Year: Artist - Title
1965: The Beatles - Rubber Soul
1966: The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
1967: Love - Forever Changes
1968: Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
1969: The Beatles - Abbey Road
1970: Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Of Troubled Water
1971: Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
1972: Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
1973: Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
1974: Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness First Finale
1975: The Jackson 5 - Moving Violation
1976: Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
1977: David Bowie - Low
1978: Marvin Gaye - Here My Dear
1979: Michael Jackson - Off The Wall
1980: The Jacksons - Triumph
1981: Marvin Gaye - In Our Lifetime
1982: Michael Jackson - Thriller
1983: Madonna - Madonna
1984: Prince - Purple Rain
1985: Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
1986: Janet Jackson - Control
1987: Prince - Sign O' The Times
1988: Prince - Lovesexy
1989: Madonna - Like A Prayer
1990: George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice
1991: Michael Jackson - Dangerous
1992: Madonna - Erotica
1993: Janet Jackson - janet.
1994: Jeff Buckley - Grace
1995: Michael Jackson - HIStory
1996: Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
1997: Radiohead - OK Computer
1998: Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
1999: Fiona Apple - When The Pawn...
2000: Madonna - Music
2001: Röyksopp - Melody A.M.
2002: Justin Timberlake - Justified
2003: Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power
2004: Kanye West - The College Dropout
2005: Madonna - Confessions On The Dance Floor
2006: Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds
2007: Timbaland - Presents Shock Value
2008: Madonna - Hard Candy
2009: Rihanna - Rated R

minneapolisgenius said:

I'll do the 60s with you too. I have a lot, but just haven't sorted through them yet. It was because of you I got Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow. I was never into them at all before.

This is way too hard but I'll try. I'll add the '00s tommorow

1989 Look Sharp-Roxette
1990 Vol.II 1990 A New Decade-Soul II Soul
1991 Symbol-Prince & The New Power Generation
1992 The Chronic-Dr Dre
1993 Always & Forever-Eternal
1994 Under The Pink-Tori Amos
1995 CrazySexyCool-TLC
1996 Deliverance-Baby D
1997 Portishead-Portishead
1998 Ray Of Light-Madonna
1999 Northern Star-Melanie C.

1965 - The Beatles - Rubber Soul
1966 - The Beatles - Revolver
1967 - Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold As Love
1968 - Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
1969 - Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
1970 - George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
1971 - The Who - Who's Next
1972 - The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.
1973 - Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
1974 - Roxy Music - Country Life
1975 - Neil Young - Tonight's the Night
1976 - Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
1977 - David Bowie - Low
1978 - Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
1979 - Van Halen - Van Halen II
1980 - Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel III
1981 - Rush - Moving Pictures
1982 - XTC - English Settlement
1983 - The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
1984 - Prince - Purple Rain
1985 - The Waterboys - This is the Sea
1986 - The Housemartins - London 0 Hull 4
1987 - Prince - Sign O The Times
1988 - Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll
1989 - The Pixies - Doolittle
1990 - Fugazi - Repeater
1991 - Pearl Jam - Ten
1992 - Tom Waits - Bone Machine
1993 - Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
1994 - Frank Black - Teenager of the Year
1995 - The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic
1996 - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads
1997 - Modest Mouse - Lonesome Crowded West
1998 - PJ Harvey - Is This Desire
1999 - Built To Spill - Keep It Like a Secret
2000 - Neko Case - Furnace Room Lullaby
2001 - Daft Punk - Discovery
2002 - Beck - Sea Change
2003 - The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls
2004 - Scissor Sisters - Return to Oz
2005 - The National - Alligator
2006 - Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
2007 - LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2008 - REM - Accelerate
2009 - If pressed, I'm going with the new Built To Spill

sextonseven said:

Hey I haven't listened to that in a while. I should put it on now...

minneapolisgenius said:

I recently saw the new Cohen Brothers movie A Serious Man which takes place in 1967 and that album is all over the movie.

LOL. My taste has gone downhill since the late 90s. Going from classics to the likes of Rihanna and JT.

damosuzuki said:

Great choices.

