George Strait’s ‘50 Number Ones’ reaches 400 weeks on the Billboard 200, becoming the country legend’s longest-charting release on the ranking by far. LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 06: Singer/songwriter George Strait accepts the Entertainer of the Year award onstage during the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/ACMA2014/Getty Images for ACM)
Getty Images for ACM
More than four decades into his career, George Strait remains a country legend. One of the most successful artists in that genre kicked off his career with Strait Country, an almost-self-titled debut release that dropped in the fall of 1981. He has continued to write and record since then, and his most recent project, Cowboys and Dreamers, arrived only two years ago.
Fans of Strait – and classic country in general – continue to love and adore him and, perhaps most importantly, stream his biggest hits. While Strait’s newer collections and singles do not typically perform as well as his earlier wins, he appears on the Billboard charts more often than not with his biggest greatest hits compilation.
This week, as that collection is once again counted as one of the most successful in the nation, it brings him to a landmark rarely seen by country artists on the most competitive albums roster in the United States.
George Strait Reaches 400 Weeks on the Billboard 200
On the current edition of the Billboard 200 – the ranking of the most-consumed albums and EPs in the nation – Strait climbs from No. 94 to No. 81 with his compilation 50 Number Ones. As of this frame, the project has spent 400 weeks as one of the most-consumed releases in the U.S. Strait has never come close to that milestone before, and it’s possible he never will again.
50 Number Ones Is George Strait’s Longest-Charting Album
50 Number Ones is far and away Strait’s longest-charting effort on the Billboard 200. It is one of only two releases – out of a total of 45 that have landed somewhere on the tally – to rack up triple-digit stays on the list.
The Pure Country soundtrack, which arrived in October 1992 and peaked at No. 6 the following month, racked up 129 turns on the rundown. Several other commercially successful full-lengths, including Troubadour, It Just Comes Natural, Easy Come Easy Go and Blue Clear Sky, have all held on for at least a year.
George Strait Has Scored Five Billboard 200 No. 1s
Strait debuted 50 Number Ones atop the Billboard 200 in October 2004. It is one of his five leaders on the chart, which is a large number for a country artist. The compilation stands out as his only set to hold court at the summit more than once. The singles project ruled for two weeks, while his other champions, Troubadour, Carrying Your Love with Me, Twang and Somewhere Down in Texas, all led the charge for one frame apiece.
50 Number Ones Nears the Country Top 10 – Again
50 Number Ones can be found on a pair of rankings published by Billboard this frame, and this month has turned out to be huge for the title on both of them. On the Top Country Albums chart, Strait’s release climbs from No. 16 to No. 13, almost finding its way back into the top 10.
Last week was a truly exciting one for the compilation, as it celebrated 500 frames as one of the most popular country projects in the nation. 50 Number Ones adds to that figure again this frame, and in only a matter of months, it will likely become one of the only decade-long winners on the list.
George Strait Has Scored 27 Top Country Albums No. 1s
While Strait has topped the Billboard 200 five times in his career, he has collected more than five times as many rulers on the Top Country Albums chart. Out of his 52 releases that have landed anywhere on the ranking, 27 of them – a little more than half – have spent at least one turn at No. 1.
50 Number Ones managed five weeks – about a month – as the most popular country release in the U.S., and it is counted as one of Strait’s sturdiest rulers.
Leave a comment