List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2012

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. In 2012, a total of 32 albums claimed the top position of the chart. One of which, Canadian singer Michael Bublé's album Christmas started its peak in late 2011.^[1]

Adele's 21 was the best-selling album of 2012. This was her second consecutive year at the top of the U.S. year-end charts. She became the second artist in history to achieve this feat, after Michael Jackson.

Adele's album 21 was the longest-running number-one album of the year for the second time, staying atop the chart for eleven non-consecutive weeks.^[2] Red by Taylor Swift had the second-most weeks at number one with five. Other albums with extended chart runs include Babel by Mumford & Sons, Tuskegee by Lionel Richie, Blown Away by Carrie Underwood, Born and Raised by John Mayer and Uncaged by Zac Brown Band; each spent two weeks on the top position. Throughout 2012, only one act achieved multiple number-one albums on the chart: One Direction with Up All Night and Take Me Home. Swift's album Red sold 1.21 million copies in its first week, making it the album with the highest weekly sales in 2012.^[3] 21 was the biggest-selling album of 2012, with 4,410,000 copies sold.^[4]

Chart history

Taylor Swift's Red earned the singer-songwriter her third number-one album. It opened with the biggest sales week of 2012, selling 1.21 million copies in its first week.

Lionel Richie's Tuskegee gave the singer his third number-one album and the first since 1986's Dancing on the Ceiling.

Country singer Carrie Underwood earned her third number-one album, Blown Away, which became her first to spend more than a week at the top.

Rock singer John Mayer scored his second chart-topping album, Born and Raised, which spent two consecutive weeks at number one.

Babel by British folk rock band Mumford & Sons garnered their first number-one. It topped the chart for three consecutive weeks, and earned 2012's second-biggest sales week after Red.

English-Irish boy band One Direction scored two number-one albums in 2012, Up All Night and Take Me Home.

Pink earned her first number-one album with her sixth effort The Truth About Love, released twelve years since her debut. It has the third biggest debut sales by a female singer in this year, behind MDNA and Red.

Key

†	Indicates best performing album of 2012

Issue date	Album	Artist(s)	Sales	Ref.
January 7	Christmas	Michael Bublé	467,000	[5][6]
January 14	21 †	Adele	144,000	[7][8]
January 21			124,000	[9][10]
January 28			104,000	[11][12]
February 4			95,000	[13][14]
February 11			116,000	[15][16]
February 18			122,000	[17][18]
February 25			237,000	[19][20]
March 3			730,000	[21][22]
March 10			297,000	[23][24]
March 17			247,000	[25][26]
March 24	Wrecking Ball	Bruce Springsteen	196,000	[27][28]
March 31	Up All Night	One Direction	176,000	[29][30]
April 7	The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond	Soundtrack	175,000	[31][32]
April 14	MDNA	Madonna	359,000	[33][34]
April 21	Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded	Nicki Minaj	253,000	[35][36]
April 28	Tuskegee	Lionel Richie	129,000	[37][38]
May 5			114,000	[39][40]
May 12	Blunderbuss	Jack White	138,000	[41][42]
May 19	Blown Away	Carrie Underwood	267,000	[43][44]
May 26			120,000	[45][46]
June 2	Trespassing	Adam Lambert	77,000	[47][48]
June 9	Born and Raised	John Mayer	219,000	[49][50]
June 16			65,000	[51][52]
June 23	21 †	Adele	75,000	[53][54]
June 30	Looking 4 Myself	Usher	128,000	[55][56]
July 7	Believe	Justin Bieber	374,000	[57][58]
July 14	Living Things	Linkin Park	223,000	[59][60]
July 21	Fortune	Chris Brown	134,000	[61][62]
July 28	Uncaged	Zac Brown Band	234,000	[63][64]
August 4	Life Is Good	Nas	149,000	[65][66]
August 11	Uncaged	Zac Brown Band	48,000	[67][68]
August 18	God Forgives, I Don't	Rick Ross	218,000	[69][70]
August 25	Now 43	Various artists	111,000	[71][72]
September 1	Based on a T.R.U. Story	2 Chainz	75,000	[73][74]
September 8	Chapter V	Trey Songz	135,000	[75][76]
September 15	Eye on It	TobyMac	69,000	[77][78]
September 22	North	Matchbox Twenty	95,000	[79][80]
September 29	Away from the World	Dave Matthews Band	266,000	[81][82]
October 6	The Truth About Love	Pink	280,000	[83][84]
October 13	Babel	Mumford & Sons	600,000	[85][86]
October 20			169,000	[87][88]
October 27			96,000	[89][90]
November 3	Night Train	Jason Aldean	409,000	[91][92]
November 10	Red	Taylor Swift	1,208,000	[93][94]
November 17			344,000	[95][96]
November 24			196,000	[97][98]
December 1	Take Me Home	One Direction	540,000	[99][100]
December 8	Unapologetic	Rihanna	238,000	[101][102]
December 15	Girl on Fire	Alicia Keys	159,000	[103][104]
December 22	Red	Taylor Swift	167,000	[105][106]
December 29			208,000	[107][108]

See also

• 2012 in music
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2012 (U.S.)