Here's What Album Everyone Was Obsessed With the Year You Were Born

Billboard's best-performing album of 1980 was by far Pink Floyd's The Wall (released in 1979), which held the no. 1 spot for 15 consecutive weeks. The Wall became known for hits like "Comfortably Numb" and "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)," and in 2003, Rolling Stone placed it at number 87 on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

Also big: Glass Houses by Billy Joel, Emotional Rescue by the Rolling Stones

REO Speedwagon's ninth album Hi Infidelity was the bestselling album of 1981, and the track "Keep on Loving You" became the band's first no. 1 hit.

Also big: Tattoo You by the Rolling Stones, 4 by Foreigner

British rock band Asia catapulted onto the scene in 1982, with their self-titled debut spending nine weeks at no. 1. The single "Heat of the Moment" helped it sell more than 10 million copies despite a bad review from renowned critic Robert Christgau.

Also big: Mirage by Fleetwood Mac, Business as Usual by Men at Work

In 1982, Michael Jackson released his sixth studio album, Thriller, and forever changed music. It held at no. 1 for 22 weeks starting in 1983 and yielded seven top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean" and "Beat It." Thriller went on to earn him eight Grammy awards, including Album of the Year.

Also big: Synchronicity by the Police, Can't Slow Down by Lionel Richie

Michael Jackson's Thriller was the bestselling album of 1984 too, making it the bestselling album two years in a row (a feat not replicated until Adele's 21 came around in 2011 and 2012). The next highest-performing record in 1984 was Prince and the Revolution's Purple Rain, the tour de force soundtrack to the film of the same name.

Also big: Footloose soundtrack, Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A., though released in 1984, nabbed the top album accolade from Billboard in 1985, and by 2012 had sold 30 million copies.

Also big: Like a Virgin by Madonna, Miami Vice soundtrack

1986's best performing record was Whitney Houston's self-titled debut album, which was hailed as an immediate success upon release in 1985. Rolling Stone praised Houston as "one of the most exciting new voices in years." It has gone on to sell more than 25 million copies worldwide.

Also big: Dancing on the Ceiling by Lionel Richie, True Blue by Madonna

Bon Jovi's their third album Slippery When Wet, released in 1986, was an instant commercial success that kept selling well into the next year. It's chock-full of the songs that comprise a good chunk of the band's legacy: "Livin' on a Prayer," "You Give Love a Bad Name," and "Wanted Dead or Alive."

Also big: Dirty Dancing soundtrack, The Joshua Tree by U2

Though 1988 started with the continuing success of Dirty Dancing's killer soundtrack, it was soon overtaken by what would become the best-performing album of the year: George Michael's Faith, which went on to snag an Album of the Year Grammy.

Also big: Hysteria by Def Leppard, Rattle and Hum by U2

Bobby Brown's Don't Be Cruel was the best-performing album of 1989 (which you may know as the year of Taylor Swift's birth). The record earned him his first no. 1 for "My Prerogative" and helped him shed his boy-band past.

Also big: Like a Prayer by Madonna, The Raw & the Cooked by Fine Young Cannibals

Though Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 never held a no. 1 spot in 1990, it was the best-performing album of the year. Meanwhile, MC Hammer's Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em snagged no. 1 for 18 consecutive weeks thanks to its smash single "U Can't Touch This."

Also big: Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul, To the Extreme by Vanilla Ice

Mariah Carey's self-titled debut was the best-performing album of 1991, helping her become the first artist since the Jackson 5 to have their first four singles reach no. 1 in the U.S. Mariah Carey included both smooth ballads and dance-pop hits, and earned Mariah a Grammy for Best New Artist.

Also big: Unforgettable…With Love by Natalie Cole, Metallica by Metallica

Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks was the best-performing album of 1992 and his first no. 1e debut. The record also helped bring country into the mainstream, and was the first album to simultaneously top both the Billboard 200 and top country albums chart since Kenny Rogers's Greatest Hits in 1980.

Also big: Some Gave All by Billy Ray Cyrus, Adrenalize by Def Leppard

Whitney Houston owned 1993 with the Bodyguard soundtrack, which held the no. 1 spot for 17 weeks. The album's major legacy is Houston's supernatural cover of Dolly Parton's ballad "I Will Always Love You."

Also big: Vs. by Pearl Jam, Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack

Happy Nation by Swedish pop group Ace of Base was the best-performing record of 1994. The record's high-energy pop was a massive hit, selling more than 23 million copies worldwide.

Also big: II by Boyz II Men, The Lion King soundtrack

Hootie & the Blowfish's debut album Cracked Rear View was the best-performing record of 1995 and was also the band's most successful. You probably know someone who still likes to belt "Only Wanna Be With You" on karaoke night.

Also big: Me Against the World by Tupac, R. Kelly by R. Kelly

What a year for angst. In 1995, Alanis Morissette gifted the world with Jagged Little Pill, a masterpiece of alternative rock with a side of celebrity gossip (Just who did she go down on in a theater?) that stayed popular well into 1996. She went on to become the youngest woman to receive a Grammy for Album of the Year, until Taylor Swift usurped the honor 14 years later with Fearless.

Also big: Falling Into You by Celine Dion, The Score by Fugees

Though it was released in late 1996, the Spice Girls' debut album Spice dominated 1997 and forever changed the way you thought about relationships. Make it last forever, because friendship never ends.

