#1 Jazz Albums of 1989: Side-by-Side Charts

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Wk	Billboard	Billboard Contemporary	Cash Box Traditional*	Cash Box Contemporary*	Radio & Records
Jan 7	Talkin’ ‘Bout You Diane Schuur	Silhouette Kenny G	(no chart)	Silhouette Kenny G	Festival Lee Ritenour
Jan 14					Michel Camilo
Jan 21		Heart’s Horizon Al Jarreau			Foreign Affair Bireli Lagrene
Jan 28					Michel Camilo
Feb 4			“Bird” Motion Picture Soundtrack		Elis Sadao Watanabe
Feb 11
Feb 18
Feb 25			Talkin’ ‘Bout You Diane Schuur
Mar 4	Michel Camilo			Heart’s Horizon Al Jarreau	N.Y.C. Steps Ahead
Mar 11
Mar 18
Mar 25			Michel Camilo
Apr 1
Apr 8					Ivory Dreams Bobby Lyle
Apr 15
Apr 22					Real Life Story Terri Lyne Carrington
Apr 29	Chick Corea Akoustic Band	Spellbound Joe Sample			Spellbound Joe Sample
May 6			Chick Corea Akoustic Band
May 13	The Truth is Spoken Here Marcus Roberts			Spellbound Joe Sample
May 20
May 27				Real Life Story Terri Lyne Carrington
June 3			The Truth is Spoken Here Marcus Roberts		On Solid Ground Larry Carlton
June 10	Chick Corea Akoustic Band			East Hiroshima
June 17			Chick Corea Akoustic Band
June 24					Times are Changing Freddie Hubbard
July 1
July 8				Tourist in Paradise The Rippingtons	So Far So Close Eliane Elias
July 15
July 22
July 29			Chet Baker Sings and Plays from the Film “Let’s Get Lost”		Letter from Home Pat Metheny Group
Aug 5	In a Sentimental Mood Dr. John	Amandla Miles Davis		Letter from Home Pat Metheny Group
Aug 12
Aug 19		Letter from Home Pat Metheny Group
Aug 26			In a Sentimental Mood Dr. John
Sept 2	Tenderly George Benson
Sept 9			Tenderly George Benson
Sept 16
Sept 23			“When Harry Met Sally” Soundtrack Harry Connick, Jr.		La Place Stanley Turrentine
Sept 30
Oct 7
Oct 14					The Spin Yellowjackets
Oct 21					Color Rick Margitza
Oct 28
Nov 4
Nov 11	“When Harry Met Sally” Soundtrack Harry Connick, Jr.	At Last Lou Rawls		At Last Lou Rawls	On Fire Michel Camilo
Nov 18
Nov 25		Migration Dave Grusin
Dec 2
Dec 9	Waiting for Spring David Benoit
Dec 16			Waiting for Spring David Benoit		Music Michel Petrucciani
Dec 23		Time Out of Mind Grover Washington, Jr.
Dec 30
Wk	Billboard	Billboard Contemporary	Cash Box Traditional*	Cash Box Contemporary*	Radio & Records

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*In 1989, Cash Box magazine published jazz album “micro charts” weekly. In February, the publication divided the chart into “Contemporary” and “Traditional” charts, appearing on alternating weeks.

#1 Jazz Albums of 1988: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard	Billboard Contemporary	Cash Box	Radio & Records
Jan 2	Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra	Go Hiroshima	Renaissance Branford Marsalis	Crystal Ahmad Jamal
Jan 9				Brasil Manhattan Transfer
Jan 16			Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1 Wynton Marsalis
Jan 23
Jan 30
Feb 6		Dianne Reeves
Feb 13
Feb 20				Future Excursions Henry Johnson
Feb 27
Mar 5
Mar 12			Dianne Reeves
Mar 19				Kaleidoscope Mike Metheny
Mar 26
Apr 2				That Special Part of Me Onaje Allan Gumbs
Apr 9
Apr 16
Apr 23
Apr 30		And You Know That Kirk Whalum
May 7			Simple Pleasures Bobby McFerrin
May 14				Simple Pleasures Bobby McFerrin
May 21
May 28
June 4				Living Colors Dave Samuels
June 11		Simple Pleasures Bobby McFerrin
June 18
June 25	John Patitucci
July 2
July 9	Ella in Rome – The Birthday Concert Ella Fitzgerald	Reflections George Howard	Reflections George Howard	Shadow Prophets Kevin Eubanks
July 16
July 23		Time and Tide Basia
July 30			Close-Up David Sanborn
Aug 6
Aug 13				Endlessly Dizzy Gillespie
Aug 20		Close-Up David Sanborn
Aug 27
Sept 3		Rites of Summer Spyro Gyra	Rites of Summer Spyro Gyra	Politics Yellowjackets
Sept 9				Then and Now Grover Washington, Jr.
Sept 17	Look What I Got Betty Carter
Sept 24
Oct 1		Simple Pleasures Bobby McFerrin	Simple Pleasures Bobby McFerrin
Oct 8
Oct 15
Oct 22				Talkin’ ‘Bout You Diane Schuur
Oct 29	Talkin’ ‘Bout You Diane Schuur
Nov 5
Nov 12		Silhouette Kenny G	Silhouette Kenny G
Nov 19
Nov 26
Dec 3				Street Dreams Lyle Mays
Dec 10
Dec 17				Festival Lee Ritenour
Dec 24
Dec 31
Week	Billboard	Billboard Contemporary	Cash Box	Radio & Records

