Amazon has come a long way since 1994, when Jeff Bezos began hawking books online from his garage. We took a deep dive into Amazon’s bestseller lists to see what was popular with buyers every year since Amazon’s founding — both the No. 1 book in terms of sales plus a second notable title from that year’s ranking. Some of the books have become modern-day classics; others reflect the trends of their time and have faded from memory. Got any of them on your bookshelf or know of someone who needs a copy?
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Related: Clever and Creative Gifts for Book Lovers
1995
“How to Set Up and Maintain a World Wide Web Site: The Guide for Information Providers”By Lincoln D. Stein Price: $6 and up Shop NowThe internet was still shiny and new to most people back in 1995 (if they even had internet access) and ecommerce was in its infancy. So it’s no wonder a lot of readers — especially the ones who had enough tech savvy to know how to buy books online — might be interested in learning how to build a website with this book.
Also popular that year: “The Road Ahead” by Bill Gates
Related: The 50 Greatest American Inventions of the Past 50 Years
1996
“Creating Killer Web Sites: The Art of Third-Generation Site Design”By David Siegel Price:$8Shop NowBy the mid ’90s, it was pretty obvious that this web thing was here to stay — and that people wanted to see more than just pages and pages of text. This book was one of the first to show how to design a website just as you would a magazine or newspaper and make it not just readable but engaging and entertaining.
Also popular that year: “The Dilbert Principle” by Scott Adams
Related: Cool Gifts for Old School Gamers Who Miss the ’80s
1997
“Cold Mountain” By Charles Frazier Price: $11Shop NowFrazier’s debut novel about a Civil War soldier who walks home to his beloved was a huge hit, winning a National Book Award and inspiring the 2003 film with Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renée Zellweger.
Also popular that year: “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information” by Edward R. Tufte
Related: The Best Gifts for Writers
1998
“A Man in Full: A Novel” By Tom Wolfe Price: $10 Shop NowBest known for his “new journalism” essays and books of the 1960s and ’70s, Tom Wolfe later turned to sprawling works of fiction. This novel, his second, tells the tangled tale of power and race in contemporary Atlanta.
Also popular that year: “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom
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1999
“Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban” By J.K. Rowling Price: $12
Shop NowSooner or later, it was inevitable that the Boy Who Lived would end up atop Amazon’s annual list of bestsellers. Book three in the series finds Harry on summer holiday from Hogwarts, with the mysterious Sirius Black hot on his trail.
Also popular that year: “Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength” by Bill Phillips
Related: J.K. Rowling by the Numbers
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2000
“Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire” By J.K. Rowling Price: $14Shop NowBook four in the Harry Potter series was just as popular with Amazon shoppers as the previous volume was in 1999. Readers thrilled to the action of the Quidditch World Cup and Triwizard Tournament, following Harry’s adventures as he dodged You-Know-Who.
Also popular that year: “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Related: From Harry Potter to Louis Vuitton: Convenient and Clever COVID-19 Vaccine Card Holders
2001
Also popular that year: “The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life” by Bruce H. Wilkinson
2002
“Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t” By Jeff Collins Price: $14 Shop NowAt the time, this study of 11 companies and what made them successful was on just about every business manager’s bookshelf. Two decades later, you may be surprised to see which of Collins’ “good-to-great” companies still exist.
Also popular that year: “The Nanny Diaries: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin
Related: The Top Items Our Readers Have Bought on Amazon So Far This Year
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2003
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” By J.K. Rowling Price: $12Shop Now Harry Potter. Again.
Also popular that year: “The South Beach Diet” by Dr. Arthur Agatston
2004
“The Da Vinci Code” By Dan Brown Price: $9 Shop NowBrown’s tale of Biblical intrigue was the No. 2 bestseller in 2003. In 2004, it muscled its way to the top of Amazon’s list. Poor Harry Potter was relegated to No. 8.
Also popular that year: “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” by Lynne Truss
Related: 30 Things You Should Never Buy on Amazon
2005
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” By J.K. Rowling Price: $12Shop NowBook six in the Potter universe seized the top spot on Amazon’s list in 2005, making it hard to recall that Rowling’s tale had been rejected initially by so many publishers. “The DaVinci Code” didn’t lose all of its magic; it was No. 15 in sales.
Also popular that year: “1776” by David McCullough
2006
“Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t” By Jeff Collins Price: $14Shop NowBusiness was booming, so no surprise a business-oriented text like this would be back on top four years after winning its first status as a bestseller. Even more impressive: Collins also held the No. 3 spot on Amazon’s bestseller list with a related book, “Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why Business Thinking is Not the Answer.”
Also popular that year: “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama
Related: Businesses That Nobody Saw Coming
2007
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” By J.K. Rowling Price: $19Shop NowIt seemed like everyone had a copy of this book after it hit bookstores in 2007. The final installment of the Harry Potter series went out with a bang as the year’s top seller, setting a world record for most copies sold within 24 hours of release.
