| 1959 | 1958 | Piano Concerto no. 1 | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Kiril Kondrashin, Van Cliburn | Album | | 3 |
| 1959 | 1958 | Come Fly With Me | Frank Sinatra with Billy May and His Orchestra | Album | | 12 |
| 1959 | 1958 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book | Ella Fitzgerald | Album | | 10 |
| 1959 | 1958 | Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely | Frank Sinatra, orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle | Album | 5 | 18 |
| 1959 winner | 1959 | The Music From Peter Gunn | Henry Mancini | Album + Soundtrack | | |
| 1960 | 1953 | Victory at Sea, Volume 1 | Richard Rodgers; RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Robert Russell Bennett | Album + Soundtrack | | 4 |
| 1960 | 1959 | Concerto no. 3 | Sergei Rachmaninov; Symphony of the Air, Kiril Kondrashin, Van Cliburn | Album | | 3 |
| 1960 | 1959 | The Music From Peter Gunn | Henry Mancini | Album + Soundtrack | | 12 |
| 1960 | 1959 | Belafonte at Carnegie Hall | Harry Belafonte | Album + Live | | 14 |
| 1960 winner | 1959 | Come Dance With Me! | Frank Sinatra with Billy May and His Orchestra | Album | | 9 |
| 1961 | 1960 | Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall | Harry Belafonte | Album + Live | | 5 |
| 1961 | 1960 | Piano Concerto no. 2 | Brahms; Sviatoslav Richter, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf | Album | | 1 |
| 1961 | 1960 | Nice ’n’ Easy | Frank Sinatra | Album | | 18 |
| 1961 winner | 1960 | The Button‐Down Mind of Bob Newhart: The Most Celebrated New Comedian Since Attila (the Hun) | Bob Newhart | Album + Spokenword + Live | | 3 |
| 1962 | 1961 | Breakfast at Tiffany’s | Henry Mancini | Album + Soundtrack | | 16 |
| 1962 winner | 1961 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Album + Live | 5 | 11 |
| 1963 | 1962 | I Left My Heart in San Francisco | Tony Bennett | Album | | 6 |
| 1963 winner | 1962 | The First Family | Bob Booker and Earle Doud present The First Family featuring Vaughn Meader with Earle Doud ~ Naomi Brossart ~ Bob Booker ~ Norma MacMillan | Album | | 1 |
| 1964 winner | 1963 | The Barbra Streisand Album | Barbra Streisand | Album | 5 | 12 |
| 1965 | 1963 | The Pink Panther | Henry Mancini | Album + Soundtrack | | 14 |
| 1965 | 1964 | People | Barbra Streisand | Album | 5 | 12 |
| 1965 winner | 1964 | Getz/Gilberto | Stan Getz / João Gilberto featuring Antônio Carlos Jobim | Album | 4.35 | 33 |
| 1966 | 1965 | My Name Is Barbra | Barbra Streisand | Album | 4 | 7 |
| 1966 | 1965 | Help! | The Beatles | Album + Soundtrack | 4.05 | 91 |
| 1966 winner | 1965 | September of My Years | Frank Sinatra | Album | 4 | 11 |
| 1967 | 1966 | Color Me Barbra | Barbra Streisand | Album | 5 | 7 |
| 1967 | 1966 | Revolver | The Beatles | Album | 4.65 | 61 |
| 1967 winner | 1965 | A Man and His Music | Frank Sinatra | Album | | 4 |
| 1968 | 1967 | Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim | Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim | Album | 2 | 10 |
| 1968 winner | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | Album | 4.55 | 72 |
| 1969 | 1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | The Beatles | EP | 4.35 | 6 |
| 1969 | 1968 | Bookends | Simon & Garfunkel | Album | 3.45 | 25 |
| 1969 winner | 1967 | By the Time I Get to Phoenix | Glen Campbell | Album | | 4 |
| 1970 | 1969 | The Age of Aquarius | The 5th Dimension | Album | | 5 |
| 1970 | 1969 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Album | 4 | 28 |
| 1970 | 1969 | Johnny Cash at San Quentin | Johnny Cash | Album + Live | 4 | 23 |
| 1970 | 1969 | Abbey Road | The Beatles | Album | 4.55 | 64 |
| 1970 winner | 1968 | Blood, Sweat & Tears | Blood, Sweat & Tears | Album | 3.5 | 20 |
| 1971 | 1970 | Chicago | Chicago | Album | 4.75 | 19 |
| 1971 | 1970 | Close to You | Carpenters | Album | 3.35 | 63 |
| 1971 | 1970 | Sweet Baby James | James Taylor | Album | 3 | 14 |
| 1971 | 1970 | Déjà vu | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | Album | 4 | 27 |
| 1971 | 1970 | Elton John | Elton John | Album | 3.45 | 29 |
| 1971 winner | 1970 | Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon and Garfunkel | Album | 4.15 | 44 |