Sandy Born Devotional's gotta be one of the most underrated albums of the 80's, Wide Open Road is a stellar song.

1965 - Yusef Lateef - Live at Pep's
1966 - Tim Hardin - Tim Hardin I
1967 - Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
1968 - The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
1969 - Pharoah Sanders - Karma

1970 - Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
1971 - The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
1972 - Charles Mingus - Let My Children Hear Music
1973 - Neil Young - Time Fades Away
1974 - King Crimson - Red
1975 - Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
1976 - David Bowie - Station to Station
1977 - David Bowie - Low
1978 - Johnny Thunders - So Alone
1979 - Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

1980 - Prince - Dirty Mind
1981 - King Crimson - Discipline
1982 - Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska[
1983 - Tom Waits - [i]Swordfishtrombones
1984 - Prince - Purple Rain
1985 - Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
1986 - The Triffids - Sandy Born Devotional
1987 - Guns N'Roses - Appetite For Destruction
1988 - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Tender Prey
1989 - Faith No More - The Real Thing

1990 - The La's - The La's
1991 - U2 - Achtung Baby
1992 - Alice In Chains - Dirt
1993 - Bjork - Debut
1994 - Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
1995 - Tricky - Maxinquaye
1996 - Tricky - Nearly God
1997 - Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
1998 - Gomez - [i]Bring It On
1999 - Shawn Smith - Let It All Begin

2000 - Julieta Venegas - Bueninvento
2001 - The Strokes - Is This It?
2002 - Bruce Springseen - The Rising
2003 - Cat Power - You Are Free
2004 - Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum
2005 - Port Royal - Flares
2006 - PJ Harvey - The Peel Sessions
2007 - Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild
2008 - Scott Weiland - Happy in Galoshes
2009 - Julien Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young
[Edited 12/3/09 20:35pm]

I was born in 1973 so I am not over-familiar with the music of the sixties and the seventies. Especially when it comes to the seventies, I dont own of a lot albums from that decade, so I had to leave a few years 'open'.

While assembling this list I realised that in the nineties i must have been a pretty obsessive music-collector / fanatic...lol
I have obtained most of my albums during that period and I had hard times picking one single favourite album for every year, so you will find a lot of 'ties' for those years.

Anyway, heres my list:

1965 - The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man / Turn Turn Turn (tie)
1966 - The Beatles - Revolver
1967 - The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
1968 - The Beatles - The White Album
1969 - Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
1970 - Van Morrison - Moondance
1971 - Joni Mitchell - Blue
1972 - Nick Drake - Pink Moon
1973 - Undecided
1974 - Van Morrison - Its too late to stop now / Richard and Linda Thompson - I want to see the bright lights tonight (tie)
1975 - Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns
1976 - Undecided
1977 - Undecided
1978 - Undecided
1979 - Van Morrison - Into the music
1980 - Van Morrison - Common One / Prince - Dirty Mind (tie)
1981 - Sly and the Family Stone - Anthology
1982 - Prince - 1999
1983 - REM - Murmur
1984 - Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
1985 - Prince and the Revolution - Around the World in a day
1986 - Prince and the Revolution - Parade
1987 - Prince - Sign of the Times
1988 - Lyle Lovett - Pontiac / Van Morrison and the Chieftains - Irish Heartbeat (tie)
1989 - King's X - Gretchen goes to Nebraska
1990 - World Party - Goodbye Jumbo
1991 - Crowded House - Woodface / Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend (tie)
1992 - Los lobos - Kiko*
1993 - Buffalo Tom - Big Red Letter day / Los Lobos - Just another band from east La / Tool - Undertow (tie)
1994 - Grant McLennan - Horsebreaker Star
1995 - Matthew Sweet - 100 % fun
1996 - Nil Lara - Nil Lara
1997 - Teenage Fanclub - Songs from Northern Brittain / World Party - Egyptology / Del Amitri - Some other suckers parade (tie)
1998 - Neil Finn - Try Whistling This / Lucinda Williams - Car wheels on a gravel road / Gavin Friday and The Man Seezer - Each man kills the thing he loves (tie)
1999 - Talking Heads - Stop making sense (cheating a bit here: reissue)
2000 - World Party - Dumbing UP (UK version)
2001 - Bjork - Vespertine
2002 - Kate Rusby - 10
2003 - Tim Christensen - Honeyburst
2004 - Susan McKeown - Sweet Liberty
2005 - King's X - Orge Tones
2006 - Undecided
2007 - The Endrick Brothers - Love VS Attraction
2008 - Caroline Herring - Lantana
2009 - Not clear yet

