The Top 50 Albums of the 1950s

1950-1959: Top 50 Albums

The 1950s was an interesting transitional era in the history of music. While it is most associated with rock and roll now, the decade was also marked by plenty of classic showtunes and jazz collections. Crooners and big bands were on their way out, but that didn’t stop Frank Sinatra from releasing some of the most impactful music to shape the development of the album. This list reflects the diversity of the decade. Note: there are compilations included in this list, as long as they didn’t go past the 1950s. You can check out the top albums of all time or for other decades by clicking here. Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959) Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) South Pacific (soundtrack, 1958) Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions (archives, recorded 1954-55, released 3/76) Alan Jay Lerner/Frederick Loewe (composers) My Fair Lady (cast album, 1956) Elvis Presley Elvis Presley (aka Rock ‘N’ Roll) (1956) Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (composers) West Side Story (cast, 1957) Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The Sound of Music (cast album, 1959) Frank Sinatra Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! (1956) Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits (compilation: 1947-53, released 1978) Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The King and I (soundtrack, 1956) Elvis Presley Golden Records (compilation: 1956-58) Harry Belafonte Calypso (1956) Dave Brubeck Time Out (1959) Meredith Willson (composer) The Music Man (cast, 1957) Frank Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours (1955) Pyotor Il’yich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (1958) Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Oklahoma! (soundtrack, 1955) Bing Crosby The Definitive Collection (compilation: 1931-57, released 2006) Mario Lanza The Student Prince (soundtrack, 1954) George & Ira Gershwin (composers) An American in Paris (classical, soundtrack released 1951) Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack, 1959) Howlin’ Wolf Moanin’ in the Moonlight (compilation: 1951-59, released in 1959) Duke Ellington At Newport (live, 1956) Little Richard Here’s Little Richard (1957) Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959) Buddy Holly & the Crickets 20 Golden Greats (compilation: 1956-58, released 1978) Charles Mingus Ah Um (1959) Miles Davis Birth of the Cool (recorded 1950, released 1957) John Coltrane Giant Steps (recorded 1959, released 1960) Guy Lombardo The Band Played On (compilation: 1927-50, released 2002) Jerome Kern (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Show Boat (soundtrack, 1951) Elvis Presley Elvis’ Christmas Album (1957) Buddy Holly & the Crickets The Chirping Crickets (1957) Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus (1956) Alan Lerner & Frederick Loewe (composers) Gigi (soundtrack, 1958) Various Artists The First Rock and Roll Record (box set: 1916-56, released 2011) Jane Froman With a Song in My Heart (soundtrack, 1952) Elvis Presley The King of Rock and Roll: The Complete ‘50s Masters (box set: 1953-58, released 1992) Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956) Jackie Gleason Music for Lovers Only (1952) The Kingston Trio At Large (1959) Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The King and I (cast, 1951) Frank Loesser (composer) Guys and Dolls (cast, 1950) Johnny Mathis Johnny’s Greatest Hits (1958) Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Carousel (soundtrack, 1956) Elvis Presley Loving You (soundtrack, 1957) Irving Berlin (music & lyrics) Annie Get Your Gun (soundtrack, 1950) Jule Styne (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) Gypsy (cast album, 1959) Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed Singin’ in the Rain (soundtrack, 1952) John Coltrane Blue Train (1957) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database “Top Albums by Decade” Dave’s Music Database: “Year-End Album Awards” Dave’s Music Database “Top 100 Albums of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 1000 Albums of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 100 Songs of Each Decade” First posted 3/8/2013; last updated 8/29/2024.

