List of Top Country Albums number ones of 1997

Singer Trisha Yearwood
Compilation album (Songbook) A Collection of Hits gave Trisha Yearwood her first number one.

Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1997, eight different albums topped the chart, based on electronic point of sale data provided by SoundScan Inc.[1]

The number-one position was occupied for more than half of the year by LeAnn Rimes, who had first topped the chart the previous year when she was 13 years old.[2] In the issue of Billboard dated January 4, Rimes held the top spot with her album Blue, the record's 20th week in the top spot.[3] Blue occupied the peak position for the first eight weeks of 1997, after which it was displaced by Unchained Melody: The Early Years, also by Rimes. This was a compilation of tracks released to capitalize on the success of her first major-label album, and consisted mostly of tracks from the independent album All That, originally released when she was aged 11.[4] It spent 10 consecutive weeks at number one, meaning that Rimes occupied the top spot from the start of the year until early May. In September, Blue spent one final week at number one and then Rimes returned to the top spot with her next album You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs, which spent eight weeks atop the chart, giving the teenage singer a total of 27 weeks at number one in 1997.

In November, Canadian singer Shania Twain entered the chart at number one with the album Come On Over.[5] The album initially only spent three weeks at number one, but would return to the top spot repeatedly, eventually spending a total of 50 weeks at number one, making it the longest-running chart-topper in the history of the Top Country Albums listing.[6][7] In 2000, it was recognized by the Recording Industry Association of America as the highest-selling album of all time by a female artist, as well as the biggest-selling country album.[8][9] The year's final number one was Sevens by Garth Brooks, which also topped the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.[10] It was the singer's fifth consecutive number one and his ninth consecutive multi-platinum album.[11] Three months earlier, Trisha Yearwood, who would marry Brooks in 2005,[12] gained her first number one with (Songbook) A Collection of Hits.[13]

Chart history

Singer LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes had three number ones in 1997, which between them spent more than half of the year in the top spot.
Singer Tim McGraw
Everywhere was a chart-topper for Tim McGraw.
Singer Shania Twain
Shania Twain reached number one in November with Come On Over, which would go on to become the longest-running chart-topper in the history of the Top Country Albums listing.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 4 Blue LeAnn Rimes [3]
January 11 [14]
January 18 [15]
January 25 [16]
February 1 [17]
February 8 [18]
February 15 [19]
February 22 [20]
March 1 Unchained Melody: The Early Years [21]
March 8 [22]
March 15 [23]
March 22 [24]
March 29 [25]
April 5 [26]
April 12 [27]
April 19 [28]
April 26 [29]
May 3 [30]
May 10 Carrying Your Love with Me George Strait [31]
May 17 [32]
May 24 [33]
May 31 [34]
June 7 [35]
June 14 [36]
June 21 Everywhere Tim McGraw [37]
June 28 [38]
July 5 [39]
July 12 [40]
July 19 [41]
July 26 [42]
August 2 [43]
August 9 [44]
August 16 [45]
August 23 [46]
August 30 [47]
September 6 Blue LeAnn Rimes [48]
September 13 (Songbook) A Collection of Hits Trisha Yearwood [49]
September 20 [50]
September 27 You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs LeAnn Rimes [51]
October 4 [52]
October 11 [53]
October 18 [54]
October 25 [55]
November 1 [56]
November 8 [57]
November 15 [58]
November 22 Come On Over Shania Twain [5]
November 29 [59]
December 6 [60]
December 13 Sevens Garth Brooks [61]
December 20 [62]
December 27 [63]

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "LeAnn Rimes Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Country Albums chart for January 4, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  4. ^ Wolff, Kurt (2000). Country Music: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. p. 541. ISBN 9781858285344.
  5. ^ a b "Country Albums chart for November 22, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  6. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (November 4, 2019). "Luke Combs' Debut Is Now Tied As The Longest-Running No. 1 Country Album Ever". Forbes. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  7. ^ Hermanson, Wendy (October 28, 2019). "Luke Combs Ties Shania Twain For Longest No.1 Country Album". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  8. ^ Dansby, Andrew (December 20, 2000). "Shania Tops Whitney for Best-Selling Album by a Female". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  9. ^ Thompson, Gayle (November 4, 2019). "22 Years Ago: Shania Twain's 'Come On Over' is Released". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  10. ^ "Sevens Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  11. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 40. ISBN 9780898201734.
  12. ^ Dinges, Gary (March 21, 2020). "Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood plan Facebook concert to keep homebound fans entertained amid coronavirus". USA Today. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 285. ISBN 9780898201734.
  14. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 11, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  15. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 18, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  16. ^ "Country Albums chart for January 25, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  17. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 1, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  18. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 8, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  19. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 15, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  20. ^ "Country Albums chart for February 22, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  21. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 1, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  22. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 8, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  23. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 15, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  24. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 22, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  25. ^ "Country Albums chart for March 29, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  26. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 5, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  27. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 12, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  28. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 19, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  29. ^ "Country Albums chart for April 26, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  30. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 3, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  31. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 10, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  32. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 17, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  33. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 24, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  34. ^ "Country Albums chart for May 31, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  35. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 7, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  36. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 14, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  37. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 21, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  38. ^ "Country Albums chart for June 28, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  39. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 5, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  40. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 12, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  41. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 19, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  42. ^ "Country Albums chart for July 26, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  43. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 2, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  44. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 9, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  45. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 16, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  46. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 23, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  47. ^ "Country Albums chart for August 30, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  48. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 6, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  49. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 13, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  50. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 20, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  51. ^ "Country Albums chart for September 27, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  52. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 4, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  53. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 11, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  54. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 18, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  55. ^ "Country Albums chart for October 25, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  56. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 1, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  57. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 8, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  58. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 15, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  59. ^ "Country Albums chart for November 29, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  60. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 6, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  61. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 13, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  62. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 20, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  63. ^ "Country Albums chart for December 27, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.