(* 1992 was BY FAR the hardest year for me to pick. Other great albums from that year: Rage against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine, REM - Automatic for the people, Lyle Lovett - Joshua judges Ruth, The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall, The Scene - Open, Prince and the New Power Generation - Diamonds and Pearls, David Byrne - Uh Oh, Sugar - Copper Blue and the CD-reissue of the Big Star albums Nr. 1 record / Radio City)

91-95 were the toughest picks for me. Early-70's were congested with top albums too, not able to make definitive decisions on those years.
[Edited 12/5/09 18:25pm]

elmer said:

1973.

I'll give it a shot. I tried to keep it to 1, but there were (more than) a few years where I felt compelled to name a runner-up (if not more).

1965 - The Beatles - Rubber Soul [Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas]
1966 - The Beatles - Revolver [The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds]
1967 - The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1968 - The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album)
1969 - The Beatles - Abbey Road
1970 - George Harrison - All Things Must Pass [Jackson 5 - Jackson 5 Christmas Album]
1971 - Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
1972 - Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
1973 - Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
1974 - Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale
1975 - The Isley Brothers - The Heat Is On
1976 - Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life [Marvin Gaye - I Want You]
1977 - The Isley Brothers - Go for Your Guns
1978 - The Jacksons - Destiny
1979 - Michael Jackson - Off the Wall
1980 - Gap Band - Gap Band III [Stevie Wonder - Hotter Than July]
1981 - Duran Duran - Duran Duran
1982 - Michael Jackson - Thriller [Duran Duran - Rio; Gap Band - Gap Band IV; Prince - 1999]
1983 - Madonna - Madonna
1984 - Prince - Purple Rain
1985 - Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair [a-ha - Hunting High and Low]
1986 - Crowded House - Crowded House
1987 - Prince - Sign 'O' the Times [George Michael - Faith]
1988 - Crowded House - Temple of Low Men [Guy - Guy; Prince - Lovesexy]
1989 - Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814 [The Cure - Disintegration]
1990 - George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 [Depeche Mode - Violator]
1991 - Crowded House - Woodface [Michael Jackson - Dangerous]
1992 - En Vogue - Funky Divas [Mary J. Blige - What's the 411?]
1993 - Crowded House - Together Alone [Terence Trent D'Arby - Symphony or Damn]
1994 - Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming [Mary J. Blige - My Life]
1995 - D'Angelo - Brown Sugar [Radiohead - The Bends; The Finn Brothers - The Finn Brothers; Terence Trent D'Arby - Vibrator; Prince - The Gold Experience; Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?]
1996 - Aaliyah - One in a Million
1997 - Radiohead - OK Computer
1998 - Neil Finn - Try Whistling This [Madonna - Ray of Light]
1999 - Travis - The Man Who [Mos Def - Black on Both Sides]
2000 - D'Angelo - Voodoo [Crowded House - Afterglow]
2001 - Aaliyah - Aaliyah
2002 - Neil Finn - One All [Talib Kweli - Quality]
2003 - Robin Thicke - A Beautiful World
2004 - The Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here [Van Hunt - Van Hunt; Tears for Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending]
2005 - Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor [a-ha - Analogue]
2006 - Van Hunt - On the Jungle Floor [Robin Thicke - The Evolution of Robin Thicke]
2007 - Crowded House - Time on Earth [Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning; Radiohead - In Rainbows; Duran Duran - Red Carpet Massacre]
2008 - Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
2009 - 7 Worlds Collide - The Sun Came Out [a-ha - Foot of the Mountain]

elmer said:

...that over Sign 'O' The Times???