Top Country Albums

Singer Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash had the first number one on the country albums chart.

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.

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

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. Since February 2017 the chart has been "based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums)".

Chart records

Albums with most weeks at number one

Singer Morgan Wallen
Three of the five longest-running number ones on the chart are albums by Morgan Wallen.
Singer Luke Combs
Luke Combs has had two albums spend over 30 weeks at number one.

The following albums have spent more than 30 weeks at number one, as of the chart dated October 31, 2026:

Weeks First year
at number one		 Artist Album Ref.
972021Morgan WallenDangerous: The Double Album
872023One Thing at a Time
501997Shania TwainCome On Over
2017Luke CombsThis One's for You
2025Morgan WallenI'm the Problem
431987Randy TravisAlways & Forever
411990Garth BrooksNo Fences
372019Luke CombsWhat You See Is What You Get
36 1999Dixie ChicksFly
352000Original soundtrackO Brother, Where Art Thou?
2008Taylor SwiftFearless
341992Billy Ray CyrusSome Gave All
331991Garth BrooksRopin' The Wind
312010Lady AntebellumNeed You Now

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

The following acts have had more than 15 number ones as of the chart dated October 31, 2026:

Number ones First year
at number one		 Artist Ref.
271984George Strait
181975Willie Nelson
171990Garth Brooks
2000Kenny Chesney
1994Tim McGraw
161966Merle Haggard

Artists with most cumulative weeks at number one

Singer Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks has spent a total of more than three years at number one.

The followings acts have achieved at least 50 weeks at number one, as of the chart dated October 31, 2026.

Weeks at
number one		ArtistSource
236Morgan Wallen
173Garth Brooks
125Alabama
101Willie Nelson
Taylor Swift
99Kenny Rogers
97Shania Twain
89Luke Combs
85Charley Pride
80Randy Travis
76Tim McGraw
Waylon Jennings
73The Chicks
61George Strait
60Buck Owens
57Johnny Cash
51Glen Campbell
Merle Haggard
Eddy Arnold
50LeAnn Rimes
Kenny Chesney

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

The following artists have garnered the most consecutive number one albums on the Top Country Albums chart.

ArtistConsecutive
number ones		Source
Kenny Chesney12
Carrie Underwood9
Garth Brooks8
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift
Miranda Lambert7

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Morgan Wallen". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  4. 1 2 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.
  5. 1 2 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.
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 336. ISBN 9780898201734.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 337. ISBN 9780898201734.
  8. 1 2 "Luke Combs". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  9. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 338. ISBN 9780898201734.
  10. 1 2 "Taylor Swift". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  11. ↑ "11 Years Ago: Lady A Release 'Need You Now' Album". The Boot. Townsquare Media. January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  12. 1 2 "George Strait". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  13. ↑ Cerio, Michael (April 10, 2019). "George Strait scores his 27th number one album". AOL. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Willie Nelson". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Garth Brooks". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Kenny Chesney". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Tim McGraw". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Merle Haggard". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Alabama". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Kenny Rogers". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Shania Twain". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Charley Pride". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Randy Travis". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Waylon Jennings". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  25. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 81. ISBN 9780898201734.
  26. ↑ "Country Albums chart for August 8, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Buck Owens". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Johnny Cash". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  29. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
  30. ↑ "Eddy Arnold". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  31. ↑ "LeAnn Rimes". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Carrie Underwood 'My Savior' debuts at No 1". The Music Universe. 2021-04-06. Retrieved 2021-04-08.