Billboard 200
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Pp Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Italic title
The Billboard 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by Billboard magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a recording act is remembered for its "number ones" that outperformed all other albums during at least one week. The chart grew from a weekly top 10 list in 1956 to become a top 200 list in May 1967, acquiring its existing name in March 1992. Its previous names include the Billboard Top LPs (1961–1972), Billboard Top LPs & Tape (1972–1984), Billboard Top 200 Albums (1984–1985), Billboard Top Pop Albums (1985–1991), and Billboard 200 Top Albums (1991–1992).
The chart is based mostly on sales—both at retail and digital – of albums in the United States. The weekly sales period was Monday to Sunday when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991, but since July 2015, the tracking week begins on Friday (to coincide with the Global Release Day of the music industry) and ends on Thursday. A new chart is published the following Tuesday, post dated to the Saturday of that week, four days later.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The chart's streaming schedule is also tracked from Friday to Thursday.<ref name="tracking">Template:Cite news</ref> Digital downloads of albums are included in Billboard 200 tabulation. Albums that are not licensed for retail sale in the United States (yet purchased in the U.S. as imports) are not eligible to chart. A long-standing policy rendering titles that are sold exclusively by specific retail outlets (such as Walmart and Starbucks) ineligible for charting, was reversed on November 7, 2007, and took effect in the issue dated November 17, 2007.<ref name="exclusive">Template:Cite news</ref>
On December 13, 2014, Billboard began to include on-demand streaming and digital track sales (as measured by Nielsen SoundScan) using a new algorithm with data from all major on-demand audio subscription and online music sales services in the U.S.<ref name="2014change">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Starting on the issue dated January 18, 2020, Billboard updated its method again by incorporating video data from YouTube, along with visual plays from digital platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Vevo and, as of the issue dated March 23, 2021, from Facebook.<ref name="Billboard 200 to Include Official V">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
As of the issue dated November 22, 2025, the number-one album on the chart is The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Billboard began an album chart in 1945. Initially only five positions long, the album chart was not published on a weekly basis, with weeks sometimes passing before it was updated. A biweekly (though with a few gaps), 15-position "Best-Selling Popular Albums" chart appeared in 1955. With the increase in album sales as the early 1950s format wars stabilized into market dominance by 45 RPM singles and long-playing 12-inch albums – and with 78 RPM record and long-playing 10-inch album sales decreasing dramatically – Billboard premiered a weekly "Best-Selling Popular Albums" chart on March 24, 1956. The position count varied anywhere from 10 to 30 albums. The first no. 1 album on the new weekly list was Belafonte by Harry Belafonte. The chart was renamed "Best-Selling Pop Albums" later in 1956, and then "Best-Selling Pop LPs" in 1957.
Beginning on May 25, 1959, Billboard split the ranking into two charts: "Best-Selling Stereophonic LPs" for stereo albums (30 positions) and "Best-Selling Monophonic LPs" for mono albums (50 positions). These were renamed "Stereo Action Charts" (30 positions) and "Mono Action Charts" (40 positions), respectively, in 1960. In January 1961, they became "Action Albums – Stereophonic" (15 positions) and "Action Albums – Monophonic" (25 positions), and three months later, they became "Top LPs – Stereo" (50 positions) and "Top LPs – Monaural" (150 positions).
On August 17, 1963, the stereo and mono charts were combined into a 150-position chart called "Top LPs". On April 1, 1967, the chart was expanded to 175 positions, and then finally to 200 positions on May 13, 1967. In February 1972, the album chart's title was changed to "Top LPs & Tape"; in 1984, it was retitled "Top 200 Albums"; in 1985, it was retitled again to "Top Pop Albums"; in 1991, it became the "Billboard 200 Top Albums"; and it was given its current title of the "Billboard 200" on March 14, 1992.
From the end of 1970 to 1985, Billboard also printed a "Bubbling Under the Top LPs" albums chart paired with the "Bubbling Under the Hot 100" singles chart, which listed albums that had not yet charted on what was then the "Top LPs & Tape" chart.
Catalog albums
In 1960, Billboard began concurrently publishing album charts that ranked sales of older or mid-priced titles. These "Essential Inventory" charts were divided by stereo and mono albums, and featured titles that had already appeared on the main stereo and mono album charts. Mono albums were moved to the "Essential Inventory – Mono" chart (25 positions) after spending 40 weeks on the "Mono Action Chart", and stereo albums were moved to the "Essential Inventory – Stereo" chart (20 positions) after 20 weeks on the "Stereo Action Chart".
