Film Soundtracks Rule Top Two on Billboard 200 Albums Chart for First Time in Nearly 20 Years
With 'Black Panther: The Album' and 'The Greatest Showman' at Nos. 1 and 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, theatrical film soundtracks rule the top two for the first time in nearly 20 years.
It’s a big week for Hollywood at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart. On the March 17-dated list, Black Panther: The Album returns to No. 1, while former leader The Greatest Showman steps 5-2. Soundtracks, thus, are the Nos. 1 and 2 albums on the chart simultaneously for the first time in almost eight years, and theatrical film soundtracks rule the top two for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new March 17-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s websites on Tuesday, March 13.
Soundtracks last scored the Nos. 1 and 2 slots on the June 26, 2010-dated list with the TV soundtrack Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals at No. 1 and the theatrical movie soundtrack The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at No. 2.
Notably, it’s been nearly 20 years since theatrical film soundtracks have monopolized the top two. One has to scroll all the way back to July 25, 1998, when Armageddon — The Album and City of Angels were at Nos. 1 and 2.
Since the Billboard 200 chart dated Aug. 17, 1963 — when Billboard combined previously separate mono and stereo album charts into one overall albums chart — just 26 weeks have seen soundtracks of all kinds at Nos. 1 and 2.
Here’s a look at the 26 weeks since 1963 where soundtracks were both Nos. 1 and 2:
March 17, 2018
No. 1 – Black Panther: The Album
No. 2 – The Greatest Showman
June 26, 2010
No. 1 – Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
No. 2 – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Sept. 1, 2007
No. 1 – High School Musical 2
No. 2 – Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus (Soundtrack/Miley Cyrus)
July 25, 1998
No. 1 – Armageddon — The Album
No. 2 – City of Angels
June 13, 1998
No. 1 – City of Angels
No. 2 – Godzilla — The Album
April 29, 1995
No. 1 – The Lion King
No. 2 – Friday
Aug. 13-Sept. 10, 1994 (five weeks)
No. 1 – The Lion King
No. 2 – Forrest Gump
May 31, 1975
No. 1 – That’s the Way of the World (Soundtrack/Earth, Wind & Fire)
No. 2 – Tommy
July 11-25, 1970 (three weeks)
No. 1 – Woodstock
No. 2 – Let It Be (Soundtrack/The Beatles)
Nov. 13, 1965
No. 1 – Help! (Soundtrack/The Beatles)
No. 2 – The Sound of Music
May 22-June 12, 1965 (four weeks)
No. 1 – Mary Poppins
No. 2 – The Sound of Music
March 13; April 10-17, 1965 (three weeks)
No. 1 – Mary Poppins
No. 2 – Goldfinger
March 20-April 3, 1965 (three weeks)
No. 1 – Goldfinger
No. 2 – Mary Poppins
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