Janet Jackson Earns Historic 7th #1 Album on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart

Jackson is only the third act to achieve No. 1 albums in each of the last four decades. Janet Jackson debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with her new album, Unbreakable. It marks her seventh chart-topper and makes her just the third act to achieve No. 1 albums in each of the last four decades. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Oct. 24-dated chart (where Jackson is No. 1) will be posted in full to Billboard’s Web sites on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Unbreakable — which was released on Oct. 2 — arrives atop the chart with 116,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Oct. 8, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, the set sold 109,000 in pure album sales. Unbreakable is Jackson’s first studio album since 2008’s Discipline, which also debuted at No. 1. Jackson previously led the list with All For You (2001), The Velvet Rope (1997), janet. (1993), Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) and Control (1986). Among women with the most No. 1 albums, Jackson has the third-most leaders. Only Barbra Streisand (with 10) and Madonna (eight) have more. Streisand and Jackson are also in rare company: along with Bruce Springsteen, the three performers are the only acts with No. 1 albums in the last four decades: ’10s, ’00s, ‘90s and ’80s. Streisand most recently topped the tally in 2014 with Partners, and also collected leaders in the ’00s, ’90s, ’80s, ’70s and ’60s. Springsteen, like Jackson, has claimed No. 1s in the ’10s, ’00s, ’90s and ’80s. Springsteen has a total of 11 No. 1s. (Notably, Streisand is the only act with No. 1s in the last five and six decades.) Unbreakable is also Jackson’s first independently distributed album, and it was released on her own Rhythm Nation label through BMG. The set also starts at No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart. Jackson’s new album was led by the single “No Sleeep,” featuring J. Cole. The track became her 40th hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (peaking at No. 63), and has spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Adult R&B Songs chart. Somewhat unusually, Unbreakable hit No. 1 without the benefit of a single press interview by Jackson to promote the album. Although Jackson been quiet with the media, she’s been on the road with her Unbreakable World Tour since Aug. 31, released a music video for “No Sleeep,” and made an appearance on the BET Awards to accept the Ultimate Icon Award (June 28).