Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 2012, 17 different albums topped the chart; placings were based on electronic point of sale data from retail outlets.
In the issue of Billboard dated January 7, the band Lady Antebellum held the top spot with Own the Night, the album's sixth week in the top spot. It occupied the peak position for the first four weeks of 2012 before being displaced by Toby Keith's Clancy's Tavern and subsequently returned to number one for a further four weeks beginning in the issue dated March 3. It tied for the highest total number of weeks spent at number one during the year with Taylor Swift's Red, which reached number one in the issue of Billboard dated November 10 and remained there for the final eight weeks of the year. The album would prove to be Swift's last entry on the Top Country Albums chart for nearly a decade, as she moved away from the country music genre with her subsequent releases. Carrie Underwood came closest to matching the two acts' time at number one, spending seven non-consecutive weeks atop the listing with Blown Away.
Three acts reached number one in 2012 for the first time, beginning with Lionel Richie, who topped the chart in April with Tuskegee, only the second album of his 30-year solo career to enter the country albums listing. Throughout his career with the Commodores and as a solo artist, spanning five decades, Richie was initially associated with the soul genre and later known for pop ballads, but in 2012 he recorded Tuskegee, an album of duets with country singers, which was a success on both the pop and country charts. In late August, country-rap artist Colt Ford reached the top spot for the first time with Declaration of Independence, and two weeks later Dustin Lynch made his first appearance at number one with his self-titled debut album. Lynch, along with fellow 2012 chart-toppers Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, was associated with the so-called bro-country style, an emerging sub-genre which incorporated influences from rock music and hip hop and often featured lyrics relating to partying, attractive young women, and pick-up trucks.
Chart history
Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 7 | Own the Night | Lady Antebellum | |
January 14 | |||
January 21 | |||
January 28 | |||
February 4 | Clancy's Tavern | Toby Keith | |
February 11 | Emotional Traffic | Tim McGraw | |
February 18 | |||
February 25 | Home | Dierks Bentley | |
March 3 | Own the Night | Lady Antebellum | |
March 10 | |||
March 17 | |||
March 24 | |||
March 31 | Tailgates & Tanlines | Luke Bryan | |
April 7 | |||
April 14 | Tuskegee | Lionel Richie | |
April 21 | Changed | Rascal Flatts | |
April 28 | Tuskegee | Lionel Richie | |
May 5 | |||
May 12 | |||
May 19 | Blown Away | Carrie Underwood | |
May 26 | |||
June 2 | |||
June 9 | |||
June 16 | |||
June 23 | Thirty Miles West | Alan Jackson | |
June 30 | Punching Bag | Josh Turner | |
July 7 | Welcome to the Fishbowl | Kenny Chesney | |
July 14 | |||
July 21 | |||
July 28 | Uncaged | Zac Brown Band | |
August 4 | |||
August 11 | |||
August 18 | |||
August 25 | Declaration of Independence | Colt Ford | |
September 1 | Uncaged | Zac Brown Band | |
September 8 | Dustin Lynch | Dustin Lynch | |
September 15 | Blown Away | Carrie Underwood | |
September 22 | |||
September 29 | Tornado | Little Big Town | |
October 6 | |||
October 13 | |||
October 20 | |||
October 27 | |||
November 3 | Night Train | Jason Aldean | |
November 10 | Red | Taylor Swift | |
November 17 | |||
November 24 | |||
December 1 | |||
December 8 | |||
December 15 | |||
December 22 | |||
December 29 |
References
- "Billboard's Genre Album Charts Will Now Incorporate Streams & Track Sales". Billboard. January 26, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for January 7, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Taylor Swift Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Taylor Swift Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- "Lionel Richie Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- Huey, Steve. "Lionel Richie Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tuskegee – Lionel Richie". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- Jeffries, David. "Colt Ford Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- "Colt Ford Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ^ Leggett, Steve. "Dustin Lynch Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- Boesveld, Sarah. "The New Country". National Post. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- McClellan, Laura (July 1, 2017). "So Long Bro: Chase Rice Rejects Bro-Country Past With New Label + Album". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 14, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 21, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 28, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 4, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 11, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 18, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 25, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 3, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 10, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 17, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 24, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 31, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 7, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 14, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 21, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 28, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 5, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 12, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 19, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 26, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 2, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 9, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 16, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 23, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 30, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 7, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 14, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 21, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 28, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 4, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 11, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 18, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 25, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 1, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 8, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 15, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 22, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 29, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 6, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 13, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 20, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 27, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 3, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 10, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 17, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 24, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 1, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 8, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 15, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 22, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 29, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
Billboard number-one country albums | |
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1964–1979 | |
1980–1999 | |
2000–2019 | |
2020–present |