| 1972 | — | Jesus Christ Superstar | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Album + Soundtrack | | 1 |
| 1972 | 1970 | All Things Must Pass | George Harrison | Album | 4.55 | 24 |
| 1972 | 1971 | Carpenters | Carpenters | Album | 4.35 | 59 |
| 1972 | 1971 | Shaft: Music From the Soundtrack | Isaac Hayes | Album + Soundtrack | 4 | 16 |
| 1972 winner | 1971 | Tapestry | Carole King | Album | 3.8 | 180 |
| 1973 | 1971 | Original Broadway Cast - Jesus Christ Superstar | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Album + Soundtrack | | 4 |
| 1973 | 1971 | American Pie | Don McLean | Album | 3.5 | 23 |
| 1973 | 1971 | Nilsson Schmilsson | Nilsson | Album | 2.5 | 17 |
| 1973 | 1972 | Moods | Neil Diamond | Album | 4 | 8 |
| 1973 winner | 1971 | The Concert for Bangladesh | George Harrison | Album + Live | 3.5 | 14 |
| 1974 | 1972 | The Divine Miss M | Bette Midler | Album | 4.65 | 25 |
| 1974 | 1973 | Behind Closed Doors | Charlie Rich | Album | | 6 |
| 1974 | 1973 | There Goes Rhymin’ Simon | Paul Simon | Album | 3.35 | 15 |
| 1974 | 1973 | Killing Me Softly | Roberta Flack | Album | 3 | 15 |
| 1974 winner | 1973 | Innervisions | Stevie Wonder | Album | 4.65 | 35 |
| 1975 | 1973 | Band on the Run | Paul McCartney & Wings | Album | 3.9 | 47 |
| 1975 | 1974 | Court and Spark | Joni Mitchell | Album | 4.3 | 19 |
| 1975 | 1974 | Back Home Again | John Denver | Album | | 10 |
| 1975 | 1974 | Caribou | Elton John | Album | 3.2 | 23 |
| 1975 winner | 1974 | Fulfillingness’ First Finale | Stevie Wonder | Album | 4 | 14 |
| 1976 | 1974 | Heart Like a Wheel | Linda Ronstadt | Album | 4 | 12 |
| 1976 | 1975 | Between the Lines | Janis Ian | Album | | 12 |
| 1976 | 1975 | Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy | Elton John | Album | 3.85 | 30 |
| 1976 | 1975 | One of These Nights | Eagles | Album | 4.45 | 24 |
| 1976 winner | 1975 | Still Crazy After All These Years | Paul Simon | Album | 4 | 24 |
| 1977 | 1976 | Frampton Comes Alive! | Peter Frampton | Album + Live | 3.75 | 27 |
| 1977 | 1976 | Silk Degrees | Boz Scaggs | Album | | 21 |
| 1977 | 1976 | Breezin’ | George Benson | Album | 2 | 20 |
| 1977 | 1976 | Chicago X | Chicago | Album | 4.65 | 15 |
| 1977 winner | 1976 | Songs in the Key of Life | Stevie Wonder | Album | 4.35 | 34 |
| 1978 | 1976 | Hotel California | Eagles | Album | 4.3 | 63 |
| 1978 | 1977 | Star Wars | John Williams | Album + Soundtrack | 4 | 30 |
| 1978 | 1977 | JT | James Taylor | Album | 3.75 | 24 |
| 1978 | 1977 | Aja | Steely Dan | Album | 3.95 | 44 |
| 1978 winner | 1977 | Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | Album | 4.15 | 72 |
| 1979 | 1977 | Running On Empty | Jackson Browne | Album + Live | 4.15 | 21 |
| 1979 | 1978 | Even Now | Barry Manilow | Album | 3 | 23 |
| 1979 | 1978 | Grease: The Original Soundtrack From the Motion Picture | Various Artists | Album + Soundtrack | 2.85 | 28 |
| 1979 | 1978 | Some Girls | The Rolling Stones | Album | 3.5 | 36 |
| 1979 winner | 1977 | Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track | Various Artists | Album + Soundtrack | 4.5 | 29 |
| 1980 | 1978 | The Gambler | Kenny Rogers | Album | | 8 |
| 1980 | 1978 | Minute by Minute | The Doobie Brothers | Album | 3.5 | 11 |
| 1980 | 1979 | Breakfast in America | Supertramp | Album | 4.45 | 46 |
| 1980 | 1979 | Bad Girls | Donna Summer | Album | 4.6 | 17 |
| 1980 winner | 1978 | 52nd Street | Billy Joel | Album | 4.65 | 50 |
| 1981 | 1979 | The Wall | Pink Floyd | Album | 4.5 | 86 |
| 1981 | 1980 | Glass Houses | Billy Joel | Album | 4 | 34 |
| 1981 | 1980 | Trilogy: Past Present Future | Frank Sinatra | Album | | 4 |
| 1981 | 1980 | Guilty | Barbra Streisand | Album | 3.5 | 16 |
| 1981 winner | 1979 | Christopher Cross | Christopher Cross | Album | | 18 |
| 1982 | 1980 | Gaucho | Steely Dan | Album | 4.7 | 37 |
| 1982 | 1981 | “The Dude” | Quincy Jones | Album | 2.5 | 9 |
| 1982 | 1981 | Mistaken Identity | Kim Carnes | Album | | 8 |
| 1982 | 1981 | Breakin’ Away | Al Jarreau | Album | | 17 |
| 1982 winner | 1980 | Double Fantasy | John Lennon & Yoko Ono | Album | 3.55 | 28 |
| 1983 | 1982 | American Fool | John Cougar | Album | 4.75 | 16 |