In January 1961, the "Action Charts" became "Action Albums – Stereophonic" (15 positions) and "Action Albums – Monophonic" (24 positions). Albums appeared on either chart for up to nine weeks, and were then moved to an "Essential Inventory" list of approximately 200 titles and with no numerical ranking. This list continued to be published until the consolidated "Top LPs" chart debuted in 1963.
In 1982, Billboard began publishing a "Midline Albums" chart (alternatively titled "Midline LPs"), which ranked older or mid-priced titles. The chart held 50 positions and was published on a biweekly (and later triweekly) basis.
On May 25, 1991, Billboard premiered the "Top Pop Catalog Albums" chart, the criteria for which were albums that were more than 18 months old and had fallen below no. 100 on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
"Both Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall should be in the Billboard Top 200," said former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters in 1992. "The Wall still does anything up to four million each year... They've created a catalog chart in which to place all these old albums, leaving the main chart free for all the artists the record companies will want to book advertising space for. It just offers further evidence of the dishonesty that's rife in this business."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Following Michael Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, several of his albums saw a significant surge in sales. Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson, and Thriller occupied the top three spots for two consecutive weeks – a first in history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the third week, six of Jackson's albums were the best-selling albums in the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The success of catalogue albums led to a change in BillboardTemplate:'s chart policies, and starting with the issue dated December 5, 2009, the catalog limitations for the Billboard 200 were lifted, allowing all albums to chart regardless of age or single activity (essentially changing "Top Comprehensive Albums" into the Billboard 200).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A new chart that keeps the previous criteria for the Billboard 200 – dubbed the "Top Current Albums" chart – was also introduced in the same issue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Holiday albums
Billboard has adjusted its policies for Christmas<ref name="Xmas">Template:Cite news</ref> and holiday<ref name="Xmas" /> albums several times. The albums were eligible for the main album charts until 1963, when a "Christmas Albums" chart was created. Albums appearing here were not listed on the "Top LPs" chart, and in 1974, this rule was reverted and holiday albums again appeared within the main list.
In 1983, the "Christmas Albums" chart was resurrected, but a title's appearance here did not disqualify it from appearing on the "Top Pop Albums" chart. In 1990, the chart was retitled "Top Holiday Albums"; Template:As of, it holds 50 positions and runs for several weeks during the end-of-calendar-year holiday season. Its current policy allows holiday albums to concurrently chart on the "Top Holiday Albums" list and the Billboard 200.
Nielsen SoundScan
Since May 25, 1991, the Billboard 200's positions have been derived from Nielsen SoundScan sales data; Template:As of, it is contributed to by approximately 14,000 music sellers. Because these numbers are supplied by a subset of sellers rather than record labels, it is common for these numbers to be substantially lower than those reported by the Recording Industry Association of America when Gold, Platinum and Diamond album awards are announced. (RIAA awards reflect wholesale shipments, not retail sales.)
Incorporation of streaming data and track sales
Beginning with the December 13, 2014, issue, Billboard updated the methodology of its album chart again, changing from a "pure sales-based ranking" to one measuring "multi-metric consumption".<ref name="2014change"/> With this overhaul, the Billboard 200 includes on-demand streaming and digital track sales (as measured by Nielsen SoundScan) by way of a new algorithm, utilizing data from all of the major on-demand audio subscription services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and Groove Music. Under the new methodology, 10 track sales or 1,500 song streams from an album are treated as equivalent to one purchase of the album. Billboard continues to publish a pure album sales chart, called "Top Album Sales", that maintains the traditional Billboard 200 methodology but is based exclusively on SoundScan's sales data.<ref name="2014change"/>
Beginning on January 18, 2020, Billboard incorporated video and audio data from YouTube, along with visual plays from streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Vevo, into the Billboard 200. The change has also impacted BillboardTemplate:'s genre-specific album charts.<ref name="Billboard 200 to Include Official V"/>
Year-end charts
BillboardTemplate:'s "chart year" runs from the first week of December to the final week in November. This altered calendar allows for Billboard to calculate year-end charts and release them in time for its final print issue in the last week of December. Prior to Nielsen SoundScan, year-end charts were calculated by an inverse-point system based solely on an album's performance on the Billboard 200 (e.g., an album would be given one point for a week spent at No. 200, two points for a week spent at No. 199, etc., up to 200 points for each week spent at No. 1). Other factors, including an album's total weeks spent on the chart and its peak position, are calculated into an album's year-end total.