The Longest-Charting Albums in U.K. Chart History

UK Albums: Longest-Charting

These are the albums which have spent the most weeks on the UK album chart. All albums with 150+ weeks have been listed. Figures have been drawn from the sources listed at the bottom of the page. Ties were broken by first ranking albums by highest chart peak and then by overall points according to Dave’s Music Database. Check out other album lists based on charts and sales. 1. 1385 wks: Queen Greatest Hits (1981) 2. 1132 wks: Abba Gold: Greatest Hits (compilation: 1974-82, released 1992) 3. 1110 wks: Bob Marley & the Wailers Legend (compilation: 1973-83, released 1984) 4. 1021 wks: Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977) 5. 170 wks: Oasis (What’s the Story) Morning Glory (1995) 6. 594 wks: Eminem Curtain Call: The Hits (2005) 7. 587 wks: Michael Jackson Number Ones (2003) 8. 567 wks: Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 9. 537 wks: Amy Winehouse Back to Black (2006) 10. 534 wks: Oasis Time Flies…1994-2009 (compilation: 1994-2009, released 2010) 11. 533 wks: Arctic Monkeys AM (2013) 12. 530 wks: Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (1977) 13. 517 wks: Oasis Definitely Maybe (1994) 14. 481 wks: Queen Greatest Hits II (compilation: 1981-91, released 1991) 15. 481 wks: Foo Fighters Greatest Hits (compilation: 1995-2009, released 2009) 16. 472 wks: Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006) 17. 450 wks: Sam Smith In the Lonely Hour (2014) 18. 444 wks: The Beatles 1 (2000) 19. 444 wks: Ed Sheeran Plus (+) (2011) 20. 441 wks: Nirvana Nevermind (1991) 21. 438 wks: Ed Sheeran X (Multiply) (2014) 22. 405 wks: Guns N’ Roses Greatest Hits (2004) 23. 394 wks: Adele 21 (2011) 24. 388 wks: Whitney Houston The Ultimate Collection (compilation: 1984-2000, released 2007) 25. 384 wks: Red Hot Chili Peppers Greatest Hits (compilation: 1989-2003, released 2003) 26. 376 wks: The Sound of Music (soundtrack, 1965) 27. 367 wks: David Bowie Legacy: The Very Best of (compilation: 1969-2015, released 2016) 28. 363 wks: Madonna The Immaculate Collection (1990) 29. 363 wks: Fleetwood Mac The Very Best of (compilation: 1968-97, released 2002) 30. 354 wks: Simon & Garfunkel Greatest Hits (1972) 31. 352 wks: Ed Sheeran ÷ (Divide) (2017) 32. 335 wks: The Killers Direct Hits (compilation: 2001-13, released 2013) 33. 335: Dua Lipa Dua Lipa (2017) 34. 331 wks: Taylor Swift 1989 (2014) 35. 331 wks: George Michael Twenty Five (compilation: 1984-2006, released 2006) 36. 330 wks: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) 37. 322 wks: Maroon 5 Singles (compilation: 2002-14, released 2015) 38. 320 wks: Adele 25 (2015) 39. 319 wks: Bruno Mars Doo Wops & Hooligans (2010) 40. 319 wks: Jeff Wayne War of the Worlds (1978) 41. 317 wks: Queen The Platinum Collection (box: 1973-99, released 2001) 42. 316 wks: Elton John Diamonds (compilation: 1969-2016, released 2017) 43. 315 wks: South Pacific (soundtrack, 1958) 44. 305 wks: Katy Perry Teenage Dream (2010) 45. 300 wks: Phil Collins Face Value (1981) 46. 295 wks: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) 47. 292 wks: Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (1988) 48. 291 wks: Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells (1973) 49. 287 wks: Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) 50. 286 wks: Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987) 51. 278 wks: Jess Glynne I Cry When I Laugh (2015) 52. 274 wks: Stevie Wonder The Definitive Collection (compilation: 1962-98, released 2002) 53. 272 wks: Lady Gaga The Fame (2008) 54. 271 wks: Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985) 55. 265 wks: Pink Greatest Hits…So Far (compilation: 2000-10, released 2010) 56. 263 wks: Fleetwood Mac 50 Years – Don’t Stop (box: 1967-2013, released 2018) 57. 255 wks: The Killers Hot Fuss (2004) 58. 252 wks: Dire Straits Making Movies (1980) 59. 245 wks: R.E.M. Automatic for the People (1992) 60. 244 wks: Frank Sinatra My Way – The Best of (1997) 61. 238 wks: Green Day God’s Favorite Band (compilation: 1991-2017, released 2017) 62. 237 wks: Lewis Capaldi Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent (2019) 63. 230 wks: Billie Eilish Don’t Smile at Me (EP, 2017) 64. 229 wks: Billy Joel Piano Man – The Very Best of (compilation: 1973-93, released 2004) 65. 227 wks: Phil Collins The Singles (compilation: 1981-2010, released 2016) 66. 