A Look Back At The Albums That Have Hit #1 In 2010 So Far

Robbie Daw | July 1, 2010 7:11 am

With the year half over, we’ve gone over the 17 albums that have hit #1 on the Billboard Top 200 in 2010 so far to see just what music people turn to in these trying times of earthquakes, economic woes and oil spills. And maybe we all just want a little light and fluffy fun, because there sure is a whole lot of Glee, Justin Bieber and dreaming a dream going on. Head below to see our breakdown of the LPs you put at the top of the chart during these first six months of the new decade.

2010 SO FAR IN #1 ALBUMS

MOST WEEKS AT #1: Justin Bieber’s My World 2.0 sent four non-consecutive weeks at the top of Billboard‘s main album chart between April and May. Coming in directly behind the Canadian superteen are UK artists Susan Boyle and Sade—each spent three weeks at the top in 2010, with Soldier Of Love and I Dreamed A Dream, respectively. (Note: Boyle also racked up three weeks at #1 at the tail end of 2009, giving her a grand total of six weeks in the Top 200 throne altogether.) Make what you will, America, of the fact that none of these three artists hail from the U.S.

B.o.B
DEBUT ALBUMS: Four artists spent time at the top with their very first album between the months of January and June—Susan Boyle (I Dreamed A Dream), Ke$ha (Animal), B.o.B (The Adventures Of Bobby Ray) and Drake (Thank Me Later).

BIGGEST OPENING WEEK: Eminem’s Recovery sold 741,000 copies upon its first week of release and nabbed not only the best opening of the year, but the best sales out of the gate since October 2008, when AC/DC’s Black Ice moved 784,000. Year-to-date runner-ups are Sade’s Solider Of Love (502,000) and Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now (481,000).

BIGGEST WTF: Godsmack’s The Oracle, which went to #1 in May. Who knew consumers still wanted to bang their heads in the age of Ke$ha?

INDIE CRED: Vampire Weekend’s Contra, issued on XL Recordings, has been the only true independently-released album to reach #1 thus far.

Hope For Haiti Now
DIGITAL LOVE: The Hope For Haiti Now charity compilation became the first digital-exclusive album to top the Billboard Top 200 (there was no physical CD available). As it was released to benefit relief efforts for the Haiti earthquake that struck on January 12, it’s also likely the only album to hit #1 so far in 2010 that wasn’t already in the works when the year began.

WELCOME RETURN: Sade’s Soldier Of Love. Their previous album Lovers Rock had been released nine years and three months prior.

1, 2, 3: Between May and June, Fox musical dramedy series Glee scored three separate chart toppers with the Power Of Madonna and Journey To Regionals EPs, and the full Glee—The Music, Vol. 3: Showstoppers soundtrack.

Susan Boyle I Dreamed A Dream
PHENOMENON FACTOR: Unlikely pop star Susan Boyle was plucked from obscurity last year via TV series Britain’s Got Talent. Justin Bieber was a MySpace sensation before he became the ruler of Tweendom. And let’s face it—glee clubs were never this hot before.

FLASHES IN THE PAN?: Let’s fast forward to a year from now. Do Ke$ha and Susan Boyle have longevity? Conventional wisdom dictates that when serving up cotton candy pop—or family-oriented cover versions of such—it’s best to strike when the iron is hot. (Think Britney Spears offering a new release every fall since her 2007 comeback, Lady Gaga dropping The Fame Monster 14 months after The Fame, etc.) In other words, get crackin’, ladies. At least Glee has the benefit of being seen in millions of households the world over on a weekly basis. Then again, Twin Peaks only lasted two seasons.

THE #1 ALBUMS Susan Boyle, I Dreamed A Dream Ke$ha, Animal Vampire Weekend, Contra Various Artists, Hope For Haiti Now Lady Antebellum, Need You Now Sade, Soldier Of Love Ludacris, Battle Of The Sexes Justin Bieber, My World 2.0 Usher, Raymond v. Raymond Glee Cast, Glee—The Music: The Power Of Madonna B.o.B, The Adventures Of Bobby Ray Godsmack, The Oracle Glee Cast, Glee—The Music, Vol. 3: Showstoppers Jack Johnson, To The Sea Glee Cast, Glee—The Music: Journey To Regionals Drake, Thank Me Later Eminem, Recovery

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