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#1 Jazz Albums of 1987: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard*	Billboard Contemporary*	Cash Box	Radio & Records
Jan 3	Tutu Miles Davis		Tutu Miles Davis	Lady from Brazil Tania Maria
Jan 10				Standards, Vol. 1 Stanley Jordan
Jan 17
Jan 24
Jan 31	A Nice Place to Be George Howard			The Other Side of Round Midnight Dexter Gordon
Feb 7			A Nice Place to Be George Howard
Feb 14
Feb 21				Last Nite Larry Carlton
Feb 28	The Other Side of Round Midnight Dexter Gordon	Standards, Vol. 1 Stanley Jordan
Mar 7			A Change of Heart David Sanborn	Heads Up David Newman
Mar 14				Last Nite Larry Carlton
Mar 21				Heads Up David Newman
Mar 28		Najee’s Theme Najee	Najee’s Theme Najee	Manhattan Burn Paquito D’Rivera
Apr 4
Apr 11			A Change of Heart David Sanborn
Apr 18
Apr 25			Najee’s Theme Najee
May 2				Whiz Kids Gary Burton Quintet
May 9
May 16				Civilization Tony Williams
May 23
May 30
June 6				Michael Brecker
June 13			Duotones Kenny G	To Bird, With Love Eddie Daniels
June 20	Michael Brecker	Duotones Kenny G
June 27
July 4
July 11
July 18
July 25				Four Corners Yellowjackets
Aug 1				Collaboration George Benson & Earl Klugh
Aug 8				Still Life (Talking) Pat Metheny Group
Aug 15		Collaboration George Benson & Earl Klugh
Aug 22
Aug 29
Sept 5			Collaboration George Benson & Earl Klugh
Sept 12			Still Life (Talking) Pat Metheny Group
Sept 19
Sept 26				Illusions Elaine Elias
Oct 3
Oct 10		Discovery Larry Carlton	Collaboration George Benson & Earl Klugh	Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1 Wynton Marsalis
Oct 17			Still Life (Talking) Pat Metheny Group
Oct 24			Collaboration George Benson & Earl Klugh	Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra
Oct 31
Nov 7	Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra		Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1 Wynton Marsalis
Nov 14
Nov 21		Stories Without Words Spyro Gyra
Nov 28			Collaboration George Benson & Earl Klugh
Dec 5		Go Hiroshima	Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1 Wynton Marsalis
Dec 12				The Village Henry Butler
Dec 19				Crystal Ahmad Jamal
Dec 26			Renaissance Brandford Marsalis
Week	Billboard	Billboard Contemporary	Cash Box	Radio & Records

*Starting with the February 28, 1987 issue, Billboard switched from having one “Top Jazz Albums” chart with forty chart positions to having two jazz albums charts: 1) the existing “Top Jazz Albums” chart was reduced to 15 chart positions, and 2) a new “Top Contemporary Jazz Albums” chart premiered with 25 positions.

