Top Christian Albums Explained
Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the Billboard 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly physical and digital sales, as well as on-demand streaming and digital sales of its individual tracks.[1] The chart was introduced on the magazine issue dated March 29, 1980, under the title "Best Selling Inspirational LPs".[2] The current name was adopted on August 16, 2003, in an effort to "streamline" chart titles.[3] The first number-one album was Candle's Music Machine. Amy Grant's Age to Age, released in 1982, topped the chart for 85 consecutive weeks, the longest for any album on the chart.[4]
The current number-one album on the chart is Child of God by Forrest Frank.[5]
Artist milestones
Most number-one albums
Most cumulative weeks at number one
Album milestones
Most cumulative weeks at number one
The following albums have spent at least 30 cumulative weeks atop the chart:
Most consecutive weeks at number one
The following albums have spent at least 25 consecutive weeks atop the chart:
Most weeks on the chart
The following albums have spent at least 200 weeks on the chart:
See also
Notes and References
- Billboard Charts Legend . November 10, 2019 . Billboard.
- March 29, 1980 . Best Selling Inspirational LPs . November 11, 2019 . . AmericanRadioHistory.
- August 16, 2003 . Bad Boys . 58 . November 11, 2019 . Note that we have streamlined the name of the latter album list, dropping the word 'Contemporary.' . . AmericanRadioHistory.
- Web site: Ruhlmann . William . Amy Grant Biography & History . November 11, 2019 . AllMusic.
- August 3, 2024 . Top Christian Albums . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- Asker . Jim . February 15, 2018 . Michael W. Smith Returns to Hot Christian Songs Chart: Music Can 'Transform a Life on Every Level' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190703150949/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8099914/michael-w-smith-returns-hot-christian-songs . July 3, 2019 . . Prometheus Global Media.
- Michael W. Smith Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- MercyMe Chart History: Christian Albums . November 2, 2022 . Billboard.
- Steven Curtis Chapman Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Passion Conferences Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- LeCrae Chart History: Christian Albums . September 2, 2020 . Billboard.
- Hilsong United Chapman Chart History: Christian Albums . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Chris Tomlin Chart History: Christian Albums . August 12, 2020 . Billboard.
- Casting Crowns Chart History: Christian Albums . September 8, 2022 . Billboard.
- Elevation Worship Chart History: Christian Albums . June 29, 2023 . Billboard.
- Third Day Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Newsboys Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Jeremy Camp Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Hillsong Worship Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- TobyMac Chart History: Christian Albums . August 31, 2021 . Billboard.
- Needtobreathe Chart History: Christian Albums . September 28, 2023 . Billboard.
- Phil Wickham Chart History: Christian Albums . August 31, 2021 . Billboard.
- Lauren Daigle Chart History: Christian Albums . September 21, 2021 . Billboard.
- Lauren Daigle Chart History: Christian Albums . September 21, 2023 . Billboard.
- Sandi Patty Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Kanye West Chart History: Christian Albums . February 29, 2024 . Billboard.
- Kirk Franklin Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Carmen Chart History: Christian Albums . https://web.archive.org/web/20191112031009/https://www.billboard.com/music/carman/chart-history/ILL . dead . November 12, 2019 . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- P.O.D. Chart History: Christian Albums . https://web.archive.org/web/20191109201904/https://www.billboard.com/music/pod/chart-history/ILL . dead . November 9, 2019 . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- dc Talk Chart History: Christian Albums . https://web.archive.org/web/20191112025446/https://www.billboard.com/music/dc-talk/chart-history/ILL . dead . November 12, 2019 . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Switchfoot Chart History: Christian Albums . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Petra Chart History: Christian Albums . https://web.archive.org/web/20191017125948/https://www.billboard.com/music/petra/chart-history/ILL . dead . October 17, 2019 . November 12, 2019 . Billboard.
- Lauren Daigle – Look Up Child . April 11, 2021 . Billboard.
- Kanye West – Donda . February 29, 2024 . Billboard.
- Amy Grant – Age to Age . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Sandi Patty – Morning Like This . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Amy Grant – Straight Ahead . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- dc Talk – Free at Last . https://web.archive.org/web/20191111185938/https://www.billboard.com/music/dc-talk/chart-history/ILL/song/195459 . dead . November 11, 2019 . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Switchfoot – The Beautiful Letdown . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Amy Grant – Unguarded . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Amy Grant – Lead Me On . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- LeAnn Rimes – You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- P.O.D. – Satellite . https://web.archive.org/web/20191109193522/https://www.billboard.com/music/pod/chart-history/ILL/song/409671 . dead . November 9, 2019 . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Carman – Revival In the Land . https://web.archive.org/web/20191111191315/https://www.billboard.com/music/carman/chart-history/ILL/song/327528 . dead . November 11, 2019 . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Darden . Bob . Amy Grant's Phenomenal Success . 37 . November 11, 2019 . . AmericanRadioHistory.
- Skillet – Awake . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- Hillsong United Chart History. August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- Lauren Daigle Chart History . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- NF – Chart History . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- Chris Tomlin – How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- NF – Chart History . . August 13, 2024.
- Elevation Worship – Here As in Heaven . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- Skillet – Unleashed . . August 13, 2024.
- Zach Williams – Chain Breaker . . August 13, 2024.
- Amy Grant – The Collection . November 19, 2019 . Billboard.
- Hillsong Worship – Let There Be Light . . March 11, 2024.
- Alan Jackson – Precious Memories Collection . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- MercyMe – I Can Only Imagine: The Very Best of MercyMe . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- Flyleaf – Flyleaf . . August 13, 2024.
- Elvis Presley – Elvis: Ultimate Gospel . December 29, 2022 . Billboard.
- Hillsong Worship – There Is More . . August 13, 2024.
- For King & Country – Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. . August 4, 2022 . Billboard.
- Lauren Daigle – Look Up Child . August 13, 2024 . Billboard.
- Amy Grant – Age to Age . December 4, 2019 . Billboard.
- tobyMac – This Is Not a Test . August 17, 2022 . Billboard.
- For King & Country – Burn the Ships . . November 30, 2023.
- Casting Crowns – Only Jesus . . August 13, 2024.
- Sandi Patty – More than Wonderful . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Web site: Zach Williams – Rescue Story . August 13, 2024.
- Web site: Kanye West Chart History . August 13, 2024.
- Casting Crowns – Voice of Truth: The Ultimate Collection . . August 13, 2024.
- Sandi Patty – Hymns Just For You . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- MercyMe – Lifer . June 15, 2022 . Billboard.
- Web site: Elevation Worship – Graves into Gardens . August 13, 2024.
- Tauren Wells – Hills and Valleys . . September 8, 2022.
- Skillet – Comatose . November 11, 2019 . Billboard.
- Web site: Elevation Worship – There Is a Cloud . May 11, 2021.
- Web site: Bethel Music – You Make Me Brave . January 23, 2020.
- Web site: Crowder – Neon Steeple . October 29, 2019.
- Web site: Bethel Music – We Will Not Be Shaken . September 30, 2021.
- Web site: Chris Tomlin – Never Lose Sight . November 23, 2022.
- Web site: MercyMe – Lifer . March 15, 2023 . Billboard.
- Web site: Hillsong United Chart History . May 25, 2023.
- Web site: Hillsong United Chart History . December 7, 2023.
- Web site: Maverick City Music Chart History . December 7, 2023.
- Web site: [Ce Ce Winans Chart History |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/cece-winans/chart-history/ill/ |access-date=August 13, 2024].