With her most recent album release – “The Life of a Showgirl” – Taylor Swift has occupied the number one spot on the Billboard Album 20 chart for the past 12 weeks.  Swift’s loyal fans are quick to snap up any new album and send it to the top of the charts.  Swift holds the record for the most by a solo artist, but how does she stack up when it comes to the most weeks with an album in the number one spot throughout the history of the Billboard Album chart???

Using 30 weeks with a number one album as the starting point, here is a list of the artists that topped the album chart during their career beginning with the very first Billboard Album 200 chart on March 24, 1956. Ties are listed in alphabetical order.

Mariah Carey – 30 weeks
Eagles – 30 weeks
Prince – 35 weeks ( the soundtrack for “Purple Rain” spent 24 weeks at number one)
Eminem – 35 weeks
Harry Belafonte – 37 weeks (his album “Calypso spent 31 weeks at number one)
Drake – 37 weeks (holds the record for Hip-Hop artist and Canadian with the most weeks at number one)
The Monkees – 37 weeks
Fleetwood Mac – 38 weeks (their album “Rumours” spent 31 weeks at number one – longest in the 70’s)
The Rolling Stones – 38 weeks
Elton John – 39 weeks
Adele – 40 weeks ( her album “21” spent 24 weeks at number one – most by an artist not born in the U.S. and more weeks at number one by a female artist from 1956 to 2025)
Morgan Wallen – 41 weeks (“One Thing at a Time” spent 19 weeks at number one – the most of any country artist in Album 200 history)
Whitney Houston – 46 weeks (the soundtrack for “The Bodyguard” spent 20 weeks at number one)
The Kingston Trio – 46 weeks
Michael Jackson – 51 weeks (“Thriller” spent 37 weeks at number one)
Garth Brooks – 52 weeks
Elvis Presley – 67 weeks (the soundtrack for “Blue Hawaii” spent 20 weeks at number one)
Taylor Swift – 98 weeks (Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album spent 17 weeks at number one)
The Beatles – 132 weeks