Every Number 1 album by a female solo artist

All the women who went to the top of the Official Albums Chart.
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The first Number 1 by a female solo artist arrived shockingly late - a full 21 years after the Official Albums Chart was established.

But what a way to start, with a proper legend. The soundtrack to the seventies remake of A Star is Born climbed to Number 1 on its 13th week on the chart, making the movie's leading lady Barbra Streisand the first woman to top it. Although it was first officially billed as a soundtrack, the album has since been credited to Barbra as a solo artist upon re-release.

Barbra certainly got a taste for the Number 1 slot, heading back to it six more times, most recently in 2016 with Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. View Barbra Streisand's full Official Chart history here.

More recently, Billie Eilish's chart-topping debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? in 2019 made her the youngest female solo star to both top and go straight in at Number 1 on the albums chart, at 17 years old.

MORE: The female solo artists with the most Number 1 albums

Kate Bush has racked up three Number 1 albums and also has a couple of chart records under her belt. With Never For Ever in 1980, Kate became not only the first British solo female to score a chart-topping album, she was the first EVER woman to go straight in at Number 1! And another record: in 2014, at the announcement of her first live shows in over 35 years, Kate scored more Top 40 albums in the same week than any other female artist ever.

The lady with the most visits to Number 1 is Madonna, who has topped the Official Albums Chart 12 times over her career. First was second album Like A Virgin, which took a mammoth 44 weeks to finally go to Number 1, in September 1985. Her next one, True Blue, went straight in at the top and stayed there for six straight weeks – it's her biggest selling studio album in the UK – and all but one of her subsequent Number 1s have debuted at the summit. Her 1990 greatest hits collection The Immaculate Collection is her longest-running Number 1 – nine weeks at the top and 3.7 million copies sold, making it her top seller in the UK and the 13th biggest selling album of all time here.

Next up is Taylor Swift, with a very impressive nine Number 1 albums since her first chart-topper in 2012 - three of which were within just 259 days of each other, beating a record held by The Beatles for 54 years. Taylor's most recent was Midnights in November 2022.

Kylie Minogue has eight Number 1s to her name and when her 1988 debut Kylie went to Number 1, she was the youngest female artist to top the chart – a record she held for almost 20 years until Made of Bricks made Kate Nash the youngest in 2007. Next down the list is Celine Dion with five, and Rihanna with four. Lady Gaga now joins Rihanna with four chart-toppers following the release of her Chromatica album.

No list of Number 1 females is complete without our national treasure Adele. She may have "only" scored four Number 1 albums but she has certainly kept herself busy at the top. Over those four chart-toppers, Adele has spent more weeks at Number 1 than any other woman in pop - 42!

The first female solo debut to go in at Number 1 was Gloria Estefan's Cuts Both Ways – previously she'd been credited alongside her band Miami Sound Machine. If we're talking a female solo artist going in at Number 1 with their very first album, that honour goes to Jane McDonald – she is the first British woman to debut at the top of the albums chart with their first LP.

 

Only 27 women can claim to have gone straight in at the top with their debut – you can see who has in the below table – but the exclusive club includes former Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé, Corinne Bailey Rae, Adele, Susan Boyle, Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish.

On one occasion in 2009, a debut album by a solo female act went straight in at Number 1, only to be knocked off the top by another female debut doing exactly the same! That honour goes to Alexandra Burke and her debut album Overcome, which was deposed by Alexandra's X Factor mentor Cheryl and 3 Words, her first album without the rest of Girls Aloud.

Here is the full list of the 168 female artist albums to reach Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart.

