1980: Remain In Light (Talking Heads)
1981: Ghost In The Machine (The Police)
1982: Thriller (Michael Jackson)
1983: Texas Flood (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
1984: Like A Virgin (Madonna)
1985: Brothers In Arms (Dire Straits)
1986: So (Peter Gabriel)
1987: The Joshua Tree (U2)
1988: Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (Traveling Wilburys)
1989: Disintegration (The Cure)
1990: Ragged Glory (Neil Young)
1991: Achtung Baby (U2)
1992: Erotica (Madonna)
1993: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (Sarah McLachlan)
1994: Definitely Maybe (Oasis)
1995: Garbage (Garbage)
1996: Sheryl Crow (Sheryl Crow)
1997: The Colour And The Shape (Foo Fighters)
1998: Before These Crowded Streets (Dave Matthews Band)
1999: Play (Moby)
2000: Breach (The Wallflowers)
2001: Beautifulgarbage (Garbage)
2002: Heathen (David Bowie)
2003: Speakerboxxx / The Love Below (OutKast)
2004: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (U2)
2005: Souls Alike (Bonnie Raitt)
2006: I’m Not Dead (Pink)
2007: Little Voice (Sara Bareilles)
2008: Stop Drop And Roll!!! (Foxboro Hottubs)

1965 The Beatles – Rubber Soul
1966 The Beatles – Revolver
1967 The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico
1968 Elvis Presley – NBC-TV Special
1969 The Beatles – Abbey Road
1970 The Beatles – Let It Be
1971 Yes – Fragile
1972 Roxy Music – Roxy Music
1973 Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle
1974 Brian Eno – Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy)
1975 Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
1976 The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers
1977 Steely Dan – Aja
1978 Pere Ubu – The Modern Dance
1979 Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
1980 XTC – Black Sea
1981 The Teardrop Explodes – Wilder
1982 X – Under the Big Black Sun
1983 Echo and the Bunnymen – Porcupine
1984 Julian Cope – World Shut Your Mouth
1985 The Smiths – Meat is Murder
1986 XTC – Skylarking
1987 Microdisney – Crooked Mile
1988 Morrissey – Viva Hate
1989 The Blue Nile – Hats
1990 Cocteau Twins – Heaven Or Las Vegas
1991 The Jazz Butcher – Condition Blue
1992 XTC – Nonsuch
1993 The Fall – The Infotainment Scan
1994 The Fall – Middle Class Revolt
1995 Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five
1996 The Blue Nile – Peace at Last
1997 Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen
1998 New Radicals – Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too
1999 The Dismemberment Plan – Emergency & I
2000 Cathal Coughlan – Black River Falls
2001 The Dismemberment Plan – Change
2002 Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights
2003 The Fall – The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)
2004 The Hold Steady – Almost Killed Me
2005 The Hold Steady – Separation Sunday
2006 The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
2007 Nicole Atkins – Neptune City

1979 Michael Jackson, “Off the Wall”
1980 Steely Dan, “Gaucho”
1981 Kraftwerk, “Computer World”
1982 Donald Fagen, “The Nightfly”
1983 Philip Glass, “Koyaanisqatsi”
1984 Prince, “Purple Rain”
1985 The Cure, “Staring at the Sea: The Singles”*
1986 XTC, “Skylarking”
1987 Fleetwood Mac, “Tango in the Night”
1988 Sonic Youth, “Daydream Nation”
1989 The Pixies, “Doolittle”
1990 The Sundays, “Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic”
1991 Talk Talk, “Laughing Stock”
1992 Pavement, “Slanted and Enchanted”
1993 Digable Planets, “Reachin’: A New Refutation of Time and Space”
1994 Pavement, “Crooked Rain Crooked Rain”
1995 Sonic Youth, “Washing Machine”
1996 Tortoise, “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”
1997 Stereolab, “Dots and Loops”
1998 Tortoise, “TNT”
1999 Sleater-Kinney, “The Hot Rock”
2000 Tara Jane O’Neil, “Peregrine”
2001 Life Without Buildings, “Any Other City”
2002 Interpol, “Turn on the Bright Lights”
2003 OutKast, “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”
2004 Erlend Oye, “DJ Kicks”
2005 Kelley Polar, “Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens”
2006 Girl Talk, “Night Ripper”
2007 Field Music, “Tones of Town”

*cheating a bit since this technically wasn’t released until early 1986, but it’s a comp that covers 1979-85, and I really couldn’t find any other candidates

Strongest Years: 2003, 1997, 1993, 1987
Weakest Years: 2001, 1998, 1995, 1985

Toughest Omissions: Let It Be, Songs About Fucking, Blue Lines, Rid Of Me, Le Tigre, Relationship of Command, White Blood Cells, Source Tags and Codes, Decoration Day, Madvillainy

Albums that make me wanna be older: Blonde on Blonde, Velvet Underground and Nico, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Blue, Radio City, Songs in the Key of Life, Entertainment, London Calling, B-52s, Dirty Mind