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Top Christian Albums

Number one album in Christian music in the United States

Summary

Number one album in Christian music in the United States

Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the Billboard 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly physical and digital sales, as well as on-demand streaming and digital sales of its individual tracks. The chart was introduced on the magazine issue dated March 29, 1980, under the title "Best Selling Inspirational LPs". The current name was adopted on August 16, 2003, in an effort to "streamline" chart titles. The first number-one album was Candle's Music Machine. Amy Grant's Age to Age, released in 1982, topped the chart for 85 consecutive weeks, the longest for any album on the chart.

The current number-one album on the chart is Child of God II by Forrest Frank.

Artist milestones

Most number-one albums

ArtistNo.Ref.MercyMePassionLecraeHillsong UnitedCasting CrownsElevation WorshipThird DayNewsboysHillsong WorshipTobyMacNeedtobreathePhil WickhamLauren Daigle
17
16
12
9
8
7
6
4
4

Most cumulative weeks at number one

ArtistWks.Ref.Kanye WestCarmanSteven Curtis ChapmanForrest FrankCasting CrownsMercyMeP.O.D.dc TalkSwitchfootPetra
333
121
112
106
86
79
64
62
62Forrest Frank No. 1 albums:
61
60
54
53
48
44

Album milestones

Most cumulative weeks at number one

The following albums have spent at least 30 cumulative weeks atop the chart:

ArtistWks.YearsAlbumRef.Kanye Westdc TalkSwitchfootForrest FrankP.O.D.Carman
1022018–23Look Up Child
982021–24Donda
851982–84Age to Age
681986–88Morning Like This
611984–85Straight Ahead
381993–94Free at Last
382004–05The Beautiful Letdown
372024-25Child of God
361985–86Unguarded
361988–89Lead Me On
351997–98You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs
352001–02Satellite
341989–90Revival In the Land

Most consecutive weeks at number one

The following albums have spent at least 25 consecutive weeks atop the chart:

ArtistWks.YearsAlbumRef.
851982–84Age to Age
611984–85Straight Ahead
401986–87Morning Like This
372018–19Look Up Child
361985–86Unguarded
351997–98You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs
281988–89Lead Me On
251987–88The Collection

Most weeks on the chart

The following albums have spent at least 200 weeks on the chart:

No.ArtistWks.AlbumRef.SkilletHillsong UnitedNFElevation WorshipHillsong WorshipSkilletNFMercyMeFlyleafZach WilliamsKanye WestZach WilliamsFor King & CountryHillsong WorshipElevation WorshiptobyMacFor King & CountryCeCe WinansElevation Worship and Maverick City MusicMercyMeKanye WestSkillet
1608Awake
2559How Can It Be
3543Zion
4507How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection
5489Mansion
6483Here as in Heaven
7446Let There Be Light
8445Unleashed
9436Precious Memories Collection
10422Therapy Session
11411I Can Only Imagine: The Very Best of MercyMe
12396Flyleaf
13394Chain Breaker
14383Look Up Child
15381The Collection
16324Jesus Is King
17315Elvis: Ultimate Gospel
18317Rescue Story
19308Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.
20300There Is More
21297Graves into Gardens
22291Voice of Truth: The Ultimate Collection
23286Age to Age
24285This Is Not a Test
25268Burn the Ships
26257More Than Wonderful
27255Only Jesus
28252Believe for It
29245Old Church Basement
30237Hymns Just for You
31228Lifer
32228Donda
33212Hills and Valleys
34207Comatose

|- | 35 ! scope="row"| MercyMe | 187

Welcome to the New
36
! scope="row"
185
Wonder
-
37
! scope="row"
178
People
-
38
! scope="row"
176
The Maverick City Vol 03 Part 1

|}

Other achievements

  • Forrest Frank became the first artist to replace himself at number one on the chart; Frank's album of Child of God II dethroned his album Child of God on May 24, 2025. He repeated the achievement on July 26, 2025.