W/E DATE WENT TO NUMBER 1 TITLE ARTIST DEBUT ALBUM ENTERED CHART AT NUMBER 1
02/07/1977 A STAR IS BORN (OST) BARBRA STREISAND    
27/08/1977 20 ALL TIME GREATS CONNIE FRANCIS    
31/03/1979 BARBRA STREISAND'S GREATEST HITS VOLUME 2 BARBRA STREISAND    
20/09/1980 NEVER FOR EVER KATE BUSH   *
08/11/1980 GUILTY BARBRA STREISAND    
30/01/1982 LOVE SONGS BARBRA STREISAND    
16/04/1983 FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF NIGHT BONNIE TYLER   *
19/01/1985 ALF ALISON MOYET *  
21/09/1985 LIKE A VIRGIN MADONNA    
28/09/1985 HOUNDS OF LOVE KATE BUSH   *
12/07/1986 TRUE BLUE MADONNA   *
17/01/1987 THE WHOLE STORY KATE BUSH    
13/06/1987 WHITNEY WHITNEY HOUSTON   *
02/07/1988 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN *  
27/08/1988 KYLIE - THE ALBUM KYLIE MINOGUE *  
01/04/1989 LIKE A PRAYER MADONNA   *
05/08/1989 CUTS BOTH WAYS GLORIA ESTEFAN * *
30/09/1989 FOREIGN AFFAIR TINA TURNER   *
14/10/1989 CROSSROADS TRACY CHAPMAN   *
21/10/1989 ENJOY YOURSELF KYLIE MINOGUE   *
24/03/1990 I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVEN'T GOT SINEAD O'CONNOR    
24/11/1990 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA   *
02/03/1991 CIRCLE OF ONE OLETA ADAMS   *
29/06/1991 LOVE HURTS CHER   *
16/11/1991 SHEPHERD MOONS ENYA   *
18/04/1992 DIVA ANNIE LENNOX * *
05/09/1992 KYLIE GREATEST HITS KYLIE MINOGUE   *
26/09/1992 THE BEST OF BELINDA VOLUME I BELINDA CARLISLE    
21/11/1992 CHER'S GREATEST HITS: 1965-1992 CHER   *
06/03/1993 DIVA ANNIE LENNOX   *
29/05/1993 JANET JANET JACKSON   *
19/06/1993 WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT (OST) TINA TURNER   *
11/09/1993 MUSIC BOX MARIAH CAREY   *
01/01/1994 ONE WOMAN - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION DIANA ROSS    
12/02/1994 UNDER THE PINK TORI AMOS   *
28/01/1995 THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE CELINE DION    
18/03/1995 MEDUSA ANNIE LENNOX   *
03/06/1995 SINGLES ALISON MOYET   *
07/10/1995 DAYDREAM MARIAH CAREY   *
23/03/1996 FALLING INTO YOU CELINE DION   *
04/05/1996 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE *  
01/02/1997 EVITA (OST) MADONNA & VARIOUS ARTISTS    
29/11/1997 LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE CELINE DION   *
14/03/1998 RAY OF LIGHT MADONNA   *
25/07/1998 JANE MCDONALD JANE MCDONALD * *
11/09/1999 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN    
27/11/1999 ALL THE WAY - A DECADE OF SONG CELINE DION   *
19/02/2000 RISE GABRIELLE    
27/05/2000 GREATEST HITS WHITNEY HOUSTON   *
30/09/2000 MUSIC MADONNA   *
10/02/2001 NO ANGEL DIDO *  
24/03/2001 SONGBIRD EVA CASSIDY    
29/09/2001 THE ID MACY GRAY   *
13/10/2001 FEVER KYLIE MINOGUE   *
16/03/2002 THE ESSENTIAL BARBRA STREISAND BARBRA STREISAND    
06/04/2002 A NEW DAY HAS COME CELINE DION   *
31/08/2002 IMAGINE EVA CASSIDY   *
11/01/2003 LET GO AVRIL LAVIGNE *  
15/02/2003 SIMPLY DEEP KELLY ROWLAND * *
08/03/2003 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES *  
03/05/2003 AMERICAN LIFE MADONNA   *
05/07/2003 DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE BEYONCE * *
23/08/2003 AMERICAN TUNE EVA CASSIDY   *
11/10/2003 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO   *
31/01/2004 CALL OFF THE SEARCH KATIE MELUA *  
21/02/2004 FEELS LIKE HOME NORAH JONES   *
10/04/2004 ANASTACIA ANASTACIA   *
05/06/2004 UNDER MY SKIN AVRIL LAVIGNE   *
18/09/2004 UNWRITTEN NATASHA BEDINGFIELD * *
09/10/2004 MIND BODY AND SOUL JOSS STONE   *
16/04/2005 COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS NATALIE IMBRUGLIA   *
08/10/2005 PIECE BY PIECE KATIE MELUA   *
26/11/2005 CONFESSIONS ON A DANCEFLOOR MADONNA   *
11/03/2006 CORINNE BAILEY RAE CORINNE BAILEY RAE * *
17/06/2006 SMILE ... IT CONFUSES PEOPLE SANDI THOM * *
26/08/2006 BACK TO BASICS CHRISTINA AGUILERA   *
20/01/2007 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE    
10/02/2007 NOT TOO LATE NORAH JONES   *
28/04/2007 THE BEST DAMN THING AVRIL LAVIGNE   *
16/06/2007 GOOD GIRL GONE BAD RIHANNA   *
18/08/2007 MADE OF BRICKS KATE NASH * *
24/11/2007 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS * *
19/01/2008 THIS IS THE LIFE AMY MACDONALD *  
09/02/2008 19 ADELE * *
