List of number-one independent albums (U.S)
Encyclopedia
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.
Though not clearly defined, an independent record label is generally considered to be any label that is not part of the big four record companies, which consist of Sony Music Entertainment
, EMI Group, Warner Music Group
, and Universal Music Group
. Billboard considers Walt Disney Records
to be an independent label despite The Walt Disney Company
being the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world.
Other 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) and Cake
's Showroom of Compassion
(2011) are from former major label acts that developed strong and established fanbases from their time being signed to a major label.
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart since 1991, when Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
began recording album sales data.
Though not clearly defined, an independent record label is generally considered to be any label that is not part of the big four record companies, which consist of Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, EMI Group, Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
, and Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. Billboard considers Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
to be an independent label despite The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
being the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world.
Other independently released albums to have topped the Billboard 200, such as the Eagles' Long Road out of Eden
Long Road Out of Eden
Long Road Out of Eden is the seventh studio album by American rock band Eagles, released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records. Nearly six years in production, Long Road Out of Eden is the first studio album from the Eagles since 1979's The Long Run, and along with the four original tracks on 1994 Hell...
(2007), Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's In Rainbows
In Rainbows
In Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was first released on 10 October 2007 as a digital download self-released, that customers could order for whatever price they saw fit, followed by a standard CD release in most countries during the last week of 2007. The...
(2008), Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's Backspacer
Backspacer
Backspacer is the ninth studio album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on September 20, 2009. Pearl Jam began work for the follow-up to its previous album—2006's Pearl Jam—in early 2008. In 2009, the band began to build on instrumental and demo tracks written...
(2009) and Cake
Cake (band)
Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
's Showroom of Compassion
Showroom of Compassion
Showroom of Compassion has so far been generally well received by music critics. Metacritic, a review aggregator website, gave the album an average score of 73% from fourteen reviews, which indicates "generally favourable reviews". Many critics complimented the band for sticking to their unique style...
(2011) are from former major label acts that developed strong and established fanbases from their time being signed to a major label.
Albums
- N.W.A.N.W.A.N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
- Niggaz4Life, (Ruthless Records/Priority RecordsPriority RecordsPriority Records is an American record label, owned and operated by EMI, which has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop, pop and world...
), 1991 - Ice CubeIce CubeO'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
- The PredatorThe PredatorThe Predator is the third studio album by Ice Cube. Released within months of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, many songs comment on the racial tensions. The title is in part reference to the movie Predator 2, and the album itself includes samples from the film...
, (Priority RecordsPriority RecordsPriority Records is an American record label, owned and operated by EMI, which has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop, pop and world...
/EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
), 1992 - Various Artists - The Lion King SoundtrackThe Lion King (soundtrack)The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the original motion picture soundtrack for Walt Disney's 1994, 32nd animated feature The Lion King. It contains songs from the film written by Elton John and Tim Rice, and a score composed by Hans Zimmer. Elton John has a dual role of performer...
, (Walt Disney RecordsWalt Disney RecordsWalt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
), 1994 - Various Artists - Friday SoundtrackFriday (soundtrack)Friday is a soundtrack album for the 1995 comedy film Friday. It was released on April 11, 1995 through Priority Records and consisted of hip hop and R&B music. The soundtrack peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200, where it held the position for two weeks, and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for six weeks....
, (Priority RecordsPriority RecordsPriority Records is an American record label, owned and operated by EMI, which has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop, pop and world...
), 1995 - Various Artists - Pocahontas SoundtrackPocahontas (soundtrack)Pocahontas: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack to Disney's 1995, thirty-third animated feature Pocahontas. It contains songs from the film written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, conducted by David Friedman, and performed by Judy Kuhn, Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Jim...
, (Walt Disney RecordsWalt Disney RecordsWalt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
), 1995 - Bone Thugs-N-HarmonyBone Thugs-N-HarmonyBone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
- E 1999 Eternal, (Ruthless Records), 1995 - Tha Dogg PoundTha Dogg PoundTha Dogg Pound is a rap group made up of Daz Dillinger and Kurupt. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success. The group made their 1992 rap debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic, on various songs. They also appeared on Snoop Dogg's debut album...
- Dogg FoodDogg FoodDogg Food is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Tha Dogg Pound. Its controversial lyrics were the subject of shareholder protest...
, (Death Row RecordsDeath Row RecordsDeath Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
/Interscope), 1995 - Bone Thugs-N-HarmonyBone Thugs-N-HarmonyBone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
- The Art of WarThe Art of War (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony album)-Album:-Singles:-See also:*List of number-one albums of 1997 *List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 -External links:[ allmusic.com]...
, (Ruthless Records), 1997 - The Eagles - Long Road out of EdenLong Road Out of EdenLong Road Out of Eden is the seventh studio album by American rock band Eagles, released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records. Nearly six years in production, Long Road Out of Eden is the first studio album from the Eagles since 1979's The Long Run, and along with the four original tracks on 1994 Hell...
, (Self-Released), 2007 - RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
- In RainbowsIn RainbowsIn Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was first released on 10 October 2007 as a digital download self-released, that customers could order for whatever price they saw fit, followed by a standard CD release in most countries during the last week of 2007. The...
, (XL Records), 2008 - Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
- BackspacerBackspacerBackspacer is the ninth studio album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on September 20, 2009. Pearl Jam began work for the follow-up to its previous album—2006's Pearl Jam—in early 2008. In 2009, the band began to build on instrumental and demo tracks written...
, (Monkeywrench), 2009 - Vampire WeekendVampire WeekendVampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...
- ContraContra (album)Contra is the second album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200...
, (XL Records), 2010 - Various Artists - Hope for Haiti NowHope for Haiti Now (album)Hope for Haiti Now is a live album by various artists to benefit Hope for Haiti Now's campaign to alleviate the 2010 Haiti earthquake. All benefits from the album sales go to Haiti relief organizations, including the Red Cross and Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti foundation...
, (MTV NetworksMTV NetworksMTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
), 2010 - Arcade Fire - The SuburbsThe Suburbs (Arcade Fire album)The Suburbs is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released in August 2010. Coinciding with the announcement the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing two tracks from the album, “The Suburbs” and “Month of May”. The album debuted at #1 on the Irish...
, (Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
), 2010 - CakeCake (band)Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and...
- Showroom of CompassionShowroom of CompassionShowroom of Compassion has so far been generally well received by music critics. Metacritic, a review aggregator website, gave the album an average score of 73% from fourteen reviews, which indicates "generally favourable reviews". Many critics complimented the band for sticking to their unique style...
(Upbeat Records), 2011 - Mac MillerMac MillerMalcolm McCormick , known by his stage name Mac Miller , is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
- Blue Slide ParkBlue Slide Park-Track listing:*On some physical copies of the album a 17th song, "Donald Trump", is incorrectly listed as a bonus track on the reverse cover track listing...
(Rostrum RecordsRostrum RecordsRostrum Records is an independent record label, founded in 2003 by Benjy Grinberg in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The label is currently focusing on its newest artist, Mac Miller, as well as his first album, titled Blue Slide Park which was released on November 8th 2011.With success by Rostrum...
/Fontana DistributionFontana DistributionFontana Distribution is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group that was launched in 2004, which deals in distribution, as well as in a range of sales, marketing, and back office support services, for a diverse roster of independent record labels and their artists. The company takes its name and logo...
), 2011