreleased song “I'm a Roustabout,” and a remix of “Rubberneckin'” by Paul Oakenfold. Elvis Presley's official website confirms the release date as October 7, 2003.
- 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.
- Electronic group The Prodigy scored their third consecutive UK number-one album with Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.
- George Strait released the album 50 Number Ones in the United States.
- Joss Stone reached No. 1 in the UK with her second studio album "Mind Body & Soul".
- 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.
- The Rolling Stones released A Bigger Bang, their first studio album of new material in eight years and the last album of original songs recorded entirely with drummer Charlie Watts. The album reached number three in the US and was certified platinum.
- The Rolling Stones released their 24th studio album, "A Bigger Bang", through Virgin Records. The album reached the Top 3 in both the UK and U.S. and No. 1 in ten countries. One million copies were sold in the U.S., relatively low by the band's standards, but the accompanying tour set a concert-tour revenue record by grossing $558 million.
- Fiona Apple released her third album, Extraordinary Machine, her first album since 1999's When The Pawn.... The album had been completed and ready for release as early as 2003, but Apple changed her mind and postponed its release. After a leaked version appeared online in 2005, she re-recorded the songs and eventually released the album.
- Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group released Hit Story, a three-CD collection containing 80 Elvis Presley hits.
- Exodus released their seventh studio album, Shovel Headed Kill Machine.
- Little Big Town released their second studio album, The Road to Here. The album produced four singles that reached the Top 20 of the country chart: “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good as Gone,” and “A Little More You.”
- Nickelback released their fifth album, All The Right Reasons, featuring the hits “Photograph,” “Far Away,” and “Rockstar.” The album reached number one in both Canada and the US, where it sold more than 10 million copies.
- 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.
- 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.
- Justin Timberlake released the album FutureSex/LoveSounds.
- Sting released the album Songs from the Labyrinth, featuring 16th-century lute songs.
- 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.
- Josh Groban released his Christmas-themed fourth studio album "Noël". The album sold over 3.5 million copies in 2007 alone and topped the national charts in Canada and the US, becoming the best-selling album of 2007 and one of the most successful Christmas albums of all time.
- LeAnn Rimes released her ninth studio album "Family", featuring the successful singles "Nothin' Better to Do" and "What I Cannot Change".
- The album Magic reached number one on the UK chart. It was Bruce Springsteen's seventh album to top the UK chart.
- Country group Rascal Flatts’ album Still Feels Good reached number one on the US Billboard 200.
- 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.
- The Verve's fourth and final studio album, "Forth", reached No. 1 on the UK album chart.
- 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.
- Mumford & Sons released their debut album “Sigh No More” in the United Kingdom. The album included the singles “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave.” In February 2011, after 72 weeks on the chart and following its win in the Album of the Year category at the 2011 BRIT Awards, it reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was the third most-downloaded album of 2011, with 761,000 copies sold. The group attracted attention in 2011 with a performance of “The Cave” at the Grammy Awards.
- KISS released the album Sonic Boom, which was distributed exclusively through the Walmart retail chain; it was the group's first album with its lineup at the time.
- 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.
- Eminem reached number one on the UK albums chart with his seventh studio album, Recovery.
- Bruno Mars released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans.
- Joe Satriani released the album Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards.
- With their second studio album "Science & Faith," Irish rock band The Script went to number one in the UK.
- The Zac Brown Band hit number one in the United States with their second studio album "You Get What You Give."