My next chart statistic will focus on the albums that peaked at #3. In twenty years of compiling a Top Ten Albums chart, 142 albums hit the top spot and 82 peaked at #2. I am curious to find out how many albums peaked at each position within the Top Ten, and then I will add them all up to answer the question I have long wondered about: how many albums hit my chart over all that time. My charts started in late 1983, too early for computers and a quick AutoSum. I will have to add them all the old-fashioned way.
Unlike my #2’s list where I also listed all the albums that kept the runners-up from hitting the summit, I will only list the album titles and the number of weeks they stayed at #3. I will do this for all the remaining peak-positions lists.
Album title–Artist (weeks at #3)
1983
01. Duran Duran–Duran Duran (1) [a]
1984
02. Seven and the Ragged Tiger–Duran Duran (8)
03. Heart Play -unfinished dialogue-–John Lennon Yoko Ono (2)
04. Footloose–Soundtrack (5)
05. She’s So Unusual–Cyndi Lauper (4)
1985
06. 17–Chicago (1)
07. “Youthquake”–Dead Or Alive (2)
08. So Red the Rose–Arcadia (5)
1986
09. The Dream of the Blue Turtles–Sting (2)
10. Standing In A Beach The Singles–The Cure (2) [b]
11. Revenge–Eurythmics (1)
12. The Great Lake–Chalk Circle (3)
13. Break Every Rule–Tina Turner (2)
14. Every Breath You Take The Singles–The Police (2)
1987
15. Between the Earth and Sky–Luba (2)
16. Different Light–Bangles (1)
17. Sign ‘O’ the Times–Prince (2)
18. Solitude Standing–Suzanne Vega (1)
19. Big Blue Sky–The Northern Pikes (1)
1988
20. Kick–INXS (3)
21. Heavy Nova–Robert Palmer (3)
22. Secrets of the Alibi–The Northern Pikes (3)
1989
23. Batman–Prince (10)
24. Green–R.E.M. (2)
1990
25. Graffiti Bridge–Prince (2)
26. Tripping the Live Fantastic–Paul McCartney (6)
1991
27. The Soul Cages–Sting (6)
28. Ceremony–The Cult (2)
29. Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black–Public Enemy (1)
1992
30. Human Touch–Bruce Springsteen (4)
31. Shadows and Light–Wilson Phillips (5)
32. Gordon–Barenaked Ladies (2)
1994
33. Eartha Kitt in Person at the Plaza–Eartha Kitt (2)
1995
34. all you can eat–k.d. lang (11) [c]
35. Vault Def Leppard Greatest Hits 19 80 – 19 95–Def Leppard (4)
1996
36. Another Night–Real McCoy (4)
37. Hits Unlimited–2 Unlimited (5)
38. Older–George Michael (3)
39. Baja Sessions–Chris Isaak (1)
1997
40. Ten–Pearl Jam (3)
41. Fly–Yoko Ono with Plastic Ono Band (2)
42. Medazzaland–Duran Duran (4)
1998
43. Titanic–Soundtrack (3)
44. Anniversary: 20 Years of Hits The First Lady of Country Music–Tammy Wynette (3)
45. Sittin’ on Top of the World–LeAnn Rimes (2)
46. Speak of the Devil–Chris Isaak (3)
1999
47. Ricky Martin–Ricky Martin (2)
48. Believe–Cher (3)
49. Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too.–Иew Radicals (2)
50. The Greatest Hits–Cher (5)
2000
51. The Greatest Hits–Whitney Houston (3)
52. Christmas with Julie Andrews–Julie Andrews (1)
2001
53. GHV2 Greatest Hits Volume 2–Madonna (1)
54. Now That’s What I Call Christmas!–Various Artists (1)
2002
55. The Rising–Bruce Springsteen (2)
2003
56. A Rush of Blood to the Head–Coldplay (2)
[a] My chart started after Duran Duran (the reissue) had been in release for six months.
[b] My chart recorded the albums exactly as their titles were rendered on their labels, not on their LP sleeves or CD or cassette booklets. In many cases there were inconsistencies between packaging and labelling or between different audio formats. In some cases there were mistakes, such as with this title, whose error-free title is actually called Standing On A Beach The Singles for the enhanced cassette edition, which is the version I charted.
[c] The record for the longest run at #3.