Since Billboard began obtaining sales information from Nielsen SoundScan, the year-end charts are now calculated by a very straightforward cumulative total of yearlong sales. This gives a more accurate picture of any given year's best-selling albums, as a title that hypothetically spent nine weeks at No. 1 in March could possibly have sold fewer copies than one spending six weeks at No. 3 in January. Albums at the peak of their popularity at the time of the November/December chart-year cutoff many times end up ranked lower than one would expect on a year-end tally, yet are ranked on the following year's chart as well, as their cumulative points are split between the two chart-years.
All-Time Billboard 200 achievements (1963–2015)
In 2015, Billboard compiled a ranking of the 100 best-performing albums on the Billboard 200 over its 52 years, along with the best-performing artists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Shown below are the top 10 albums and top 10 artists over the 52-year period of the Billboard 200, through October 2015. Also shown are the artists placing the most albums on the overall "all-time" top 100 album list.
Top 10 albums of All Time (1963–2015)
| Rank | Album | Year released | Artist(s) | Peak and duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 2011 | Adele | No. 1 for 24 weeks |
| 2 | The Sound of Music | 1965 | Soundtrack | No. 1 for 2 weeks |
| 3 | Thriller | 1982 | Michael Jackson | No. 1 for 37 weeks |
| 4 | Fearless | 2008 | Taylor Swift | No. 1 for 11 weeks |
| 5 | Born in the U.S.A. | 1984 | Bruce Springsteen | No. 1 for 7 weeks |
| 6 | Ropin' the Wind | 1991 | Garth Brooks | No. 1 for 18 weeks |
| 7 | Jagged Little Pill | 1995 | Alanis Morissette | No. 1 for 12 weeks |
| 8 | Doctor Zhivago | 1966 | Maurice Jarre | No. 1 for 1 week |
| 9 | All the Right Reasons | 2005 | Nickelback | No. 1 for 1 week |
| 10 | Tapestry | 1971 | Carole King | No. 1 for 15 weeks |
Source:<ref name="billboard.com">Template:Cite news</ref>
Top 10 albums artists of All Time (1963–2015)
| Rank | Artist |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Beatles |
| 2 | The Rolling Stones |
| 3 | Barbra Streisand |
| 4 | Garth Brooks |
| 5 | Elton John |
| 6 | Mariah Carey |
| 7 | Herb Alpert |
| 8 | Taylor Swift |
| 9 | Chicago |
| 10 | Michael Jackson |
Source:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Artists with the most albums on BillboardTemplate:'s Top 200 Albums of All Time (1963–2015)
Source:<ref name="billboard.com"/>
Artist milestones
Most number-one albums
| Albums | Artist | Template:Reference column heading |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | The Beatles | <ref name="B200MostNo1s">Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 15 | Taylor Swift | <ref name="Showgirl Swift Debut">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 14 | Jay-Z | <ref name="B200MostNo1s"/> |
| Drake | <ref name="DrakeHist">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| 11 | Barbra Streisand | <ref name="B200MostNo1s" /> |
| Bruce Springsteen | <ref name="B200MostNo1s" /> | |
| Eminem | <ref name=":4">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| Kanye West | <ref name="Vultures1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| Future | <ref name=":2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| 10 | Elvis Presley | <ref name="B200MostNo1s" /> |
- As a musician, Paul McCartney has the most number-one albums, with 27. This includes 19 albums from his work with the Beatles, three solo albums and five albums as a part of his 1970s group Wings.<ref name=PaulMcCartneyChartHistory>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=WingsChartHistory>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=PaulMcCartneyandWingsChartHistory>Template:Cite magazine</ref> John Lennon is in second place with 22, including 19 albums with the Beatles, two solo albums, and one album credited to him and his wife Yoko Ono.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> George Harrison had 19 number-one albums with the Beatles and two as a solo artist.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Barbra Streisand is the only artist to have number-one albums in six different decades. Her first was the 1964 album People, and her most recent was the 2016 album Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, with a few weeks shy of 52 years between the two hitting number one.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Most number-one albums in a calendar year
| Albums | Artist | Year | Template:Reference column heading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | The Monkees | 1967 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 3 | Elvis Presley | 1957 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> |
| The Kingston Trio | 1960 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | |
| Elvis Presley | 1961 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | |
| The Beatles | 1964 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | |
| 1965 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | ||
| 1966 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | ||
| Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass | 1966 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | |
| Elton John | 1975 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | |
| Garth Brooks | 1998 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | |
| Glee Cast | 2010 | <ref name="MostNo1sInAYear"/> | |
| Taylor Swift | 2021 | <ref name="taylorswift10bb200">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| 2023 | <ref name="1989TV">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | ||
| Future | 2024 | <ref name=":2" /> |