226 wks: Lana Del Rey Born to Die (2012) 67. 225 wks: Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979) 68. 223 wks: Adele 19 (2008) 69. 222 wks: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995) 70. 218 wks: Take That Never Forget – The Ultimate Collection (2005) 71. 218 wks: Mumford & Sons Sigh No More (2009) 72. 216 wks: Elvis Presley 30 #1 Hits (compilation: 1956-77, released 2002) 73. 215 wks: The Stone Roses The Stone Roses (1989) 74. 214 wks: R.E.M. Out of Time (1991) 75. 210 wks: Billie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019) 76. 209 wks: The Beatles 1962-1966 (compilation: 1962-66, released 1973) 77. 208 wks: Phil Collins No Jacket Required (1985) 78. 207 wks: Bon Jovi Greatest Hits (compilation: 1984-2010, released 2010) 79. 207 wks: Harry Styles Fine Line (2019) 80. 206 wks: Electric Light Orchestra All Over the World: The Very Best of (compilation: 1973-2001, released 2005) 81. 206 wks: Taylor Swift Lover (2019) 82. 204 wks: Radiohead The Bends (1995) 83. 204 wks: U2 Under a Blood Red Sky (1983) 84. 203 wks: The King and I (soundtrack, 1956) 85. 202 wks: Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) 86. 201 wks: U2 The Joshua Tree (1987) 87. 201 wks: David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) 88. 200 wks: Dire Straits Love Over Gold (1982) 89. 198 wks: The Beatles 1967-1970 (compilation: 1967-70, released 1973) 90. 196 wks: Florence + the Machine Lungs (2009) 91. 196 wks: XXXTentacion ? (2018) 92. 193 wks: Coldplay Parachutes (2000) 93. 192 wks: UB40 Best of – Volume One (compilation: 1980-87, released 1987) 94. 189 wks: Rod Stewart Best of (compilation: 1971-89, released 1989) 95. 189 wks: Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia (2020) 96. 189 wks: George Ezra Staying at Tamara’s (2018) 97. 183 wks: Tina Turner Simply the Best (1991) 98. 180 wks: Michael Jackson Bad (1987) 99. 180 wks: Michael Bublé Crazy Love (2009) 100. 180 wks: George Ezra Wanted on Voyage (2014) 101. 179 wks: Eagles The Very Best of (compilation: 1971-79, released 1994) 102. 177 wks: Paolo Nutini These Streets (2006) 103. 177 wks: The 1975 The 1975 (2013) 104. 176 wks: David Gray White Ladder (1998) 105. 176 wks: Phil Collins Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982) 106. 175 wks: West Side Story (soundtrack, 1961) 107. 175 wks: Taylor Swift Folklore (7/24/2020) 108. 175 wks: Lighthouse Family Ocean Drive (1995) 109. 174 wks: Van Morrison Best of (compilation: 1965-90, released 1990) 110. 173 wks: Little Mix Glory Days (2016) 111. 172 wks: 50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003) 112. 169 wks: Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication (1999) 113. 169 wks: Post Malone Stoney (2016) 114. 168 wks: Oklahoma! (soundtrack, 1955) 115. 168 wks: Stereophonics Decade in the Sun: Best of (compilation: 1992-2008, released 2008) 116. 165 wks: Kings of Leon Only by the Night (2008) 117. 164 wks: The Corrs Talk on Corners (1997) 118. 164 wks: Dave Psychodrama (2019) 119. 163 wks: Dire Straits Alchemy (1984) 120. 162 wks: Shania Twain Come on Over (1997) 121. 162 wks: The Verve Urban Hymns (1997) 122. 162 wks: David Bowie Best of Bowie (compilation: 1969-2002, released 2002) 123. 162 wks: Stereophonics Word Gets Around (1997) 124. 161 wks: Stars (1991) 125. 160 wks: Paul Simon Graceland (1986) 126. 158 wks: Dirty Dancing (soundtrack, 1987) 127. 156 wks: My Fair Lady (cast album, 1956) 128. 156 wks: Eva Cassidy Songbird (1998) 129. 155 wks: Bon Jovi Cross Road (compilation: 1982-94, released 1994) 130. 155 wks: Buddy Holly & the Crickets The Buddy Holly Story (1959) 131. 154 wks: Lionel Richie Can’t Slow Down (1983) 132. 154 wks: Madonna Like a Virgin (1984) 133. 152 wks: Norah Jones Come Away with Me (2002) 134. 151 wks: The Beach Boys Best of (compilation: 1963-65, released 1966) 135. 151 wks: Snow Patrol Eyes Open (2006) 136. 151 wks: Barry Manilow Manilow Magic – The Best of (1979) 137. 150 wks: Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) 138. 150 wks: Tina Turner Private Dancer (1984) 139. 150 wks: Michael Bublé Call Me Irresponsible (2007) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Album Lists Based on Charts and Sales ChartStats.com The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums (3rd edition) Wikipedia.org: “List of albums which have spent the most weeks on the UK Albums Chart First posted 6/25/2011; last updated 12/5/2023.

