My Albums of the Year: 1950-2020

First, here are some of my favourite pre-1950 albums:

Billie Holiday s/t (1947)

Mary Lou Williams - Signs of the Zodiac, Volume One (1945)

Mabel Dolmetsch - Translations From the Penllyn Manuscript of Ancient Harp Music (1937)

Billie Holiday - Lady Day (1933-1944)

Total: 8

1950

Aracy de Almeida - Noel Rosa

#2: Yma Sumac - Voice of the Xtabay

#3: Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker With Strings

#4: Trío Aguilillas - Sones of Mexico

Total: 4

1951

AOTY: Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Sings Gershwin

#2: Aracy de Almeida - Noel Rosa 2ª série

#3: Pérez Prado - Pérez Prado Plays Mucho Mambo for Dancing

#4: Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Blessed Assurance

Total: 4

1952

AOTY: Jean Ritchie - Singing the Traditional Songs of Her Kentucky Mountain Family

#2: Stan Kenton - City of Glass

#3: Various Artists - Anthology of American Folk Music

#4: Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday Sings

Total: 4

1953

AOTY: Peggy Lee - Black Coffee With Peggy Lee

#2: Yma Tumac & Moises Vivanco - Inca Taqui

#3: Billie Holiday - An Evening With Billie Holiday

#4: Atahualpa Yupanqui - Una voz y una guitarra

Total: 4

1954

AOTY: Frank Sinatra - Songs for Young Lovers

#2: Yma Sumac - Mambo!

#3: Dorival Caymmi - Canções praieiras

#4: Frantz Casseus - Haitian Dances

Total: 4

1955

AOTY: Billie Holiday - Music for Torching With Billie Holiday

#2: Julie London - Julie is Her Name

#3: Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan

#4: Helen Merrill - Helen Merrill

Total: 6

1956

AOTY: The Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop - Pithecanthropus Erectus

#2: Sister Rosetta Thorpe - Gospel Train

#3: Louis Prima - The Wildest!

#4: Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book

Total: 16

1957

AOTY: Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington and His Orchestra - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book

#2: Patsy Cline - Patsy Cline

#3: Billie Holiday - Body and Soul

#4: Little Richard - Here’s Little Richard

Total: 10

1958

AOTY: Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin

#2: Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook

#3: Count Basie - Basie

#4: Elizabeth Cotten - Folksongs and Instrumentals With Guitar

Total: 13

1959

AOTY: The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out

#2: Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

#3: Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um

#4: Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book

Total: 12

1960

AOTY: Joan Baez - Joan Baez

#2: John Coltrane - Giant Steps

#3: Brenda Lee - Brenda Lee

#4: Etta James - At Last!

Total: 9

1961

AOTY: Patsy Cline - Showcase

#2: Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba

#3: Eliza Soares - A bossa negra

#4: Nina Simone - Forbidden Fruit

Total: 8

1962

AOTY: Françoise Hardy - Tous les garçons et les filles

#2: Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan

#3: Patsy Cline - Sentimentally Yours

#4: Booker T. & The M.G’s - Green Onions

Total: 8

1963

AOTY: Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

#2: Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

#3: Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book

#4: Judy Collins - #3

Total: 10

1964

AOTY: Stan Getz & João Gilberto - Getz / Gilberto

#2: Woody Guthrie - Dust Bowl Ballads

#3: Buffy Sainte-Marie - It’s My Way!

