Best Tribute Album

A 1999 tribute to country rock pioneer Gram Parsons featuring Emmylou Harris, Beck, Wilco, and Lucinda Williams, widely credited with helping spark the alt-country movement's renewed interest in Parsons.

This recording presents a 1988 concert featuring Roy Orbison and notable collaborators. The performance at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles includes iconic rockabilly and classic-rock tracks alongside guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and k.d. lang. It’s valuable for fans of Or...

A tribute to Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, who died in 1997, featuring country and folk artists including Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith, and Lyle Lovett interpreting his influential catalog.

“Genius Loves Company” is a 2004 studio album by Ray Charles featuring collaborations with prominent artists like Norah Jones, Elton John, and B.B. King. This tribute project showcases Charles’s enduring legacy through soulful duets. The album earned eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year...

This tribute album explores the music of German-American composer Kurt Weill. Featuring performances by artists like Lou Reed, Tom Waits, and Marianne Faithfull, it presents selections from Weill’s influential theatre scores and cabaret works. The collection offers a compelling look at his distincti...

This 1987 concert film captures Chuck Berry’s 60th birthday performance at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Featuring Keith Richards as musical director, the recording documents a significant celebration of classic rock and roll. It's notable for its authentic portrayal of Berry's energetic stage prese...

"Red Hot + Blue" is a 1990 benefit compilation album released on Chrysalis Records to raise funds and awareness for AIDS research. The project features reinterpretations of classic Cole Porter songs by various contemporary artists, including U2, Sinead O'Connor, and k.d. lang. It served as the inaug...

Released in 2019, Come on Up to the House: Women Sing Waits is a tribute album featuring interpretations of Tom Waits songs performed entirely by female musicians. The record includes contributions from established artists such as Rosanne Cash, Norah Jones, and Aimee Mann, focusing on the storytelli...

Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino is a multi-artist studio album dedicated to the rock and roll pioneer Antoine "Fats" Domino. The album features a wide array of high-profile musicians, including Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Robert Plant, performing covers of Domino's classic rhythm and blues...

Released in 1994 by Columbia Records, A Tribute to Curtis Mayfield is a compilation album honoring the influential soul and funk musician. The record features a diverse roster of prominent artists, including Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, and Whitney Houston, performing covers of Mayfield's com...

Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute is a 2001 studio album featuring various prominent musicians performing covers of songs written by country music pioneer Hank Williams. The tracklist includes contributions from Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Beck, and Keith Richards, among others. By focusing on Williams's...

Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams is a 1993 compilation album created to raise funds for singer-songwriter Victoria Williams after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The record features a variety of alternative rock and folk artists, including Pearl Jam, Soul Asylum, Lou Reed, an...

"Amarcord Nino Rota" is a 1981 tribute album produced by Hal Willner dedicated to the Italian composer Nino Rota. The record features an eclectic roster of jazz, classical, and experimental musicians reinterpreting Rota's orchestral themes from his acclaimed scores for director Federico Fellini, as...

"Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus" is a 1992 various-artists tribute album produced by Hal Willner and released by Columbia Records. The project features an array of jazz, rock, and avant-garde musicians reinterpreting the complex compositions of legendary bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus...

"That's the Way I Feel Now: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk" is a 1984 double album produced by Hal Willner. The project compiles interpretations of jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk's standard repertoire by a diverse lineup of musicians. It bridges genres by featuring both traditional jazz fig...

"AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered" is a 2011 tribute album featuring various artists covering the entirety of U2's 1991 record "Achtung Baby." It was commissioned by the magazine Q and released as part of the album's 20th-anniversary reissue campaign. The tracklist includes contributions from established ac...

"The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Tribute" is a 1997 various-artists album produced and curated by Bob Dylan. The record honors the legacy of early 20th-century country musician Jimmie Rodgers by featuring a wide array of prominent contemporary artists performing his classic tracks. Notable contributo...

The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young is a 1989 tribute album released by Caroline Records. It features alternative rock and indie artists covering songs written by the Canadian folk-rock musician Neil Young. Notable contributing acts include Sonic Youth, the Pixies, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and D...

Class of '55 is a collaborative studio album released in 1986, recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. The album features four original Sun Records artists: Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison. Conceived as a tribute to the early days of rock and roll and t...

Nativity in Black is a heavy metal tribute album dedicated to the band Black Sabbath, released in 1994. The compilation features numerous prominent rock and metal artists, including Megadeth, Metallica, and Faith No More, covering classic tracks from Black Sabbath's discography. The album's title re...

Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan is a four-disc compilation album released in 2012 as a benefit for Amnesty International. The album features over 75 contemporary and classic artists, including Miley Cyrus, Adele, and Dave Matthews Band, covering the extensive catalog of Bob Dylan. It was p...

If I Were a Carpenter is a tribute album released in 1994 that features alternative rock and indie artists covering the pop songs of the Carpenters. The album includes contributions from bands such as Sonic Youth, Shonen Knife, and The Cranberries. By pairing the soft rock style of Karen and Richard...

Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead is a 1991 compilation album featuring various artists covering songs by the Grateful Dead. Released by Arista Records, the tracklist spans multiple genres, with contributions from musicians like Lyle Lovett, Elvis Costello, Dwight Yoakam, and the Indigo Gir...

A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division is a 1995 tribute album honoring the Manchester post-punk band Joy Division. Released on Virgin Records, the compilation features covers of the band's late-1970s catalog by a diverse roster of contemporary alternative, electronic, and industrial artists....

"Imagine: John Lennon" is a compilation album released on Capitol Records in 1988. It serves as the official soundtrack to the documentary film of the same name, which was directed by Andrew Solt. The album assembles a collection of solo recordings by John Lennon, along with several previously unrel...

"Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich" is a two-volume jazz album project released in 1994 and 1997. The compilation was produced by Neil Peart, the drummer for the rock band Rush, who was deeply influenced by Buddy Rich. It features performances by leading jazz percussionists and...

"Not Fade Away: Remembering Buddy Holly" is a various-artists tribute album released in 1996 by Decca Records. The album was produced to coincide with the anniversary of Buddy Holly's death in 1959. It features a range of rock, alternative, and country performers covering classic songs written and p...

"A Tribute to Joni Mitchell" is a compilation album released in 2007 on the Nonesuch Records label. The album features various prominent musicians, including Björk, Elvis Costello, and Emmylou Harris, performing cover versions of songs written by the Canadian singer-songwriter. The tracklist spans s...

Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father is a 1988 benefit compilation album organized by the New Musical Express (NME). The project features various UK-based artists, including The Fall, Billy Bragg, and Wet Wet Wet, each covering a track from the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in its...