Most consecutive number-one studio albums
| Number | Act | Template:Reference column heading |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Taylor Swift | <ref name="Showgirl Swift Debut" /> |
| 11 | Kanye West | <ref name="Vultures1" /> |
| Eminem | <ref name=":4" /> | |
| 10 | Jay-Z | <ref name="jayz_2017_06_16">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 9 | The Beatles | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 8 | Beyoncé | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| The Rolling Stones | <ref name="RollingStonesB200hist">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| 7 | Dave Matthews Band | <ref name="cometomorrow">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| Drake | <ref name="DrakeHist"/> | |
| Future | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| Stray Kids | <ref name="straykids">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| 6 | Elton John | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| Metallica | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| Justin Bieber | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| J. Cole | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
Most consecutive studio albums to debut at number one
| Number | Act | Template:Reference column heading |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Taylor Swift | <ref name="Showgirl Swift Debut" /> |
| 11 | Jay-Z | <ref name="jayz_2017_06_16"/> |
| Kanye West | <ref name="Vultures1" /> | |
| 10 | Eminem | <ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 8 | Beyoncé | <ref name="Beyonce Cowboy Carter">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 7 | Dave Matthews Band | <ref name="cometomorrow" /> |
| Drake | <ref name="drake10bb200">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| Stray Kids | <ref name="straykids"/> | |
| 6 | Justin Bieber | <ref name=":18">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| Metallica | <ref name="metallica hardwired">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| Lady Gaga | <ref name="gaga mayhem">Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| 5 | Disturbed | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| Madonna | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| U2 | ||
| DMX | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
- On May 1, 2016, Beyoncé became the first artist to have their first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, following the release of her sixth studio album, Lemonade, surpassing DMX.<ref name="beyonce_2016_05_01">Template:Cite news</ref> Following the release of Renaissance and its debut atop the August 7, 2022, chart, she become the first and only female artist to debut her first seven albums atop the chart.<ref name="beyonce_2022_08_07">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Following the release of Cowboy Carter and its debut atop the April 13, 2024, chart, she extended her record to become the first and only female artist to debut her first eight albums atop the chart.<ref name="Beyonce Cowboy Carter" />
- On April 3, 2021, Justin Bieber became the first male act to have his first six studio albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, following the release of his sixth studio album, Justice.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- On September 6, 2025, Stray Kids became the first act to debut at number one with their first seven entries on the chart, following the release of their fourth studio album Karma.<ref name="straykids"/>
Most cumulative weeks at number one
List of acts with the most weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 since August 17, 1963.
| Weeks at number one |
Artist | Template:Reference column heading |
|---|---|---|
| 132 | The Beatles | <ref name="mostweeks-no1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 92 | Taylor Swift | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| 67 | Elvis Presley | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| 52 | Garth Brooks | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| 51 | Michael Jackson | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| 46 | Whitney Houston | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| The Kingston Trio | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> | |
| 41 | Morgan Wallen | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| 40 | Adele | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| 39 | Elton John | <ref name="mostweeks-no1" /> |
| 38 | Fleetwood Mac | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| The Rolling Stones | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> | |
| 37 | Harry Belafonte | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| The Monkees | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> | |
| Drake | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> | |
| 35 | Prince | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| Eminem | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> | |
| 30 | Eagles | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
| Mariah Carey | <ref name="mostweeks-no1"/> |
Most consecutive years at number one
List of acts who reached number one on the Billboard 200 with a new album in consecutive calendar years since August 17, 1963.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
| Years | Act | Streak |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | The Beatles | 1964–1970 |
| Taylor Swift | 2019–2025 | |
| 5 | Drake | 2015–2019 |
| Jay-Z | 2000–2004 | |
| Paul McCartney | 1973–1977 |
Most top-10 albums
The following artists are the only ones with 30 or more top-10 albums:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- The Rolling Stones (38)<ref name="RollingStonesB200hist"/>
