List of Billboard 200 number-one independent albums

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The following is a list of independently distributed records to achieve the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart since 1991, when Nielsen Soundscan began recording album sales data. [1] [2]

Though not clearly defined, an independent record label is generally considered to be any label that is not part of the big three record companies, which consist of Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group.[ citation needed ]Billboard cites the following definition for use on their Top Independent Albums chart: "For Billboard charting purposes, defining an independent album is done on a title level and based on its distribution. If an album is sold by an indie distributor (or, one of the major label's indie distribution arms), it is classified as an independent title and can chart on our Top Independent Albums tally. Classification is not based on a label's ownership, or if an act is signed to an independent label." Note that this definition does not exclude record labels owned by other large corporations from being classified as independent: for example, Billboard considered Disney Music Group to be an independent label for over a decade, despite being part of The Walt Disney Company, the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world. [3] Disney lost the distinction in 2000 when they signed a distribution deal with Universal.

Some of the independently released albums to have topped the Billboard 200, such as the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden (2007), Radiohead's In Rainbows (2008), Pearl Jam's Backspacer (2009), Frank Ocean's Blonde (2016) and Kanye West's collaborative album with Ty Dolla Sign, Vultures 1 (2024) are from former major label acts who had developed strong and established fanbases from their time being signed to a major label.

In 2020, Billboard updated their eligibility rules for independent albums. As of the chart dated July 18, 2020, labels that are independently owned and control their masters, but which are distributed directly through one of the "Big Three" record companies (as opposed to a major label within one of the aforementioned companies), would be eligible for Top Independent Albums. [4] This change retroactively classified many albums that had hit #1 on the Billboard 200 as "independent". For the sake of consistency, those albums, such as Taylor Swift's 1989 (Big Machine Records), Adele's 21 (XL Recordings), and the soundtrack to Frozen (Walt Disney Records), are not included in the list below.

Albums

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bertelsmann Music Group</span> American record label

Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008.

Walt Disney Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from The Walt Disney Company's motion picture studios, television series, theme parks, and traditional studio albums produced by its roster of pop, teen pop, and country artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20th Century Fox Records</span> American record label

20th Century Fox Records was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three distinct 20th Century Fox-related operations in the analog era, ranging chronologically from about 1938 to 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XL Recordings</span> British record label

XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been run and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group.

Disney Music Group (DMG) is the music recording and publishing arm of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. It is located at the studio's headquarters in Burbank, California. The division's subsidiaries consist of two owned record labels—Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records—along with Disney Music Publishing, the publishing entity that administers the company's music, as well as Disney Concerts. Disney Music's Vevo account on YouTube is currently one of the most-viewed YouTube channels as of June 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Montenegro</span> American orchestra leader and film composer (1925–1981)

Hugo Mario Montenegro was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best-known work is interpretations of the music from Spaghetti Westerns, especially his cover version of Ennio Morricone's main theme from the 1966 film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. He composed the score for the 1969 Western Charro!, which starred Elvis Presley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Aldean</span> American country singer (born 1977)

Jason Aldine Williams, known professionally as Jason Aldean, is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released eleven albums and 40 singles. His 2010 album, My Kinda Party, is certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2012 album Night Train is certified double-platinum, while his 2005 self-titled debut, 2007 album Relentless, 2009 album Wide Open, and 2014 album Old Boots, New Dirt are all certified platinum. Aldean has received five Grammy Award nominations throughout his career, twice for Best Country Album.

"Who Said" is a song by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus. She is performing as Hannah Montana – the alter ego of Miley Stewart, a character she plays on the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana. The song was written by Matthew Gerrard, Robbie Nevil, and Jay Landers and produced by Gerrard. It was released on July 11, 2006, as the second single by Walt Disney Records from the series' first soundtrack, Hannah Montana. "Who Said" bears teen pop aspects musically, while its lyrics are about individualism.

<i>Tarzan</i> (1999 soundtrack) 1999 soundtrack album by Phil Collins and Mark Mancina

Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack for the 1999 Disney animated feature film, Tarzan. The songs on the soundtrack were composed by Phil Collins, and the instrumental score by Mark Mancina. The song "You'll Be in My Heart" won both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, while the soundtrack album won a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album. For his contribution to the soundtrack, Collins received an American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.

<i>Relentless</i> (Jason Aldean album) 2007 studio album by Jason Aldean

Relentless is the second studio album by American country music artist Jason Aldean. It was released on May 29, 2007 via Broken Bow Records. The album debuted at number 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top Country Albums chart, selling about 98,000 copies in its first week. On October 4 of the same year, the album was certified gold by the RIAA. It was certified platinum in September 2012.

<i>Wide Open</i> (Jason Aldean album) 2009 studio album by Jason Aldean

Wide Open is the third studio album by American country music artist Jason Aldean, released on April 7, 2009, by Broken Bow Records.

<i>Backspacer</i> 2009 album

Backspacer is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on September 20, 2009. The band members started writing instrumental and demo tracks in 2007, and got together the following year to work on an album. It was recorded from February through April 2009 with producer Brendan O'Brien, who had worked on every Pearl Jam album except their 1991 debut Ten and 2006's self-titled record—although this was his first production credit since 1998's Yield. Material was recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, and O'Brien's own Southern Tracks Recording in Atlanta, Georgia. The album—the shortest of the band's career—features lyrics with a more optimistic look than the politically infused predecessors Riot Act and Pearl Jam, something frontman Eddie Vedder attributed to the election of Barack Obama. This is also the first album since 1996's No Code for which all lyrics for the album were written solely by Vedder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMG Rights Management</span> International music company

BMG Rights Management GmbH is an international music company based in Berlin, Germany. It combines the activities of a music publisher and a record label. it is currently distributed by Warner Records Inc., Formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc..

The Independent Albums chart ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels. Rankings are compiled by point-of-purchase sales obtained by Nielsen, and from legal music downloads from a variety of online music stores. The chart began in the week of February 5, 2000.

<i>Skool Luv Affair</i> 2014 EP by BTS

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An independent record label is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented by trade associations in their country or region, which in turn are represented by the international trade body, the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN).

<i>Moana</i> (soundtrack) 2016 soundtrack album by various artists

Moana: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2016 Disney animated film Moana. The soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on November 19, 2016. It features songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i, with lyrics in English, Samoan, Tokelauan and Tuvaluan. The two-disc deluxe edition includes the score, which was composed by Mancina, as well as demos, outtakes and instrumental karaoke tracks. The record also produced two singles.

<i>Un Verano Sin Ti</i> 2022 studio album by Bad Bunny

Un Verano Sin Ti is the fourth solo studio album, and fifth overall, by Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny. It was released on May 6, 2022, by Rimas Entertainment following the release of his previous record El Último Tour Del Mundo (2020). Comprising twenty-three tracks, the album is primarily a reggaeton, cumbia, and indie pop record, and contains guest appearances from Chencho Corleone, Jhayco, Tony Dize, Rauw Alejandro, Bomba Estéreo, the Marías and Buscabulla.

References

  1. Trust, Gary. "Ask Billboard: Indies, No. 2 Hits & Teddy Pendergrass". billboard.com. January 22, 2010.
  2. Vitoulis, Alex. "Arcade Fire And Taylor Swift Sweep In With New No. 1s" Archived August 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine . billboard.biz. August 11, 2010.
  3. Siklos, Richard (February 9, 2009). "Why Disney wants DreamWorks". CNN/Money. Archived from the original on June 10, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  4. "Top Independent Albums Chart Expands Inclusion Criteria With New A2IM Partnership". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. June 16, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2021.