The GRAMMY's Albums
of the Year

The 39 recordings that have been voted Album of the Year are as richly varied as the four decades of music they represent.

The winners list includes numerous albums that were touchstones of their times--the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, Carole King's Tapestry, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Michael Jackson's Thriller. It includes explosive debuts (Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill), dramatic comebacks (Judy Garland's Judy At Carnegie Hall), belated breakthroughs (Bonnie Raitt's Nick Of Time) and star-making solo breakouts (George Michael's Faith).

Several of the albums are built around unifying themes--Frank Sinatra's September Of My Years (a man at 50 reflects on his life and considers his mortality), Quincy Jones' Back On The Block (a music legend recaps his career "from be-bop to hip-hop"), Natalie Cole's Unforgettable (a daughter salutes the legacy of her famous father) and Tony Bennett's MTV Unplugged (a sixtysomething pop veteran connects with a new generation). In two celebrated instances, the concept entailed going global. This was the case with Paul Simon's exploration of African rhythms, Graceland, and Stan Getz's survey of Brazilian sounds, Getz/Gilberto.

The roster of winners dramatizes the changes in popular music over the past 40 years. It runs the gamut from traditional pop stars, such as Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, to alternative rock heroes U2. The four winning live albums range from Judy at Carnegie Hall to The Concert For Bangla Desh, which was recorded just a few miles away and one tumultuous decade later.

Following is a year-by-year re-cap of the GRAMMY album winners in the 80s.

1980...Christopher Cross/Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross' catchy blend of pop and rock propelled him to the biggest GRAMMY sweep ever by a new artist. Cross, 29, took home five awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. He won the latter two GRAMMYs for his hit ballad, "Sailing." The Texan capped his unforgettable night by winning for Best New Artist. Michael Omartian produced Cross' hit-studded album.

1981...John Lennon and Yoko Ono/Double Fantasy

John Lennon ended a six-year sabbatical in 1980 with the release of this warm pop album, which featured seven of his songs and seven by his wife, Yoko Ono. Lennon, 40, and Ono, 49, teamed with Jack Douglas to produce the album, which included such reflective songs as "(Just Like) Starting Over" and "Watching The Wheels." Tragically, two weeks after the album's release, Lennon was murdered outside his apartment in New York. GRAMMY voters honored Lennon's memory by naming Double Fantasy Album of the Year. It's the only time the award has been given posthumously. In 1991, the academy's trustees voted Lennon a Lifetime Achievement Award.

1982...Toto/Toto IV

Though never a favorite with critics, Toto brought home three GRAMMYs--Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Producer of the Year. David Paich and Jeff Pocarro, the leaders of the Los Angeles group, also won for their arrangement of the smash hit, "Rosanna." The album's other hits included "Africa" and "I Won't Hold You Back."

1983...Michael Jackson/Thriller

Michael Jackson won a record eight GRAMMYs in 1984--seven for his work on "Thriller," the most popular album of all time. Jackson's haul included Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Producer of the Year, which he shared with his co-producer, Quincy Jones. Jackson, 25, also won male vocal honors in pop, rock and R&B. Thriller spawned an unprecedented seven Top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean" and "Beat It." Jackson received a GRAMMY Legend Award in 1993.

1984...Lionel Richie/Can't Slow Down

Former Commodores front-man Lionel Richie had an "outrageous" night in 1985, when his second solo album was voted Album of the Year. Richie, 35, and his partner, James Anthony Carmichael, also won as Producer of the Year. Can't Slow Down yielded five Top 10 hits, including "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Hello."

1985...Phil Collins/No Jacket Required

For the third year in a row, the award for Album of the Year went to a solo star who had stepped out from a popular group. Phil Collins' third album away from Genesis brought him two other GRAMMYs: Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, and Producer of the Year, which he shared with his co-producer, Hugh Padgham. No Jacket Required spawned four Top 10 hits, including "One More Night" and "Sussudio."

1986...Paul Simon/Graceland

This modern classic made Paul Simon the third artist--following Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder--to win Album of the Year three times. Of these three artists, Simon has the longest span of victories--16 years. Simon, 45, self-produced the album, which spawned the hit "You Can Call Me Al." In a GRAMMY first, the title song was named Record of the Year the following year.

1987...U2/The Joshua Tree

U2 became the first act associated with the alternative rock scene to win for Album of the Year. The Joshua Tree won a second award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno produced the album, which included the #1 hits "With Or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

1988...George Michael/Faith

George Michael's first album following his departure from Wham! is the only solo debut ever to be voted Album of the Year. Michael, 25, was only the third solo artist--following Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon--to entirely self-produce a winning album. Faith spawned four #1 hits, including "Father Figure" and "One More Try."

1989...Bonnie Raitt/Nick Of Time

Raitt's warm, contemplative Nick Of Time owed much of its success to its three-GRAMMY sweep in 1990. The exposure enabled the album to became a best-seller even thought it never produced a Top 40 single. Raitt, 40, also won female vocal honors in both pop and rock. Don Was produced the album.