- Barbra Streisand (34)
- Frank Sinatra (33)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- The Beatles (32)
Note: As a musician, Paul McCartney has the most top-10 albums, with 51. This includes 32 with the Beatles, 11 solo albums, seven albums with the group Wings, and one album credited to him and his first wife, Linda McCartney.<ref name=PaulMcCartneyChartHistory/><ref name=WingsChartHistory/>
Most albums in the top 10 simultaneously
- Prince (5) – 2016<ref name="PrinceTop10">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Taylor Swift (5) – 2023<ref name="TS5inTop10">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- The Kingston Trio (4; 5 consecutive times) – 1959<ref name="Billboard Chart 11/16/59">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Billboard Chart 11/23/59">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Billboard Chart, 11/30/59">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Billboard Chart, 12/7/59">Template:Cite book Alt URL</ref><ref name="Billboard Chart, 12/14/59">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (4) – 1966<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Peter, Paul and Mary (3) – 1963<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Whitney Houston (3) – 2012<ref name=BB200mosttop10>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Led Zeppelin (3) – 2014<ref name="BB-2014-06-21">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Kendrick Lamar (3) – 2025<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Morgan Wallen (3; four times) — 2025<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Note: Swift is the first living artist to chart five albums in the top 10 simultaneously.<ref name="TS5inTop10" /> She was previously the first living soloist to have four albums simultaneously chart in the top 10 for 5 consecutive weeks.<ref name=":8" />
Note: Had the Billboard 200 allowed catalog albums to chart previous to December 5, 2009, Michael Jackson would have claimed six simultaneous top 10 titles for two consecutive weeks and the Beatles would have claimed five simultaneous top 10 titles that year.<ref name="PrinceTop10" />
Most albums in the top 25 simultaneously
- Taylor Swift (8) – 3 times in 2023<ref name=":9">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Most albums in the top 100 simultaneously
- Mitch Miller (12) – 1961<ref name="whitburnoct1974">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Billboard Chart 6/4/61">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Taylor Swift (10) – 2023; 2024 (on 14 different weeks)<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":9" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Synthesis inline
- Coldplay (6) – 2016<ref name="CAULFIELD">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Note: Had the Billboard 200 allowed catalog albums to chart previous to December 5, 2009, Michael Jackson would have claimed 9 simultaneous top 100 titles for two consecutive weeks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Most albums in the top 200 simultaneously
- Prince (19) – 2016<ref name="PrinceTop10"/>
- The Beatles (13) – 2014<ref name="Prometheus Global Media">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Taylor Swift (11) – 2023 (on 5 different weeks); 2024 (on 20 different weeks); 2025<ref name=":9" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Whitney Houston (10) – 2012<ref name="Prometheus Global Media"/>
- David Bowie (10) – 2016<ref name="Prometheus Global Media"/>
- Drake (10) – 2023<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Led Zeppelin (9) – 1979<ref name="rLedZeppelin">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Eminem (8) – 2013<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Linkin Park (8) – 2017<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Chicago (7) – 1974<ref name="whitburnoct1974"/>
- Elvis Presley (7) – 1977<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- The Monkees (7) – 1986<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Pearl Jam (7) – 2001<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Coldplay (7) – 2016<ref name="CAULFIELD" />
- Mac Miller (7) – 2018<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Most albums spending at least 1 full year (52 weeks) in the top 10
- Taylor Swift (4)
Most albums spending at least 100 weeks in the top 10
- Morgan Wallen (2)<ref name=":16">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- SZA (1)
Album milestones
Most weeks at number one
| Weeks | Album | Artist | Year(s) | Template:Reference column heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | West Side Story† | Various artists | 1962–63 | <ref name="Whitburn">Template:Cite book</ref> |
| 37 | Thriller | Michael Jackson | 1983–84 | <ref name=WeeksAtNo1>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 31 | Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | 1977–78 | <ref name=WeeksAtNo1/> |
| South Pacific‡ | Various artists | 1958–59 | <ref name=Whitburn/> | |
| Calypso | Harry Belafonte | 1956–57 | <ref name=Whitburn/> | |
| 24 | 21 | Adele | 2011–12 | <ref name=WeeksAtNo1/> |
| Purple Rain | Prince and the Revolution | 1984–85 | <ref name=WeeksAtNo1/> | |
| Saturday Night Fever | Bee Gees/Various artists | 1978 | <ref name=WeeksAtNo1/> | |
| 21 | Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em | MC Hammer | 1990 | <ref name=WeeksAtNo1/> |
| 20 | The Bodyguard | Whitney Houston/Various artists | 1992–93 | <ref name=WeeksAtNo1/> |
| Blue Hawaii § | Elvis Presley | 1961–62 | <ref name=Whitburn/> |
† The West Side Story soundtrack ran for 53 weeks at number one on the stereo album chart; it was number one for 12 weeks on the mono album chart.
‡ The South Pacific soundtrack ran for 28 weeks at number one on the stereo album chart; it was number one for three weeks on the mono album chart.
§ This is the Blue Hawaii album's run on the mono album chart; it was number one for four weeks on the stereo album chart.
- Tapestry by Carole King holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 for any one album by a female solo artist with 15 weeks.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Most weeks spent in the top-ten
| Weeks | Album | Artist | Year(s) | Template:Reference column heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 173 | My Fair Lady | Original Cast (Various Artists) | 1956–1960 | <ref name=":15">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 165 | Dangerous: The Double Album | Morgan Wallen | 2021–2025 | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 123 | One Thing at a Time | 2023–2025 | ||
| 109 | The Sound of Music Soundtrack | Soundtrack (Various Artists) | 1965–1967 | <ref name=":15" /> |
| SOS | SZA | 2022–2025 | ||
| 106 | West Side Story | Soundtrack (Various Artists) | 1962–1963 | <ref name=":15" /> |
| 105 | The Sound Of Music Original Cast | Original Cast (Various Artists) | 1960–1961 | <ref name=":15" /> |
| 90 | South Pacific | Soundtrack (Various Artists) | 1958–1959 | <ref name=":15" /> |
| 87 | Camelot | Original Cast (Various Artists) | 1961–1962 | <ref name=":15" /> |
| Oklahoma! | Soundtrack (Various Artists) | 1956–1957 | <ref name=":15" /> |
Most weeks on the chart
- Note that totals are for the main albums chart only, catalog chart totals are not factored in.
- (*) indicates that the album is currently charting.
Largest jumps to number one
- (176 to 1) Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (173 to 1) Vitalogy – Pearl Jam<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (157 to 1) Fearless (Taylor's Version) – Taylor Swift<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (156 to 1) In Rainbows – Radiohead<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (137 to 1) Ghetto D – Master P<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (122 to 1) More of The Monkees – The Monkees<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (120 to 1) Call Me If You Get Lost – Tyler, the Creator<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (112 to 1) MP da Last Don – Master P<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (106 to 1) Days Before Rodeo – Travis Scott<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (98 to 1) Beatles '65 – The Beatles<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
Largest drops from number one
- (1 to 169) This House Is Not for Sale – Bon Jovi<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (1 to 139) Call Me If You Get Lost – Tyler, the Creator<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (1 to 111) Courage – Celine Dion Template:Small
- (1 to 97) Science Fiction – Brand New<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small
- (1 to 88) Iridescence – Brockhampton<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (1 to 77) Madame X – Madonna<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (1 to 70) Lyfestyle – Yeat<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (1 to 62) Boarding House Reach – Jack White<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (1 to 59) Wonderful Wonderful – The Killers<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
- (1 to 58) Skeletá – Ghost<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small
Notes:
- The album Music to Be Murdered By by Eminem has the largest rise for an album that did not top the chart; on January 2, 2021, it jumped from number 199 the previous week to number 3 on the chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- The mixtape Days Before Rodeo by Travis Scott dropped off the chart entirely after reaching number one the previous week (October 5, 2024), becoming the first project to do so.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- The album Hello from Las Vegas by Lionel Richie dropped off the chart entirely without ever reaching the top spot; on September 7, 2019, it exited the chart after debuting at number 2 the previous week.<ref>Billboard, September 7, 2019 Template:Webarchive Billboard 200 for September 7, 2019</ref>
Longest climbs to number one in the SoundScan era
Here are the albums to complete the 10 longest rises to number one on the Billboard 200 since the adoption of Nielsen Music data in 1991.<ref name=LongestClimbToNo1>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
| Weeks to No. 1 | Artist | Album | Date reached No. 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | Various Artists | O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack | March 23, 2002 |
| 53 | The Kid Laroi | F*ck Love | August 7, 2021 |
| 52 | Live | Throwing Copper | May 6, 1995 |
| 49 | No Doubt | Tragic Kingdom | December 21, 1996 |
| 46 | Norah Jones | Come Away with Me | January 25, 2003 |
| 44 | Hootie & the Blowfish | Cracked Rear View | May 27, 1995 |
| 40 | Prince | The Very Best of Prince | May 7, 2016 |
| 31 | Toni Braxton | Toni Braxton | February 26, 1994 |
| 28 | Celine Dion | Falling into You | October 5, 1996 |
| 27 | Eric Clapton | Unplugged | March 13, 1993 |
- Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul spent 64 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 before hitting number one in 1989, making it the longest time spent on the chart before reaching the number one spot.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Albums to top the Billboard 200 by artists who have never appeared on the Hot 100
Note: Newhart, Meader and Fontaine's albums were all number one on the mono chart but not on the stereo chart. Garland is listed on a technicality; she has 17 pop hits, but all were from 1939 to 1955 – all before the 1958 establishment of the Hot 100.
