How Many Of These Albums Do You Remember?
They sold millions of copies, clogged up radio playlists, and felt completely unavoidable when they first arrived. For a while, it seemed like these albums would be part of pop culture forever. Then somehow, they slipped through the cracks. Today, many of these once-giant releases have been overshadowed by bigger classics, changing tastes, or simply the passage of time. They may have dominated their era, but you'd be surprised how rarely they come up anymore.
Of course, you remember all of them... right? Or are some of these about to unlock memories you forgot you had?
"Venus And Mars" (Wings)
It could be argued that Paul McCartney had the best post-Beatles career—and Wings would be a big reason why. The band, formed in 1971 with his wife Linda McCartney and others, saw both commercial and critical success throughout their 10-year run.
The band's masterpiece was their third studio album, Band on the Run—and it's this record that first comes to mind for most of us when we think of Wings. But the truth is they saw five of their seven albums top the Billboard 200 album charts, including their fourth record, Venus and Mars.
Jim Summaria, Wikimedia Commons
"High Hopes" (Bruce Springsteen)
High Hopes—a collection covers, out-takes, and different versions of older songs—was Springsteen's 18th studio album and the last album (as of 2025) to hit number one (it reached the top of the charts in 11 countries, actually).
Craig ONeal, Wikimedia Commons
"Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy" (Elton John)
Elton John ruled the 70s—particularly 1975 where he had three albums hit number one, including the under-remembered and under-appreciated Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Given its seven weeks topping the charts, it was obviously appreciated at the time, but it isn't one that you'll often hear mentioned when one discusses John's oeuvre—nor do any of the songs from the album get much airtime beyond hardcore fans (who recognize, and remember, how great they are).
Jørund Føreland Pedersen, Wikimedia Commons
"AWB" (Average White Band)
Unless you were around in the 1970s, odds are you don't just not remember this album, you probably haven't ever heard of the Average White Band either. The Scottish funk and R&B band did have some hits, though—including their most famous song, the instrumental track "Pick Up the Pieces" (which just so happens to be one of the singles on their chart-topping 1975 album, AWB).
"Business As Usual" (Men At Work)
1983 will always be remembered as the year of Thriller—the Michael Jackson album that changed pop music. But what some of us forget was the album that sat at the top of the charts before Thriller: Business as Usual. The debut album from Men at Work spent the end of 1982 and the beginning of 1983 at number one (for a total of 15 straight weeks) before being dislodged from that spot by Jackson's iconic album.
"Spirits Having Flown" (Bee Gees)
The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was a mega-selling phenomenon in 1978—and the contributions by the Bee Gees was the reason why. The next year, the Gibb brothers followed up that success with another chart-topping album, Spirits Having Flown. The album doesn't get talked about as much as the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, but it was a big success as well—spending six weeks at number one and producing three number one songs as well.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
"Not Fragile" (Bachman–Turner Overdrive)
Canadian rock legends Bachman–Turner Overdrive spent much of the 1970s cranking out arena-ready hits, but none matched the success of Not Fragile. Powered by the chart-topping smash "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", the album shot to number one and turned BTO into international stars almost overnight.
The song remains a classic-rock radio staple, proving it never really left the public consciousness. The album, however, hasn't been quite as lucky. Once one of the biggest records in North America, Not Fragile has gradually slipped out of the spotlight, making it a surprisingly forgotten heavyweight from rock's golden age.
Mercury Records, Wikimedia Commons
"Voodoo" (D'Angelo)
D'Angelo's second studio album took a different tone than his hit debut record, Brown Sugar—but with just as satisfying results. On the back of the hit single "Untitled (How Does It Feel)", Voodoo spent 33 weeks on the charts, including two weeks at number one.
"Roll With It" (Steve Winwood)
Steve Winwood had plenty of success in the 70s as part of some great bands, from Traffic to Blind Faith. And his solo career in the 80s saw some big highs as well—including his chart-topping album Roll with It, which kicked Hysteria by Def Leppard out of the top spot back in August of 1988.
And while we're on the subject...
Brian Marks, Wikimedia Commons
"Blind Faith" (Blind Faith)
In 1969, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech came together to form the supergroup Blind Faith. This incredible combination of musicians produced just one album before disbanding but that one album, the self-titled Blind Faith, topped the album charts in the UK, Canada, and US—and we hope there are others out there who remember it as fondly as we still do.
Island Records, Wikimedia Commons
"Shake Your Money Maker" (The Black Crowes)
The Black Crowes hit the ground running with their debut album, 1990's Shake Your Money Maker. It remains their best-selling album of all time—but while fans will never forget it, this great rock album doesn't get talked about these days as much as it should.
And the same can be said for...
"The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion" (The Black Crowes)
Any fears of a sophomore slump for the band from Georgia were put to rest with the release of their second LP, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. While it didn't sell as well as their debut record, it is their most critically-acclaimed album, and it did reach the top of the Billboard 200 charts as well.
"Wichita Lineman" (Glen Campbell)
Glen Campbell released 64 albums over the course of his career and sold over 45 million records worldwide. So, while he had numerous hit albums, with that much volume, it only makes sense that some will have fallen out of the public consciousness over the decades. Including Wichita Lineman—Campbell's chart-topping, Grammy-nominated 1968 album.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
"Ghost Stories" (Coldplay)
Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto was one of the defining pop-rock albums of the early 2010s, filling arenas and topping charts across the globe. Its follow-up, Ghost Stories, was hardly a flop—it debuted at number one in the United States and even took home Top Rock Album honors at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.
Yet despite its commercial success and critical recognition, Ghost Stories never embedded itself in popular culture quite the way its predecessor did. While songs from Mylo Xyloto still pop up regularly in playlists and radio rotations, Ghost Stories has largely faded into the background, making it one of Coldplay's most successful yet surprisingly overlooked releases.
