Queen Joins Eminem And Michael Jackson In A Historic Feat

Forbes

3 days ago

Queen's Greatest Hits has now spent 650 weeks on the Billboard 200, and it now ranks among the top ... More 12 longest-charting albums in U.S. history. UNSPECIFIED - FEBRUARY 01: Photo of Freddie MERCURY and QUEEN; Freddie Mercury performing live on stage, (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
The introduction of streaming platforms radically changed how Billboard compiles its weekly albums chart, the Billboard 200. The tally, which for decades ranked the bestselling full-lengths and EPs in America, had to evolve as streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and iHeartRadio became ubiquitous. It became impossible to ignore that millions of people preferred to stream their favorite albums rather than buy them.
Now, the roster is created every week using a blend of pure purchases and streaming activity. That shift has helped dozens of projects remain on the tally for significantly longer stays than might otherwise have been possible. Queen is one such act that has benefited greatly from this move, and it's another huge week for the legendary rock outfit on the Billboard 200.
Queen's Greatest Hits slips slightly on the Billboard 200 this frame, falling from No. 52 to No. 58, but it's the length of time the title has spent on the competitive list that's truly worth noting. As of this frame, the compilation has remained on the 200-spot ranking for 650 weeks.
The compilation is just the twelfth album in history to make it to 650 frames on the Billboard 200. The last title to do so was Good Kid, M.A.A.D City by Kendrick Lamar, which is only about two months ahead of Queen's set.
It looks like the next sets to join this exclusive club will be Back in Black by AC/DC and Take Care by Drake. Both of those titles need just a couple more months to reach the milestone.
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon continues to reign as the longest-charting title in the history of the Billboard 200, as it's fat approaching 1,000 weeks on the tally. The group of artists that have reached 650 frames on the list includes stars like Eminem, Metallica, Journey, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Michael Jackson.
Greatest Hits is by far Queen's longest-charting project on the Billboard 200. In fact, it's one of only two from the outfit to rack up triple-digit frames on the tally. The other is Greatest Hits I, II & III: The Platinum Collection, which is up to 150 frames — less than a quarter of the amount of time Greatest Hits has managed.
The compilation can currently be found on multiple Billboard rankings this frame. Though it's largely on the decline — which is not unexpected for a decades-old release — from time to time, it rises near the top 10 on both the Top Rock & Alternative Albums and the Top Rock Albums charts. It also holds at No. 3 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. The title is about to crack 400 frames on the first two genre-specific lists, and it reached that milestone on the hard rock-only ranking months ago.