Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time logs its 48th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (dated May 25), which ups Wallen’s career tally of weeks at No. 1 to 147 – a total topped by only one artist in the chart’s more than 60-year history. You can probably guess who it is, but we’re going to make you scroll through the list to find out for sure.
Wallen’s achievement is especially impressive because he has amassed this hefty total of weeks at No. 1 in such a short amount of time: He first topped the chart on Aug. 15, 2020.
Top Country Albums originated as Hot Country Albums in the Jan. 11, 1964 issue of Billboard. Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire (The Best of Johnny Cash) headed the inaugural chart. The compilation was well-timed: “Ring of Fire” had headed Hot Country Songs for seven weeks the previous summer and had crossed over to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The chart was named Hot Country LP’s from 1968 to 1984, when vinyl LPs were king.
Twenty-one artists have logged 50 or more weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Male solo artists dominate, as you might expect, though three female solo artists have achieved the feat, as have two groups. (One of those groups is an all-female group.) Only one Black artist has amassed 50 or more weeks at No. 1, though that may change as country becomes more inclusive.
Here’s a look at all artists who have topped Top Country Albums for 50 or more weeks.