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#1 Jazz Albums of 1986: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records
Jan 4	Magic Touch Stanley Jordan	Fables Jean-Luc Ponty	Twinkling of an Eye John Blake
Jan 11
Jan 18			Acousticity David Grisman
Jan 25		Magic Touch Stanley Jordan
Feb 1			GRP Live in Session Various Artists
Feb 8
Feb 15			Foreign Intrigue Tony Williams
Feb 22
Mar 1			Explosion Paquito D’Rivera
Mar 8
Mar 15
Mar 22
Mar 29
Apr 5
Apr 12			Breakthrough Eddie Daniels
Apr 19			Alone/But Never Alone Larry Carlton
Apr 26		Love Will Follow George Howard
May 3
May 10
May 17
May 24	Love Will Follow George Howard		Double Take Freddie Hubbard & Woody Shaw
May 31
June 7
June 14
June 21			Go for Whatcha Know Jimmy Smith
June 28
July 5		(charts not available)
July 12
July 19	Alone/But Never Alone Larry Carlton
July 26		Double Vision Bob James & David Sanborn	Double Vision Bob James & David Sanborn
Aug 2	Double Vision Bob James & David Sanborn
Aug 9			Light Struck Dave Valentin
Aug 16
Aug 23
Aug 30
Sept 6			Spontaneous Inventions Bobby McFerrin
Sept 13
Sept 20			Fivin’ Around Henry Butler
Sept 27	Breakout Spyro Gyra		Amanda Randy Brecker & Elaine Elias
Oct 4			Face to Face Kevin Eubanks
Oct 11	Down to the Moon Andreas Vollenwieder
Oct 18
Oct 25
Nov 1		Tutu Mile Davis	J Mood Wynton Marsalis
Nov 8
Nov 15
Nov 22	Tutu Miles Davis		Royal Garden Blues Branford Marsalis
Nov 29
Dec 6
Dec 13			You’re the One Henry Johnson
Dec 20
Dec 27
Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records

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#1 Jazz Albums of 1985: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records
Jan 5	Hot House Flowers Wynton Marsalis	First Circle Pat Metheny Group	First Circle Pat Metheny Group
Jan 12
Jan 19			Why Not! Paquito D’Rivera
Jan 26
Feb 2			Islands Scott Cossu
Feb 9
Feb 16		Straight to the Heart David Sanborn
Feb 23			Straight to the Heart David Sanborn
Mar 2
Mar 9
Mar 16
Mar 23			Good Bait Bobby Hutcherson
Mar 30	Straight to the Heart David Sanborn
Apr 6			Magic Touch Stanley Jordan
Apr 13
Apr 20
Apr 27
May 4
May 11	Hot House Flowers Wynton Marsalis	Magic Touch Stanley Jordan
May 18
May 25	Magic Touch Stanley Jordan
June 1			New Faces Dizzy Gillespie
June 8
June 15
June 22
June 29
July 6		Soda Fountain Shuffle Earl Klugh
July 13			Jungle Garden Dave Valentin
July 20
July 27		Dancing in the Sun George Howard	Slow Motion Andy Narell
Aug 3
Aug 10			Just Feelin’ McCoy Tyner
Aug 17
Aug 24			Digital Works Ahmad Jamal
Aug 31
Sept 7
Sept 14	Dancing in the Sun George Howard
Sept 21
Sept 28			Vocalese The Manhattan Transfer
Oct 5
Oct 12		Harlequin Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin
Oct 19		Skin Dive Michael Franks	Black Codes (From the Underground) Wynton Marsalis
Oct 26	Magic Touch Stanley Jordan
Nov 2
Nov 9		Live in London Al Jarreau
Nov 16		Black Codes (From the Underground) Wynton Marsalis
Nov 23
Nov 30
Dec 7
Dec 14		Fables Jean-Luc Ponty
Dec 21			Twinkling of an Eye John Blake
Dec 28
Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records

