These are the Billboard magazine number-one albums of 1996, per the Billboard 200.
† | Indicates best performing album of 1996 |
Issue date | Album | Artist(s) | Label | Sales | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 6 | Daydream | Mariah Carey | Columbia | 759,959 | [1] [2] |
January 13 | 414,000 | [3] [4] | |||
January 20 | Waiting to Exhale | Soundtrack | Arista | 231,000 | [5] [6] |
January 27 | 174,000 | [7] [8] | |||
February 3 | 159,000 | [9] [10] | |||
February 10 | 131,000 | [11] [12] | |||
February 17 | 118,000 | [13] [14] | |||
February 24 | Jagged Little Pill † | Alanis Morissette | Maverick | 132,000 | [15] [16] |
March 2 | All Eyez on Me | 2Pac | Death Row | 566,500 | [17] [18] |
March 9 | 287,000 | [19] [20] | |||
March 16 | Jagged Little Pill† | Alanis Morissette | Maverick | 241,000 | [21] [22] |
March 23 | 251,000 | [23] [24] | |||
March 30 | 233,000 | [25] [26] | |||
April 6 | Anthology 2 | The Beatles | Apple | 441,000 | [27] [28] |
April 13 | Jagged Little Pill† | Alanis Morissette | Maverick | 213,000 | [29] [30] |
April 20 | 254,000 | [31] [32] | |||
April 27 | 200,000 | [33] [34] | |||
May 4 | Evil Empire | Rage Against the Machine | Epic | 249,000 | [35] [36] |
May 11 | Fairweather Johnson | Hootie & the Blowfish | Atlantic | 411,000 | [37] [38] |
May 18 | 259,000 | [39] [40] | |||
May 25 | The Score | Fugees | Ruffhouse | 206,000 | [41] [42] |
June 1 | 189,000 | [43] [44] | |||
June 8 | 180,000 | [45] [46] | |||
June 15 | 179,000 | [47] [48] | |||
June 22 | Load | Metallica | Elektra | 680,000 | [49] [50] |
June 29 | 302,000 | [51] [52] | |||
July 6 | 219,000 | [53] [54] | |||
July 13 | 172,000 | [55] [56] | |||
July 20 | It Was Written | Nas | Columbia | 269,000 | [57] [58] |
July 27 | 161,000 | [59] [60] | |||
August 3 | 144,000 | [61] [62] | |||
August 10 | 132,000 | [63] [64] | |||
August 17 | Beats, Rhymes and Life | A Tribe Called Quest | Jive | 173,000 | [65] [66] |
August 24 | Jagged Little Pill† | Alanis Morissette | Maverick | 121,000 | [67] [68] |
August 31 | 120,000 | [69] [70] | |||
September 7 | 115,000 | [71] [72] | |||
September 14 | No Code | Pearl Jam | Epic | 366,500 | [73] [74] |
September 21 | 146,000 | [75] [76] | |||
September 28 | Home Again | New Edition | MCA | 227,000 | [77] [78] |
October 5 | Falling into You | Celine Dion | 550 Music | 132,000 | [79] [80] |
October 12 | 131,000 | [81] [82] | |||
October 19 | From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah | Nirvana | DGC | 158,000 | [83] [84] |
October 26 | Falling into You | Celine Dion | 550 Music | 136,000 | [85] [86] |
November 2 | Recovering the Satellites | Counting Crows | Geffen | 160,000 | [87] [88] |
November 9 | Best Of Volume I | Van Halen | Warner Bros | 233,000 | [89] [90] |
November 16 | Anthology 3 | The Beatles | Apple | 236,000 | [91] [92] |
November 23 | The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory | Makaveli | Death Row | 664,000 | [93] [94] |
November 30 | Tha Doggfather | Snoop Doggy Dogg | Death Row | 478,971 | [95] [96] |
December 7 | Razorblade Suitcase | Bush | Trauma | 295,000 | [97] [98] |
December 14 | 200,000 | [99] [100] | |||
December 21 | Tragic Kingdom | No Doubt | Trauma | 229,000 | [101] [102] |
December 28 | 329,000 | [103] [104] | |||
Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette, released on June 13, 1995, through Maverick and her first album to be released worldwide. It marked a stylistic departure from the dance-pop sound of her first two albums, Alanis (1991) and Now Is the Time (1992). Morissette began work on the album after moving from her hometown Ottawa to Los Angeles, where she met producer Glen Ballard. Morissette and Ballard had an instant connection and began co-writing and experimenting with sounds. The experimentation resulted in an alternative rock album that takes influence from post-grunge and pop rock, and features guitars, keyboards, drum machines, and harmonica. The lyrics touch upon themes of aggression and unsuccessful relationships, while Ballard introduced a pop sensibility to Morissette's angst. The title of the album is taken from a line in the first verse of the song "You Learn".
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Tha Doggfather is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records. After the success of his debut album Doggystyle (1993), Snoop was arrested and charged with murder and in 1995, spent time preparing for the case that went to trial. On February 20, 1996, he was cleared of all charges and began working on his second album without Dr. Dre providing work as a record producer. This was Snoop's final album on Death Row until 2022, when he acquired the rights to the Death Row trademarks from MNRK Music Group, releasing BODR the same year. This would also be his last album under the moniker Snoop Doggy Dogg before it was shorted to Snoop Dogg. Recording sessions took place from February 1996 to October 1996, with Suge Knight as the executive producer on the album, alongside the additional production from several record producers such as DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly and L.T. Hutton; as well as guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Kurupt, Tray Dee and Warren G, among others.
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Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album is the soundtrack for the film of the same name, released on November 14, 1995, by Arista Records. Produced by Babyface, the soundtrack features appearances by several prominent R&B artists, including Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, TLC, Brandy, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Faith Evans, Patti LaBelle, SWV and Mary J. Blige.
The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album is the soundtrack to the 1996 film of the same name and features songs performed and produced by American singer Whitney Houston, who also stars in the film. The soundtrack was released on November 26, 1996, by Arista Records and BMG Entertainment. With sales of 6 million copies worldwide, it is the best-selling gospel album of all time.
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