Hip hop artist Lil Wayne's sixth studio album, Tha Carter III, was the highest-selling record of 2008.

The highest-selling albums and EPs in the United States are ranked in the Billboard 200, which is published by Billboard magazine. The data are compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly physical and digital sales.[1] In 2008, 38 albums advanced to the peak position of the chart.

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's Fearless is her first number-one album and had the longest run among the releases that have reached peak position in 2008, spending 11 non-consecutive weeks beginning with the issue dated November 29 and continuing into the 2009 chart year.[2] She is the only singer to have achieved the longest-running album as a country female recording act in the Billboard 200 history.[3] Swift is now ranked fifth on the list of solo female artists with the longest-running number-one album in Billboard history, tied with veterans Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.[4] Other albums with extended chart runs include Jack Johnson's fifth studio album, Sleep Through the Static, and Metallica's ninth studio album, Death Magnetic; each spent three straight weeks on the chart. Three soundtrack albums topped the chart in 2008: Juno, Mamma Mia! and Twilight.

Hip hop artist Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III is the highest-selling album of 2008 in the US, selling 2.874 million copies since its release.[5][6] The album attained the most sales in a week, netting over one million units after a week of release, a feat previously accomplished in 2005.[7] The second best-selling album of the year is alternative rock band Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends with 2.144 million copies sold, followed by Swift's Fearless with 2.112 million.[6] It is also the best-selling album in digital format, having topped the Billboard Top Digital Albums of 2008.[8] Alternative rock band Radiohead's In Rainbows had the most vinyl albums sold in 2008, amounting to 26,000 units.[5]

Pop singer Madonna scored her seventh number-one album, Hard Candy, making her the female act with the second most number-one albums in the United States. R&B singer Mariah Carey earned her sixth number-one album in 2008 with E=MC², tying her with R&B singer Janet Jackson for third place for most number-one albums by a female act. E=MC² opened at number one on the chart for selling 463,000 copies, outselling Carey's previous albums' debut figures.[9] Neil Diamond achieved the first number one album of his career with Home Before Dark 42 years after his first chart entry.

Chart history

Country singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's Fearless is her first number-one album and the longest-running number-one album from 2008, topping the chart for 11 non-consecutive weeks.
Pop singer Madonna scored her seventh number-one album, Hard Candy, making her the second female act with the most number-one albums in the United States.
Singer Janet Jackson scored her sixth number-one album, Discipline.
British rock band Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends sold the most digital albums in 2008.
British rock band Radiohead sold the most vinyl formats in 2008 with In Rainbows.
Key
† Indicates best performing album of 2008
Issue date Album Artist(s) Sales Ref.
January 5 Noël Josh Groban 757,000 [10][11]
January 12 Growing Pains Mary J. Blige 204,000 [12][13]
January 19 In Rainbows Radiohead 122,000 [14][15]
January 26 As I Am † Alicia Keys 70,000 [16][17]
February 2 61,000 [18][19]
February 9 Music from the Motion Picture Juno Soundtrack 65,000 [20][21]
February 16 As I Am † Alicia Keys 61,000 [22][23]
February 23 Sleep Through the Static Jack Johnson 375,000 [24][25]
March 1 180,000 [26][27]
March 8 105,000 [28][29]
March 15 Discipline Janet Jackson 181,000 [30][31]
March 22 Good Time Alan Jackson 119,000 [32][33]
March 29 Trilla Rick Ross 198,000 [34][35]
April 5 Welcome to the Dollhouse Danity Kane 236,000 [36][37]
April 12 Day26 Day26 190,000 [38][39]
April 19 Troubadour George Strait 166,000 [40][41]
April 26 Spirit Leona Lewis 205,000 [42][43]
May 3 E=MC² Mariah Carey 463,000 [44][45]
May 10 182,000 [46][47]
May 17 Hard Candy Madonna 280,000 [48][49]
May 24 Home Before Dark Neil Diamond 146,000 [50][51]
May 31 Narrow Stairs Death Cab for Cutie 144,000 [52][53]
June 7 3 Doors Down 3 Doors Down 154,000 [54][55]
June 14 Here I Stand Usher 433,000 [56][57]
June 21 Indestructible Disturbed 252,000 [58][59]
June 28 Tha Carter III Lil Wayne 1,005,545 [60][61]
July 5 Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Coldplay 721,000 [62][63][64]
July 12 249,000 [65][66]
July 19 Tha Carter III Lil Wayne 156,000 [67][68]
July 26 125,000 [69][70]
August 2 Untitled Nas 187,000 [71][72]
August 9 Breakout Miley Cyrus 371,000 [73][74]
August 16 Love on the Inside Sugarland 171,000 [75][76]
August 23 Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack Mamma Mia! cast / Soundtrack 130,000 [77][78]
August 30 A Little Bit Longer Jonas Brothers 525,000 [79][80][81]
September 6 147,000 [82][83]
September 13 All Hope Is Gone Slipknot 239,516 [84][85]
September 20 The Recession Young Jeezy 260,000 [86][87]
September 27 Death Magnetic Metallica 490,000 [88][89][90]
October 4 337,000 [91][92]
October 11 132,000 [93][94]
October 18 Paper Trail T.I. 568,000 [95][96]
October 25 177,000 [97][98]
November 1 Lucky Old Sun Kenny Chesney 176,000 [99][100]
November 8 Black Ice AC/DC 784,000 [101][102]
November 15 271,000 [103][104]
November 22 Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Soundtrack 165,000 [105][106]
November 29 Fearless Taylor Swift 592,000 [107][108]
December 6 I Am… Sasha Fierce Beyoncé 482,000 [109][110]
December 13 808s & Heartbreak Kanye West 450,000 [111][112]
December 20 Circus Britney Spears 505,000 [113][114]
December 27 Fearless Taylor Swift 249,000 [115][116]

See also

References

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