Every Number 1 album by a female solo artist
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
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
Kate Bush is the musical genius of the whole bunch
CO
Chris Ortiz
Where is Britney? This list is about UK I suppose... sadly
СЁ
Самбуу Ёндон
Britney's albums has never topped UK Album Chart. And RIhanna, Celine Dion and many more non UK artists are there.
Damián
Kylie, queen of pop!
Jack fitsy
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!
Jack fitsy
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 🙌🏼
AT
Alan Trevor
What about Diana Ross and The Supremes ‘Greatest Hits’ which made UK #1 in Feb 1968?
L
LAlieno
erm, female solo artist?
Martin Tait
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
Diana Ross and The Supremes had the 1st number one album by female artist(s) on 11 February 1968 for 3 weeks.
Sakgra
Solo artists
Martin Tait
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
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
Madonna and Kylie, the queen and the princess of pop.
GPB
Errrrmm... They're the queens of EVERYTHING!!!
L
luca
Madonna ❤️