Country Chart Royalty: Morgan Wallen Leads the Pack in Historic No. 1s

Morgan Wallen continues his chart dominance as I’m the Problem secures its 39th nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart (dated Feb. 28). This milestone elevates Wallen's career total to an impressive 225 weeks at No. 1, solidifying his position as the artist with the most weeks in the chart's 62-year history.

Wallen's ascent to the top is remarkable, achieving this feat in a relatively short span since his first chart-topper on August 15, 2020.

The Top Country Albums chart originated as Hot Country Albums on January 11, 1964. Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire (The Best of Johnny Cash) inaugurated the chart. This compilation capitalized on the success of "Ring of Fire," which topped Hot Country Songs for seven weeks and crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100.

From 1968 to 1984, the chart was known as Hot Country LPs, reflecting the era of vinyl dominance.

Twenty-one artists have surpassed 50 weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums. While male solo artists predominantly lead, three female solo artists and two groups have also achieved this milestone. Notably, only one Black artist has reached this mark, highlighting the evolving landscape of inclusivity in country music.

Here's a closer look at the artists who have reigned supreme on Top Country Albums for 50 weeks or more:

Country Titans: A Deep Dive into Chart-Topping Careers

• Kenny Chesney (50 weeks)
  Kenny Chesney

  • First week at No. 1: Oct. 14, 2000
  • Most recent week at No. 1: May 16, 2020
  • Longest-running No. 1: When the Sun Goes Down (14 weeks in 2004)
  • Notes: Chesney’s No. 1 albums include two live albums, LIVE: Live Those Songs Again (2006) and Live in No Shoes Nation (2017).

• LeAnn Rimes (50 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: July 27, 1996
  • Most recent week at No. 1: Feb. 17, 2001
  • Longest-running No. 1: Blue (28 weeks in 1996-97)
  • Notes: Rimes' total includes Unchained Melody: The Early Years. She was just 14 when she won a Grammy for best new artist.

• Eddy Arnold (51 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Aug. 14, 1965
  • Most recent week at No. 1: May 4, 1968
  • Longest-running No. 1: My World (17 weeks in 1965-66)
  • Notes: My World was the first country album to receive a Grammy nod for album of the year.

• Glen Campbell (51 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Feb. 10, 1968
  • Most recent week at No. 1: May 7, 1977
  • Longest-running No. 1: Wichita Lineman (20 weeks in 1968-69)
  • Notes: Wichita Lineman is tied with Johnny Cash at San Quentin for the longest run at No. 1 of any album in the 1960s.

• Merle Haggard (51 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Dec. 10, 1966
  • Most recent week at No. 1: June 20, 2015
  • Longest-running No. 1: Pancho & Lefty (with Willie Nelson) (eight weeks in 1983)
  • Notes: Haggard’s tally includes eight albums on which his backing group, The Strangers, was also credited.

• Johnny Cash (57 weeks)
  Johnny Cash

  • First week at No. 1: Jan. 11, 1964
  • Most recent week at No. 1: April 12, 2014
  • Longest-running No. 1: Johnny Cash at San Quentin (20 weeks in 1969)
  • Notes: Cash’s No. 1 albums spanned more than 50 years. Johnny Cash at San Quentin has had the longest run at No. 1 of any live album.

• Buck Owens (60 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Jan. 25, 1964
  • Most recent week at No. 1: April 20, 1968
  • Longest-running No. 1: I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail (15 weeks in 1965)
  • Notes: Owens’ first No. 1 album, Buck Owens Sings Tommy Collins (1964), was a tribute album.

• George Strait (61 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Feb. 18, 1984
  • Most recent week at No. 1: April 13, 2019
  • Longest-running No. 1s: Ocean Front Property (six weeks in 1987) and Carrying Your Love With Me (six weeks in 1997)
  • Notes: Strait made this list the hard way – without a single album that logged more than six weeks at No. 1.

• The Chicks (73 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Jan. 30, 1999
  • Most recent week at No. 1: Aug. 8, 2020
  • Longest-running No. 1: Fly (36 weeks in 1999-2000)
  • Notes: The Chicks, formerly Dixie Chicks, are the second-highest ranking group on this list.

• Waylon Jennings (76 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Sept. 6, 1975
  • Most recent week at No. 1: June 14, 1986
  • Longest-running No. 1: Greatest Hits (16 weeks in 1979)
  • Notes: Jennings’ tally includes three collabs with Nelson.

• Tim McGraw (76 weeks)
  Tim McGraw

  • First week at No. 1: April 9, 1994
  • Most recent week at No. 1: Sept. 5, 2020
  • Longest-running No. 1: Not a Moment Too Soon (29 weeks in 1994)
  • Notes: McGraw’s tally includes a 2017 collab with his wife, Faith Hill, The Rest of Our Life.

• Randy Travis (80 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Aug. 9, 1986
  • Most recent week at No. 1: Nov. 24, 1990
  • Longest-running No. 1: Always & Forever (43 weeks in 1987-88)
  • Notes: Always & Forever had the longest run at No. 1 of any album in the 1980s.

• Charley Pride (85 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: May 18, 1968
  • Most recent week at No. 1: May 17, 1980

*   Longest-running No. 1s: *Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs* (16 weeks in 1972) and *The Best of Charley Pride, Volume 2* (16 weeks in 1972).
*   Notes: Pride is the only Black artist on this list so far.

• Luke Combs (89 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: June 24, 2017
  • Most recent week at No. 1: July 9, 2022
  • Longest-running No. 1: This One’s for You (50 weeks in 2017-18)
  • Notes: This One’s for You had the longest run at No. 1 of any album in the 2010s.

• Shania Twain (97 weeks)
  Shania Twain

  • First week at No. 1: July 22, 1995
  • Most recent week at No. 1: Oct. 21, 2017
  • Longest-running No. 1: Come on Over (50 weeks in 1997-2000)
  • Notes: Twain is the second-highest ranking female solo artist on this list.

• Kenny Rogers (99 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: May 21, 1977
  • Most recent week at No. 1: April 4, 2020
  • Longest-running No. 1: Kenny (25 weeks in 1979-80)
  • Notes: Rogers’ tally includes a 1978 collab with Dottie West.

• Taylor Swift (101 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Aug. 4, 2007
  • Most recent week at No. 1: July 29, 2023?
  • Longest-running No. 1: Fearless (35 weeks in 2008-09)
  • Notes: Swift is the highest-charting female solo artist on this list.

• Willie Nelson (107 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Oct. 4, 1975
  • Most recent week at No. 1: May 20, 2017
  • Longest-running No. 1: Always on My Mind (22 weeks in 1982)
  • Notes: Nelson’s tally includes a collab with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser.

• Alabama (125 weeks)
  Alabama

  • First week at No. 1: May 23, 1981
  • Most recent week at No. 1: Nov. 11, 2006
  • Longest-running No. 1s: Feels So Right (28 weeks in 1981-82) and Mountain Music (28 weeks in 1982-83).
  • Notes: Alabama is the highest-ranking group on this list.

• Garth Brooks (173 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Oct. 13, 1990
  • Most recent week at No. 1: Dec. 23, 2017
  • Longest-running No. 1: No Fences (41 weeks in 1990-91)
  • Notes: Brooks’ tally includes a double-disc live album, Double Live (1998).

• Morgan Wallen (225 weeks)

  • First week at No. 1: Aug. 15, 2020
  • Most recent week at No. 1: Feb. 28, 2026
  • Longest-running No. 1: Dangerous: The Double Album (97 weeks in 2021-23)
  • Notes: Dangerous: The Double Album had the longest run at No. 1 in the chart’s history.

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