McGraw passes Merle Haggard to tie for the second-most No. 1s since Top Country Albums began in 1964.
Tim McGraw notches his 17th No. 1, and 16th No. 1 debut, on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart with the arrival of Here on Earth on the survey dated Sept. 5.
The LP earned 24,000 equivalent album units, with 17,000 in album sales, in the week ending Aug. 27.
On the all-genre Billboard 200, the set starts at No. 14. It was released Aug. 21 and produced by McGraw and Byron Gallimore.
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McGraw passes Merle Haggard to tie for the second-most No. 1s since Top Country Albums began in 1964. George Strait leads with 27 No. 1s, ahead of Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, McGraw and Willie Nelson with 17 each.
Plus, as McGraw earns his first Top Country Albums No. 1 of 2020, he has now posted leaders on the list in four consecutive decades. Starting with his first entry, Not a Moment Too Soon, which arrived at the apex in April 1994, he has achieved No. 1s in the 1990s, 2000s, ’10s and ’20s.
Two other artists have scored Top Country Albums No. 1s in four straight decades: Strait and Reba McEntire each led in the ’80s, ’90s, 00s and ’10s.
McGraw last led Top Country Albums in December 2017 when The Rest of Our Life, with his wife Faith Hill, opened at the pinnacle.
Damn Country Music, McGraw’s most recent solo album before Here on Earth, debuted at its No. 3 peak in November 2015.
The new set’s lead single, “I Called Mama,” lifts 12-11 on Country Airplay, up 2% to 18.7 million impressions. On the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart, it jumps 19-13.
