Not sure if they still do it, but years ago Billboard would list its top jazz artists in its year-end issues, based on album sales for that year. Here's a sample list from 1982:
I'm guessing the results were based on both chart peak as well as the number of weeks the artists' albums spent on the charts. Regardless, I took the results of the 10 lists from the years 1976-85 and ran them through a simple algorithm. Here's a countdown of the top ten jazz artists for the decade along with albums that placed on the Billboard Jazz Album charts during those years:
CHUCK MANGIONE
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Bellavia | 7 |
| Encore | 24 |
| Main Squeeze | 4 |
| Chase the Clouds Away | 30 |
| Land of Make Believe | 21 |
| Feels So Good | 1 |
| The Best of Chuck Mangione | 23 |
| Children of Sanchez | 1 |
| Live at the Hollywood Bowl | 5 |
| Fun and Games | 1 |
| Tarantella | 10 |
| Love Notes | 8 |
| 70 Miles Young | 19 |
| Journey to a Rainbow | 10 |
| Disguise | 26 |
DAVID SANBORN
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Taking Off | 19 |
| Sanborn | 10 |
| Promise Me the Moon | 27 |
| Heart to Heart | 16 |
| Hideaway | 2 |
| Voyeur | 1 |
| As We Speak | 1 |
| Backstreet | 1 |
| Straight to the Heart | 1 |
SPYRO GYRA
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Spyro Gyra | 14 |
| Morning Dance | 2 |
| Catching the Sun | 1 |
| Carnaval | 2 |
| Freetime | 1 |
| Incognito | 2 |
| City Kids | 2 |
| Access All Areas | 1 |
| Alternating Currents | 3 |
BOB JAMES
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Three | 2 |
| BJ4 | 3 |
| Heads | 1 |
| Touchdown | 1 |
| Lucky Seven | 3 |
| "H" | 3 |
| All Around the Town | 3 |
| Sign of the Times | 2 |
| Hands Down | 3 |
| The Genie | 5 |
| Foxie | 3 |
| 12 | 5 |
THE CRUSADERS
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Chain Reaction | 1 |
| Those Southern Knights | 2 |
| The Best of The Crusaders | 18 |
| Free as the Wind | 1 |
| Images | 1 |
| Street Life | 1 |
| Rhapsody and Blues | 1 |
| Standing Tall | 2 |
| Royal Jam | 5 |
| Ghetto Blaster | 3 |
AL JARREAU
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Glow | 9 |
| Look to the Rainbow | 5 |
| All Fly Home | 2 |
| This Time | 1 |
| Breakin' Away | 1 |
| Jarreau | 1 |
| High Crime | 2 |
| In London | 10 |
PAT METHENY
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Bright Size Life | 28 |
| Watercolors | 28 |
| Pat Metheny Group | 5 |
| New Chautauqua | 3 |
| American Garage | 1 |
| 80/81 | 4 |
| As Falls Wichita... | 1 |
| Offramp | 1 |
| Travels | 3 |
| Rejoicing | 4 |
| First Circle | 2 |
EARL KLUGH
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Earl Klugh | 16 |
| Living Inside Your Love | 8 |
| Finger Paintings | 6 |
| Magic in Your Eyes | 4 |
| Heart String | 2 |
| Dream Come True | 4 |
| Late Night Guitar | 4 |
| Crazy for You | 2 |
| Low Ride | 2 |
| Wishful Thinking | 1 |
| Nightsongs | 4 |
| Soda Fountain Shuffle | 3 |
| Key Notes | 30 |
GROVER WASHINGTON, JR.
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Mister Magic | 1 |
| Feels So Good | 1 |
| A Secret Place | 1 |
| Live at The Bijou | 1 |
| Reed Seed | 1 |
| Paradise | 2 |
| Skylarkin' | 1 |
| Baddest | 5 |
| Winelight | 1 |
| Anthology (Motown) | 11 |
| Come Morning | 1 |
| The Best is Yet to Come | 2 |
| Inside Moves | 3 |
| Anthology (Elektra) | 37 |
GEORGE BENSON
| Album | Jazz Chart |
| Breezin' | 1 |
| Good King Bad | 3 |
| The Other Side of Abbey Road | 28 |
| Blue Benson | 23 |
| In Flight | 1 |
| In concert - Carnegie Hall | 6 |
| Weekend in L.A. | 1 |
| Livin' Inside Your Love | 1 |
| Give Me the Night | 1 |
| The George Benson Collection | 1 |
| In Your Eyes | 1 |
| 20/20 | 3 |
