The album chart name changed from "Top Pop Albums" to "Billboard 200 Top Albums" on September 7, 1991. The highest-selling albums and EPs in the United States are ranked in the Billboard 200, which is published by Billboard magazine. In 1991, a total of 14 albums claimed the top of the chart. One of which, American rapper Vanilla Ice's To the Extreme started its peak on the issue dated November 10, 1990, and spent 8 weeks atop the chart in 1991.
Mariah Carey's self-titled debut album was the longest running number-one album of the year, spending 11 consecutive weeks atop the chart and was the best-selling album of 1991. Starting in 1991, Billboard began using Nielsen Soundscan data for its album chart, which provided more precise and accurate sales figures. The first date to use this methodology was the June 1, 1991 dated chart when the number one album was Out of Time by R.E.M., which topped the chart with sales of 89,000.
Chart history +KeyIndicates best performing album of 1991Indicates #1 album before Nielsen SoundScan tracked sales
Issue date Album Artist(s) Sales To the ExtremeVanilla Ice Mariah Carey Out of TimeR.E.M. Time, Love & Tenderness Out of TimeR.E.M. 89,000 Spellbound 88,000 89,000 Niggaz4LifeN.W.A 154,000 Slave to the GrindSkid Row 134,000 For Unlawful Carnal KnowledgeVan Halen243,000 195,000 142,000 Unforgettable... with Love 517,000 329,000 287,000 211,000 170,000 MetallicaMetallica 598,000 290,000 213,000 171,500 Ropin' the Wind300,000 Use Your Illusion IIGuns N' Roses770,000Hasty, Katie. An alternative version of Don't Cry is featured on the second album with the same music but different lyrics. "Kanye Edges GNR, Ludacris For No. 1 Debut". billboard.com. December 3, 2008. 340,000 Ropin' the WindGarth Brooks254,000 270,000 230,000 220,000 190,000 175,000 167,000 Achtung BabyU2295,000 Dangerous326,500 378,000 370,000
See also 1991 in music List of number-one albums (United States)
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