The highest-selling albums and EPs in the United States are ranked in the Billboard 200, which is published by Billboard magazine. The data are compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly physical and digital sales. In 2012, a total of 32 albums claimed the top position of the chart. One of which, Canadian singer Michael Bublé's album Christmas started its peak in late 2011.
Adele's album 21 was the longest-running number-one album of the year for the second time, staying atop the chart for eleven non-consecutive weeks. Red by Taylor Swift had the second-most weeks at number one with five. Other albums with extended chart runs include Babel by Mumford & Sons, Tuskegee by Lionel Richie, Blown Away by Carrie Underwood, Born and Raised by John Mayer and Uncaged by Zac Brown Band; each spent two weeks on the top position. Throughout 2012, only one act achieved multiple number-one albums on the chart: One Direction with Up All Night and Take Me Home. Swift's album Red sold 1.21 million copies in its first week, making it the album with the highest weekly sales in 2012. 21 was the biggest-selling album of 2012, with 4,410,000 copies sold.
Chart history
+KeyIndicates best performing album of 2012
Issue date Album Artist(s) Sales Christmas467,000 21 Adele144,000 124,000 104,000 95,000 116,000 122,000 237,000 730,000 297,000 247,000 Wrecking Ball196,000 Up All NightOne Direction176,000 The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and BeyondSoundtrack175,000 MDNAMadonna359,000 Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded253,000 Tuskegee129,000 114,000 Blunderbuss138,000 Blown Away267,000 120,000 Trespassing77,000 Born and Raised219,000 65,000 21 Adele75,000 Looking 4 MyselfUsher128,000 Believe374,000 Living ThingsLinkin Park223,000 Fortune135,000 Uncaged234,000 Life Is GoodNas149,000 UncagedZac Brown Band48,000 God Forgives, I Don't218,000 Now 43Various artists111,000 Based on a T.R.U. Story2 Chainz75,000 Chapter V135,000 Eye on ItTobyMac69,000 NorthMatchbox Twenty95,000 Away from the World266,000 The Truth About LovePink280,000 BabelMumford & Sons600,000 169,000 96,000 Night Train409,000 Red1,208,000 344,000 196,000 Take Me HomeOne Direction540,000 UnapologeticRihanna238,000 Girl on Fire159,000 RedTaylor Swift167,000 208,000
See also 2012 in music List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2012 (U.S.)
References