As part of its ongoing recap of the first 25 years of the 21st Century, Billboard has compiled a chart of its Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century. It’s based on chart performance from 2000 through the end of 2024, and as you might imagine, Taylor Swift features prominently on it, but she’s not number one.
According to Billboard, the #1 album of the past 25 years is Morgan Wallen‘s 2021 release Dangerous: The Double Album, having spent 158 weeks in the top 10. It was also the first album ever to spend its first 10 weeks at #1 since Whitney Houston‘s Whitney in 1987. Morgan’s most recent album, One Thing at a Time, ranks #6 on Billboard‘s chart.
Adele‘s 21, meanwhile, is #2 on the chart. Released in 2011, it spent 24 nonconsecutive weeks at #1 — the most of any album in the 21st century. It also holds the record for the most weeks on top by a woman since the album chart started in 1956. Taylor’s 2008 album, Fearless, is #3, having spent 11 weeks on top.
Taylor’s album 1989, meanwhile, is #4 on the chart. Released in 2014, the singer’s first fully pop album spent 11 weeks at #1 and spent more than 500 weeks in total on the chart, spinning off three #1 hits — the most of any of her albums.
Morgan’s “I Had Some Help” duet partner, Post Malone, is #7 with his 2019 album, Hollywood’s Bleeding. It spent five weeks on top and produced five top-10 hits. Nickelback‘s 2005 album, All the Right Reasons, which produced six hit singles, is at #9.
Lady Gaga‘s 2008 debut, The Fame, is #10, having spent nearly 400 weeks on the chart. It produced two #1 hits.
Here’s the full top 10:
1. Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album
2. Adele, 21
3. Taylor Swift, Fearless
4. Taylor Swift, 1989
5. Hamilton soundtrack
6. Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time
7. Post Malone, Hollywood’s Bleeding
8. Lil Baby, My Turn
9. Nickelback, All The Right Reasons
10. Lady Gaga, The Fame
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