In Record-Tying Week, Soundtracks Are Three of Top Five on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

On the list dated Feb. 24, Black Panther: The Album debuts at No. 1, former chart-topper The Greatest Showman holds at No. 3 and the Fifty Shades Freedsoundtrack bows at No. 5.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Feb. 24-dated chart (where Black Panther: The Album starts at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard's websites on Wednesday (Feb. 21) — one day later than usual, due to the Presidents’ Day holiday in the U.S. on Feb. 19.

Since the Billboard 200 chart dated Aug. 17, 1963 — when Billboard combined its previously separate mono and stereo album charts into one overall albums chart — just 10 weeks have seen a record three soundtracks in the top five.

Here’s a look at the 10 times since 1963 where three soundtracks were among the top five on the Billboard 200 chart:

Feb. 24, 2018
No. 1 – Black Panther: The Album
No. 3 – The Greatest Showman
No. 5 – Fifty Shades Freed

May 30, 2015
No. 1 – Pitch Perfect 2
No. 3 – Fifty Shades of Grey
No. 5 – Furious 7

Sept. 8, 2007
No. 1 – High School Musical 2
No. 3 – Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus
No. 4 – Hairspray

Sept. 1, 2007
No. 1 – High School Musical 2
No. 2 – Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus
No. 5 – Hairspray

Aug. 15, 1998
No. 2 – Armageddon — The Album
No. 3 – City of Angels
No. 5 – Dr. Dolittle: The Album

July 11, 1998
No. 1 – City of Angels
No. 4 – Armageddon — The Album
No. 5 – Hope Floats

July 4, 1998
No. 1 – City of Angels
No. 4 – Hope Floats
No. 5 – Godzilla — The Album

June 27, 1998
No. 2 – City of Angels
No. 4 – Godzilla — The Album
No. 5 – Hope Floats

June 20, 1998
No. 3 – City of Angels
No. 4 – Godzilla — The Album
No. 5 – Hope Floats

March 13, 1965
No. 1 – Mary Poppins
No. 2 – Goldfinger
No. 5 – My Fair Lady