The film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has turbocharged Queen’s popularity.
Queen’s Greatest Hits logs its 55th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Catalog Albums chart — a tally topped by just one album in the chart’s 29-year history. Bob Marley & the Wailers’ Legend has headed the catalog chart for a whopping 126 weeks.
Both of these compilations were released prior to the introduction of Catalog Albums in the Billboard issue dated May 25, 1991. Queen’s album was released in in the U.K. in October 1981. Marley’s album was released worldwide in May 1984.
Queen’s album first hit No. 1 on Catalog Albums on June 2, 2018, five months before the U.S. release of the film Bohemian Rhapsody, which has turbocharged Queen’s popularity.
The Catalog Albums chart ranks the most popular catalog albums of the week in the U.S. Catalog albums are generally titles that are at least 18 months old — or holiday albums in their second holiday season.
Here are the 20 albums with the longest runs at No. 1 on Catalog Albums. Each entry includes the album’s release date, the date the album first reached No. 1 on Catalog Albums and the album’s peak position on the Billboard 200.
1.Bob Marley & the Wailers, Legend, 126 weeks at No. 1: This compilation was released three years after Marley’s death on May 11, 1981. Released: May 8, 1984; First reached No. 1: May 22, 1993; Billboard 200 peak: No. 5.
2. Queen, Greatest Hits, 55 weeks: This is the rock album with the longest run at No. 1. Released in the U.K.: Oct. 26, 1981; First reached No. 1: June 2, 2018; Billboard 200 peak: No. 11.
3. Creed, My Own Prison, 54 weeks: This is the regular studio album with the longest run at No. 1. It is also the debut album with the longest run at No. 1. Released: Aug. 26, 1997; First reached No. 1: Jan. 22, 2000; Billboard 200 peak: No. 22.
4. Various Artists, Grease soundtrack, 52 weeks: This is the soundtrack with the longest run at No. 1. It is also the pop album with the longest run at No. 1. This is the only album to log 10 or more weeks at No. 1 on both Catalog Albums and the Billboard 200. This album spawned four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — the Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta collabs “You’re the One That I Want” and “Summer Nights,” Newton-John’s solo smash “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and Frankie Valli’s “Grease.”
This is the first of two albums on this list that received a Grammy nomination for album of the year. Newton-John received a second nod for best pop vocal performance, female, for “Hopelessly…” Released: April 14, 1978; First reached No. 1: Nov. 2, 1996; Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (12 weeks).
5. Metallica, Metallica, 43 weeks: This album spawned the band’s first top 20 hit on the Hot 100, “Enter Sandman.” Metallica won a Grammy for best metal performance for this album. Released: Aug. 12, 1991; First reached No. 1: Jan. 17, 1998; Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (four weeks).
6. Adele, 19, 41 weeks: This is the album by a female solo artist with the longest run at No. 1. 19 brought Adele her first two Grammys — best new artist and best female pop vocal performance for “Chasing Pavements,” which was her first top 30 hit on the Hot 100. Released: Jan. 28, 2008; First reached No. 1: March 5, 2011; Billboard 200 peak: No. 4.
7. Eric Clapton, Time Pieces/The Best of Eric Clapton, 37 weeks: This is the album by a male solo artist with the longest run at No. 1. Released: May 14, 1982; First reached No. 1: Feb. 22, 1992; Billboard 200 peak: No. 101.
8. Michael Bublé, Christmas, 34 weeks: This is the Christmas album with the longest run at No. 1. It was Grammy-nominated for best traditional pop vocal album, but, surprisingly, didn’t win. Released: Oct. 25, 2011; First reached No. 1: Nov. 17, 2012; Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (five weeks).
9. Michael Jackson, Number Ones, 31 weeks: This is the R&B/pop crossover album with the longest run at No. 1. This topped the catalog chart for the first time in the issue dated July 11, 2009, the week following Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009. It was the best-selling album in the U.S. for six weeks following Jackson’s death, but catalog albums were not eligible to appear on the Billboard 200 at the time. That rule was changed later in 2009. Released: Nov. 18, 2003; First reached No. 1: July 11, 2009; Billboard 200 peak: No. 13.
10. Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill, 27 weeks: This is the hip-hop album with the longest run at No. 1. The album spawned the trio’s only top 10 hit on the Hot 100, “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!).” Released: Nov. 15, 1986; First reached No. 1: June 24, 1995; Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (seven weeks).
10. Kenny G, Miracles: The Holiday Album, 27 weeks: This is the instrumental album with the longest run at No. 1. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” received a Grammy nomination for best pop instrumental performance. Released: Nov. 1, 1994; First reached No. 1: Nov. 11, 1995; Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (three weeks).
12. Johnny Cash, 16 Biggest Hits, 26 weeks: This is the country album with the longest run at No. 1. The album topped the catalog chart for the first time in the issue dated Sept. 27, 2003, the week following Cash’s death on Sept. 12, 2003. Released: February 1999; First reached No. 1: Sept. 27, 2003; Billboard 200 peak: No. 65.
13. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon, 24 weeks: This rock classic spawned the band’s first top 20 hit on the Hot 100, “Money.” Pink Floyd did not receive a single Grammy nomination for this album, if you can believe that. The album’s only nomination was best engineered recording (non-classical). Alan Parsons got the nod. Released: March 1, 1973; First reached No. 1: April 17, 1993; Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (one week).
14. Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell, 22 weeks: This album spawned Meat Loaf’s first top 20 hit on the Hot 100, “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.” This was his first solo album. He had previously teamed with female singer Shaun Murphy in Stoney & Meatloaf, which released an eponymous album in 1971. Released: Oct. 21, 1977; First reached No. 1: Aug. 24, 1991; Billboard 200 peak: No. 14.
15. The Righteous Brothers, The Best of the Righteous Brothers, 19 weeks: This album was released three months after the release of the box-office smash Ghost, which featured “Unchained Melody” over the famous pottery wheel scene. Released: Oct. 2, 1990; First reached No. 1: May 25, 1991; Billboard 200 peak: No. 161.
16. Prince, The Very Best of Prince, 18 weeks: This is the only album to simultaneously rank No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and the Catalog Albums chart. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time (and returned to No. 1 on Catalog Albums) in the issue dated May 7, 2016, the week following Prince’s death on April 21, 2016. Released: July 31, 2001; First reached No. 1: April 10, 2004; Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (one week).
17. Journey, Journey’s Greatest Hits, 17 weeks: This album first topped Catalog Albums in the issue dated July 7, 2007, shortly after the final episode of HBO’s The Sopranos, which aired on June 10, 2007. The episode’s use of the band’s hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” gave the song a huge boost. Released: Nov. 15, 1988; First reached No. 1: July 7, 2007; Billboard 200 peak: No. 10.
17. Mannheim Steamroller, A Fresh Aire Christmas, 17 weeks: Released: Sept. 15, 1988; First reached No. 1: Dec. 7, 1991; Billboard 200 peak: No. 36.
17. Enya, Watermark, 17 weeks: This album spawned a top 30 hit on the Hot 100, “Orionco Flow (Sail Away).” The hit received two Grammy nominations — best new age performance and best music video — short form. Released: Sept. 19, 1988; First reached No. 1: March 28, 1992; Billboard 200 peak: No. 25.
17. Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, 17 weeks: This album spawned three top 10 hits on the Hot 100: “Just the Way You Are,” “Grenade” and “The Lazy Song.” “Just the Way You Are” brought Mars a Grammy for best male pop vocal performance. This is the second of two albums on this list that received a Grammy nomination for album of the year. Mars received eight Grammy nominations (over two years) for his work on the album. Released: Oct. 4, 2010; First reached No. 1: Jan. 19, 2013; Billboard 200 peak: No. 3.