UK Albums: Biggest #1's in Chart History

UK Album Chart: Biggest #1’s

This is a list of the #1 albums of all time according to the UK album charts. It includes all albums logging eight weeks or more at the top. For albums logging the same number of weeks at #1, they are listed in order of highest ranking according to Dave’s Music Database. Check out other album lists based on charts and sales. 115 weeks: South Pacific (soundtrack, 1958) 70 weeks: The Sound of Music (soundtrack, 1965) 48 weeks: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The King and I (soundtrack, 1956) 33 weeks: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) 30 weeks: The Beatles Please Please Me (1963) 27 weeks: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Various Artists The Greatest Showman (soundtrack, 2017) 23 weeks: Adele 21 (2011) 22 weeks: Elvis Presley G.I. Blues (1960) 21 weeks: The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (soundtrack, 1964) The Beatles With the Beatles (1963) 20 weeks: Ed Sheeran ÷ (Divide) (2017) 19 weeks: My Fair Lady (cast album, 1956) 18 weeks: The Beatles Abbey Road (1969) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977) Elvis Presley Blue Hawaii (soundtrack, 1961) 17 weeks: Carpenters The Singles 1969-1973 (1973) 15 weeks: Spice Girls Spice (1996) Phil Collins …But Seriously (1989) 14 weeks: Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985) Cliff Richard & the Shadows Summer Holiday (1963) 13 weeks: West Side Story (soundtrack, 1961) Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta/various artists Grease (soundtrack, 1978) Ed Sheeran X (Multiply) (2014) Bob Dylan John Wesley Harding (1967) 12 weeks: Bob Marley & the Wailers Legend (1984) The Verve Urban Hymns (1997) The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones (aka ‘England’s Newest Hitmakers’) (1964) Simply Red Stars (1991) Adam & the Ants Kings of the Wild Frontier (1980) Kids from Fame Kids from Fame (1982) 11 weeks: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995) Shania Twain Come on Over (1997) Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack, 1992) Elton John Greatest Hits (1974) Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) Abba Greatest Hits (1976) The Beatles Beatles for Sale (1964) Pal Joey (soundtrack, 1957) various artists 20 All-Time Hits of the ‘50s (1999) 10 weeks: Oasis (What’s the Story) Morning Glory (1995) James Blunt Back to Bedlam (2004) Eurythmics Greatest Hits (1991) Abba Arrival (1976) Dido Life for Rent (2003) The Corrs Talk on Corners (1997) Emeli Sandé Our Version of Events (2012) The Beach Boys 20 Golden Greats (1976) The Rolling Stones No. 2 (aka ‘Now!’) (1965) Lewis Capaldi Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent (2019) 9 weeks: The Beatles 1 (2000) Madonna The Immaculate Collection (1990) The Beatles Help! (soundtrack, 1965) Barbra Streisand Love Songs (1982) Terence Trent D’Arby Introducing the Hardline… (1987) Travis The Man Who (1999) Abba Super Trouper (1980) Stylistics Best of (1975) George Mitchell Minstrels Black and White Minstrel Show (1961) Boyzone By Request (1999) 8 weeks: Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (1968) The Beatles Rubber Soul (1965) Paul Simon Graceland (1986) Abba Gold: Greatest Hits (compilation: 1974-82, released 1992) George Harrison All Things Must Pass (1970) T-Rex Electric Warrior (1971) Sam Smith In the Lonely Hour (2014) The Rolling Stones Aftermath (1966) George Michael Ladies and Gentlemen: Best of (1998) Leona Lewis Spirit (2007) Take That Beautiful World (2006) George Mitchell Minstrels Another Black and White Minstrel Show (1961) Various Artists 20 Dynamic Hits (1972) Various Artists Now That’s What I Call Music 3 (1984) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Album Lists Based on Charts and Sales First posted 5/23/2015; last updated 12/4/2023.

