List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1996 explained

These are the Billboard magazine number-one albums of 1996, per the Billboard 200.

Chart history

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Indicates best performing album of 1996

scope=col	Issue date	scope=col	Album	scope=col	Artist(s)	scope=col	Label	scope=col	Sales	scope=col class="unsortable"
	Daydream		Columbia	759,959	^[1] ^[2]
	414,000	^[3] ^[4]
	Waiting to Exhale	Soundtrack	Arista	231,000	^[5] ^[6]
	174,000	^[7] ^[8]
	159,000	^[9] ^[10]
	131,000	^[11] ^[12]
	118,000	^[13] ^[14]
	bgcolor=#FFFF99 style="text-align:center;"	Jagged Little Pill		Maverick	132,000	^[15] ^[16]
	All Eyez on Me	2Pac	Death Row	566,500	^[17] ^[18]
	297,000	^[19] ^[20]
	Jagged Little Pill	Alanis Morissette	Maverick	241,000	^[21] ^[22]
				251,000	^[23] ^[24]
				233,000	^[25] ^[26]
	Anthology 2	The Beatles	Apple	441,000	^[27] ^[28]
	Jagged Little Pill	Alanis Morissette	Maverick	213,000	^[29] ^[30]
				254,000	^[31] ^[32]
				200,000	^[33] ^[34]
	Evil Empire	Rage Against the Machine	Epic	249,000	^[35] ^[36]
	Fairweather Johnson	Hootie & the Blowfish	Atlantic	411,000	^[37] ^[38]
				259,000	^[39] ^[40]
	The Score	Fugees	Ruffhouse	206,000	^[41] ^[42]
	189,000	^[43] ^[44]
	180,000	^[45] ^[46]
	179,000	^[47] ^[48]
	Load	Metallica	Elektra	680,000	^[49] ^[50]
	302,000	^[51] ^[52]
	219,000	^[53] ^[54]
	172,000	^[55] ^[56]
	It Was Written	Nas	Columbia	269,000	^[57] ^[58]
	161,000	^[59] ^[60]
	144,000	^[61] ^[62]
	132,000	^[63] ^[64]
	Beats, Rhymes and Life	A Tribe Called Quest	Jive	173,000	^[65] ^[66]
	Jagged Little Pill	Alanis Morissette	Maverick	121,000	^[67] ^[68]
				120,000	^[69] ^[70]
				115,000	^[71] ^[72]
	No Code	Pearl Jam	Epic	366,500	^[73] ^[74]
				146,000	^[75] ^[76]
	Home Again	New Edition	MCA	227,000	^[77] ^[78]
	Falling into You	Celine Dion	550 Music	132,000	^[79] ^[80]
				131,000	^[81] ^[82]
	From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah	Nirvana	DGC	158,000	^[83] ^[84]
	Falling into You	Celine Dion	550 Music	136,000	^[85] ^[86]
	Recovering the Satellites	Counting Crows	Geffen	160,000	^[87] ^[88]
	Best Of Volume I	Van Halen	Warner Bros	233,000	^[89] ^[90]
	Anthology 3	The Beatles	Apple	236,000	^[91] ^[92]
		Makaveli	Death Row	664,000	^[93] ^[94]
	Tha Doggfather	Snoop Doggy Dogg	Death Row	478,971	^[95] ^[96]
	Razorblade Suitcase	Bush	Trauma	295,000	^[97] ^[98]
	200,000	^[99] ^[100]
	Tragic Kingdom	No Doubt	Trauma	229,000	^[101] ^[102]
	329,000	^[103] ^[104]

See also

• 1996 in music
• List of number-one albums (United States)

