Billboard Album Charts Compared: This Week (2018 vs. Past Decades)

Can today’s top music artists hold their own against artists from decades past?

Will current chart-toppers have a place on peoples’ playlists generations from now?

Only time will tell.

But let’s take a look at the top 5 albums on Billboard Magazine’s chart this week and compare:

Top Albums – This Week: 2018

1. BTS: “Love Yourself: Answer“
2. Travis Scott: “Astroworld“
3. Drake: “Scorpion“
4. Ariana Grande: “Sweetner“
5. Nicki Minaj: “Queen“

Now, let’s take a look at Billboard’s archives and see what the top 5 albums were during the same week several decades ago…

Billboard Album Chart: Same Week (1988)

1. Def Leppard: “Hysteria“
2. Guns N’ Roses: “Appetite For Destruction“
3. Tracy Chapman: “Tracy Chapman“
4. Steve Winwood: “Roll With It“
5. D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince: “He’s The D.J., I’m The Rapper“

Other notable albums in the top 10:

• George Michael: “Faith“
• Van Halen: “OU812“

Billboard Album Chart: Same Week (1978)

1. “Grease” (Soundtrack)
2. The Rolling Stones: “Some Girls“
3. Foreigner: “Double Vision“
4. Boston: “Don’t Look Back“
5. The Beatles: “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” (Soundtrack)

Other notable albums in the top 10:

• “Saturday Night Fever” (Soundtrack)
• Billy Joel: “The Stranger“

While We’re At It…Top Albums 50 Years Ago

If you go even further back, to the same week in 1968, albums topping the Billboard charts included:

• The Doors: “Waiting For The Sun“
• Cream: “Wheels Of Fire“
• Jimi Hendrix: “Are You Experienced?“
• Aretha Franklin: “Aretha Now“

Verdict…

Nostalgia wins out.

It’s interesting (and amusing) to see this type of album chart comparison, and I believe the results speak for themselves. It also goes to show how much the music industry has changed.

To be fair, history has yet to be written for today’s artists, but it seems pretty clear which albums will (still) be considered classics decades from now…and which will not.

Quality makes a difference when it comes to longevity, and that applies to any topic. But in this instance, it plays a major part in determining what can be considered timeless.

Of course, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But not only do I know which albums I’ll continue to listen to many years from now, I also know which decade’s music offerings already pale in this comparison.

How about you?