Top 50 Musicals/Cast Albums of All Time

Musicals/Cast Albums: Top 50 All Time

This is an expansion of a list (Top 10 Show Tune Albums of All Time) originally posted on Dave’s Music Database Facebook page on February 21, 2010. As with most DMDB lists, this was created based on sales, chart peaks, awards, and an aggregate of lists, in this case more than 100 best-of lists focused on cast albums, musicals, soundtracks, and music-themed movies. The names before the titles indicate the composers. Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here. Check out other stage & screen lists here. 1. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II South Pacific (1949) 2. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe My Fair Lady (1956) 3. Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The Sound of Music (1959) 4. Leonard Bernstein (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) West Side Story (1957) 5. Galt MacDermot (music) with Gerome Ragni & James Rado (lyrics) Hair (1967) 6. Meredith Willson (music & lyrics) The Music Man (1957) 7. Lin-Manuel Miranda (music & lyrics) Hamilton (2015) 8. Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) with Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe (lyrics) Phantom of the Opera (1986) 9. George Gershwin (music) with Ira Gershwin & Dubose Heyward (lyrics) Porgy and Bess (1935) 10. Jerry Bock (music) & Sheldon Harnick (lyrics) Fiddler on the Roof (1964) 11. Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) 12. Elton John (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics) The Lion King (1997) 13. Cole Porter Kiss Me, Kate (1948) 14. Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Oklahoma! (1943) 15. Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Carousel (1945) 16. Stephen Sondheim Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979) 17. Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe Camelot (1960) 18. Irving Berlin (music & lyrics) Annie Get Your Gun (1946) 19. Grease (1972) 20. John Kander (music) & Fred Ebb (lyrics) Cabaret (1966) 21. Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The King and I (1951) 22. Jerome Kern (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Show Boat (1927) 23. Claude-Michel Schönberg (music) with Alain Boublil & Herbert Kretzmer (lyrics) Les Misérables (1985) 24. Jerry Herman (music & lyrics) Hello, Dolly! (1963) 25. Jonathan Larson (music & lyrics) Rent (1996) 26. John Kander (music) & Fred Ebb (lyrics) Chicago (1975) 27. Jule Styne (music) & Bob Merrill (lyrics) Funny Girl (1964) 28. Lionel Bart (music & lyrics) Oliver! (1960) 29. Frank Loesser (music & lyrics) Guys and Dolls (1950) 30. Alan Menken (music) with Howard Ashman & Tim Rice (lyrics) Beauty and the Beast (1994) 31. Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) Company (1970) 32. Marvin Hamlisch (music) & Edward Kleban (lyrics) A Chorus Line (1975) 33. Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) & Tim Rice (lyrics) Evita (1976) 34. Jule Styne (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) Gypsy (1959) 35. Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) & T.S. Eliot (lyrics) Cats (1981) 36. Trey Parker & Matt Stone with Robert Lopez (music & lyrics) The Book of Mormon (2011) 37. Charles Strouse (music) & Martin Charnin (lyrics) Annie (1977) 38. Richard O’Brien (music & lyrics) The Rocky Horror Show (1974) 39. Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics) Wicked (2003) 40. Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman Hairspray (2002) 41. Mitch Leigh & Joe Darion Man of La Mancha (1965) 42. Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe Brigadoon (1947) 43. Harry Warren (music) with Al Dubin & Johnny Mercer (lyrics) 42nd Street (1980) 44. Richard Adler (music) & Jerry Ross (lyrics) Damn Yankees (1955) 45. Pete Townshend (music & lyrics) The Who’s Tommy (1993) 46. Henry Krieger (music) & Tom Eyen (lyrics) Dreamgirls (1981) 47. Charles Strouse (music) & Lee Adams (lyrics) Bye Bye Birdie (1960) 48. Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics) Godspell (1971) 49. Alan Menken Little Shop of Horrors (1979) 50. Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) A Little Night Music (1973) Resources and Related Links: Original Facebook post (2/21/2010). “Top 10 Show Tune Albums of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “Broadway: Top 100 Songs” Dave’s Music Database: On-Screen Musicals: Top 50 Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre/category lists Dave’s Music Database “Other Stage & Screen Lists” First posted 2/21/2010; last updated 11/4/2023.

