List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2006


The highest-selling albums and EPs in the United States are ranked in the Billboard 200, published by Billboard magazine. The data are compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly physical and digital sales. In 2006, 40 albums topped the chart in 52 issues of the magazine.
High School Musical, the soundtrack to the Disney Channel Original Movie of the same name, is the best-selling album of 2006, accumulating 3.7 million unit sales by the end of the year. The album spent two non-consecutive weeks at the top of Billboard 200, the first TV soundtrack to achieve since the Miami Vice soundtrack in the 1980s. Band Rascal Flatts Me and My Gang is ranked second, accumulating 3.5 million total sales by the end of the year. The album sold 722,000 copies in the United States during its debut week, becoming the band's highest first week sales. Me and My Gang is also one of the longest-running of the albums, topping the chart for three consecutive weeks. Other albums with extended chart runs include Unpredictable by Jamie Foxx and the compilation album Now 22, each spent at number one for three weeks.
scored his first number-one album in nearly 29 years with The Greatest Songs of the Fifties.
Barry Manilow's The Greatest Songs of the Fifties topped the chart on the strength of 156,000 unit sales, giving him the first chart-topper album in nearly 29 years of his career, and his best first-week sales since Billboard 200 incorporated data tracked by Nielsen SoundScan in 1991. The band Red Hot Chili Peppers earned their first number-one album, Stadium Arcadium, for the first time in its 22-year career. Stadium Arcadium, which debuted with sales of 442,000 copies, gave the band its career best sales in a week. Prince scored his first number-one album, 3121 since 1989's Batman, in a debut week. Johnny Cash's topped the chart with his posthumous record , his first number one since 1969's At San Quentin. Evanescence's The Open Door gave the band its first number-one album, which became the 700th number one in the history of Billboard 200. Diddy's Press Play reached number one in November 2008, giving him his second chart topper in nine years. The album, however, sold 170,000 copies in its debut week, the lowest first-week sales figure for Diddy.
Rapper Jay-Z earned his ninth number-one album, Kingdom Come, tying the Rolling Stones for the third act with the most number-one albums in the United States. The album sold 680,000 copies domestically, giving Jay-Z his best sales in a week. Kingdom Come had the second highest debut sales, behind Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds, which opened at 684,000 units. The compilation series Now That's What I Call Music! produced two number ones this year: series 22 and 23. The 23rd installment gave the series its 10th number one.
Unusually, the best performing album of 2006 did not get to number one.

Chart history

Issue DateAlbumArtistReference
January 7The BreakthroughMary J. Blige
January 14UnpredictableJamie Foxx
January 21UnpredictableJamie Foxx
January 28The BreakthroughMary J. Blige
February 4UnpredictableJamie Foxx
February 11AncoraIl Divo
February 18The Greatest Songs of the FiftiesBarry Manilow
February 25Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious GeorgeJack Johnson & Friends
March 4Ghetto ClassicsJaheim
March 11High School MusicalSoundtrack
March 18In My Own WordsNe-Yo
March 25Reality CheckJuvenile
April 1High School MusicalSoundtrack
April 83121Prince
April 15KingT.I.
April 22Me and My GangRascal Flatts
April 29Me and My GangRascal Flatts
May 6Me and My GangRascal Flatts
May 13IVGodsmack
May 2010,000 DaysTool
May 27Stadium ArcadiumRed Hot Chili Peppers
June 3Stadium ArcadiumRed Hot Chili Peppers
June 10Taking the Long WayDixie Chicks
June 17Taking the Long WayDixie Chicks
June 24DecemberundergroundAFI
July 1The Big BangBusta Rhymes
July 8LooseNelly Furtado
July 15'India.Arie
July 22'Johnny Cash
July 29Now 22Various Artists
August 5Now 22Various Artists
August 12LeToyaLeToya
August 19Now 22Various Artists
August 26Port of MiamiRick Ross
September 2Back to BasicsChristina Aguilera
September 9Danity KaneDanity Kane
September 16Modern TimesBob Dylan
September 23B'DayBeyoncé
September 30FutureSex/LoveSoundsJustin Timberlake
October 7FutureSex/LoveSoundsJustin Timberlake
October 14Release TherapyLudacris
October 21The Open DoorEvanescence
October 28Still the Same… Great Rock Classics of Our TimeRod Stewart
November 4Press PlayDiddy
November 11Hannah MontanaSoundtrack
November 18Hannah MontanaSoundtrack
November 25Now 23Various Artists
December 2Doctor's AdvocateThe Game
December 9Kingdom ComeJay-Z
December 16Light GrenadesIncubus
December 23Ciara
December 30The InspirationYoung Jeezy