From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The compilation album
Glenn Miller by
Glenn Miller's Orchestra (pictured in 1941 ) was the bestselling album of 1946.
Bing Crosby (pictured in 1951 ) was the only artist with two albums atop the chart:
Merry Christmas and
Selections from The Bells of St. Mary's for a total of ten weeks. Furthermore, Merry Christmas was the longest-reigning album with eight weeks.
Frank Sinatra 's (pictured in 1960 )
The Voice of Frank Sinatra was the second-longest reigning album atop the chart with seven weeks.
The
Billboard magazine publishes a weekly chart that ranks the bestselling
albums in the United States. In 1946, twelve albums by eleven artists topped the chart. 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
[1] and increasing to over 4,000 by the end of the year.
[2] In 1946, all photograph records were
78 rpm records that held one recording per side. An
album consisted of multiple records, each in a separate sleeve, the sleeves bound together along one edge within two stiff pasteboard covers, much like a traditional photograph album.
The first album atop the chart in 1946 was
Merry Christmas , a Christmas compilation album by
Bing Crosby , released by
Decca . It reached the top in December 1945,
[3]
and it 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 album was
certified gold 25 years after its release by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 or more units.
[4] Crosby placed a second album atop the listing with the
soundtrack to the movie
The Bells of St. Mary's in March, bringing his total weeks spent at number one to ten.
Following numerous single releases in the early 1940s,
Frank Sinatra released his debut studio album
The Voice of Frank Sinatra in March 1946. The album topped the chart for seven consecutive weeks in April and May—the second-longest reigning album in 1946.
[5]
[6] The second longest-reigning album of the
previous year ,
Glenn Miller ,
[7]
recorded by
Glenn Miller & His Orchestra , again reached the top for an additional five weeks. The album was later crowned as the bestselling album of the year and certified gold by the RIAA in 1968.
[8]
[9]
The Ink Spots '
eponymous album reached the top in late September and topped the chart without interruption until mid-November, making it the second-longest reigning album of the year, alongside Sinatra's.
Chart history
Key
†
Indicates best selling album of 1946
[8]
See also
References
^
a
b
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . January 5, 1946. p. 24. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
a
b
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . December 28, 1946. p. 22. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^ In 1945, Merry Christmas topped the chart on:
^
"Gold & Platinum: Bing Crosby" . Recording Industry Association of America. November 13, 1970. Retrieved March 18, 2019 .
^ Ruhlmann, William.
"Frank Sinatra | Artist Biography" .
AllMusic . Archived from
the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019 .
^ Ruhlmann, William.
"Frank Sinatra – The Voice of Frank Sinatra" . AllMusic. Archived from
the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019 .
^ In 1945, Glenn Miller topped the chart for seven weeks, specifically:
May 12:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . May 12, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
May 19 (tied with
The King Cole Trio ):
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . May 19, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
June 30:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 30, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
July 7:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . July 7, 1945. p. 26. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
July 14:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . July 14, 1945. p. 22. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
July 21:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . July 21, 1945. p. 22. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
July 28:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . July 28, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
August 11 (tied with the original cast recording of
Carousel :
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . August 11, 1945. p. 18. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
The album's eight-week run was beaten only by
The King Cole Trio , which topped the chart for twelve weeks, specifically:
March 24:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . March 24, 1945. p. 65. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
March 31:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . March 31, 1945. p. 20. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
April 7:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . April 7, 1945. p. 22. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
April 21:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . April 21, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
April 28:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . April 28, 1945. p. 22. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
May 19 (tied with Glenn Miller ):
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . May 19, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
May 26:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . May 26, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
June 2:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 2, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
June 9:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 9, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
June 16:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 16, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
June 23:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 23, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
August 4:
"The Billboard – The world's foremost amusement weekly: Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . August 4, 1945. p. 22. Retrieved January 8, 2022 .
^
a
b
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . January 4, 1947. p. 19. Retrieved October 13, 2019 – via AmericanRadioHistory.
^
"Gold & Platinum: Glenn Miller & His Orchestra" . Recording Industry Association of America. July 2, 1968. Retrieved March 18, 2019 .
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . January 12, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . January 19, 1946. p. 26. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . January 26, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . February 2, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . February 9, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . February 16, 1946. p. 34. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . February 23, 1946. p. 186. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . March 2, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . March 9, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . March 16, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . March 23, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . March 30, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . April 6, 1946. p. 32. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . April 13, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . April 20, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . April 27, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . May 4, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . May 11, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . May 18, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . May 25, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 1, 1946. p. 26. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 8, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 15, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 22, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . June 29, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . July 6, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . July 13, 1946. p. 30. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . July 20, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . July 27, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . August 3, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . August 10, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . August 17, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . August 24, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . August 31, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . September 7, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . September 14, 1946. p. 26. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . September 21, 1946. p. 24. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . September 28, 1946. p. 29. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . October 5, 1946. p. 25. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . October 12, 1946. p. 26. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . October 19, 1946. p. 26. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . October 26, 1946. p. 29. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . November 2, 1946. p. 23. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . November 9, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . November 16, 1946. p. 25. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . November 23, 1946. p. 27. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . November 30, 1946. p. 26. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . December 7, 1946. p. 27. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . December 14, 1946. p. 28. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
^
"Best-Selling Popular Record Albums" (PDF) . Billboard . December 21, 1946. p. 24. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via WorldRadioHistory.
1945–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000–2019 2020–2039 See also