| Year | Artist | Album | Top five |
| 1974 | Steely Dan | Pretzel Logic |
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| 1975 | | Blood on the Tracks | 2nd: Bob Marley & The Wailers – Natty Dread 3rd: Bob Marley & The Wailers – Live 4th: Little Feat – The Last Record Album 5th: Nils Lofgren – Nils Lofgren |
| 1976 | | Desire | 2nd: David Bowie – Station to Station 3rd: Dr. Feelgood – Stupidity 4th: Graham Parker – Heat Treatment 5th: The Ramones – The Ramones |
| 1977 | | ' | 2nd: Ian Dury – New Boots and Panties!! 3rd: Elvis Costello – My Aim is True 4th: Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols 5th: Television – Marquee Moon |
| 1978 | | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 2nd: The Jam – All Mod Cons 3rd: Elvis Costello – This Year's Model 4th: Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings & Food 5th: Culture – Africa Stand Alone |
| 1979 | Talking Heads | Fear of Music | 2nd: Public Image Ltd. – Metal Box 3rd: Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures 4th: The Jam – Setting Sons 5th: Gang of Four – Entertainment! |
| 1980 | Joy Division | Closer | 2nd: Elvis Costello – Get Happy!! 3rd: The Beat – I Just Can't Stop It 4th: Black Uhuru – Sinsemilla 5th: Holger Czukay – Movies |
| 1981 | | Nightclubbing | 2nd: Kraftwerk – Computer World 3rd: Black Uhuru – Red 4th: The Beat – Wha'ppen? 5th: Heaven 17 – Penthouse and Pavement |
| 1982 | | Midnight Love | 2nd: Elvis Costello – Imperial Bedroom 3rd: ABC – The Lexicon of Love 4th: The Clash – Combat Rock 5th: Dexy's Midnight Runners – Too-Rye-Ay |
| 1983 | | Punch the Clock | 2nd: Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombone 3rd: Billy Bragg – Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy 4th: Soft Cell – The Art of Falling Apart 5th: Michael Jackson – Thriller |
| 1984 | | ' | 2nd: Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA 3rd: The Special AKA – In the Studio 4th: Womack and Womack – Love Wars 5th: Scott Walker – Climate of Hunter |
| 1985 | | Rain Dogs | 2nd: The Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy 3rd: The Velvet Underground – VU 4th: Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen 5th: Madness – Mad Not Mad |
| 1986 | Prince & The Revolution | Parade | 2nd: Anita Baker – Rapture 3rd: Janet Jackson – Control 4th: Sonic Youth – Evol 5th: Cameo – Word Up! |
| 1987 | Public Enemy | Yo! Bum Rush the Show | 2nd: Prince – Sign o' the Times 3rd: The Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come 4th: Sonic Youth – Sister 5th: Tom Waits – Frank's Wild Years |
| 1988 | Public Enemy | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | 2nd: Van Morrison and the Chieftains – Irish Heartbeat 3rd: R.E.M. – Green 4th: Morrissey – Viva Hate 5th: The Todd Terry Project – To the Batmobile Let's Go |
| 1989 | De La Soul | 3 Feet and Rising | 2nd: The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses 3rd: Lou Reed – New York 4th: Pixies – Doolittle 5th: New Order – Technique |
| 1990 | Happy Mondays | Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches | 2nd: Sinead O'Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got 3rd: Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet 4th: Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory 5th: James – Gold Mother |
| 1991 | Nirvana | Nevermind | 2nd: Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque 3rd: Primal Scream – Screamadelica 4th: Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Weld 5th: R.E.M. – Out of Time |
| 1992 | Sugar | Copper Blue | 2nd: R.E.M. – Automatic for the People 3rd: Spiritualized – Lazer Guided Melodies 4th: The Lemonheads – It's a Shame About Ray 5th: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Henry's Dream |
| 1993 | Björk | Debut | 2nd: The Boo Radleys – Giant Steps 3rd: Suede – Suede 4th: The Lemonheads – Come on Feel the Lemonheads 5th: Belly – Star |
| 1994 | Oasis | Definitely Maybe | 2nd: Blur – Parklife 3rd: Beastie Boys – Ill Communication 4th: Nirvana – Unplugged in New York 5th: Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible |
| 1995 | Tricky | Maxinquaye | 2nd: Oasis – Morning Glory 3rd: Black Grape – It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah 4th: Radiohead – The Bends 5th: Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix |
| 1996 | Beck | Odelay | 2nd: Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go 3rd: Orbital – In Sides 4th: Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic 5th: DJ Shadow – Endtroducing..... |
| 1997 | Spiritualized | Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space | 2nd: Radiohead – OK Computer 3rd: The Verve – Urban Hymns 4th: Primal Scream – Vanishing Point 5th: Super Furry Animals – Radiator |