08/03/2008 BACK TO BLACK (DELUXE EDITION) AMY WINEHOUSE    
15/03/2008 ROCKFERRY DUFFY * *
10/05/2008 HARD CANDY MADONNA   *
08/11/2008 FUNHOUSE PINK   *
21/02/2009 IT'S NOT ME IT'S YOU LILY ALLEN   *
11/04/2009 THE FAME LADY GAGA *  
19/09/2009 WE'LL MEET AGAIN - THE VERY BEST OF VERA LYNN    
03/10/2009 CELEBRATION MADONNA   *
17/10/2009 LOVE IS THE ANSWER BARBRA STREISAND    
31/10/2009 OVERCOME ALEXANDRA BURKE * *
07/11/2009 3 WORDS CHERYL COLE * *
28/11/2009 ECHO LEONA LEWIS   *
05/12/2009 I DREAMED A DREAM SUSAN BOYLE * *
23/01/2010 LUNGS FLORENCE & THE MACHINE *  
13/02/2010 THE ELEMENT OF FREEDOM ALICIA KEYS    
13/03/2010 LIGHTS ELLIE GOULDING * *
15/05/2010 SONGS FROM THE TAINTED CHERRY TREE DIANA VICKERS * *
19/06/2010 BIONIC CHRISTINA AGUILERA   *
17/07/2010 APHRODITE KYLIE MINOGUE   *
11/09/2010 TEENAGE DREAM KATY PERRY   *
13/11/2010 MESSY LITTLE RAINDROPS CHERYL COLE   *
20/11/2010 THE GIFT SUSAN BOYLE   *
08/01/2011 LOUD RIHANNA    
05/02/2011 21 ADELE   *
04/06/2011 BORN THIS WAY LADY GAGA   *
09/07/2011 4 BEYONCE   *
12/11/2011 CEREMONIALS FLORENCE & THE MACHINE   *
19/11/2011 SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME SUSAN BOYLE   *
03/12/2011 TALK THAT TALK RIHANNA   *
17/12/2011 LIONESS - HIDDEN TREASURES AMY WINEHOUSE   *
11/02/2012 BORN TO DIE LANA DEL REY * *
25/02/2012 OUR VERSION OF EVENTS EMELI SANDE * *
07/04/2012 MDNA MADONNA   *
14/04/2012 PINK FRIDAY - ROMAN RELOADED NICKI MINAJ   *
12/05/2012 ELECTRA HEART MARINA & THE DIAMONDS   *
08/09/2012 ORA RITA ORA * *
03/11/2012 RED TAYLOR SWIFT   *
01/12/2012 UNAPOLOGETIC RIHANNA   *
18/05/2013 THE SHOCKING MISS EMERALD CARO EMERALD   *
19/10/2013 BANGERZ MILEY CYRUS   *
02/11/2013 PRISM KATY PERRY   *
23/11/2013 ARTPOP LADY GAGA   *
11/01/2014 HALCYON ELLIE GOULDING    
22/02/2014 LITTLE RED KATY B   *
05/04/2014 THE POWER OF LOVE SAM BAILEY * *
17/05/2014 SHEEZUS LILY ALLEN   *
28/06/2014 ULTRAVIOLENCE LANA DEL REY   *
25/10/2014 CHAPTER ONE ELLA HENDERSON * *
08/11/2014 1989 TAYLOR SWIFT   *
07/02/2015 TITLE MEGHAN TRAINOR * *
13/06/2015 HOW BIG, HOW BLUE, HOW BEAUTIFUL FLORENCE + THE MACHINE   *
27/08/2015 THE VERY BEST OF CILLA BLACK    
03/09/2015 I CRY WHEN I LAUGH JESS GLYNNE * *
03/12/2015 25 ADELE   *
28/04/2016 THE HOPE SIX DEMOLITION PROJECT PJ HARVEY   *
05/05/2016 LEMONADE BEYONCÉ   *
02/06/2016 DANGEROUS WOMAN ARIANA GRANDE   *
08/09/2016 ENCORE: MOVIE PARTNERS SING BROADWAY BARBRA STREISAND   *
03/08/2017 LUST FOR LIFE LANA DEL REY   *
12/10/2017 NOW SHANIA TWAIN   *
26/10/2017 BEAUTIFUL TRAUMA PINK   *
23/11/2017 REPUTATION TAYLOR SWIFT   *
30/11/2017 THE ARCHITECT PALOMA FAITH   *
19/04/2018 GOLDEN KYLIE MINOGUE   *
30/08/2018 SWEETENER ARIANA GRANDE   *
25/10/2018 ALWAYS IN BETWEEN JESS GLYNNE   *
21/02/2019 THANK U, NEXT ARIANA GRANDE   *
11/04/2019 WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? BILLIE EILISH * *
09/05/2019 HURTS 2B HUMAN PINK   *
11/07/2019 STEP BACK IN TIME: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION KYLIE MINOGUE   *
05/09/2019 LOVER TAYLOR SWIFT   *
12/09/2019 NORMAN F**KING ROCKWELL LANA DEL REY   *
16/04/2020 FUTURE NOSTALGIA DUA LIPA    
11/06/2020 CHROMATICA LADY GAGA   *
30/07/2020 BRIGHTEST BLUE ELLIE GOULDING   *
06/08/2020 FOLKLORE TAYLOR SWIFT   *
12/11/2020 POSITIONS ARIANA GRANDE   *
19/11/2020 DISCO KYLIE MINOGUE   *
24/12/2020 EVERMORE TAYLOR SWIFT   *
11/02/2021 NOT YOUR MUSE CELESTE * *
01/04/2021 CHEMTRAILS OVER THE COUNTRY CLUB LANA DEL REY   *
22/04/2021 FEARLESS (TAYLOR'S VERSION) TAYLOR SWIFT   *
03/06/2021 SOUR OLIVIA RODRIGO * *
06/08/2021 HAPPIER THAN EVER BILLIE EILISH   *
25/11/2021 RED (TAYLOR'S VERSION) TAYLOR SWIFT   *
02/12/2021 30 ADELE   *
31/03/2022 CRASH CHARLI XCX   *
26/05/2022 DANCE FEVER FLORENCE + THE MACHINE   *
11/08/2022 RENAISSANCE BEYONCE   *
03/11/2022 MIDNIGHTS TAYLOR SWIFT   *
16/02/2023 QUEEN OF ME SHANIA TWAIN   *
02/03/2023 TRUSTFALL P!NK   *
23/03/2023 ENDLESS SUMMER VACATION MILEY CYRUS   *
06/04/2023 DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S A TUNNEL UNDER OCEAN BLVD LANA DEL REY   *
20/04/2023 HIGHER THAN HEAVEN ELLIE GOULDING   *
06/07/2023 THE GOOD WITCH MAISIE PETERS   *

