Madonna Is The First Woman With A Billboard 200 Top 10 Album In Every Decade Since 1980s

Madonna’s latest remix compilation, “Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones,” has debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. This makes her the first woman to have a charting top 10 record in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s, according to Billboard.

The impressive feat has only been accomplished by nine other artists — all of whom are male solo acts or all-male groups. They include AC/DC, Paul McCartney, Def Leppard, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Plant, Prince, James Taylor and Bruce Springsteen.

Madonna famously took the music industry by storm with her self-titled debut album, which reached the top 10 in October 1984. All of her later efforts that decade, from “Like a Virgin” and “True Blue” to “Like a Prayer” and the “Who’s That Girl” soundtrack, also entered the top 10.

The “Material Girl” had seven more albums crack that rarified bracket in the 1990s, including “I’m Breathless: Music From and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy,” “The Immaculate Collection,” “Erotica,” “Bedtime Stories,” Something to Remember,” the “Evita” soundtrack and “Ray of Light.”

She had six more in the 2000s: “Music,” “GHV2: Greatest Hits Volume 2,” “American Life,” “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” “Hard Candy” and Celebration.” The 2010s saw “Sticky & Sweet Tour,” “MDNA,” “Rebel Heart” and “Madame X” crack the top 10 charts, as well.

Only nine other artists, like Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney, reached this milestone.
Only nine other artists, like Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney, reached this milestone.

Clayton Call via Getty Images

While landing 23 albums in the top 10 charts is a staggering success on its own, nine of them took the No. 1 spot following their release. These included “Like a Virgin,” “True Blue,” “Like a Prayer,” “Music,” “American Life,” “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” “Hard Candy”, “MDNA” and “Madame X.”

Fans might find little new on “Finally Enough Love,” as the compilation largely contains remixes of her old work. The album was practically curated from Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, after all, and is composed of Madonna’s 50 No. 1 songs on that list.

It nonetheless sold 28,000 copies in its first week and became the first remix album in the Billboard 200 top 10 since Beyoncé’s “More Only EP” debuted at No. 8 in December 2014. Only Justin Bieber charted higher with a remix album with “Never Say Never” debuting at No. 1 in 2011.

Madonna now ranks second on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart behind Taylor Swift, who has 10 No. 1 records in that bracket.