| 1998 | Mercury Rev | Deserter's Songs | 2nd: Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty 3rd: Beck – Mutations 4th: Air – Moon Safari 5th: Massive Attack – Mezzanine |
| 1999 | | ' | 2nd: Shack – HMS Fable 3rd: Super Furry Animals – Guerrilla 4th: Death in Vegas – The Contino Sessions 5th: Beck – Midnite Vultures |
| 2000 | Queens of the Stone Age | Rated R | 2nd: Primal Scream – XTRMNTR 3rd: PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea 4th: Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast 5th: At the Drive-In – Relationship of Command |
| 2001 | | Is This It | 2nd: Spiritualized – Let It Come Down 3rd: The White Stripes – White Blood Cells 4th: Jay-Z – The Blueprint 5th: Starsailor – Love Is Here |
| 2002 | Coldplay | ' | 2nd: The Vines – Highly Evolved 3rd: The Streets – Original Pirate Material 4th: The Coral – The Coral 5th: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – BRMC |
| 2003 | | Elephant | 2nd: The Rapture – Echoes 3rd: The Strokes – Room on Fire 4th: Elbow – Cast of Thousands 5th: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell |
| 2004 | Franz Ferdinand | Franz Ferdinand | 2nd: The Libertines – The Libertines 3rd: The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free 4th: Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters 5th: The Futureheads – The Futureheads |
| 2005 | Bloc Party | Silent Alarm | 2nd: Arcade Fire – Funeral 3rd: Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better 4th: Antony & the Johnsons – I Am a Bird Now 5th: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment |
| 2006 | Arctic Monkeys | Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | 2nd: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones 3rd: Muse – Black Holes and Revelations 4th: Hot Chip – The Warning 5th: CSS – Cansei de Ser Sexy |
| 2007 | Klaxons | Myths of the Near Future | 2nd: Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare 3rd: Radiohead – In Rainbows 4th: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible 5th: Les Savy Fav – Let's Stay Friends |
| 2008 | MGMT | Oracular Spectacular | 2nd: TV on the Radio – Dear Science 3rd: Glasvegas – Glasvegas 4th: Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend 5th: Foals – Antidotes |
| 2009 | | Primary Colours | 2nd: The xx – xx 3rd: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz 4th: Wild Beasts – Two Dancers 5th: Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion |
| 2010 | These New Puritans | Hidden | 2nd: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs 3rd: Beach House – Teen Dream 4th: LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening 5th: Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can |
| 2011 | | Let England Shake | 2nd: Metronomy – The English Riviera 3rd: The Horrors – Skying 4th: Wild Beasts – Smother 5th: Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo |
| 2012 | Tame Impala | Lonerism | 2nd: Grimes – Visions 3rd: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange 4th: Crystal Castles – III 5th: Alt-J – An Awesome Wave |
| 2013 | Arctic Monkeys | AM | 2nd: Kanye West – Yeezus 3rd: Queens of the Stone Age – ...Like Clockwork 4th: Foals – Holy Fire 5th: Savages – Silence Yourself |
| 2014 | St. Vincent | St. Vincent | 2nd: Mac Demarco – Salad Days 3rd: The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream 4th: Aphex Twin – Syro 5th: Caribou – Our Love |
| 2015 | Grimes | Art Angels | 2nd: Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly 3rd: Jamie XX – In Colour 4th: Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool 5th: Tame Impala – Currents |
| 2016 | | I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It | 2nd: Kanye West – The Life of Pablo 3rd: Christine and the Queens – Chaleur Humaine 4th: Skepta – Konnichiwa 5th: Kaytranada – 99.9% |
| 2017 | Lorde | Melodrama | 2nd: Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life 3rd: Kendrick Lamar – Damn 4th: Father John Misty – Pure Comedy 5th: LCD Soundsystem – American Dream |
| 2018 | The 1975 | A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships | 2nd: Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino 3rd: IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance 4th: Sunflower Bean – Twentytwo in Blue 5th: Pusha T – Daytona |
| 2019 | Billie Eilish | When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go | 2nd: Tyler, the Creator – Igor 3rd: Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell! 4th: Slowthai – Nothing Great About Britain 5th: Little Simz – Grey Area |
