CARSON, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 01: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE) Taylor Swift performs onstage … [+]
Five releases reach noteworthy anniversaries on this week’s Billboard 200, Billboard’s semi-namesake ranking of the most-consumed albums and EPs in the U.S. Four of the stars behind those special projects claim more than one space on the roster this time around, while one, Billy Joel, is relying heavily on the success of his biggest compilation, which is still going strong based off of the popularity of his many smashes.
Here are five albums that make big moves on the Billboard 200 chart this week.
No. 51 – J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive
It was only a few months ago that J. Cole last ruled over the Billboard 200. His new album The Off-Season easily debuted atop the tally, as he remains one of the biggest stars in the hip-hop world today. He commands three spots on this week’s chart, with one of his releases, the massive 2014 Forest Hills Drive, hitting 350 frames on the tally. The former No. 1 is one of the longest-charting rap efforts in U.S. history, and the fact that it’s still as high as No. 51 years into its tenure on the list is impressive.
No. 64 – Taylor Swift – Lover
Taylor Swift has released two albums in the past 12 months, and she has another coming soon, but fans continue to buy and stream her older collections as she doles out new tunes. Seven of her 10 proper full-lengths are present on the tally this frame, with one reaching a very special milestone. Lover, her last proper pop record (Folklore and Evermore were classified by Billboard as alternative), is up at No. 64 as it hits 104 weeks on the ranking, or two full years. Lover is Swift’s seventh project to live on the Billboard 200 for at least two years, and it surely won’t be her last.
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No. 94 – Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2
One of two proper solo albums he’s shared thus far, Lil Uzi Vert’s Luv Is Rage 2 is by far his most successful, at least in terms of length of time spent on the Billboard 200. The rapper’s first album, released in the summer of 2017, has now racked up 208 weeks on the all-genre ranking of the most-consumed releases in the U.S. It is the hip-hop artist’s first title to make it to four years on the list.
No. 145 – Tyler, the Creator – Igor
Tyler, the Creator scored his second consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200 a few weeks ago with Call Me If You Get Lost, but it’s his first champion that’s worth celebrating this period. Igor, which also won the rapper his first Grammy not long ago, earns its one-hundredth stay on the roster this time around. It marks the hip-hop powerhouse’s first time seeing one of his releases racking up a triple-digit frame count on the chart.
No. 148 – Billy Joel – The Essential Billy Joel
It’s a bit disappointing that Billy Joel hasn’t released a new album in 20 years, but fans still have a lot of music to enjoy from the piano player, and they seem to be focused on one compilation more than any other title. The superstar’s The Essential Billy Joel, which, as it’s name would suggest, features all of his must-hear hits, makes it to 250 weeks on the Billboard 200 this time around. It is far and away the musician’s longest-running title on the ranking, and his only to pass 200 weeks on the list.