Also popular that year: “The Dangerous Book for Boys” by Conn Iggulden
2008
“A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” By Eckhart Tolle Price: $13Shop NowThis spiritual self-help book, first published in 2005, was named an Oprah book club pick in 2008, becoming one of her most popular picks ever.
Also popular that year: “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch
Related: 22 Insider Secrets and Hacks for Shopping on Amazon
2009
“The Lost Symbol” By Dan Brown Price: $33Shop NowHarvard symbologist Robert Langdon returns in Dan Brown’s follow-up to his smash novel “The DaVinci Code.” This time the intrigue takes place in Washington, D.C., where nothing fishy ever transpires (yeah, right).
Also popular that year: “Going Rogue: An American Life” by Sarah Palin
2010
“The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”By Stieg Larsson Price: $7Shop NowThe final installment of Larsson’s Scandinavian thriller trilogy was the top seller at Amazon in 2010, but wasn’t his only title in the top 10. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was at No. 2, while “The Girl Who Played with Fire” was at No. 5.
Also popular that year: “Decision Points” by George W. Bush
Related: 20 Ridiculous Things Americans Obsessed About in 2010
2011
“Steve Jobs” By Walter Isaacson Price: $17Shop NowThis biography of Apple’s founder — released just days after Jobs’ death from cancer — cemented his legacy as a technology icon.
Also popular that year: “Go the F**k to Sleep” by Adam Mansbach
2012
“Fifty Shades of Grey” By E.L. James Price: $14 Shop Now
Fine literature this is not. (Not that readers cared.)
Also popular that year: “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn
Related: 25 Weirdest Things Sold on Amazon That You’ll Still Want
2013
“StrengthsFinder 2.0” By Tom Rath Price: $16 Shop NowThis self-improvement text had been lurking on the lower rungs of Amazon’s top-seller list for a few years before having its big breakthrough. Rath’s proposal is simple: Discover your natural talents and use them to the best of your ability.
Also popular that year: “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” by Sheryl Sandberg
2014
“StrengthsFinder 2.0” By Tom Rath Price: $16 Shop NowRath’s book topped Amazon’s list again. It’s the only title in 25 years of Amazon bestsellers to do so in consecutive years.
Also popular that year: “What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions” by Randall Munroe
Related: Paying $119 for Amazon Prime? Don’t Miss These Perks
2015
“First 100 Words” By Roger Priddy Price: $5 Shop NowThere’s something special about that moment when your toddler begins to learn how to read. This chunky, colorful book is one of a series of beginner books for small fry.
Also popular that year: “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo
2016
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2” By J.K. Rowling Price: $6Shop NowThe eighth installment of the Harry Potter series — which follows Harry and his Hogwarts friends as adults with children of their own — began life as a short story that morphed into a big-budget play in London’s West End in 2016 and arrived on Broadway two years later.
Also popular that year: “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi
2017
“Wonder” By R.J. Palacio Price: $10 Shop NowThis young-adult novel about a remarkable boy with an unusual face made a number of critics’ best-of lists when first published in 2012. Five years later, it was still popular enough that it hit No. 1 on Amazon.
Also popular that year: “The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook” by Laurel Randolph
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2018
“Becoming” By Michelle Obama Price: $12 Shop NowThe former first lady’s autobiography was an instant bestseller when it was released in mid-November and took just 15 days to sell more copies than any other book in 2018. Little surprise it was Amazon’s top seller, too.
Also popular that year: “Fear: Trump in the White House” by Bob Woodward
2019
“Where the Crawdads Sing” By Delia Owens Price: $11 Shop NowThis coming-of-age murder mystery set in North Carolina dominated The New York Times bestselling fiction lists in 2019 and 2020. Actor-producer Reese Witherspoon has announced plans to bring the book to film.
Also popular that year: “Educated: A Memoir” by Tara Westover
Related: Gifts for True Crime Fanatics That Will Slay — in a Good Way
2020
“A Promised Land” By Barack ObamaPrice: $26Shop NowThe election year was dominated by books on politics and race, but this hope-filled memoir by former President Barack Obama topped them all, even though it was released late in the year. Other books in Amazon’s top 10 included “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo and “The Room Where it Happened” by John Bolton.
Also Popular That Year: “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” by Mary L. Trump, Ph.D.
Related: Can’t Get It on Amazon? Where to Shop Instead
2021 (So Far)
“American Marxism”
By Mark R. Levin
Price: $16
Fox News host Mark R. Levin’s latest book shot to No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list in July with the sale of more than 300,000 copies in the first week. Other books in Amazon’s top 10 include “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear and “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)” by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Also popular this year: “Peril” by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa
