Top Country Albums
Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales along with digital sales and streaming. The chart was first published in the issue of Billboard dated January 11, 1964, under the title Hot Country Albums, when the number one album was Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash by Johnny Cash.[1]
The chart changed its name to Top Country LP's in the issue of Billboard dated January 13, 1968, Top Country LPs (with no apostrophe) in the issue dated May 31, 1980, and Top Country Albums in the issue dated October 20, 1984. The record for the highest number of weeks spent at number one by an album is held by Dangerous: The Double Album by Morgan Wallen, which spent a total of 97 non-consecutive weeks atop the chart.
Methodology
[edit]From its launch until May 1991, the chart was compiled based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of record stores nationwide. In 1991 the sales reports were replaced by electronic point of sale data.[1] Since February 2017 the chart has been "based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums)".[2]
Chart records
[edit]Albums with most weeks at number one
[edit]
The following albums have spent more than 30 weeks at number one, as of the chart dated December 21, 2024:
| Weeks | First year at number one |
Artist | Album | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | 2021 | Morgan Wallen | Dangerous: The Double Album | [3] |
| 66 | 2023 | One Thing at a Time | [3] | |
| 50 | 1997 | Shania Twain | Come On Over | [4][5] |
| 2017 | Luke Combs | This One's for You | [4][5] | |
| 43 | 1987 | Randy Travis | Always & Forever | [6] |
| 41 | 1990 | Garth Brooks | No Fences | [7] |
| 37 | 2019 | Luke Combs | What You See Is What You Get | [8] |
| 36 | 2002 | Dixie Chicks | Fly | [7] |
| 35 | 2000 | Original soundtrack | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | [9] |
| 2008 | Taylor Swift | Fearless | [10] | |
| 34 | 1992 | Billy Ray Cyrus | Some Gave All | [7] |
| 33 | 1991 | Garth Brooks | Ropin' The Wind | [7] |
| 31 | 2010 | Lady Antebellum | Need You Now | [11] |
The figure for "Fearless" by Taylor Swift does not include the weeks spent at number one by Fearless (Taylor's Version), her 2021 complete re-recording of the album. Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum subsequently changed their names to The Chicks and Lady A respectively.
Artist with most number ones
[edit]The following acts have had more than 15 number ones as of the chart dated December 21, 2024:
| Number ones | First year at number one |
Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1984 | George Strait | [12][13] |
| 18 | 1975 | Willie Nelson | [14] |
| 17 | 1990 | Garth Brooks | [15] |
| 2000 | Kenny Chesney | [16] | |
| 1994 | Tim McGraw | [17] | |
| 16 | 1966 | Merle Haggard |
Artists with most cumulative weeks at number one
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The followings acts have achieved at least 50 weeks at number one, as of the chart dated December 21, 2024.
| Weeks at number one |
Artist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 173 | Garth Brooks | [15] |
| 165 | Morgan Wallen | [3] |
| 125 | Alabama | [18] |
| 101 | Willie Nelson | [14] |
| Taylor Swift | [10] | |
| 99 | Kenny Rogers | [19] |
| 97 | Shania Twain | [20] |
| 88 | Luke Combs | [8] |
| 85 | Charley Pride | [21] |
| 80 | Randy Travis | [22] |
| 76 | Tim McGraw | [17] |
| Waylon Jennings | [23] | |
| 73 | The Chicks | [24][25] |
| 61 | George Strait | [12] |
| 60 | Buck Owens | [26] |
| 57 | Johnny Cash | [27] |
| 51 | Glen Campbell | [28] |
| Merle Haggard | ||
| Eddy Arnold | [29] | |
| 50 | LeAnn Rimes | |
| Kenny Chesney | [16] |
The total for The Chicks consists of 71 weeks under the band's previous name, Dixie Chicks, and 2 under its new name.
Artists with most consecutive number one albums
[edit]The following artists have garnered the most consecutive number one albums on the Top Country Albums chart.
| Artist | Consecutive number ones |
Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kenny Chesney | 12 | |
| Carrie Underwood | 9 | [30] |
| Garth Brooks | 8 | |
| Rascal Flatts | ||
| Taylor Swift | ||
| Miranda Lambert | 7 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ Asker, Jim (March 28, 2022). "Morgan Wallen's 'Dangerous' Rewrites Record for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Morgan Wallen". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ a b McIntyre, Hugh (November 4, 2019). "Luke Combs' Debut Is Now Tied As The Longest-Running No. 1 Country Album Ever". Forbes. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- ^ a b Hermanson, Wendy (October 28, 2019). "Luke Combs Ties Shania Twain For Longest No.1 Country Album". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 336. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ a b c d Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 337. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ a b "Luke Combs". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 338. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "11 Years Ago: Lady A Release 'Need You Now' Album". The Boot. Townsquare Media. January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ a b "George Strait". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ Cerio, Michael (April 10, 2019). "George Strait scores his 27th number one album". AOL. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ a b "Willie Nelson". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ a b "Garth Brooks". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ a b "Kenny Chesney". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ a b "Tim McGraw". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Alabama". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Kenny Rogers". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Shania Twain". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Charley Pride". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Randy Travis". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Waylon Jennings". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 81. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for August 8, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ "Buck Owens". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Johnny Cash". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ "Eddy Arnold". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Carrie Underwood 'My Savior' debuts at No 1". The Music Universe. 2021-04-06. Retrieved 2021-04-08.