Isn’t it truly fantastic, downright impossibly impressive, that the Grammys have always gotten everything exactly right? For an institution that has been around for several decades, witnessing countless trends and artists rise and fall, to always nominate and award the most deserving efforts, especially when it comes to Album of the Year, is astonishing. So, let us just say ahead of the 2026 Grammy Awards this weekend: Kudos, Recording Academy, kudos.
Sarcasm can be hard to convey via text, but we have little worry that you’ve missed our snark. The Grammys — and pretty much all award shows — are just as synonymous with snubs and bad decisions as they are with rehearsed spectacle and drunken moments of celebrity. They don’t always get it wrong, but we remember the egregious whiffs much more than we do the times they actually picked a deserving winner.
Missing on album of the year is a tradition that’s as old as the ceremony itself, so join us on a journey through the most undeserving Album of the Year wins in Grammy history. These albums aren’t necessarily bad — at worst, they tend to be safe and forgettable — but they are Album of the Year recipients that beat some of the greatest records of all time. Our list of the worst album of the year winners outright would surely look different — and, hey, maybe we’ll get to that one day!
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For this exercise, we also played on the Grammys terms, pitting the category winner against only the other albums nominated that year. To consider all of the amazing records never even recognized by the Recording Academy would be a can of worms not even the proudest of early birds would be interested in opening.
So, with all of that being said, scroll on to see our picks of the 10 most undeserving Album of the Year winners in the history of the Grammys. You can also see a full list of the 2026 Grammy nominations here, and once the ceremony begins, check back here to follow along with our coverage.