I heard this on the radio the other day, is it true? 24 consecutive weeks is incredible, but is that the longest?

* (54 weeks) West Side Story — Soundtrack (1961-1962)


If you google your exact question, the 1st hit will give you a chart of billboard milestones on wikipedia.

Most weeks at number-one: (54 weeks) West Side Story — Soundtrack (1961-1962)

(24 weeks) Purple Rain — Prince and the Revolution (1984)

Most cumulative weeks at number one: (132 weeks) The Beatles

Mars beat me to it.

Mars23 said:

Thanks. I did search for it but I was looking at http://en.wikipedia.org/w...milestones which doesn't mention West Side Story.
[Edited 10/1/09 11:14am]

Incidentally, Purple Rain at 7th place is not too shabby.

Pimprag said:

I found it on this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...number_one

The full top 10 is there.

Mars23 said:

That chart doesn't specify if the other weeks were consecutive weeks. If not then Purple Rain could be higher.

Pimprag said:

I overlooked the consecutive part, but I know 24 weeks is not the longest run.

squirrelgrease said:

Correction: Tied for 4th.



.
[Edited 10/1/09 11:54am]

Of the LPs in the Top 10 list above, only Saturday Night Fever, Purple Rain & Blue Hawaii are consecutive. So it would seem Purple Rain & Saturday Night Fever are tied 1st for longest consecutive run.

Mars23 said:

i have to do a little bragging here i hope you don't mind. my great uncle Gene Lorello played lead flute, clarinet and saxaphone for the original stage production and also on the soundtrack for the movie West Side Story.

Rioub said:

There you go. Where did you find the info? I'm curious, because I couldn't seem to find anything definitive.

squirrelgrease said:

http://www.amazon.com/Joe...999&sr=8-4

I believe that Purple Rain was removed from the top of the charts and put into a new special category (cant remember the title). Billboard wanted to give room to the number 1 slot. So other artists could use the spot to increase sales. They didn't want it dominating like Thriller. So, theoretically it could have been longer at #1. I believe the term Billboard used at the time was retiring it to this new category. Anybody else remember this?

kewlschool said:

Never heard of this, but I don't see how Billboard could justify the biggest selling LP not being number 1. PR was number 1 from release until February 1985 when it was replaced by Like A Virgin, which had already been out for 2 months.

kewlschool said:

I remember something of that nature that caused a big deal with WB and Billboard.

Also some believed that Thriller's success caused Purple Rain to lose out with the Grammy's and the AMAs.

Mars23 said:

right behind Prince, 21 weeks at number 1: MC Hammer....

holy crap