Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1978, eight different albums topped the chart, which was at the time published under the title Top Country LP's, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide.
In the issue of Billboard dated January 7, Dolly Parton was at number one with her album Here You Come Again, its third week in the top spot. The album remained at number one through the issue dated February 18 for a final total of nine weeks atop the chart. Parton would return to the top of the listing in September with Heartbreaker, which also spent nine consecutive weeks at number one. At the time, Parton's music was increasingly being targeted at the pop music market; Heartbreaker in particular was more pop-focused than her previous recordings and two of its tracks even received disco remixes which were popular in nightclubs. Dottie West was the only other female artist to reach number one during the year, when she collaborated with Kenny Rogers on Every Time Two Fools Collide, which topped the listing in May. West had first entered the country albums chart in 1965 but had never previously reached number one, and indeed had not entered the top ten for over a decade, but her collaboration with the popular Rogers gave her her first chart-topping album as well as her first number one on the country singles chart.
In March, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson topped the chart with their collaborative album Waylon & Willie, which spent 11 non-consecutive weeks at number one. The two artists were among the most prominent members of the outlaw country movement, which rejected the slick production values evident in popular country music of the early 1970s and added a rock music influence and a counterculture attitude. Both singers also had solo number ones during the year. In June, Nelson displaced the joint album from the top spot with his solo release Stardust. The album was an unexpected departure for Nelson, as it consisted entirely of pop standards and incorporated pop and jazz styles, in contrast to his outlaw country recordings. Executives at his record label were convinced that making the album was a bad decision on the part of Nelson, but it went on to become a multi-million seller and remain on the country albums chart for more than ten years. It would ultimately be certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Nelson's fellow outlaw artist Jennings had the final chart-topper of 1978 with I've Always Been Crazy, which spent the last eight weeks of the year at number one.
Chart history
Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 7 | Here You Come Again | Dolly Parton | |
January 14 | |||
January 21 | |||
January 28 | |||
February 4 | |||
February 11 | |||
February 18 | |||
February 25 | Waylon & Willie | Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson | |
March 4 | |||
March 11 | |||
March 18 | |||
March 25 | |||
April 1 | |||
April 8 | |||
April 15 | Ten Years of Gold | Kenny Rogers | |
April 22 | |||
April 29 | Waylon & Willie | Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson | |
May 6 | |||
May 13 | |||
May 20 | Every Time Two Fools Collide | Kenny Rogers and Dottie West | |
May 27 | |||
June 3 | Waylon & Willie | Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson | |
June 10 | Stardust | Willie Nelson | |
June 17 | |||
June 24 | |||
July 1 | |||
July 8 | |||
July 15 | |||
July 22 | |||
July 29 | |||
August 5 | |||
August 12 | |||
August 19 | |||
August 26 | Love or Something Like It | Kenny Rogers | |
September 2 | |||
September 9 | Heartbreaker | Dolly Parton | |
September 16 | |||
September 23 | |||
September 30 | |||
October 7 | |||
October 14 | |||
October 21 | |||
October 28 | |||
November 4 | |||
November 11 | I've Always Been Crazy | Waylon Jennings | |
November 18 | |||
November 25 | |||
December 2 | |||
December 9 | |||
December 16 | |||
December 23 | |||
December 30 |
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for January 7, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- Johnson, Zac. "Heartbreaker – Dolly Parton". AllMusic. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 269. ISBN 9780898201734.
- Ankeny, Jason. "Dottie West Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- Morrison, Craig. "Outlaw music". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Stardust – Willie Nelson". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- Whitaker, Sterling (January 9, 2020). "Remember When Willie Nelson Proved his Record Company Wrong with 'Stardust'?". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- Thompson, Gayle; Zaleski, Annie (August 13, 2019). "31 Years Ago: 'Stardust' Spends 10 Years on the Billboard Charts". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- Hermes, Will (September 21, 2018). "Review: Willie Nelson's Understated Standards Set 'My Way'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 14, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 21, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for January 28, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 4, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 11, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 18, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for February 25, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 4, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 11, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 18, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for March 25, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 1, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 8, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 15, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 22, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for April 29, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 6, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 13, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 20, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for May 27, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 3, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 10, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 17, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for June 24, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 1, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 8, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 15, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 22, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for July 29, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 5, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 12, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 19, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for August 26, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 2, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 9, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 16, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 23, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for September 30, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 7, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 14, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 21, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for October 28, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 4, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 11, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 18, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for November 25, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 2, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 9, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 16, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 23, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "Country Albums chart for December 30, 1978". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
Billboard number-one country albums | |
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1964–1979 | |
1980–1999 | |
2000–2019 | |
2020–present |