Tony Award Winners for Best Revival of a Musical

Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Musical: 1977-2019

From 1977 to 1993, the Tonys gave an award annually to the Best Revival. Musicals and non-musicals were lumped into the same category. In 1994, they were separated into two separate awards. Those musicals which won for Best Revival of a Musical or Best Revival are noted below. Check out other album of the year awards here. 2019: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Oklahoma! 2018: Stephen Flaherty (music) & Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) Once on This Island 2017: Jerry Herman (music & lyrics) Hello, Dolly! 2016: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, & Stephen Bray (music & lyrics) The Color Purple 2015: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The King and I 2014: Stephen Trask (music & lyrics) Hedwig and the Angry Inch 2013: Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics) Pippin 2012: George Gershwin (music) with Ira Gershwin & Dubose Heyward (lyrics) Porgy and Bess 2011: Cole Porter (music & lyrics) Anything Goes 2010: Jerry Herman (music & lyrics) La Cage aux Folles 2009: Galt MacDermot (music) with Gerome Ragni & James Rado (lyrics) Hair 2008: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) South Pacific 2007: Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) Company 2006: Richard Adler (music) & Jerry Ross (lyrics) The Pajama Game 2005: Jerry Herman music & lyrics) La Cage aux Folles 2004: Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) Assassins 2003: Maury Yeston (music & lyrics) Nine 2002: Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) Into the Woods 2001: Harry Warren (music) with Al Dubin & Johnny Mercer (lyrics) 42nd Street 2000: Cole Porter (music & lyrics) Kiss Me, Kate 1999: Irving Berlin (music & lyrics) Annie Get Your Gun 1998: John Kander (music) & Fred Ebb (lyrics) Cabaret 1997: John Kander (music) & Fred Ebb (lyrics) Chicago 1996: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The King and I 1995: Jerome Kern (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Show Boat 1994: Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Carousel Best Revival 1993: Anna Christie * 1992: Frank Loesser (music & lyrics) Guys and Dolls 1991: Jerry Bock (music) & Sheldon Harnick (lyrics) Fiddler on the Roof 1990: Jule Styne (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) Gypsy 1989: Our Town * 1988: Cole Porter (music & lyrics) Anything Goes 1987: All My Sons * 1986: Sweet Charity * 1985: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg * 1984: Death of a Salesman * 1983: Richard Rodgers (music) & Lorenz Hart (lyrics) On Your Toes 1982: Othello * 1981: Arthur Sullivan (music) & W.S. Gilbert (libretto) The Pirates of Penzance 1980: Morning’s at Seven * 1979: -- 1978: Dracula 1977: George Gershwin (music) with Ira Gershwin & Dubose Heyward (lyrics) Porgy and Bess * non-musicals Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” TonyAwards.com First posted 12/24/2021.

The Top 100 Soundtracks of All Time

Soundtracks: The Top 100 of All Time

This list was first posted on April 17, 2011, as a note on the Dave’s Music Database Facebook page. It has been revised a few times since then. As with most DMDB lists, this was created based on sales, chart peaks, awards, and an aggregate of lists, in this case more than 100 best-of lists focused on cast albums, musicals, soundtracks, and music-themed movies. You can click on the titles of the soundtrack for more detailed pages at DavesMusicDatabase.com. Unless noted otherwise, soundtracks are recorded by various artists. Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here. 1. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (1984) 2. Bee Gees et al Saturday Night Fever (1977) 3. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) (1965) The Sound of Music 4. Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (composers) West Side Story (1961) 5. Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta, et al Grease (1978) 6. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) South Pacific (1958) 7. Whitney Houston et al The Bodyguard (1992) 8. Dirty Dancing (1987) 9. O Brother Where Art Thou (soundtrack, 2000) 10. Curtis Mayfield Superfly (1972) 11. Richard and Robert Sherman (composers) Mary Poppins (1964) 12. Elton John and Tim Rice (composers) The Lion King (1994) 13. James Horner Titanic (1997) 14. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) The King and I (1956) 15. American Graffiti (1973) 16. Frozen (2013) 17. The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (1964) 18. Jimmy Cliff et al The Harder They Come (1972) 19. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) Oklahoma! (1955) 20. Al Jolson Songs He Made Famous (1946) 21. Eminem et al 8 Mile (2002) 22. High School Musical (TV soundtrack, 2006) 23. Footloose (1984) 24. Woodstock (recorded live 1969, released 1970) 25. Whitney Houston et al Waiting to Exhale (1995) 26. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (composers) My Fair Lady (1964) 27. Talking Heads Stop Making Sense (live, recorded 1983, released 1984) 28. Mario Lanza The Student Prince (1954) 29. George & Ira Gershwin (composers) An American in Paris (1951) 30. Madonna et al Evita (1996) 31. Flashdance (1983) 32. Elvis Presley Blue Hawaii (1961) 33. Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (1959) 34. Top Gun (1986) 35. Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, & Herbert Stothart (composers) The Wizard of Oz (1939) 36. Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) Show Boat (1951) 37. Pulp Fiction (1994) 38. The Band The Last Waltz (live, recorded 1976; released April 1978) 39. Earth, Wind & Fire That’s the Way of the World (1975) 40. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (composers) Gigi (1958) 41. John Kander & Fred Ebb (composers) Chicago (2003) 42. Alan Menken & Howard Ashman (composers) Beauty and the Beast (1997) 43. Simon & Garfunkel The Graduate (1968) 44. Forrest Gump (1994) 45. Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick (composers) Fiddler on the Roof (1971) 46. Elvis Presley G.I. Blues (1960) 47. Moulin Rouge (2001) 48. John Kander & Fred Ebb (composers) Cabaret (1972) 49. Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) Carousel (1956) 50. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, & Richard Stilgoe (composers) Phantom of the Opera (2004) 51. High School Musical 2 (TV soundtrack, 2007) 52. Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed (composers) Singin’ in the Rain (1952) 53. Isaac Hayes Shaft (1971) 54. The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers (1980) 55. Irving Berlin (composer) Annie Get Your Gun (1950) 56. Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice (composers) Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) 57. Meredith Willson (composer) The Music Man (1962) 58. The Beatles Help! (1965) 59. Jane Froman With a Song in My Heart (1952) 60. Prince & the Revolution Parade (Under the Cherry Moon soundtrack, 1986) 61. Henry Mancini Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) 62. Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus (composers) Mamma Mia! (2008) 63. Cole Porter (composer) Kiss Me, Kate (1954) 64. Spinal Tap This Is Spinal Tap (1984) 65. Richard O’Brien (composer) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) 66. Elvis Presley Loving You (1957) 67. Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni, & James Rado (composers) Hair (cast album, 1967) 68. Frank Churchill (composer) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) 69. John Williams (composer) Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977) 70. Al Jolson Souvenir Album (1947) 71. Lionel Bart (composer) Oliver! (1968) 72. The Commitments The Commitments (1991) 73. Miami Vice (TV soundtrack, 1985) 74. Almost Famous (2000) 75. Stephen Sondheim (composer) Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2008) 76. Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, & Tim Rice Aladdin (1992) 77. Jonathan Larson (composer) Rent (2005) 78. Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman Hairspray (2002) 79. Jule Styne & Bob Merrill (composers), Barbara Streisand (performer) Funny Girl (1968) 80. Prince Batman (1989) 81. Exodus (1961) 82. Elvis Presley King Creole (1958) 83. Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu (1980) 84. Doris Day Love Me or Leave Me (1955) 85. Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova as The Swell Season Once (2007) 86. Around the World in 80 Days (1957) 87. Glee Cast Volume 3 Showstoppers (2010) 88. Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson A Star Is Born (1976) 89. Danny Kaye Hans Christian Andersen (1953) 90. Baz Luhrmann (composer) Romeo + Juliet (1996) 91. Bad Boys II (2003) 92. Coyote Ugly (2000) 93. Mario Lanza The Great Caruso (1951) 94. Garden State (2004) 95. Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart (composers) Pal Joey (1957) 96. Three Little Words (1950) 97. Madonna I’m Breathless (1990) 98. Neil Diamond The Jazz Singer (1980) 99. Maurice Jarre Doctor Zhivago (1966) 100. Harry Warren & Al Dubin (composers) 42nd Street (1933) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre/category lists Facebook (4/17/2011). “The Top 50 Soundtracks Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 50 Musicals/Cast Albums of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 50 Music Movies of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “The Top 1000 Albums of All Time” First posted 4/17/2011; last updated 12/19/2021.