EPs to reach number one on the Billboard 200
Additional milestones
- The first album to debut at number one was Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy by Elton John.<ref name="John">"Elton Expands 'Captain Fantastic' With Live Tracks" Template:Webarchive. Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2014</ref> John repeated the same feat with the album Rock of the Westies – the second album to debut at number one – making John the first artist to have two consecutive studio albums debut at number one.<ref name="John" /> Whitney Houston's second album, Whitney, was the first album by a female artist to debut at number one.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- In the early 1960s, Bob Newhart accomplished the feat of having the number one and number two albums simultaneously on the Billboard albums chart, with The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back! This was equaled by the Beatles multiple times: twice in 1964 with Meet the Beatles! and Introducing... The Beatles, and then with A Hard Day's Night and Something New, followed in 1969 by the album The Beatles (commonly known as The White Album) and the soundtrack for the film Yellow Submarine. In 1991, Guns N' Roses held the top two with Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II; in 2004, Nelly's Suit and Sweat; and in 2017, Future's Future and Hndrxx.<ref name="Caulfield">Template:Cite news</ref>
- The Sound of Music set the record of 109 non-consecutive weeks in the top 10 from May 1, 1965, to July 16, 1966, but only spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- The first U.K. solo artist to debut at number one with a debut album is Leona Lewis on April 26, 2008, with the album Spirit.<ref>Leona Lewis Makes Big Splash Atop Billboard 200 Template:Webarchive Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2012</ref> The first U.K. group to debut at No. 1 with a debut album is One Direction on March 31, 2012, with the album Up All Night.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Justin Bieber became the first artist in history to have five albums top the Billboard 200 at the age of 18, as Believe Acoustic debuted at number one on February 16, 2013. He also became the youngest solo artist to achieve this feat. Subsequently, Bieber (Template:Age in years and days) became the youngest solo artist to achieve seven No. 1 albums on the chart with Changes, breaking a 59-year-old record set by Elvis Presley at the age of 26. He further extended his record, after turning 27, by becoming the youngest soloist to have eight albums top the Billboard 200, following the release of his sixth studio album, Justice, breaking yet another chart record held by Elvis Presley at the age of 29.<ref name=":18" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Tony Bennett became the oldest male to debut at number one on October 8, 2011 (Template:Age in years and days old), with the album Duets II. Bennett, who was born on August 3, 1926, later surpassed his own record when his collaborative album with Lady Gaga, Cheek to Cheek, debuted at number one on October 11, 2014 (Template:Age in years and days old).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- The issue dated July 11, 2009, was the first time any catalog album outsold the number one album on the Billboard 200. Three of Michael Jackson's albums – Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller – claimed positions 1–3, respectively, on "Top Pop Catalog Albums" and "Top Comprehensive Albums" in the week following Jackson's death.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- In 2012, Adam Lambert became the first openly gay musician to debut at number one with his album Trespassing.<ref>Adam Lambert's 'Trespassing' Is First Album From An Openly Gay Male Artist To Top The Billboard Charts Template:Webarchive. Starpulse.com (May 23, 2012). Retrieved August 18, 2013.</ref>
- There have been 41 albums released on an independent label to reach number one on the Billboard 200.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Jackie Gleason, at least for a time, held the record for the most albums to top the Billboard 200 without charting any songs in the top 40 of the Hot 100; five of Gleason's mood music albums topped the Billboard 200 in the mid-1950s.<ref>Gael Fashingbauer Cooper (June 15, 2014). Casey Kasem's 'American Top 40' reached for the stars Template:Webarchive. NBC News. Retrieved June 15, 2014. "An unparalleled storyteller, Kasem loved to drop a teasing question about a song or a band, then cut to commercial, making his trivia so tantalizing that listeners just had to stay tuned to find out the answer. (...) Who had the most No. 1 albums without a Top 40 single? (Comic and mood-music expert Jackie Gleason, at least at the time.)"</ref>
- One Direction became the first group to debut at number one with its first three albums when Midnight Memories debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart dated December 14, 2013. It later became the first group to debut at number one with its first four albums when Four debuted atop the chart on November 26, 2014.<ref name="One Direction">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Led Zeppelin holds the record for the longest gap between an album returning to the Top 10. Led Zeppelin first hit the Top 10 on the Billboard "Top LP's" chart for the week ending May 17, 1969,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and returned 45 years and 35 days later at number 7 on the Billboard 200, for the week ending June 21, 2014.<ref name="BB-2014-06-21" />
