Albums With the Most Weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the 21st Century

“The kicky, 23-year-old British singer released her second album, the break-up requiem 21, in February, but it wasn’t just heartbreak that made her popular,” Billboard wrote in December 2011. “In contemporary music, Adele is one of a kind, a woman who thrives off no bells and whistles, just pure personality and talent (and the ability to make the toughest curmudgeon cry).”

Following the set’s arrival, it launched at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and ran up 24 nonconsecutive weeks at the summit through June 2012 – the most of any album on the chart over the first quarter of the century. Along the way, 21 spun off three enduring No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 – “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You” and “Set Fire to the Rain” – and won the Grammy for album of the year.

“It’s been the most erratic year,” Adele reflected late in her dominant 2011. “It’s been f–king brilliant and exciting and emotional. Professionally, it’s been a year that will define my life forever.” Still, Adele – who revealed last August the she and super-agent Rich Paul are getting married after dating since 2021 – added, “Not having someone to share all this with made me miserable at times, to be honest. I wanted nothing more than to be in love and be loved back. That was until I remembered I was sharing it with millions and millions and millions of people!”

Below, run down the albums (including others that turned heartbreak into hits) with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart over the first 25 years of the 21st century.

Plus, browse highlights of Billboard’s Top Artists of the 21st Century chart and the entire 100-position ranking in Billboard’s charts menu, as well as the leading titles on Billboard’s Top Billboard 200 Albums of the 21st Century chart and Then, check back tomorrow (Jan. 10) for the premiere of Billboard’s Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century chart.

Billboard’s Top Artists, Top Billboard 200 Albums and Top Hot 100 Songs of the 21st Century recaps reflect performance on weekly charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024. The Top Artists category ranks the best-performing acts in that span based on activity on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100. (Titles released prior to mid-1999 are excluded, although such entries that appeared on the Billboard 200 or Hot 100 in that span contribute to the calculation of the Top Artists chart.)