The Biggest #1 Albums in U.S. Chart History

First posted 11/15/2010; updated 8/3/2020.

U.S.A.: Top 100+ #1 Albums

This is a list of the #1 albums of all time according to the Billboard charts. All albums which spent nine weeks or more on top of the chart are included, making for just over 100 albums. Albums are listed in order of most weeks at #1. In the event of ties (of which there are many), the album ranking highest in Dave’s Music Database is listed first and so on. Also, the year listed is when the album was released or first charted. Consequently, it may not indicate the actual year or years in which the album peaked at #1. This list was originally posted on Facebook on 11/15/2010 and then at DavesMusicDatabase.com on 2/4/2012. Also, check out annual picks for album of the year. 69 weeks: South Pacific (cast album, 1949) 54 weeks: West Side Story (soundtrack, 1961) 42 weeks: Mario Lanza The Student Prince (soundtrack, 1954) 39 weeks: Bing Crosby Merry Christmas (aka ‘White Christmas’) (1945) 37 weeks: Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) 31 weeks: Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977) South Pacific (soundtrack, 1958) Harry Belafonte Calypso (1956) 25 weeks: Al Jolson Songs He Made Famous (1947) Jane Froman With a Song in My Heart (1952) 24 weeks: Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (soundtrack, 1984) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977) 23 weeks: Adele 21 (2011) Jackie Gleason Music for Lovers Only (1952) 21 weeks: M.C. Hammer Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em (1990) 20 weeks: Various artists (Whitney Houston et al) The Bodyguard (soundtrack, 1992) Elvis Presley Blue Hawaii (soundtrack, 1961) 19 weeks: Show Boat (soundtrack, 1951) Mario Lanza The Great Caruso (soundtrack, 1951) 18 weeks: Dirty Dancing (soundtrack, 1987) Garth Brooks Ropin’ the Wind (1991) The Monkees More of the Monkees (1967) 17 weeks: The Police Synchronicity (1983) Billy Ray Cyrus Some Gave All (1992) Danny Kaye Hans Christian Andersen (1953) Doris Day Love Me or Leave Me (1955) 16 weeks: Titanic (soundtrack, 1997) Glenn Miller Glenn Miller and His Orchestra (1945) An American in Paris (soundtrack, 1951) The Sound of Music (cast album, 1959) Vanilla Ice To the Extreme (1990) Andy Williams Days of Wine and Roses (1963) 15 weeks: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Pink Floyd The Wall (1979) Carole King Tapestry (1971) My Fair Lady (cast album, 1956) Men at Work Business as Usual (1981) REO Speedwagon Hi Infidelity (1980) The Kingston Trio At Large (1959) Eddie Fisher I’m in the Mood for Love (1952) 14 weeks: Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976) The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night (soundtrack, 1964) Whitney Houston Whitney Houston (1985) Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962) Mary Poppins (soundtrack, 1964) Exodus (soundtrack, 1961) Bob Newhart The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1960) Al Jolson Volume Three (1948) 13 weeks: Hair (cast album, 1967) Frozen (soundtrack, 2013) Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961) Drake Views (2016) The Monkees The Monkees (1966) Enoch Light with Terry Snyder & the All Stars Persuasive Percussion (1960) 12 weeks: Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995) Grease (soundtrack, 1978) George Michael Faith (1987) Santana Supernatural (1999) The Music Man (cast album, 1957) Henry Mancini Breakfast at Tiffany’s (soundtrack, 1961) Vaughn Meader The First Family (1962) The King Cole Trio The King Cole Trio (1945) The Kingston Trio Sold Out (1960) 11 weeks: The Beatles Abbey Road (1969) The Beatles Meet the Beatles! (1964) Whitney Houston Whitney (1987) Taylor Swift Fearless (2008) Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (1990) Taylor Swift 1989 (2014) Miami Vice (TV soundtrack, 1985) Three Little Words (soundtrack, 1950) Doris Day with Harry James & His Orchestra Young Man with a Horn (soundtrack, 1950) Lawrence Welk Calcutta! (1961) Glenn Milller Plays Selections from the Film ‘The Glenn Miller Story’ (1954) 10 weeks: Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) Elton John Greatest Hits (1974) Peter Frampton Frampton Comes Alive! (1975) Elvis Presley Elvis Presley (aka ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’) (1956) Adele 25 (2015) Backstreet Boys Millenium (1999) Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack, 1959) Footloose (soundtrack, 1984) Paula Abdul Forever Your Girl (1988) The Lion King (soundtrack, 1994) Elvis Presley G.I. Blues (soundtrack, 1960) Foreigner 4 (1981) Gigi (soundtrack, 1958) Elvis Presley Loving You (soundtrack, 1957) Al Jolson Souvenir Album (1947) Kiss Me, Kate (cast album, 1948) Around the World in 80 Days (soundtrack, 1957) Glenn Miller The Glenn Miller Story (soundtrack, 1954) The Singing Nun The Singing Nun (1963) The Kingston Trio String Along (1960) 9 weeks: The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (1968) U2 The Joshua Tree (1987) Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985) Creedence Clearwater Revival Cosmo’s Factory (1970) The Beatles Help! (soundtrack, 1965) Janis Joplin Pearl (1971) Usher Confessions (2004) The Beatles Beatles ‘65 (1964) No Doubt Tragic Kingdom (1995) Asia Asia (1982) Eagles The Long Run (1979) The Rolling Stones Tattoo You (1981) John (Cougar) Mellencamp American Fool (1982) Simon & Garfunkel The Graduate (soundtrack, 1968) Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass What Now My Love (1966) Chicago Chicago V (1972) Frank Sinatra Nice ‘N Easy (1960) various artists Stars for a Summer Night (1961)

Dave's Music Database Hall of Fame: Album Inductees (Feb. 2020)

Originally posted 2/22/2020. January 22, 2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the DMDB blog. To honor that, Dave’s Music Database announced its own Hall of Fame. This month marks the fifth batch of album inductees. As of August 4, 2020, there were only 56 albums to spend 250 or more weeks on the Billboard album chart (“The Longest-Charting Albums in U.S. Chart History”). Of those albums, only 19 spent four or more weeks at #1. Seven of those have already been inducted: Adele 21 (2011), Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977), Michael Jackson Thriller (1982), Carole King Tapestry (1971) , and the South Pacific cast album (1949). That leaves 13 albums to be inducted this month. See the full list of album inductees here.

The Beatles Abbey Road (1969) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

While not their final release, this marked the last time the Fab Four worked together in the studio. The Beatles were “exhausted and angry with one another after the disastrous sessions for the aborted Get Back LP.” RS500 Even their producer, “the normallly unruffled” George Martin, said “I don’t want to be part of this anymore.” JI However, when Paul McCartney suggested they make a Beatles’ record “like we used to” JI “the group reconvened at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios” RS500 to create what would be their “most polished and crafted long player” TL and “the best sounding Beatles’ record.” JI Read more.

The Beatles 1 (compilation: 1962-70, released 2001) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

When this single-disc collection emerged over 30 years after the band’s finale, it proved there was still a market for their songs as the collection spent eight weeks atop the Billboard charts and sold more than 30 million copies. The set gathered the 27 songs which peaked atop the U.K. and/or U.S. charts, meaning fans could get a one-sitting overview of the Beatles from their beginnings from early hits like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You” to mid-career hits like “Yesterday” and latter hits like “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be.” Read more.

Eagles Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (compilation: 1971-75, released 1976) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

This wasn’t just the “first album ever certified platinum;” WR1 but the best-selling album in the U.S. in the 20th century WK1 with sales now estimated over 40 million. This collection gathered nine singles and the album-cut “Desperado” from the band’s first four albums. By the time the band recorded their fifth album, they’d become more of a rock act, but this set showcases their more country-pop leanings like “Tequila Sunrise” and “Lyin’ Eyes” as well as #1 pop hits “Best of My Love” and “One of These Nights.” Band member Don Henley didn’t like the songs taken out of the context of their original albums, WK1 but this makes for “a collection consistent in mood and identity” WK that “works so much better than the band’s previous discs [that it] practically makes them redundant.” WR1 Read more.

