List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2008

The highest-selling albums and EPs in the United States are ranked in the Billboard 200, which is published by Billboard magazine. The data are compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly physical and digital sales.^[1] In 2008, 38 albums advanced to the peak position of the chart.

Hip hop artist Lil Wayne's sixth studio album, Tha Carter III, was the highest-selling record of 2008.

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's Fearless is her first number-one album and had the longest run among the releases that have reached peak position in 2008, spending 11 non-consecutive weeks beginning with the issue dated November 29 and continuing into the 2009 chart year.^[2] She is the only singer to have achieved the longest-running album as a country female recording act in the Billboard 200 history.^[3] Swift is now ranked fifth on the list of solo female artists with the longest-running number-one album in Billboard history, tied with veterans Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.^[4] Other albums with extended chart runs include Jack Johnson's fifth studio album, Sleep Through the Static, and Metallica's ninth studio album, Death Magnetic; each spent three straight weeks on the chart. Three soundtrack albums topped the chart in 2008: Juno, Mamma Mia! and Twilight.

Hip hop artist Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III is the highest-selling album of 2008 in the US, selling 2.874 million copies since its release.^[5][6] The album attained the most sales in a week, netting over one million units after a week of release, a feat previously accomplished in 2005.^[7] The second best-selling album of the year is alternative rock band Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends with 2.144 million copies sold, followed by Swift's Fearless with 2.112 million.^[6] It is also the best-selling album in digital format, having topped the Billboard Top Digital Albums of 2008.^[8] Alternative rock band Radiohead's In Rainbows had the most vinyl albums sold in 2008, amounting to 26,000 units.^[5]

Pop singer Madonna scored her seventh number-one album, Hard Candy, making her the female act with the second most number-one albums in the United States. R&B singer Mariah Carey earned her sixth number-one album in 2008 with E=MC², tying her with R&B singer Janet Jackson for third place for most number-one albums by a female act. E=MC² opened at number one on the chart for selling 463,000 copies, outselling Carey's previous albums' debut figures.^[9] Neil Diamond achieved the first number one album of his career with Home Before Dark 42 years after his first chart entry.

Chart history

 

Country singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's Fearless is her first number-one album and the longest-running number-one album from 2008, topping the chart for 11 non-consecutive weeks.

 

Pop singer Madonna scored her seventh number-one album, Hard Candy, making her the second female act with the most number-one albums in the United States.

 

Singer Janet Jackson scored her sixth number-one album, Discipline.

 

British rock band Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends sold the most digital albums in 2008.

 

British rock band Radiohead sold the most vinyl formats in 2008 with In Rainbows.

Key

†	Indicates best performing album of 2008

Issue date	Album	Artist(s)	Sales	Ref.
January 5	Noël	Josh Groban	757,000	^[10]^[11]
January 12	Growing Pains	Mary J. Blige	204,000	^[12]^[13]
January 19	In Rainbows	Radiohead	122,000	^[14]^[15]
January 26	As I Am †	Alicia Keys	70,000	^[16]^[17]
February 2			61,000	^[18]^[19]
February 9	Music from the Motion Picture Juno	Soundtrack	65,000	^[20]^[21]
February 16	As I Am †	Alicia Keys	61,000	^[22]^[23]
February 23	Sleep Through the Static	Jack Johnson	375,000	^[24]^[25]
March 1			180,000	^[26]^[27]
March 8			105,000	^[28]^[29]
March 15	Discipline	Janet Jackson	181,000	^[30]^[31]
March 22	Good Time	Alan Jackson	119,000	^[32]^[33]
March 29	Trilla	Rick Ross	198,000	^[34]^[35]
April 5	Welcome to the Dollhouse	Danity Kane	236,000	^[36]^[37]
April 12	Day26	Day26	190,000	^[38]^[39]
April 19	Troubadour	George Strait	166,000	^[40]^[41]
April 26	Spirit	Leona Lewis	205,000	^[42]^[43]
May 3	E=MC²	Mariah Carey	463,000	^[44]^[45]
May 10			182,000	^[46]^[47]
May 17	Hard Candy	Madonna	280,000	^[48]^[49]
May 24	Home Before Dark	Neil Diamond	146,000	^[50]^[51]
May 31	Narrow Stairs	Death Cab for Cutie	144,000	^[52]^[53]
June 7	3 Doors Down	3 Doors Down	154,000	^[54]^[55]
June 14	Here I Stand	Usher	433,000	^[56]^[57]
June 21	Indestructible	Disturbed	252,000	^[58]^[59]
June 28	Tha Carter III	Lil Wayne	1,005,545	^[60]^[61]
July 5	Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends	Coldplay	721,000	^[62]^[63]^[64]
July 12			249,000	^[65]^[66]
July 19	Tha Carter III	Lil Wayne	156,000	^[67]^[68]
July 26			125,000	^[69]^[70]
August 2	Untitled	Nas	187,000	^[71]^[72]
August 9	Breakout	Miley Cyrus	371,000	^[73]^[74]
August 16	Love on the Inside	Sugarland	171,000	^[75]^[76]
August 23	Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack	Mamma Mia! cast / Soundtrack	130,000	^[77]^[78]
August 30	A Little Bit Longer	Jonas Brothers	525,000	^[79]^[80]^[81]
September 6			147,000	^[82]^[83]
September 13	All Hope Is Gone	Slipknot	239,516	^[84]^[85]
September 20	The Recession	Young Jeezy	260,000	^[86]^[87]
September 27	Death Magnetic	Metallica	490,000	^[88]^[89]^[90]
October 4			337,000	^[91]^[92]
October 11			132,000	^[93]^[94]
October 18	Paper Trail	T.I.	568,000	^[95]^[96]
October 25			177,000	^[97]^[98]
November 1	Lucky Old Sun	Kenny Chesney	176,000	^[99]^[100]
November 8	Black Ice	AC/DC	784,000	^[101]^[102]
November 15			271,000	^[103]^[104]
November 22	Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack	Soundtrack	165,000	^[105]^[106]
November 29	Fearless	Taylor Swift	592,000	^[107]^[108]
December 6	I Am… Sasha Fierce	Beyoncé	482,000	^[109]^[110]
December 13	808s & Heartbreak	Kanye West	450,000	^[111]^[112]
December 20	Circus	Britney Spears	505,000	^[113]^[114]
December 27	Fearless	Taylor Swift	249,000	^[115]^[116]

See also

• 2008 in music
• List of number-one albums (United States)

References

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