Essential Reading - Pop Albums

Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums (1955-2001)
Joel Whitburn / Hardcover / Published 2002

From its first LP through its latest CD, Top Pop Albums 1955-2001 is a comprehensive, 46-year sweep through Billboard's Pop Albums charts -- an artist-by-artist listing of over 18,300 charted albums and over 200,000 album tracks by more than 4,400 Pop stars.

This is the only complete chart account of recent album artists such as Counting Crows, Tim McGraw, Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots, Dr. Dre, Alanis Morissette, Hootie & The Blowfish, Coolio, Snoop Doggy Dogg and so many more. Also included are comprehensive updates on the latest releases by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Eagles, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton and many other album chart veterans. Beyond the basic chart data you expect in any Record Research book, this book delivers an alphabetical index of each artist's individual tracks from all charted albums...totally new artist bios and updates bios of established stars...plus new features that make it easy to spot each artist's biggiest hit and all #1s.

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums (through 1994, overdue for an update)
Joel Whitburn / Paperback / Published 1995

Another handy book for the album side of popular recordings.

Billboard Top 10 Album Charts 1963-1998
Joel Whitburn / Paperback / Published 1999

Billboard Book of Number One Albums (through 1995) (overdue for an update)
Craig Rosen / Paperback / Published 1996