Top Gospel Albums


Top Gospel Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, ranking the popularity of gospel albums. As of Tuesday, January 31, 2017, it uses the same multi-metric methodology developed for the Billboard 200, which incorporates traditional album sales, track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums.

Album milestones

Most cumulative weeks at number one

List of albums with ten or more weeks at number one, showing year released.
AlbumYearArtist
Donda1372021Kanye West
Jesus Is King672019Kanye West
It Remains to Be Seen 531993The Mississippi Mass Choir
The Nu Nation Project491998Kirk Franklin
The Mississippi Mass Choir461988The Mississippi Mass Choir
God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation431997Kirk Franklin
Thirsty392007Marvin Sapp
Is My Living in Vain371980The Clark Sisters
Live in London and More...372001Donnie McClurkin
Kirk Franklin and the Family361993Kirk Franklin
Hero342005Kirk Franklin
Love Alive III341984Walter Hawkins
Live in Chicago331988Shirley Caesar with Reverend Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers
Mountain High...Valley Low321999Yolanda Adams
The Sound322008Mary Mary
Whatcha Lookin' 4301996Kirk Franklin
Best Days302012Tamela Mann
There is Hope291986Reverend Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers
The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin292002Kirk Franklin
My Mind is Made Up271991Reverend Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers
The Preacher's Wife261996Whitney Houston
Heart. Passion. Pursuit.242017Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Here I Am232010Marvin Sapp
Rough Side of the Mountain281983Rev. F.C. Barnes & Rev. Janice Brown
Dedicated211985Nicholas
One Way202016Tamela Mann
Love Alive IV191990Walter Hawkins
We Walk By Faith191992Rev. John P. Kee & the New Life Community Choir
Hello Fear192011Kirk Franklin
More Than This192024CeCe Winans
It's Gonna Rain181982Reverend Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers
We Sing Praises171983Sandra Crouch and Friends
Blessed171985The Williams Brothers
Soul Survivor171987Al Green
It Remains to Be Seen...171993The Mississippi Mass Choir
Old Church Basement172021Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music
Love Alive161976Walter Hawkins & the Love Center Choir
Losing My Religion162015Kirk Franklin
Live with the Mississippi Mass Choir151990Reverend James Moore with the Mississippi Mass Choir
The Live Experience151995Helen Baylor
Pages of Life - Chapters I & II151998Fred Hammond
WOW Gospel 2004152004Various Artists
Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs152005Donnie McClurkin
Psalms141984The Richard Smallwood Singers
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism131987Aretha Franklin
Incredible132002Mary Mary
Rehab132010Lecrae
Long Live Love132019Kirk Franklin
Somethin' 'Bout Love122004Fred Hammond
Phenomenon111991The Rance Allen Group
Different Lifestyles111991BeBe & CeCe Winans
Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas111995Kirk Franklin
Gravity112012Lecrae
Alabaster Box101999CeCe Winans
Donnie McClurkin... Again102003Donnie McClurkin
WOW Gospel 2016102016Various Artists
Hiding Place102018Tori Kelly

