Taylor Swift’s smash album 1989 continues its incredible chart run on the Billboard 200, as the former No. 1 set spends its 22nd consecutive week in the top five dating to its debut. On the current chart (dated April 11), the album holds steady at No. 5.
As Swift herself might sing, like in her hit single “22”: “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.”
1989 has yet to leave the top five in its entire chart run, which includes 11 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1.
Only 11 albums have spent their first 22 weeks locked in the top five since 1963, when the chart merged its separate mono and stereo tallies (see list, below).
The title with the longest initial run in the top five is Adele’s 21, which tallied its first 39 weeks in the top five. It just claimed the mark by besting Michael Jackson’sBad, which began with 38 weeks in the top five. (21 actually spent 68 total weeks in the top five, but it fell out of the region after 39 weeks, only to return for another eye-popping top-five run.)
Albums That Spent Their First 20 Weeks in the Top Five on the Billboard 200 Chart:
Weeks, Artist, Title (Debut Chart Date)
39, Adele, 21 (March 12, 2011)
38, Michael Jackson, Bad (Sept. 26, 1987)
32, Stevie Wonder, Songs In the Key of Life (Oct. 16, 1976)
30, Soundtrack/Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard (Dec. 12, 1992)
29, Garth Brooks, Ropin’ the Wind (Sept. 28, 1991)
26, Eagles, Hotel California (Jan. 15, 1977)
24, Backstreet Boys, Millennium (June 5, 1999)
24, Billy Ray Cyrus, Some Gave All (June 13, 1992)
23, Mariah Carey, Daydream (Oct. 21, 1995)
22, Mariah Carey, The Emancipation of Mimi (April 30, 2005)
22, Taylor Swift, 1989 (Nov. 15, 2014)