The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the best-selling books in the United States.
Beginning on January 1, 1984, The New York Times Book Review introduced revised and expanded best seller lists to "clarify categories of book buying". The hardcover books list was previously divided into two lists: fiction (15 titles) and general (15 titles). The hardcover fiction list remained the same, but the hardcover general list was divided into two new lists: nonfiction (15 titles) and advice, how-to, and miscellaneous (5 titles). The nonfiction list would be reserved for "serious nonfiction" while the advice list would be dedicated to the self-improvement genre. This change to the list was made because advice best sellers were sometimes crowding the general nonfiction list. [1] The inaugural number one bestseller of the advice list, The Body Principal by Victoria Principal, had been number 10 and number 12 on the general nonfiction lists for the two preceding weeks. [2] [3]
The paperback books list previously consisted of two categories: mass market and trade. Both categories were eliminated because the editors believed the distinction was "less important to the general reader than to the industry". Mass market and trade were replaced by three new categories: fiction (15 titles), nonfiction (5 titles) and advice, how-to and miscellaneous (10 titles). The miscellaneous category would accommodate cartoon books, joke books and other titles that were not listed before, including "road atlases, tax preparation guides and computer handbooks". [1]
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category. [4]
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Poland | James Michener |
| January 8 | ||
| January 15 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| January 22 | ||
| January 29 | Who Killed the Robins Family? | Thomas Chastain |
| February 5 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| February 12 | ||
| February 19 | ||
| February 26 | ||
| March 4 | ||
| March 11 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| March 18 | ||
| March 25 | ||
| April 1 | ||
| April 8 | ||
| April 15 | ||
| April 22 | ||
| April 29 | ||
| May 6 | ||
| May 13 | ||
| May 20 | ||
| May 27 | ||
| June 3 | Full Circle | Danielle Steel |
| June 10 | ||
| June 17 | ||
| June 24 | ||
| July 1 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| July 8 | "...And Ladies of the Club" | Helen Hooven Santmyer |
| July 15 | ||
| July 22 | ||
| July 29 | ||
| August 5 | ||
| August 12 | ||
| August 19 | ||
| August 26 | First Among Equals | Jeffrey Archer |
| September 2 | ||
| September 9 | ||
| September 16 | The Fourth Protocol | Frederick Forsyth |
| September 23 | ||
| September 30 | ||
| October 7 | ||
| October 14 | ||
| October 21 | ||
| October 28 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| November 4 | ||
| November 11 | ||
| November 18 | ||
| November 25 | ||
| December 2 | ||
| December 9 | ||
| December 16 | ||
| December 23 | ||
| December 30 |
The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category. [4]
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| January 8 | ||
| January 15 | ||
| January 22 | In Search of Excellence | Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. |
| January 29 | ||
| February 5 | ||
| February 12 | ||
| February 19 | ||
| February 26 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| March 4 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| March 11 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| March 18 | ||
| March 25 | ||
| April 1 | ||
| April 8 | ||
| April 15 | ||
| April 22 | ||
| April 29 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| May 6 | ||
| May 13 | ||
| May 20 | ||
| May 27 | ||
| June 3 | ||
| June 10 | ||
| June 17 | First Lady from Plains | Rosalynn Carter |
| June 24 | Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi | Bob Woodward |
| July 1 | ||
| July 8 | ||
| July 15 | ||
| July 22 | The Kennedys: an American Drama | Peter Collier and David Horowitz |
| July 29 | ||
| August 5 | ||
| August 12 | ||
| August 19 | ||
| August 26 | ||
| September 2 | ||
| September 9 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| September 16 | ||
| September 23 | ||
| September 30 | ||
| October 7 | ||
| October 14 | ||
| October 21 | ||
| October 28 | ||
| November 4 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| November 11 | ||
| November 18 | ||
| November 25 | ||
| December 2 | ||
| December 9 | ||
| December 16 | ||
| December 23 | ||
| December 30 |
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. Since October 12, 1931, The New York Times Book Review has published the list weekly. In the 21st century, it has evolved into multiple lists, grouped by genre and format, including fiction and nonfiction, hardcover, paperback and electronic.
This is a list of lists by year of The New York Times number-one books.