©2023 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Article images: Rex/Shutterstock

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Andii

1

I guess you haven't updated the body text recently, as the current chart shows Taylor Swift tying Kylie on eight and Lana Del Rey on five, both more than the four for Rihanna & Lady Gaga mentioned in the text. Though maybe Taylor's count is just seven, as the same album, "Red", is listed twice?

ME

Michael Ellis

1

Kate Bush is the musical genius of the whole bunch

CO

Chris Ortiz

0

Where is Britney? This list is about UK I suppose... sadly

СЁ

Самбуу Ёндон

1

Britney's albums has never topped UK Album Chart. And RIhanna, Celine Dion and many more non UK artists are there.

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Damián

0

Kylie, queen of pop!

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Jack fitsy

0

Bwahahaha! Take a seat! There is only 1 Queen and thats the one with 13 number 1 singles, 12 number 1 albums (7 that sold over a million each), 78 top 40 hits & the only female to sell out stadium venues for the past 40 Sweetie it isnt the singing budgie!

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Jack fitsy

2

Madonna, that is incredible!!! A real shame Rebel Heart had that major leak 4 months before its release, it really dented its sales, and it was a cracking album, a few too many songs but i get why Interscope threw every single they had on it, they needed sales! still it went gold in the UK and joined her tally of 6 number 2 albums!! Im sure she'll have more, especially now she is back at Warners 🙌🏼

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Alan Trevor

0

What about Diana Ross and The Supremes ‘Greatest Hits’ which made UK #1 in Feb 1968?

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LAlieno

3

erm, female solo artist?

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Martin Tait

0

But A Star Is Born, is not by a solo artist, it's a duo of Kristoffersson and Streisand, as shown and credited on the front cover!

MV

Mark Vickers

1

Diana Ross and The Supremes had the 1st number one album by female artist(s) on 11 February 1968 for 3 weeks.

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Sakgra

2

Solo artists

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Martin Tait

0

A Star Is Born is not a solo album either, it is a soundtrack credited to Streisand and Kristofferson, who are both shown and credited on the cover !

NN

Nu No

0

That's the cover. As Barbra Streisand sings in over 50% of the songs the album in considered her album (by the way this rule is applied in every European country and not just UK).

JL

Jorge López

7

Madonna and Kylie, the queen and the princess of pop.

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GPB

2

Errrrmm... They're the queens of EVERYTHING!!!

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luca

7

Madonna ❤️