#4: Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan

Total: 21

1965

AOTY: Nina Simone - Pastel Blues

#2: The Beatles - Rubber Soul

#3: Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

#4: Joan Baez - Farewell Angelina

Total: 23

1966

AOTY: The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

#2: Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde

#3: The Beatles - Revolver

#4: Monks - Black Monk Time

Total: 21

1967

AOTY: The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico

#2: Nico - Chelsea Girl

#3: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe as Milk

#4: Bobbie Gentey - Ode to Billie Joe

Total: 47

1968

AOTY: Laura Nyro - Eli and the Thirteenth Confession

#2: The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle

#3: Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills

#4: Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison

Total: 26

1969

AOTY: Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis

#2: Townes van Zandt - Townes van Zandt

#3: The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground

#4: The Shaggs - Philosophy of the World

Total: 36

1970

AOTY: Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day

#2: Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water

#3: Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms

#4: Joni Mitchell - Ladies of the Canyon

Total: 27

1971

AOTY: Joni Mitchell - Blue

#2: Carole King - Tapestry

#3: David Bowie - Hunky Dory

#4: Françoise Hardy - La Question

Total: 30

1972

AOTY: Joni Mitchell - For The Roses

#2: Nick Drake - Pink Moon

#3: Novos Baianos - Acabou chorare

#4: Yes - Closer to the Edge

Total: 18

1973

AOTY: Stevie Wonder - Innervisions

#2: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

#3: Mary McCaslin - Way Out West

#4: Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Total: 25

1974

AOTY: Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark

#2: Elis Regina & Antônio Carlos Jobim - Elis & Tom

#3: Jorge Ben - A Tábua de Esmeralda

#4: Camel - Mirage

Total: 19

1975

AOTY: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

#2: Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks

#3: Renaissance - Scheherazade and Other Stories

#4: Patti Smith - Horses

Total: 17

1976

AOTY: David Bowie - Station to Station

#2: Mort Garson - Mother Earth’s Plantasia

#3: Joni Mitchell - Hejira

#4 Tom Waits - Small Change

Total: 14

1977

AOTY: David Bowie - Low

#2: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

#3: Wire: Pink Flag

#4: Kraftwerk - Trans Europa Express

Total: 20

1978

AOTY: Blondie - Parallel Lines

#2: Kate Bush - The Kick Inside

#3: Taeko Ohnuki - Mignonne

#4: Wire - Chairs Missing

Total: 22

1979

AOTY: Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats

#2: Gang of Four - Entertainment!

#3: Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor

#4: ABBA - Voulez-Vous

Total: 21

1980

AOTY: David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

#2: Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel

#3: Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching for the Young Soul Rebels

#4: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Total: 19

1981

AOTY: Siouxsie and the Banshees - Juju

#2: Grace Jones - Nightclubbing

#3: Akiko Yano - Tadaima

#4: Jean Michel Jarre - Les chants magnétiques

Total: 22

1982

AOTY: Kate Bush - The Dreaming

#2: Tatsuro Yamashita - For You

#3: The Cure - Pornography

#4: Nina Hagen - Nunsexmonkrock

Total: 32

1983

AOTY: New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies

#2: Madonna - Madonna

#3: The The - Soul Mining

#4: Virginia Astley - From Gardens Where We Feel Secure

Total: 27

1984

AOTY: Cocteau Twins - Treasure

#2: Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

#3: Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade

#4: Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain

Total: 29

1985

AOTY: Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

#2: The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy

#3: Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

#4: Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair

Total: 22

1986

AOTY: Paul Simon - Graceland

#2: Talk Talk - Colour of Spring

#3: Peter Gabriel - So

#4: Cocteau Twins - Victorialand

Total: 32

1987

AOTY: Prince - Sign "☮︎" the Times

#2: Jane Siberry - The Walking

#3: Pet Shop Boys - Actually

#4 Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust

Total: 19

1988

AOTY: Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden

#2: Galaxie 500 - Today

#3: Leonard Cohen - I’m Your Man

#4 Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peepshow

Total: 24

1989

AOTY: Galaxie 500 - On Fire

#2: Kate Bush - The Sensual World

#3: New Order - Technique

#4: The Cure - Disintegration

Total: 20

1990

AOTY: Sonic Youth - Goo

#2: Depeche Mode - Violator

#3: Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas

#4: Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour

Total: 21

1991

AOTY: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

#2: Swans - White Light From the Mouth of Infinity

#3: Massive Attack - Blue Lines

#4: Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

Total: 24

1992

AOTY: Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine

#2: Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#3: Curve - Pubic Fruit

#4: Tom Waits - Bone Machine

Total: 23

1993

AOTY: Slowdive - Souvlaki

#2: Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

#3: Björk - Debut

#4: Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle

Total: 29

1994

AOTY: Portishead - Dummy

#2: The Magnetic Fields - Holiday

#3: Ween - Chocolate and Cheese

#4: The Notorious B.I.G - Ready to Die

Total: 32

1995

AOTY: Death - Symbolic

#2: The Cardigans - Life

#3: Sonic Youth - Washing Machine

#4: Tricky - Maxinquaye

Total: 35

1996

AOTY: Belle and Sebastian - If You’re Feeling Sinister

#2: Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind

#3: Fishmans - Long Season

#4: Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk

Total: 34

1997

AOTY: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Boatman’s Call

#2: Ween - The Mollusk

#3: Björk - Homogenic

#4: Radiohead - OK Computer

Total: 37

1998

AOTY: Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

#2: AIR - Moon Safari

#3: PJ Harvey - Is This Desire?