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#1 Jazz Albums of 1984: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records
Jan 7	In Your Eyes George Benson	Backstreet David Sanborn	Backstreet David Sanborn
Jan 14		December George Winston
Jan 21			Fill Up the Night Sadao Watanabe
Jan 28	Backstreet David Sanborn	Backstreet David Sanborn	Backstreet David Sanborn
Feb 4
Feb 11
Feb 18
Feb 25
Mar 3
Mar 10			Name of the Game Phil Upchurch
Mar 17		Imagine This Pieces of a Dream
Mar 24			Love Explosion Tania Maria
Mar 31		Backstreet David Sanborn
Apr 7		Wishful Thinking Earl Klugh
Apr 14
Apr 21	Think of One Wynton Marsalis
Apr 28
May 5			Modern Times Steps Ahead
May 12
May 19		Rejoicing Pat Metheny with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins
May 26
June 2
June 9
June 16	Backstreet David Sanborn	Wishful Thinking Earl Klugh
June 23
June 30
July 7			Nightlines Dave Grusin
July 14	Wishful Thinking Earl Klugh		Decoy Miles Davis
July 21			Nightlines Dave Grusin
July 28	Backstreet David Sanborn		Decoy Miles Davis
Aug 4			Call of the Wild Generation Band
Aug 11	Decoy Miles Davis	Access All Areas Spyro Gyra
Aug 18			Nightlines Dave Grusin
Aug 25
Sept 1			Road Warriors Les McCann & Houston Person
Sept 8	Access All Areas Spyro Gyra
Sept 15			Rendezvous Sadao Watanabe
Sept 22
Sept 29			Kalahari Dave Valentin
Oct 6
Oct 13		First Circle Pat Metheny Group
Oct 20			Hot House Flowers Wynton Marsalis
Oct 27
Nov 3		Inside Moves Grover Washington, Jr.
Nov 10
Nov 17	Hot House Flowers Wynton Marsalis
Nov 24
Dec 1			Deedles Diane Schuur
Dec 8		First Circle Pat Metheny Group
Dec 15
Dec 22
Dec 29
Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records

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#1 Jazz Albums of 1983: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records
Jan 8	Two of a Kind Bob James & Earl Klugh	Two of a Kind Bob James & Earl Klugh	Two of a Kind Bob James & Earl Klugh
Jan 15		The Best is Yet to Come Grover Washington, Jr.
Jan 22
Jan 31
Feb 5
Feb 12			The Best is Yet to Come Grover Washington, Jr.
Feb 19
Feb 26
Mar 5
Mar 12
Mar 19			Dave Grusin and the NY-LA Dream Band
Mar 26			Asphalt Gardens George Howard
Apr 2
Apr 9			The Hunter Joe Sample
Apr 16		Procession Weather Report
Apr 23
Apr 30		Jarreau Al Jarreau
May 7
May 14	Jarreau Al Jarreau
May 21			Low Ride Earl Klugh
May 28		Low Ride Earl Klugh
June 4
June 11
June 18
June 25		Jarreau Al Jarreau
July 2		In Your Eyes George Benson
July 9
July 16
July 23			Les Fleurs Ramsey Lewis
July 30
Aug 6
Aug 13			City Kids Spyro Gyra
Aug 20
Aug 27
Sept 3
Sept 10
Sept 17	In Your Eyes George Benson
Sept 24
Oct 1
Oct 8
Oct 15		Individual Choice Jean-Lun Ponty	Foxie Bob James
Oct 22
Oct 29		Foxie Bob James
Nov 5
Nov 12
Nov 19		Individual Choice Jean-Luc Ponty
Nov 26			Soft Shoulder Generation Band
Dec 3
Dec 10		Backstreet David Sanborn	Backstreet David Sanborn
Dec 17
Dec 24
Dec 31
Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records

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#1 Jazz Albums of 1982: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records
Jan 9	The George Benson Collection	The George Benson Collection	(No airplay chart published)
Jan 16	Come Morning Grover Washington, Jr.
Jan 23
Jan 30
Feb 6
Feb 13		Come Morning Grover Washington, Jr.
Feb 20
Feb 27
Mar 6	The George Benson Collection
Mar 13		The George Benson Collection
Mar 20
Mar 27
Apr 3		The Dude Quincy Jones
Apr 10	Mystical Adventures Jean-Luc Ponty
Apr 17
Apr 24
May 1
May 8		Breakin’ Away Al Jarreau
May 15
May 22			It’s a Fact Jeff Lorber
May 29		We Want Miles Miles Davis	Old Songs for the New Depression Ben Sidran
June 5	Breakin’ Away Al Jarreau		Offramp Pat Metheny Group
June 12		Offramp Pat Metheny Group
June 19	Offramp Pat Metheny Group
June 26
July 3
July 10
July 17
July 24
July 31
Aug 7		Hands Down Bob James
Aug 14		As We Speak David Sanborn	As We Speak David Sanborn
Aug 21		Offramp Pat Metheny Group
Aug 28
Sept 4
Sept 11		Hands Down Bob James	Out of the Shadows Dave Grusin
Sept 18			As We Speak David Sanborn
Sept 25
Oct 2		As We Speak David Sanborn
Oct 9	As We Speak David Sanborn
Oct 16			Off the Top Jimmy Smith
Oct 23
Oct 30		Incognito Spyro Gyra
Nov 6
Nov 13			Incognito Spyro Gyra
Nov 20		Two of a Kind Bob James & Earl Klugh
Nov 27
Dec 4			Two of a Kind Bob James & Earl Klugh
Dec 11
Dec 18	Casino Lights Various Artists
Dec 25
Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Radio & Records