"Electric Youth" (Debbie Gibson)
The name Debbie Gibson will no doubt bring back fond memories for 80s kids, less fond memories for 80s parents, and probably questions of "who is that?" by most people born after that decade. Electric Youth was Gibson's highest-charting album—spending five weeks at number one.
Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth (Official Music Video), RHINO
"Hi Infidelity" (REO Speedwagon)
Only 27 albums have spent 15 or more weeks at number one on the Billboard 200—REO Speedwagon's Hi infidelity is one of them. 15 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts, the best-selling album of 1981, and a number one song ("Keep On Loving You"). You couldn't escape this album in '81—but how many people today know this album exists?
Hector Sanchez, Wikimedia Commons
"Unlimited Love" (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Who remembers that the Red Hot Chili Peppers had a number one album in 2022? It was just a few years ago and already most music fans seem to have forgotten about Unlimited Love. Did you?
Warner Bros., Wikimedia Commons
"Taking The Long Way" (The Dixie Chicks)
Taking the Long Way topped the charts in 2006, went two times platinum and picked up five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. It also featured the top 10 single "Not Ready to Make Nice"—their response to the extreme, hate-filled attacks they received after making some critical comments about American President George W Bush at a concert in London, UK in 2003.
The comments, the backlash, and the song-response all garnered heavy media coverage in the aughts—which, these days, seems like a whole other lifetime to many.
The original uploader was Wasted Time R at English Wikipedia., Wikimedia Commons
"Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie" (Alanis Morissette)
Alanis Morissette had big shoes to fill with the release of her 1998 album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie: Her own. Just three years prior she'd released Jagged Little Pill and set the music world ablaze with one of the best-selling albums of all time. So, her follow-up was obviously going to be highly anticipated and scrutinized.
Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie was well-received by critics and broke the record for album sales in its first week by a female artist. It also spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. But all these decades later, it isn't part of most people's music consciousness.
livepict.com, Wikimedia Commons
"The Monkees" (The Monkees)
Yes, we know there will be a certain generation that will never forget The Monkees (for better or for worse)—but, there is also a generation that probably doesn't even know them or their hit debut album, The Monkees. It was an album that spent 13 weeks at number one, only to be kicked out of the top spot by the group's second album...
"More Of The Monkees" (The Monkees)
Not only did their second album displace their first from the top spot, but it also went on to become the best-selling record of the year in America (the first pop album to do so). It was also this second album that contained the group's most memorable hit—"I'm a Believer".
Colgems Records, Wikimedia Commons
"Short n' Sweet" (Sabrina Carpenter)
Sabrina Carpenter turned a coffee order into the soundtrack of summer 2024 with the runaway success of "Espresso". When Short n' Sweet arrived a few months later, it followed suit, racing to the top of the charts and cementing Carpenter's long-awaited breakout year.
But pop music moves at lightning speed. While the album dominated streaming services, social media feeds, and seemingly every playlist for months, its cultural footprint faded surprisingly fast. Less than a year after it was everywhere, Short n' Sweet already feels like a snapshot of a very specific moment in time—one many listeners have moved on from almost as quickly as they embraced it.
Josh Hallett, Wikimedia Commons
"Janet" (Janet Jackson)
Janet Jackson's fifth studio album cemented her position as one of the best and most successful artists in the history of the music industry. Not only was Janet her third album in a row to go to number one—it was her first to debut atop the charts. It's also one of only seven albums ever to produce six top 10 singles. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even called it one of the 200 Definitive Albums of All Time.
Rich Esteban, Wikimedia Commons
"Reckless" (Bryan Adams)
"Run to You", "Somebody", "Heaven", "Summer of '69", "One Night Love Affair", and "It's Only Love"—these were all top 20 singles and they are all from Canadian rocker Bryan Adams' great 1984 chart-topping album, Reckless. This album still rocks—but how many of you still give it a spin every now and then?
And speaking of Canadian musicians who had big hits in the 80s...
Distributed by A&M Records, Wikimedia Commons
"First Offense" (Corey Hart)
The year before Bryan Adams gave us Reckless, fellow Canadian Corey Hart dropped his debut album, First Offense—led by the top 10 hit, "Sunglasses at Night". The album made enough of an impression that Hart even picked up a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
"Red Octopus" (Jefferson Starship)
1975's Red Octopus was certified double platinum and is the best-selling album by Jefferson Starship (and the band's other incarnations: Jefferson Airplane, and Starship). The top five song "Miracles" is from this album.
International Creative Management (management), Wikimedia Commons
"First Take" (Roberta Flack)
First Take was Roberta Flack's debut album and in 1972, it spent five straight weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 charts (partly aided by Clint Eastwood's inclusion of the song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in his 1971 film Play Misty for Me). Rolling Stone magazine called the album one of the 500 greatest of all time.
Atlantic Records, Wikimedia Commons
"Tragic Kingdom" (No Doubt)
The album that made No Doubt and their energetic lead singer Gwen Stefani household names. Tragic Kingdom spent nine weeks at number one and gave us "Just a Girl" and "Don't Speak"—two songs that were everywhere in the late 90s and will always be in constant rotation for some of us. How about you?
BrianTheMute, Wikimedia Commons
"Can't Slow Down" (Lionel Richie)
There was no escaping Lionel Richie's second solo album back in 1983. Can't Slow Down sold over 10 million copies, produced two iconic number one hits ("All Night Long (All Night)", and "Hello"), and took home the Grammy for Album of the Year. If you were around in the 80s, we assume you still remember this one—but does it get much airplay or streams anymore?
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