#4: Cat Power - Moon Pix

Total: 35

1999

AOTY: Fishmans - 98.12.28

#2: Mos Def - Black on Both Sides

#3: Fiona Apple - When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing...

#4: Tom Waits - Mule Variations

Total: 32

2000

AOTY: Radiohead - Kid A

#2: PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

#3: The Avalanches - Since I Left You

#4: Ulver - Perdition City

Total: 35

2001

AOTY: Björk - Vespertine

#2: Gillian Welch - The Revelatory

#3: Opeth - Blackwater Park

#4: Malice Mizer - Bara no Seidō

Total: 35

2002

AOTY: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

#2: Agalloch - The Mantle

#3: Polaris - Home

#4: Boards of Canada - Geogaddi

Total: 30

2003

AOTY: Sheena Ringo - Kalk Samen kuri no hana

#2: Sweet Trip - Velocity : Design : Comfort

#3: Four Tet - Rounds

#4: The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?

Total: 39

2004

AOTY: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

#2: Lamp - 恋人へ

#3: Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose

#4: My Little Airport - The OK Thing to Do on Sunday Afternoon Is to Toddle in the Zoo

Total: 32

2005

AOTY: Kate Bush - Aerial

#2: Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

#3: Coil - The Age of Naples

#4: Venetian Snares - Rossz csillag alatt született

Total: 31

2006

AOTY: Joanna Newsom - Ys

#2: Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards

#3: Camera Obscura - Let’s Get Out of This Country

#4 Tokyo Jihen - Adult

Total: 31

2007

AOTY: Daft Punk - Alive 2007

#2: Tegan and Sara - The Con

#3: Radiohead - In Rainbows

#4: Alcest - Souvenirs d’un autre monde

Total: 40

2008

AOTY: Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill

#2: Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron & Fred Squire - Lost Wisdom

#3: Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

#4: Agalloch - The White EP

Total: 33

2009

AOTY: St Vincent - Actor

#2: Connie Converse - How Sad, How Lovely

#3: Florence and the Machine - Lungs

#4: Sweet Trip - You Will Never Know Why

Total: 37

2010

AOTY: Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

#2: Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

#3: Marina & the Diamonds - The Family Jewels

#4: Robyn - Body Talk

Total: 46

2011

AOTY: PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

#2: Destroyer - Kaputt

#3: Feist - Metals

#4: The J. Arthur Keenes Band - Computer Savvy

Total: 32

2012

AOTY: Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

#2: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

#3: Swans - The Seer

#4: Tame Impala - Lonerism

Total: 39

2013

AOTY: Ichiko Aoba - 0

#2: Melt-Banana - Fetch

#3: Candy Claws - Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time

#4: Julia Holter - Loud City Song

Total: 50

2014

AOTY: D'Angelo and The Vanguard - Black Messiah

#2: Mitski - Bury Me at Makeout Creek

#3: St Vincent - St Vincent

#4: Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

Total: 43

2015

AOTY: Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

#2: Natalia Lafourcade - Hasta la raíz

#3: Elza - A mulher do fim do mundo

#4: casio dad - He’s Not With Us Anymore

Total: 52

2016

AOTY: Noname - Telefone

#2: Crying - Beyond the Fleeting Gales

#3: Swans - The Glowing Man

#4: Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial

Total: 66

2017

AOTY: Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell Live

#2: Kayoko Yoshizawa - Yaneura juu

#3: Lorde - Melodrama

#4: SZA - Ctrl

Total: 67

2018

AOTY: Julia Holter - Aviary

#2: Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

#3: Kero Kero Bonito - Time ‘n’ Place

#4: Against All Logic - 2012 - 2017

Total: 103

2019

AOTY: Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising

#2: Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell

#3: Little Simz - Grey Area

#4: 100 Gecs - 1000 Gecs

Total: 75

And finally, 2020!

AOTY: Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters

#2: Kylie Minogue - Disco

#3: Eartheater - Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin

#4: Róisín Murphy - Róisín Machine

Total: 54

That concludes this thread. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please consider giving it a retweet :)