Also big: Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt, You Light Up My Life by LeAnn Rimes

The best-performing album in 1998 was the soundtrack for what would become one of the most pop-culturally important movies of all time: Titanic. Starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, the movie's chronicling of the unsinkable ship's demise was accompanied by Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," the mother of all emotional ballads.

Also big: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life by Jay Z

1999 was the beginning of the boy band age, as the Backstreet Boys' Millennium became the best-performing record of the year. The album contains what are now some of the band's most beloved songs, including "I Want It That Way" and "Larger Than Life."

Also big: Fly by Dixie Chicks, ...Baby One More Time by Britney Spears

Not to be outdone by the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC dominated the boy-band scene in 2000 with No Strings Attached, the best-performing album of 2000. Selling 2.4 million copies in its first week out, the album held the record for best debut-week sales until Adele broke it in 2015 with 25.

Also big: The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem, Oops! ...I Did It Again by Britney Spears

The best-performing album of 2001 was actually composed of music from the past — the Beatles compilation 1, full of the British band's no. 1 singles like "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The album went on to sell more than 31 million copies.

Also big: The Blueprint by Jay Z, Survivor by Destiny's Child

The Real Slim Shady took 2002 for his own with the release of his fourth album The Eminem Show. This would become a pivotal Eminem record, with classics like "Without Me" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet."

Also big: Up! by Shania Twain, O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack

50 Cent's debut Get Rich or Die Tryin' was the top album of 2003, but the year also saw the release of Beyoncé's first solo album, Dangerously in Love, and Jay Z's alleged retirement sendoff, The Black Album.

Also big: Bad Boys II soundtrack, Metamorphosis by Hilary Duff

Usher's emotional fourth album Confessions was the best-performing record of 2004 and boasted four no. 1 singles, including "Yeah!" and "My Boo," Usher's duet with Alicia Keys.

Also big: Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw, Autobiography by Ashlee Simpson

50 Cent was back in 2005 with The Massacre, featuring one of his biggest hits, "Candy Shop." Mariah Carey also hit it big with The Emancipation of Mimi, which included smashes like "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off."

Also big: American Idiot by Green Day, Late Registration by Kanye West

The top-selling record of 2006 was the soundtrack for High School Musical, the Disney channel original movie that launched the careers of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. The album was a ridiculous hit, selling more than 3.7 million copies in the U.S.

Also big: Hannah Montana soundtrack, The Breakthrough by Mary J. Blige

Though Josh Groban's Christmas album Noël was the best-performing album of 2007, the massive non-holiday releases of the year were Maroon 5's It Won't Be Soon Before Long and Kanye West's Graduation. The latter included hits like "Stronger" and won Kanye a Grammy for Best Rap Album.

Also big: Carnival Ride by Carrie Underwood, Not Too Late by Norah Jones

2008 was quite a year for music: Lil Wayne released Tha Carter III, while Beyoncé introduced her alter ego to the world on I Am… Sasha Fierce.

Also big: In Rainbows by Radiohead, Breakout by Miley Cyrus

Taylor Swift took home 2009 with her second album Fearless (released in 2008), which made her the youngest woman to win a Grammy for Album of the Year. It spent nine weeks at no. 1 (and garnered extra attention after Kanye West grabbed the mic from Taylor at that year's VMAs).

Also big: This Is It by Michael Jackson, The Fray by the Fray

2010's no. 1 album of the year was Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream. Susan achieved commercial success after defying expectations during her audition for Britain's Got Talent. The album went on to have the biggest opening sales week of 2009 in the U.S.

Also big: Animal by Kesha, Contra by Vampire Weekend

Though Taylor Swift's third record Speak Now held the no. 1 spot for the first four weeks of 2011, it would later be completely overtaken by Adele's second effort, 21. The perfect album for sobbing after a hard day, 21 stayed on top for 23 weeks and broke the record for longest run by a female solo artist in history.

Also big: Take Care by Drake, Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay

Adele nabbed the best-performing album spot for the second year in a row with 21. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift was slowly transitioning to pop music with her fourth album Red, notable for its singles "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."

Also big: Take Me Home by One Direction, Night Train by Jason Aldean

The top album in 2013 was Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience, a masterful pop and R&B record in two parts that has sold more than 6 million copies globally.

Also big: The Civil Wars by the Civil Wars, Yeezus by Kanye West

In 2014, the world was inundated with all things Frozen. The soundtrack, which includes the voice work of Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, had a successful single in "Let It Go," sung in two versions by Idina and Demi Lovato. Do you want to build a snowman?

Also big: BEYONCÉ by Beyoncé, Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey

Though it came out in 2014, Taylor Swift's official pop debut 1989 was the best-performing album of 2015. Featuring collaborators like Ryan Tedder, Max Martin, and Jack Antonoff, 1989 solidified Taylor's genre change.

Also big: To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar, Revival by Selena Gomez

While it's too soon to have a top album of 2016, it's already been great year. Adele's 25 has spent six weeks at no. 1, while other major releases have come from Rihanna (Anti), Kanye West (The Life of Pablo), and of course, Beyoncé (Lemonade).

Also big: Mind of Mine by Zayn, Views by Drake