The following list shows the artists ranked by the number of weeks spent at the top.
Weeks spent at #1 (number of chart-topping albums if more than one)–Artist
(Weeks at #1) Album title
102 (7)–Värttinä
29 Vihma
26 Ilmatar
19 Seleniko
11 6.12.
11 iki
3 Aitara
3 Oi dai
100 (9)–Madonna
30 ray of light
18 Like a Prayer
10 True Blue
10 Erotica
8 “Music”
7 I’m Breathless
7 The Immaculate Collection
7 American Life
3 Bedtime Stories
85 (9)–Paul McCartney
19 Off the Ground
18 Flowers in the Dirt
16 Give My Regards to Broad Street
11 Pipes of Peace
6 Press to Play
5 Wingspan Hits and History
5 “Driving Rain”
4 Flaming Pie
1 Say Say Say with Michael Jackson
57 (5)–Pointer Sisters
15 Fire–The Very Best of the Pointer Sisters
12 Right Rhythm
12 Only Sisters Can Do That
9 Hot Together
9 Serious Slammin’
53 (7)–The Beatles
12 The Beatles Anthology 1
10 The Beatles Anthology 2
10 The Beatles Anthology 3
8 1
7 ‘Live at the BBC’
3 The Beatles/1967-1970
3 Let it Be… Naked
44 (5)–Simple Minds
16 Once Upon a Time
11 Live in the City of Light
8 Real Life
6 Good News from the Next World
3 Street Fighting Years
44 (5)–Ultra Bra
26 Sinä päivänä kun synnyin
11 Kroketti
4 Vesireittejä
2 Vapaaherran elämää
1 Kalifornia
39 (5)–Pet Shop Boys
25 Very
5 Alternative
4 Bilingual
3 Nightlife
2 Release
34 (5)–Janet Jackson
14 The Velvet Rope
6 Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814
6 All for You
5 Design of a Decade 1986/1996
3 janet.
32 (2)–John Lennon
26 Milk and Honey with Yoko Ono
6 John Lennon Live in New York City
31 (3)–George Harrison
21 Cloud Nine
5 All Things Must Pass
5 Brainwashed
30 (5)–Michael Jackson
15 Dangerous
8 Bad
4 HIStory Past, Present and Future Book 1
2 Thriller
1 Say Say Say with Paul McCartney
27 (4)–R.E.M.
16 Out of Time
5 Automatic for the People
3 Monster
3 New Adventures in Hi-Fi
26 (3)–The B-52’s
14 Cosmic Thing
10 Good Stuff
2 Time Capsule Songs for a Future Generation
26–Yoko Ono
Milk and Honey with John Lennon
22 (5)–U2
10 Achtung Baby
4 The Joshua Tree
3 Rattle and Hum
3 The Best of 1980-1990 The B-Sides 1980-1990
2 Zooropa
22 (2)–Julian Lennon
15 Valotte
7 The Secret Value of Daydreaming
21 (3)–m people
9 the best of m people
8 Bizarre Fruit
4 fresco
20 (4)–Duran Duran
9 Notorious
7 Thank You
3 Big Thing
1 Liberty
17 (2)–Traveling Wilburys
16 Volume One
1 Vol. 3
15 (3)–Prince
10 Purple Rain
4 Diamonds and Pearls
1 Lovesexy
15 (2)–Sari Kaasinen
14 emo
1 Joko Joulun alkaa saa with Mari Kaasinen
15–LeAnn Rimes
Blue
14–INXS
X
13 (2)–Def Leppard
9 Adrenalize
4 Hysteria
12 (2)–Chris Isaak
9 San Francisco Days
3 Forever Blue
12–Tears For Fears
Songs from the Big Chair
10 (4)–Oasis
3 (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
3 Be Here Now
2 Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
2 Heathen Chemistry
10 (2)–Bruce Springsteen
7 Tunnel of Love
3 Live/1975-85
9 (2)–Bryan Adams
5 Waking Up the Neighbours
4 Reckless
9 (2)–Elvis Presley
5 Elv1s 30 #1 Hits
4 Elvis 2nd to None
8–George Michael
Faith
6–Hedningarna
Karelia Visa
6–k.d. lang
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
6–Alanis Morissette
Jagged Little Pill
6–Scandinavian Music Group
Onnelliset kohtaa
5–Peter Gabriel
So
5–The Power Station
The Power Station
4 (2)–Donna Summer
2 Endless Summer Donna Summer’s Greatest Hits
2 Live & More Encore!
4–Heart
Heart
4–Nirvana
Nevermind
3–Rick Astley
Whenever You Need Somebody
3–Rosemary Clooney
Do You Miss New York?
3–The Cult
Love
3–Jacksons
Victory
2–Lisa Stansfield
Affection
2–’til tuesday
Voices Carry
1–Paula Abdul
Forever Your Girl
1–Bon Jovi
Slippery When Wet
1–c + c music factory
Gonna Make You Sweat
1–Darude
Before the Storm
1–Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas
1–Mari Kaasinen
1 Joko Joulun alkaa saa with Sari Kaasinen
1–Joni Mitchell
Hits
1–New Order
Republic
1–the northern pikes
hits and assorted secrets 1984-1993
31 (3)–Soundtracks
18 Evita
12 Zero Patience A Musical About AIDS
1 Nousukausi
4 (3)–Various Artists compilations
2 Jackpot! The Las Vegas Story
1 Diana Princess of Wales Tribute
1 Now That’s What I Call Christmas 2! The Signature Collection
A total of 142 albums hit the #1 spot over the twenty years I kept a Top Ten Albums chart. 136 of those albums were by artists and six albums, listed immediately above, were either multi-artist Soundtracks or Various Artists compilations. 56 artists comprised these 136 chart-topping albums. In three cases a #1 album was by a pair of performers, such as:
Say Say Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
Milk and Honey by John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Joko Joulun alkaa saa by Sari ja Mari Kaasinen
In all three examples, at least one member of this pair also had at least one chart-topping album of his or her own. I have decided to separate these individual chart-topping artists from their #1 pairings. So while Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson would have been listed separately anyway as each had multiple #1 solo albums, Yoko Ono and Mari Kaasinen only appeared as half of an album pairing and are listed separately from John Lennon and Sari Kaasinen respectively. I have been lenient with Prince, where all three of his #1 albums were credited to a different permutation of His Purpleness: as Prince and the Revolution; Prince And The N.P.G. and Prince. There are no separate entries for the Revolution or The N.P.G.