The Grateful Dead have broken the record for most Top 40 albums in history thanks to the latest release from their live back-catalog series, Dave’s Picks Vol. 49, which debuted at No. 25 on the Billboard 200 this week.
Released on January 26th, 2024, Dave’s Picks Vol. 49 consists of two complete shows that the Dead played at Stanford University in April 1985. Now, it’s become the 59th album the band has placed on the Top 40, beating the previous record-holders: Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, who were each tied with the Dead for 58 top-charting albums.
The Dead only earned that “tied with” status themselves this past fall, with the release of the previous entry in the 13-year-old Dave’s Picks series, Dave’s Picks Vol. 48, which peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard 200. Now, with the release of Vol. 49, 41 of the Dave’s Picks titles — all curated by Grateful Dead legacy manager and audio archivist, David Lemieux — have entered the Top 40. Additionally, Vol. 49 has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart.
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In a statement, Lemieux reflected that the achievement “could be the most unlikely and unexpected record in music history.” Continuing, he attributed the accomplishment to the “exceptional and consistent quality” of the Dead’s live shows, as well as their partnership with Rhino Entertainment, with whom they’ve now put out 45 Top 40 albums.
“It’s an honor and privilege to work for this community, and our aim is to keep building on this record by delivering the quality of recordings Dead Heads have come to expect for many years ahead,” Lemieux said.
Get Dead & Company Tickets Here
Dave’s Picks Vol. 49 is out now on 4xCD format. Orders are ongoing. If you want to stream the shows the album comes from, check out the library of Grateful Dead content on the Live Music Archive.
In other Dead news, the current iteration of the band, Dead & Company, are set to undertake a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas later this year. Check out the details and full list of dates, and grab tickets here.
Dave’s Picks Vol. 49 Artwork:
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