Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1991, four different albums topped the chart; with effect from the issue dated May 25, Billboard changed its methodology for compiling the chart, basing it on electronic point of sale data provided by SoundScan Inc. rather than the method used since the chart's instigation of relying on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide.
In 1991, the top of the chart was dominated almost completely by Garth Brooks, who was at number one for 46 weeks of the year. Brooks had reached number one for the first time in October of the previous year with No Fences. Having been displaced by Put Yourself in My Shoes by Clint Black, the album returned to the top spot in February 1991 and remained atop the chart for 14 consecutive weeks. After one week out of the peak position, it returned to number one and remained there for a further 18 weeks. Its final total of 41 weeks at number one made it the second-longest-running Top Country Albums number one to date. When it was finally displaced from the top spot, it was by Brooks's next album, Ropin' the Wind, which went straight into the chart at number one in the issue of Billboard dated September 28, beginning a run of 29 consecutive weeks atop the chart. In the same week it became the first country album to debut at number one on the all-genres Billboard 200 Top Albums chart.
In addition to his success on the country charts, Brooks experienced a level of mainstream popularity and success in the early 1990s unprecedented for a country artist; by the end of 1991 No Fences was recognized as the highest-selling country album of all time, and by 2019 it had sold 17 million copies. Brooks is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America as the best-selling solo albums artist in the United States of any genre with more than 130 million domestic units sold by 2015, second only to the Beatles in overall album sales. The only other artist to top the chart in 1991 was Dolly Parton, who spent a single week in the top spot in May with Eagle When She Flies. Although she had topped the chart in 1987 with a collaborative album with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, Eagle When She Flies was Parton's first solo album for more than 10 years to reach number one. Its single week atop the chart interrupted what would otherwise have been a 14-month hold by Brooks on the number-one position.
Chart history
Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 5 | Put Yourself in My Shoes | Clint Black | |
January 12 | |||
January 19 | |||
January 26 | |||
February 2 | |||
February 9 | No Fences | Garth Brooks | |
February 16 | |||
February 23 | |||
March 2 | |||
March 9 | |||
March 16 | |||
March 23 | |||
March 30 | |||
April 6 | |||
April 13 | |||
April 20 | |||
April 27 | |||
May 4 | |||
May 11 | |||
May 18 | Eagle When She Flies | Dolly Parton | |
May 25 | No Fences | Garth Brooks | |
June 1 | |||
June 8 | |||
June 15 | |||
June 22 | |||
June 29 | |||
July 6 | |||
July 13 | |||
July 20 | |||
July 27 | |||
August 3 | |||
August 10 | |||
August 17 | |||
August 24 | |||
August 31 | |||
September 7 | |||
September 14 | |||
September 21 | |||
September 28 | Ropin' the Wind | ||
October 5 | |||
October 12 | |||
October 19 | |||
October 26 | |||
November 2 | |||
November 9 | |||
November 16 | |||
November 23 | |||
November 30 | |||
December 7 | |||
December 14 | |||
December 21 | |||
December 28 |
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 40. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for September 28, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- Trust, Gary (September 27, 2019). "Rewinding the Charts: In 1991, Garth Brooks Lassoed History". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Garth Brooks Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- Thompson, Gayle (October 24, 2019). "28 Years Ago: Garth Brooks' 'No Fences' Makes Country Music History". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- Betts, Stephen L. (January 13, 2015). "Garth Brooks Surpasses Elvis Presley in Album Sales... Again". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 190. ISBN 9780898201734.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 337. ISBN 9780898201734.
- "Country Albums chart for January 5, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 12, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 19, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 26, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 2, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 9, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 16, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 23, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 2, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 9, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 16, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 23, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 30, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 6, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 13, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 20, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 27, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 4, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 11, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 18, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 25, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 1, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 8, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 15, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 22, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 29, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 6, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 13, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 20, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 27, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 3, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 10, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 17, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 24, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 31, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 7, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 14, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 21, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 5, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 12, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 19, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 26, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 2, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 9, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 16, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 23, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 30, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 7, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 14, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 21, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 28, 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
Billboard number-one country albums | |
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1964–1979 | |
1980–1999 | |
2000–2019 | |
2020–present |