“67-year-old Madonna, Still No. 1″……Pop Icon Rewrites History with 10th Chart-Topping Album
The ‘Queen of Pop,’ Madonna (67), has once again made history with the long-awaited sequel to her iconic Confessions series after 21 years. Her new album, ‘CONFESSIONS II,’ debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking her 10th career chart-topping album.
According to Billboard, ‘Confessions II’ soared to the top of the Billboard 200 chart dated July 18, recording an impressive 134,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release. Of these, pure album sales accounted for 114,000 units, marking Madonna’s best sales week since 2012. Notably, vinyl (LP) sales reached 59,000 units, setting a new personal record for Madonna’s highest vinyl sales since Luminate began electronic tracking in 1991.
Streaming figures also hit an all-time high. With 20.1 million on-demand streams, Madonna achieved her biggest album streaming week ever. Rolling Stone lauded the album as “Madonna’s best album in 20 years,” and it earned a remarkable average Metacritic score of 84.
This latest No. 1 album continues Madonna’s incredible record-breaking streak. She is now the first artist to achieve a No. 1 album in the 2020s, adding to her chart-toppers in the 1980s, 2000s, and 2010s. Only four artists—The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Drake, and Madonna—have achieved more than 10 No. 1s on both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, she secured her 13th No. 1 on the UK charts, making The Beatles and Madonna the sole artists with over 10 No. 1s on both the Billboard 200 and the UK Official Albums Chart. With a new Michael Jackson album also currently in the Billboard 200 TOP 10, @TYRISPRINT commented, “Do you understand how crazy it is that Madonna and Michael Jackson are simultaneously in the TOP 10?”
Fan reactions were nothing short of explosive. Immediately after the No. 1 confirmation, Madonna thrilled fans with a surprise celebratory performance at the Knockdown Center in Queens, New York. @pmcarlos_ shared, “It feels like my favorite team just won the World Cup,” while @MadonnaUltimate praised it as an “incredible work both musically and artistically,” extending gratitude to Warner Records and collaborators like Sabrina Carpenter and Fade. The album features a stellar lineup including Sabrina Carpenter, Fade, Martin Garrix, Stromae, and her daughter Lola Leon, with producer Stuart Price reuniting after his work on 2005’s ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor.’
Meanwhile, Madonna’s 10 career No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 are ‘Like a Virgin’ (1985), ‘True Blue’ (1986), ‘Like a Prayer’ (1989), ‘Music’ (2000), ‘American Life’ (2003), ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’ (2005), ‘Hard Candy’ (2008), ‘MDNA’ (2012), ‘Madame X’ (2019), and ‘Confessions II’ (2026).
Ironically, some of her peak albums from the 90s, such as ‘Erotica,’ ‘Bedtime Stories,’ and ‘Ray of Light,’ never reached the coveted No. 1 spot.
