The First Black Album of the Year Winners

For Black History Month, periodically I will be spotlighting individuals who were the 3rd to be something or do something. I am choosing the 3rd* because when individuals are spotlighted, it is often the 1st or 2nd person to do something, not the 3rd, so I hope to learn about people I don't know as much about. *In general, there will be a few exceptions to the "3rd rule."

While I didn't watch the Grammys, covering the history of the first three African American men and women to win album of the year seems fitting for today's Black History Month Post.

  

Stevie Wonder – Innervisions (1974) | Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1975) | Songs in the Key of Life (1977)

The First Black winner of Album of the Year 

(So technically Stevie Wonder is the first, second, and third to Black individual to win Album of the year but for purposes of this post I am only counting him once)

Michael Jackson – Thriller (1984)

Lionel Richie – All Night Long (1985)

Looking at the Black woman who have won Album of the Year shows that my feeling that once three have achieved something it has started to be normalized is not always true. Black woman did really well in the 1990's but have not won an Album of the Year since. Or to put it in a different context Taylor Swift now has won more Album of the Years than Black Woman Artists have in total.

Natalie Cole (1992) Unforgettable... with Love

The first Black woman to win Album of the Year

Whitney Houston (1994) The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album

Lauryn Hill (1999) The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill

First Rap Artist To Win Album Of The Year