Number ones

  • 1980s
  • 1990s
  • 2000s
  • 2010s
  • 2020s

References

References

  1. "Billboard Charts Legend".
  2. (March 29, 1980). "Best Selling Inspirational LPs".
  3. (August 16, 2003). "Bad Boys".
  4. Ruhlmann, William. "Amy Grant {{!}} Biography & History". [[AllMusic]].
  5. (2026-01-15). "Top Christian Albums".
  6. Asker, Jim. (February 15, 2018). "Michael W. Smith Returns to Hot Christian Songs Chart: Music Can 'Transform a Life on Every Level'". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
  7. "Michael W. Smith Chart History: Christian Albums".
  8. "MercyMe Chart History: Christian Albums".
  9. "Steven Curtis Chapman Chart History: Christian Albums".
  10. "Passion Conferences Chart History: Christian Albums".
  11. "LeCrae Chart History: Christian Albums".
  12. "Hilsong United Chapman Chart History: Christian Albums".
  13. "Chris Tomlin Chart History: Christian Albums".
  14. "Casting Crowns Chart History: Christian Albums".
  15. "Elevation Worship Chart History: Christian Albums".
  16. "Third Day Chart History: Christian Albums".
  17. "Newsboys Chart History: Christian Albums".
  18. "Jeremy Camp Chart History: Christian Albums".
  19. "Hillsong Worship Chart History: Christian Albums".
  20. Asker, Jim. (March 19, 2025). "'Heaven' Makes Seven No. 1 Albums for tobyMac on Top Christian Albums Chart".
  21. "Needtobreathe Chart History: Christian Albums".
  22. "Phil Wickham Chart History: Christian Albums".
  23. "Lauren Daigle Chart History: Christian Albums".
  24. "Lauren Daigle Chart History: Christian Albums".
  25. "Sandi Patty Chart History: Christian Albums".
  26. "Kanye West Chart History: Christian Albums".
  27. "Kirk Franklin Chart History: Christian Albums".
  28. "Carmen Chart History: Christian Albums".
  29. "P.O.D. Chart History: Christian Albums".
  30. "dc Talk Chart History: Christian Albums".
  31. "Switchfoot Chart History: Christian Albums".
  32. "Petra Chart History: Christian Albums".
  33. "Lauren Daigle – Look Up Child".
  34. "Kanye West – Donda".
  35. "Amy Grant – Age to Age".
  36. "Sandi Patty – Morning Like This".
  37. "Amy Grant – Straight Ahead".
  38. "dc Talk – Free at Last".
  39. "Switchfoot – The Beautiful Letdown".
  40. (2025-08-30). "Top Christian Albums".
  41. "Amy Grant – Unguarded".
  42. "Amy Grant – Lead Me On".
  43. "LeAnn Rimes – You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs".
  44. "P.O.D. – Satellite".
  45. "Carman – Revival In the Land".
  46. Darden, Bob. "Amy Grant's Phenomenal Success".
  47. "Skillet – Awake".
  48. "Lauren Daigle Chart History".
  49. "Hillsong United Chart History".
  50. "Chris Tomlin – How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection".
  51. "NF – Chart History".
  52. "Elevation Worship – Here As in Heaven".
  53. "Hillsong Worship – Let There Be Light".
  54. "Skillet – Unleashed".
  55. "Alan Jackson – Precious Memories Collection".
  56. "NF – Chart History".
  57. "MercyMe – I Can Only Imagine: The Very Best of MercyMe".
  58. "Flyleaf – Flyleaf".
  59. "Zach Williams – Chain Breaker".
  60. "Lauren Daigle – Look Up Child".
  61. "Amy Grant – The Collection".
  62. "Kanye West Chart History".
  63. "Elvis Presley – Elvis: Ultimate Gospel".
  64. "Zach Williams – Rescue Story".
  65. "For King & Country – Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.".
  66. "Hillsong Worship – There Is More".
  67. "Elevation Worship – Graves into Gardens".
  68. "Casting Crowns – Voice of Truth: The Ultimate Collection".
  69. "Amy Grant – Age to Age".
  70. "tobyMac – This Is Not a Test".
  71. "For King & Country – Burn the Ships".
  72. "Sandi Patty – More than Wonderful".
  73. "Casting Crowns – Only Jesus".
  74. "Ce Ce Winans Chart History".
  75. "Maverick City Music Chart History".
  76. "Sandi Patty – Hymns Just For You".
  77. "MercyMe – Lifer".
  78. "Kanye West Chart History".
  79. "Tauren Wells – Hills and Valleys".
  80. "Skillet – Comatose".
  81. "Hillsong United Chart History".
  82. "Hillsong United Chart History".
  83. "Maverick City Music Chart History".
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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