Wikipedia:Today's featured list/February 27, 2023
In 1946, twelve albums by eleven artists topped Billboard's weekly chart of the best-selling albums in the United States. At the time, the chart was titled Best-Selling Popular Record Albums, and it collected sales data from United States-based record dealers, numbering at least 200 in January and increasing to over 4,000 by the end of the year. The first chart-topper was Merry Christmas, a Christmas compilation album by Bing Crosby. It reached the top in December 1945 and peaked for two more weeks in January 1946, for a total of six consecutive weeks at number one. It again reached the top in late November for an additional six weeks, making it the longest-reigning album of the year. The second-longest-reigning album of the previous year, Glenn Miller, recorded by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (pictured), again reached the top for an additional five weeks. The album was crowned as the best-selling album of the year and certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1968. (Full list...)