Great music never gets old. Classic tunes stand the test of time, always there to be discovered—or rediscovered. Here is a look at some albums marking milestones this year, and a snapshot of the culture that helped to bring them forth.
Albums Turning 10
The story of 2015 in pop culture was the musical Hamilton. History had its eyes on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s dazzling stage play depicting the life of Alexander Hamilton set to a hip-hop beat—and so did everyone else.
Drake had a big year with the mixtapes If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and What a Time to Be Alive, as well as the single “Hotline Bling.” Of course, 2015 was also the year Kendrick Lamar scored his first #1 album, To Pimp a Butterfly.
Notable albums: Alessia Cara, Know-It-All; Chris Stapleton, Traveller; Halsey, Badlands; the Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness; Shawn Mendes, Handwritten; Dr. Dre, Compton
Albums Turning 20
The year 2005 saw the introduction of YouTube, which would go on to give fans a new way to find and enjoy music. It also saw the release of the first Guitar Hero video game, providing a boost to the artists whose songs were included.
Mariah Carey took her career to new heights with The Emancipation of Mimi. That and 50 Cent’s The Massacre were the top-selling albums of the year.
Notable albums: Fall Out Boy, From Under the Cork Tree; Paul McCartney, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard; the Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang; Paramore, All We Know Is Falling
Albums Turning 30
1995 was a big year for women and women-fronted bands. Alanis Morissette took the music world by storm with her first foray into alt-rock, Jagged Little Pill, which would go on to become one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. Jewel made her debut with Pieces of You, and No Doubt, led by singer Gwen Stefani, broke into the mainstream with Tragic Kingdom.
Alternative rock was flourishing in general. The Smashing Pumpkins released their double-album masterpiece Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and Oasis took their fame to new heights with (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Notable albums: Coolio, Gangsta’s Paradise; Queen, Made in Heaven; Tracy Chapman, New Beginning; Van Halen, Balance; Shania Twain, The Woman in Me
Albums Turning 40
In 1985, pop music saw superstars of all stripes come together for “We Are the World,” a single written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie to combat famine in Ethiopia. More than 20 artists sang on the hit, including Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, and Diana Ross.
That song was in heavy rotation on MTV, which was in its music video heyday. Two of the most iconic videos of all time are from 1985, Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” (from Brothers in Arms) and “Take on Me” by a-ha (from Hunting High and Low).
Notable albums: Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair; John Fogerty, Centerfield; LL Cool J, Radio; Heart, Heart; John Mellencamp, Scarecrow; Phil Collins, No Jacket Required
Albums Turning 50
Fifty years on, many of the artists we now consider “classic” were in their prime or hitting their stride in 1975. Elton John was at the forefront with two releases: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Rock of the Westies. The Eagles recorded some of their most well-known songs on One of These Nights, and Fleetwood Mac did the same with a self-titled album.
Three former Beatles continued their post-Fab Four careers. Paul McCartney joined with his band Wings for Venus and Mars, while George Harrison continued his solo career with Extra Texture and John Lennon did so with Rock ‘n’ Roll. And a notable Beatles cover (“Across the Universe”) made its way onto David Bowie’s Young Americans.
Notable albums: Kool & the Gang, Spirit of the Boogie; Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti; Queen, A Night at the Opera; KC and the Sunshine Band, KC and the Sunshine Band; ABBA, ABBA; Kiss, Alive! This is just a very small sampling of incredible albums marking a significant milestone in 2025.