Most cumulative weeks on chart

List of albums with 100 or more total weeks on the chart.
AlbumArtist
Playlist: The Very Best Of Marvin Sapp543Marvin Sapp
Hello Fear490Kirk Franklin
Best Days489Tamela Mann
Grace487Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Heart. Passion. Pursuit.438Tasha Cobbs Leonard
The Nu Nation Project386Kirk Franklin
One Place Live374Tasha Cobbs Leonard
The Essential Kirk Franklin367Kirk Franklin
Unstoppable329Koryn Hawthorne
Jesus Is King325Kanye West
Go Get It286Mary Mary
Move Your Heart259Maverick City Music & UPPERROOM
Believe for It253CeCe Winans
The Best of Me247Yolanda Adams
Old Church Basement246Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music
The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin238Kirk Franklin
God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation230Kirk Franklin
Donda229Kanye West
Jesus Is Born212Sunday Service
Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1204Maverick City Music
One Way200Tamela Mann
Love Alive200Walter Hawkins & the Love Center Choir
Jesus is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me198James Cleveland & the Charles Fold Singers
Love Alive II193Walter Hawkins & the Love Center Choir
Rough Side of the Mountain190Rev. F.C. Barnes & Rev. Janice Brown
Kingdom Book One187Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin
Losing My Religion183Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin and the Family182Kirk Franklin
God Has Smiled on Me177James Cleveland & the Voices of Tabernacle
It's a New Day169James Cleveland & the Southern California Community Choir
The Preacher's Wife169Whitney Houston
Amazing Grace167Aretha Franklin with James Cleveland
Long Live Love164Kirk Franklin
It Remains to Be Seen156Mississippi Mass Choir
I Don't Feel Noways Tired155James Cleveland & the Salem Inspirational Choir
Make Room155Jonathan McReynolds
Dedicated141Nicholas
Thirsty141Marvin Sapp
The Best Of Fred Hammond133Fred Hammond
Thankful123Mary Mary
Everyday Jesus122Anthony Brown & group therAPy
Pages of Life - Chapters I & II122Fred Hammond
As We Worship: Live121William McDowell
Tramaine117Tramaine Hawkins
Mary Mary117Mary Mary
Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition117Maverick City Music
The Essential Donnie Mcclurkin117Donnie McClurkin
Jesus Christ is the Way116Walter Hawkins and the Family
The Journey 114Donnie McClurkin
The Maverick Way Complete: Complete Vol 02113Maverick City Music
Save the World112Yolanda Adams
Live in Chicago110Shirley Caesar
Hero110Kirk Franklin
No Time to Lose109Andraé Crouch
We Sing Praises109Sandra Crouch and Friends
Live in London and More...108Donnie McClurkin
Purpose By Design106Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ
Give Me a Clean Heart105James Cleveland
Greatest Hits105BeBe & CeCe Winans
Alabaster Box105CeCe Winans
Whatcha Lookin' 4105Kirk Franklin
The Fight of My Life105Kirk Franklin
Nothing But the Hits105Fred Hammond
I'll Do His Will104James Cleveland & the Southern California Community Choir
Adoration: Live in Atlanta104Richard Smallwood with Vision
A Miracle in Harlem104Shirley Caesar
WOW Gospel 1998104Various Artists
Donnie McClurkin104Donnie McClurkin
Donnie McClurkin... Again104Donnie McClurkin
Mountain High...Valley Low104Yolanda Adams
The Spirit of David104Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ
Live in Detroit104Vickie Winans
Throne Room104CeCe Winans
I Need You Now104Smokie Norful
Nothing Without You104-
Somethin' 'Bout Love104Fred Hammond
Alive in South Africa104Israel & New Breed
Maverick City, Vol. 3 Part 2104Maverick City Music
Awesome Wonder103Kurt Carr & the Kurt Carr Singers
Bringing It All Together103Vickie Winans
Live from Another Level103Israel & New Breed
Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs103Donnie McClurkin
20/85 The Experience103Hezekiah Walker & LFC
Yolanda... Live in Washington102Yolanda Adams
Believe102Yolanda Adams
Gospel Greats101Aretha Franklin
The Inner Court101Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ
Alone in His Presence101CeCe Winans
WOW Gospel 2004101Various Artists
Show Up!101The New Life Community Choir featuring John P. Kee
The Best of Yolanda Adams100Yolanda Adams
Day By Day100Yolanda Adams
After the Music Stops100Lecrae

Number-one debuts

List of albums which have debuted at number-one.

Artist achievements

Most number-one albums

Artists with five or more number-one albums.
Artist
Kirk Franklin14
James Cleveland13
CeCe Winans10
Fred Hammond10
Reverend Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers7
Lecrae6
Tasha Cobbs Leonard6
Walter Hawkins5
Yolanda Adams5
Donnie McClurkin5
Mary Mary5
Marvin Sapp5
Deitrick Haddon5
Tye Tribbett5
Smokie Norful5

Other achievements

  • Whitney Houston's The Preacher's Wife has the highest one week sales of any charting release on Top Gospel Albums, selling 330,000 units in the chart week dated January 4, 1997.
  • Marvin Sapp's Here I Am was the highest-charting gospel album in the history of the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, where it debuted at number 2, before the release of Jesus Is King by Kanye West. Prior to this, God’s Property From Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation debuted and peaked at number 3 on June 14, 1997.
  • Kanye West made Billboard history with the release of Jesus Is King, which topped Top Gospel Albums, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Rap Albums charts, Top Christian Albums and the all-genre Billboard 200 simultaneously.
  • Kanye West has the highest one week sales — 309,000 and 264,000 — for a charting release on both Top Gospel Albums and Top Christian Albums, since both charts adopted a multi-metric methodology in February 2017.
  • Kierra Sheard's Kierra ended Kanye's 6-month run at number-one with his album Jesus Is King.
  • CeCe Winans has topped the Top Gospel Albums chart in five consecutive decades, earning her 10th number-one with More Than This.