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#1 Jazz Albums of 1981: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Record World
Jan 3	Winelight Grover Washington, Jr.	Winelight Grover Washington, Jr.	Winelight Grover Washington, Jr.
Jan 10
Jan 17
Jan 24
Jan 31
Feb 7
Feb 14
Feb 21
Feb 28
Mar 7
Mar 14
Mar 21
Mar 28
Apr 4
Apr 11
Apr 18
Apr 25
May 2
May 9
May 16
May 23
May 30
June 6
June 13
June 20
June 27
July 4		The Clarke/Duke Project Stanley Clarke & George Duke
July 11	The Clarke/Duke Project Stanley Clarke & George Duke		The Clarke/Duke Project Stanley Clarke & George Duke
July 18	Winelight Grover Washington, Jr.
July 25	Voyeur David Sanborn		The Man with the Horn Miles Davis
Aug 1	As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays
Aug 8	Winelight Grover Washington, Jr.
Aug 15	The Man with the Horn Miles Davis	The Man with the Horn Miles Davis	(chart unavailable)
Aug 22			The Man with the Horn Miles Davis
Aug 29
Sept 5	Breakin’ Away Al Jarreau
Sept 12			Breakin’ Away Al Jarreau
Sept 19		Breakin’ Away Al Jarreau
Sept 26
Oct 3
Oct 10
Oct 17
Oct 24
Oct 31	Freetime Spyro Gyra
Nov 7
Nov 14	Breakin’ Away Al Jarreau		(chart unavailable)
Nov 21			Breakin’ Away Al Jarreau
Nov 28			(chart unavailable)
Dec 5			Breakin’ Away Al Jarreau
Dec 12			The George Benson Collection
Dec 19			(chart unavailable)
Dec 26		The George Benson Collection	The George Benson Collection
Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Record World

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#1 Jazz Albums of 1980: Side-by-Side Charts

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Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Record World
Jan 5	One on One Bob James & Earl Klugh	One on One Bob James & Earl Klugh	One on One Bob James & Earl Klugh
Jan 12
Jan 19
Jan 26	American Garage Pat Metheny Group
Feb 2	One on One Bob James & Earl Klugh		Angel of the Night Angela Bofill
Feb 9			One on One Bob James & Earl Klugh
Feb 16
Feb 23
Mar 1			Every Generation Ronnie Laws
Mar 8	Every Generation Ronnie Laws	Every Generation Ronnie Laws	Fun & Games Chuck Mangione
Mar 15	Fun & Games Chuck Mangione	Fun & Games Chuck Mangione
Mar 22
Mar 29	Skylarkin’ Grover Washington, Jr.
Apr 5
Apr 12
Apr 19			Skylarkin’ Grover Washington, Jr.
Apr 26	Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra
May 3		Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra	Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra
May 10			Skylarkin’ Grover Washington, Jr.
May 17	Skylarkin’ Grover Washington, Jr.		Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra
May 24	Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra		Skylarkin’ Grover Washington, Jr.
May 31
June 7			Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra
June 14
June 21			Skylarkin’ Grover Washington, Jr.
June 28	Wizard Island Jeff Lorber Fusion		(chart unavailable)
July 5	Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra		Catching the Sun Spyro Gyra
July 12	This Time Al Jarreau		This Time Al Jarreau
July 19		This Time Al Jarreau
July 26
Aug 2	Rhapsody and Blues Crusaders	Rhapsody and Blues Crusaders	Rhapsody and Blues Crusaders
Aug 9			Give Me the Night George Benson
Aug 16	Give Me the Night George Benson	Give Me the Night George Benson
Aug 23
Aug 30
Sept 6
Sept 13
Sept 20
Sept 27
Oct 4
Oct 11
Oct 18
Oct 25
Nov 1
Nov 8	Love Approach Tom Browne
Nov 15	Give Me the Night George Benson
Nov 22
Nov 29			Winelight Grover Washington, Jr.
Dec 6
Dec 13
Dec 20	Winelight Grover Washington, Jr.
Dec 27		Winelight Grover Washington, Jr.
Week	Billboard	Cash Box	Record World

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