Will Adele’s ’21’ Tie The 24-Week Runs Of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ & ‘Purple Rain’ At #1?

There are now only seven albums standing in the way of Adele‘s massively popular 21 and keeping it from having the longest stretch at #1 on Billboard‘s main album chart. And according to the publication, the London songstress’ sophomore LP, which to-date has already spent 23 non-consecutive weeks at #1 since its release last year, is on course for a 24th week in the peak position on the Top 200. If so, this will tie the amount of weeks the soundtracks to 1977’s Saturday Night Fever and 1984’s Purple Rain spent at #1.

Billboard notes the following:

The diva’s 21 album could return to #1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week, so say industry sources. Those in the know suggest the set will sell over 70,000 copies by week’s end on Sunday, June 10 — enough to secure the top slot.

…Additionally, 21 would become one of only eight albums to rack up six months atop the list.

21, currently in its 67th week on the Top 200, is lodged at #2 this week. What’s utterly amazing is that, since its US release on February 22, 2011, 21 has only spent one week outside of the top five positions on the chart. (Meanwhile, who is left out there that has yet to buy it at this point?)

The Grammy-winning 21 of course contains the Hot 100-toppers “Rolling In The Deep”, “Someone Like You” and “Set Fire To The Rain”, plus current radio hit “Rumour Has It”.

And as for those five other albums that have spent more than 24 weeks at #1, they rank as follows:

West Side Story soundtrack (released in 1962, 54 weeks at #1)
Thriller, Michael Jackson (1982, 37 weeks)
Calypso, Harry Belafonte (1956, 31 weeks)
South Pacific soundtrack (1958, 31 weeks)
Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (1977, 31 weeks)

Do you think 21 can catch up to any of the albums listed above? Let us know your thoughts below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!