- On November 29, 2015, 25 by Adele became the first album to sell 1 million copies in different weeks, with 1.11 million sold in its second week and 1.16 million sold in its fifth week on the chart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- On May 22, 2016, Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper became the first streaming-only album to chart on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 8, with the album being streamed 57.3 million times in its first week, which was equivalent to 38,000 units sold.<ref name="Coloring Book">Template:Cite news</ref>
- On March 18, 2017, Future made history by achieving back-to-back number-one album debuts in successive weeks with Future and Hndrxx for the first time in the chart's history.<ref name="Caulfield"/>
- On June 2, 2018, BTS became the first Korean artist to reach number one with its album Love Yourself: Tear.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- On January 19, 2019, A Boogie wit da Hoodie's Hoodie SZN became the album with the lowest weekly sales figure for a number-one album, with 1,000 sales. It subsequently did not sell enough to enter the sales-only "Top 100 Album Sales" chart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A week later, the album broke its own record when it stayed at number one for a second week, selling 749 copies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- In 2017, Taylor Swift became the first artist to debut at the top of the chart with four albums that sold over one million copies within a week, accomplishing the feat with Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She extended the record to five with Midnights in 2022,<ref name="taylorswiftbb200">Template:Cite magazine</ref> six with 1989 (Taylor's Version) in 2023,<ref name="1989TV" /> seven with The Tortured Poets Department in 2024,<ref name="TTPD">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and eight with The Life of a Showgirl.<ref name="Showgirl Swift Debut" />
- Swift charted 10 of her albums on May 6, 2023, breaking a number of records, including the first living act to chart eight albums in the top 40 simultaneously, the first act to chart 9 albums in the top 50 simultaneously, and the first living act to chart ten albums in the top 100 simultaneously.<ref name=":5" /> She is also the first act to chart 10 albums simultaneously for four separate times,<ref name=":3">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and the first living soloist to place four albums in the top 10.<ref name=":8" />
- In July 2023, Swift became the first artist since Luminate tracking began in 1991 to have nine albums sell over 500,000 copies in pure sales in a single week.<ref name=":8" /> In November 2023, Swift extended the record to ten. In April 2024, she extended it yet again to eleven.<ref name="1989TV" />
- In September 2023, Swift became the first artist to have five albums sell more than 1 million units in a calendar year with Midnights (3.810M), Lover (1.350M), Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (1.260M), Folklore (1.190M) and 1989 (1M). In November 2023, she extended the record to six albums with 1989 (Taylor's Version). In April 2024, she extended this to seven albums with The Tortured Poets Department.<ref name="1989TV" /> In October 2025, she extended it to eight albums with The Life of a Showgirl.<ref name="Showgirl Swift Debut" />
- In October 2023, Swift also became the first artist to have 11 albums charting for at least 100 weeks each after Red (Taylor's Version) achieved the mark.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- On October 23, 2023, Swift became the first artist to have four albums charting for at least 52 weeks (1 full year) in the top 10 of the chart with Fearless, 1989, Lover and Midnights - the latter two doing so consecutively. Midnights is the first album released in the 2020s to achieve the mark.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- On November 4, 2023, the Rolling Stones became the first act with newly charted top 10 albums in seven different decades (1960s to 2020s), when the band's new studio album Hackney Diamonds debuted at number 3.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- The Grateful Dead hold the record for the most Top 40 albums on the Billboard 200, with 60 having charted at number 40 or higher.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life (first 13 weeks at number one), Whitney Houston's Whitney (first 11 weeks), Morgan Wallen's Dangerous: The Double Album (first 10 weeks), Wallen's One Thing at a Time (first 12 weeks), and Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department (first 12 weeks) are the only five albums in Billboard 200 history to spend at least their first ten weeks at number one.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
See also
- Lists of Billboard 200 number-one albums
- List of highest-certified music artists in the United States
Sources
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Additional information obtained can be verified within Billboard's online archive services and print editions of the magazine.