Eminem The Eminem Show (2002) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

After exploring the deliberately-shocking alter ego Slim Shady and delving more into his past as Marshall Mathers, Eminem put his public persona front and center on this collection. He “spends much of the album commenting on the media circus that dominated…his life” STE and familiar topics such as “his troubled childhood; his hatred of his parents; his turbulent relationship with his ex-wife, Kim…; his love of his daughter, Hailie; and, of course, all the controversy he generated, notably the furor over his alleged homophobia.” STE Eminem proves “to be one of the all-time classic MCs, surprising as much with his delivery as with what he says.” STE Read more.

Eminem Recovery (2010) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

Critic Robert Christgau says this is Eminem at “his most confessional” WK although detractors argued “that being privy to the man’s therapy sessions just isn’t compelling anymore.” DJ Entertainment Weekly’s Simon Vozick-Levinson said, “Eminem’s lyrical craftsmanship is second to none…and there are flashes of new maturity.” WK This album made Eminem the first artist to have four albums debut atop the Billboard album chart with over 700,000 copies. “Not Afraid,” the album’s lead single, was only the second rap song to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was followed to the pinnacle by “Love the Way You Lie,” a duet with Rihanna. Read more.

Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (composers) My Fair Lady (cast, 1956) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

My Fair Lady is “the crowning achievement” AZ for Lerner and Loewe. It has been called “the most perfect stage musical ever.” CL This was an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, a story about “the mythic Greek figure who falls in love with his sculpture.” TM Rex Harrison is “effortlessly charming” ZS as Professor Henry Higgins and Julie Andrews was a “twenty-year-old revelation” ZS as “Eliza Doolittle, who aspires to a better accent and the social advantages that will come with it.” R-S Its Broadway run of 2717 performances from 1956 to 1962 was the longest run in history for a major musical at that time. W-M Read more.

Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (composers) Camelot (cast album, 1960) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

Lerner & Loewe turned to the legend of King Arthur, specifically T.H. White’s novel The Once and Future King, for this 1960 musical. The show “has it all – a beautiful English princess swept off her feet by a shy, but passionate bachelor king; an ardent French knight, torn between devotion to his liege and an uncontrollable hunger, reciprocated, to be sure, for the king’s tempestuous wife.” WK-C “The advance sale for the show was the largest in Broadway history.” WK-C It starred Richard Burton (Arthur) and Julie Andrews (Guinevere) and introduced Robert Goulet as Lancelot in his first Broadway role and won four Tony Awards. Read more.

Johnny Mathis Heavenly (1959) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

This was the most successful studio album from Mathis, marking a return to ballads with orchestral accompaniment. All Music Guide’s William Ruhlmann called it “the epitome of Mathis’s approach to music.” WK The highlight of this collection of standards was “Misty,” a top ten R&B hit which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Read more.

Metallica Metallica (aka ‘The Black Album’) (1991) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

Prior to their eponymous 1991 release (nicknamed The Black Album for its monochromatic cover), Metallica “wrote scathing diatribes about such topics as our desensitized society and the horrors of drug addiction, signed with a major record label, and then watched millions of kids buy these spewings, all without the benefit of one hummable melody.” EW For this effort, the band tapped Bob Rock, who had produced Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe, to give them “crisp, professional production” AMG and add “a previously nonexistent warmth and depth to their sound.” GW The group “slowed down the tempos, streamlined the arrangements” GW and the band plays actual hooks.” EW Read more.

Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) Oklahoma! (soundtrack, 1955) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

Oklahoma! was the first collaboration between Rodgers and Hammerstein. They “turned out an exuberant, tuneful score in which all the songs grew out of the characters and the situations, an unusual approach in musical theater, where songs often had little relationship to the action.” RC The show’s five-year run made it the longest-running musical in Broadway history up to that time. More than a dozen years later, Rodgers & Hammerstein oversaw a film version, assuring “it would be more faithful than most Hollywood treatments.” RS Compared to the cast recording, the soundtrack has “a bigger, broader interpretation and has continued to sound impressive over the decades.” RS Read more.

Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) South Pacific (soundtrack, 1958) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

The cast album for South Pacific was one of the first twelve DMDB Hall of Fame album inductees. It was the biggest album of the 1940s, spending 69 weeks at #1 and 400 weeks on the chart. That set the bar incredibly high for the soundtrack to the 1958 movie. However, it reached similar lofty status with 262 weeks on the chart, 31 at the pinnacle. The album is also the biggest #1 in the history of the UK charts with 115 weeks on top. Read more.

Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) The Sound of Music (cast album, 1959) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

The Sound of Music was the final work for the famous musical theater team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. “The ‘based on a true story’ plot concerned an aspiring nun who becomes a governess in pre-World War II Austria” WR-C for “a wealthy naval captain with seven children,” WR-S “only to marry the children’s father and flee with the family from the Nazis.” WR-C The cast album spent an astonishing 70 weeks atop the UK charts and 16 in the U.S. Read more.

Taylor Swift 1989 (2014) Inducted February 2020 as “Album with 4+ weeks at #1 and 250+ chart weeks.”

This was Taylor Swift’s second Grammy-winner for Album of the Year, after 2010’s Fearless. Inspired by the synthpop of the late ‘80s, this completed her transition from country music. It was her third album to sell over a million copies in its first week, making her the first artist to do so. WK The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis said the album is full of “undeniable melodies and huge, perfectly turned choruses and nagging hooks.” WK The public agreed, sending three songs to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (“Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” and “Bad Blood”) and two more into the top ten (“Style,” “Wildest Dreams”). Read more.