charts discussion Highest first-week sales for female albums in history (Top 50 all-time US chart)

[houdini]

I have never found a list like this anywhere so I thought I'd make it myself:

 

The highest first-week sales figures for lead female albums in Billboard 200 Soundscan history (1991-present):

 

Top 50 all-time:

 

1. 25 - Adele (3.378M)  

2. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift (1.653M)

3. Midnights - Taylor Swift (1.578M)

4. Oops… I Did It Again! - Britney Spears (1.319M) 

5. 1989 - Taylor Swift (1.287M)  

6. Reputation - Taylor Swift (1.216M) 

7. Red - Taylor Swift (1.208M)  

8. Born This Way - Lady Gaga (1.108M)  

9. Speak Now - Taylor Swift (1.047M)  

10. Feels Like Home - Norah Jones (1.022M)  

11. Up! - Shania Twain (874k)

12. Lover - Taylor Swift (867k) 

13. folklore - Taylor Swift (846k)  

14. 30 - Adele (839k)  

15. Home - The Chicks (780k)

16. Britney - Britney Spears (746k)  

17. As I Am - Alicia Keys (742k)  

18. The Breakthrough - Mary J. Blige (727k)

19. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift (716k)

20. I Dreamed A Dream - Susan Boyle (701k)

21. Survivor - Destiny’s Child (663k)

22. Lemonade - Beyoncé (653k)  

23. Growing Pains - Mary J. Blige (629k)

24. The Diary of Alicia Keys - Alicia Keys (618k)  

25. BEYONCÉ - Beyoncé (617k) 

26. In the Zone - Britney Spears (609k) 

27. All For You - Janet Jackson (605k)  

28. Red (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift (605k)

29. Fearless - Taylor Swift (592k)  

30. A New Day Has Come - Celine Dion (558k)

31. B’Day - Beyoncé (541k)  

32. Greatest Hits - Shania Twain (530k)

33. Carnival Ride - Carrie Underwood (527k)

34. Taking the High Road - The Chicks (526k)

35. Circus - Britney Spears (505k)  

36. Ashanti - Ashanti (503k)

37. Soldier of Love - Sade (502k)  

38. I Am… Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé (482k)  

39. Cry - Faith Hill (472k)

40. Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie - Alanis Morissette (469k)

41. E=Mc2 - Mariah Carey (462k)

42. One Heart - Celine Dion (432k)

43. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (422k)

44. Music - Madonna (420k)

45. The Element Of Freedom - Alicia Keys (417k)

46. Beautiful Trauma - P!nk (408k)

47. Not Too Late - Norah Jones (405k)

48. The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey (404k)

49. Autobiography - Ashlee Simpson (398k)

50. Damita Jo - Janet Jackson (381k)

50. Under My Skin - Avril Lavigne (381k)

 

let me know if I missed / overlooked any albums by accident please 

 

Multiple entries:

 

(11)

- Taylor Swift

 

(4)

- Beyoncé

- Britney Spears

 

(3)

- Alicia Keys

 

(2)

- Adele

- Celine Dion

- Janet Jackson

- Mariah Carey

- Mary J. Blige

- Norah Jones

- The Chicks

- Shania Twain

 

Edited November 5 by houdini

[Steve Johnson]

Queen Taylor dominating everywhere. 

[lover.]

Taylor occupying half of the Top 10 

[By the Water]

If only evermore had CDs 

[fauxtography]

edit: nvm - this is just US sales.

[Gottasadae]

29 minutes ago, KatyPrismSpirit said:

 

(4)

- Beyoncé

- Britney Spears

 

(3)

- Madonna

The power and longevity 

 

[Kevin Parker]

Taylor 

[Ms. Togekiss]

Taylor stomping 

[tiagol88]

25 - Adele (3.378M)

 

This will never not be legendary 

[Henry Torres]

Britney was #1 for 15 years  

Legendary 

Edited August 2, 2022 by Henry Torres

[houdini]

the way no pop girl besides taylor will probably ever join this list due to streaming anymore 

[HEAVYONIT]

Nicki!!

[Aspookykid]

The gap 

Queen Adele always #1 

 

[Steve Johnson]

Queen Taylor always #1.

8 albums so far, 1989 TV and TS10 will join the list too. 

[khalyan]

The way Adele is so far ahead at #1 that even combining #2 and #3 together wouldn’t be enough to overtake her.  That was such an event we’ll never see anything like that ever again. 

[Sharapov]

adele's decline is crazy

[Clauss]

There is a * missing somewhere there...

[Lovett]

Beyoncé having four entries!  The longevity her success has had is super impressive.

[John Slayne]

MDNA randomly being there 

[houdini]

45 minutes ago, Clauss said:

There is a * missing somewhere there...

wdym?

[LesFleur]

Survivor - Destiny’s Child (663k)

Michelle Williams' impact 

 

[Triton]

1 hour ago, MrLovett said:

Beyoncé having four entries!  The longevity her success has had is super impressive.

And two of those having just half of the whole 7 day tracking period all the other albums had. 

[1989]

Taylor dominating as usual 

[abeille]

The way BEYONCÉ would've been top 10 if it had a full tracking week 

[houdini]

Midnights coming to join the top 10 i can feel it. too bad renaissance didnt make the top 50