Top Pop Catalog Albums
Encyclopedia
Top Pop Catalog Albums is a fifty-position weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine which ranks the best selling catalog titles, regardless of genre. Billboard defines a catalog title as one that is more than eighteen months old and that has fallen below position 100 on the Billboard 200
. Albums meeting these criteria are removed from the Billboard Current Albums ranking and begin a new chart run on Top Pop Catalog Albums. Effectively, the Billboard Current Albums is equivalent to the Billboard 200, with the catalog titles removed.
Top Pop Catalog Albums also contains reissues of older albums. An album need not have spent any weeks on the Billboard 200 to be eligible for Top Pop Catalog Albums (this occasionally occurs if an act has a breakthrough release which prompts a significant increase in sales of prior albums that were not big sellers upon their initial release).
The only exception to the "eighteen months old" rule pertains to holiday releases (for example, Christmas
albums). A "holiday" release is eligible for the Billboard 200 only during its initial year of release. After its first year, a holiday-related album appears on Top Pop Catalog Albums. Many consistent-sellers make return trips to Top Pop Catalog Albums each November through January (it is not rare to see the top 20 or 30 positions occupied by holiday albums during December).
A unique feature of the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart is the replacement of the "weeks on chart" column (a standard in Billboard's other charts) with a "total weeks" column, which is a cumulative total of weeks an album spent on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. The "total weeks" longevity record (by a large margin) is held by Pink Floyd
's The Dark Side of the Moon
, which has a cumulative total of over 1,600 chart weeks (more than 31 years).
The issue dated July 11, 2009 was the first time any catalog album outsold the number-one album on the Billboard 200. Three of Michael Jackson's albums (Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson
and Thriller
) claimed positions 1-3 respectively on Top Pop Catalog Albums and Top Comprehensive Albums in the week following Jackson's death. Additionally, the entire top nine positions on Top Pop Catalog Albums were owned by Jackson, including a hits set by The Jackson 5
.
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...
. Albums meeting these criteria are removed from the Billboard Current Albums ranking and begin a new chart run on Top Pop Catalog Albums. Effectively, the Billboard Current Albums is equivalent to the Billboard 200, with the catalog titles removed.
Top Pop Catalog Albums also contains reissues of older albums. An album need not have spent any weeks on the Billboard 200 to be eligible for Top Pop Catalog Albums (this occasionally occurs if an act has a breakthrough release which prompts a significant increase in sales of prior albums that were not big sellers upon their initial release).
The only exception to the "eighteen months old" rule pertains to holiday releases (for example, Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
albums). A "holiday" release is eligible for the Billboard 200 only during its initial year of release. After its first year, a holiday-related album appears on Top Pop Catalog Albums. Many consistent-sellers make return trips to Top Pop Catalog Albums each November through January (it is not rare to see the top 20 or 30 positions occupied by holiday albums during December).
A unique feature of the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart is the replacement of the "weeks on chart" column (a standard in Billboard's other charts) with a "total weeks" column, which is a cumulative total of weeks an album spent on both the Billboard 200 and the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. The "total weeks" longevity record (by a large margin) is held by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure...
, which has a cumulative total of over 1,600 chart weeks (more than 31 years).
The issue dated July 11, 2009 was the first time any catalog album outsold the number-one album on the Billboard 200. Three of Michael Jackson's albums (Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson
The Essential Michael Jackson
-U.S. version:-Limited Edition 3.0 bonus disc:-Charts:-Year-end charts:-Certifications:-See also:* List of number-one albums of 2009 * List of number-one albums of 2009 * List of number-one albums from the 2000s...
and Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
) claimed positions 1-3 respectively on Top Pop Catalog Albums and Top Comprehensive Albums in the week following Jackson's death. Additionally, the entire top nine positions on Top Pop Catalog Albums were owned by Jackson, including a hits set by The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
.