Notes and References

1. Web site: January 6, 1996. .
2. Reese . Lori . Britney Spears Knocks Out 'N Sync . . 9 August 2022.
3. Web site: January 13, 1996. .
4. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 5 January 1996 . 9 August 2022.
5. Web site: January 20, 1996. .
6. Geoff. Mayfield . Billboard magazine, Between the Bullets: Adjustment . . January 20, 1996 . August 28, 2010.
7. Web site: January 27, 1996. .
8. Web site: Snow . Shauna . PEOPLE WATCHNo 'Margaritaville' There: Singer Jimmy Buffett's... . . 18 January 1996 . 9 August 2022.
9. Web site: February 3, 1996. .
10. Web site: Snow . Shauna . MOVIESDisneyland's 'Toy Story': Couldn't make it to... . . 25 January 1996 . 9 August 2022.
11. Web site: February 10, 1996. .
12. Web site: Snow . Shauna . TELEVISIONNew ABC Schedule: ABC on Wednesday announced... . . February 1996 . 9 August 2022.
13. Web site: February 17, 1996. .
14. Web site: Snow . Shauna . POP/ROCK . . 8 February 1996 . 9 August 2022.
15. Web site: February 24, 1996. .
16. Web site: Jerry. Crowe. All Eyes on Shakur's 'Don Killuminati'. Los Angeles Times. November 30, 2016. November 14, 1996.
17. Web site: March 2, 1996. .
18. Web site: Jerry. Crowe. All Eyes on Shakur's 'Don Killuminati'. Los Angeles Times. November 30, 2016. November 14, 1996.
19. Web site: March 9, 1996. .
20. Web site: Jolson-Colburn . Jeffrey . Columbia Records hits big time . 9 August 2022.
21. Web site: March 16, 1996. .
22. Web site: Snow . Shauna . POP/ROCK . . 7 March 1996 . 9 August 2022.
23. Web site: March 23, 1996. .
24. Geoff. Mayfield . Billboard magazine, Between the Bullets: Adjustment . . March 23, 1996 . August 28, 2010.
25. Web site: March 30, 1996. .
26. Web site: Snow . Shauna . POP/ROCK . . 21 March 1996 . 9 August 2022.
27. Web site: April 6, 1996. .
28. Web site: Beatles' collection hits music stores at No. 1 . 9 August 2022.
29. Web site: April 13, 1996. .
30. Web site: Snow . Shauna . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 18 April 1996 . 9 August 2022.
31. Web site: April 20, 1996. .
32. Web site: Snow . Shauna . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 11 April 1996 . 9 August 2022.
33. Web site: April 27, 1996. .
34. Web site: Snow . Shauna . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 25 April 1996 . 9 August 2022.
35. Web site: May 4, 1996. .
36. Web site: Snow . Shauna . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 25 April 1996 . 9 August 2022.
37. Web site: May 11, 1996. .
38. Web site: Hodari Coker . Cheo . Hootie & the Blowfish Avoid the Sophomore Slump . . 2 May 1996 . 9 August 2022.
39. Web site: May 18, 1996. .
40. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . For the 'Faithful' . . 12 May 1996 . 9 August 2022.
41. Web site: May 25, 1996. .
42. Web site: Fugees know the sales "Score' . 9 August 2022.
43. Web site: June 1, 1996. .
44. Web site: Fugees know the sales "Score' . 9 August 2022.
45. Web site: June 8, 1996. .
46. Web site: MTV News Staff . Soundgarden Debut At #2 On 'Billboard' Top 200 . . 9 August 2022.
47. Web site: June 15, 1996. .
48. Geoff. Mayfield . Billboard magazine, Between the Bullets: Adjustment . . June 15, 1996 . August 28, 2010.
49. Web site: June 22, 1996. .
50. Web site: MTV News Staff . Metallica Sell A 'Load' Of Albums During First Week . . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809080731/https://www.mtv.com/news/km31he/metallica-sell-a-load-of-albums-during-first-week . dead . August 9, 2022 . 9 August 2022.
51. Web site: June 29, 1996. .
52. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 20 June 1996 . 9 August 2022.
53. Web site: July 6, 1996. .
54. Web site: MTV News Staff . Metallica Still Top Sales Chart . . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809080732/https://www.mtv.com/news/39q5ni/metallica-still-top-sales-chart . dead . August 9, 2022 . 9 August 2022.
55. Web site: July 13, 1996. .
56. Web site: MTV News Staff . Metallica Still Top Sales Chart . . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809080732/https://www.mtv.com/news/39q5ni/metallica-still-top-sales-chart . dead . August 9, 2022 . 9 August 2022.
57. Web site: July 20, 1996. .
58. Web site: MTV News Staff . Rapper Nas Enters At Top Of Album Chart . . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809080732/https://www.mtv.com/news/wgxqhv/rapper-nas-enters-at-top-of-album-chart . dead . August 9, 2022 . 9 August 2022.
59. Web site: July 27, 1996. .
60. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 18 July 1996 . 9 August 2022.
61. Web site: August 3, 1996. .
62. Web site: Basham . David . Got Charts? Nas Lookin' To Grow Legs; Jay-Z Unplugs . . https://web.archive.org/web/20020103052004/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451618/20011227/nas.jhtml . dead . January 3, 2002 . 9 August 2022.
63. Web site: August 10, 1996. .
64. Web site: Basham . David . Got Charts? Nas Lookin' To Grow Legs; Jay-Z Unplugs . . https://web.archive.org/web/20020103052004/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451618/20011227/nas.jhtml . dead . January 3, 2002 . 9 August 2022.
65. Web site: August 17, 1996. .
66. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Good Call . . 11 August 1996 . 9 August 2022.
67. Web site: August 24, 1996. .
68. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Unequaled . . September 1996 . 9 August 2022.
69. Web site: August 31, 1996. .
70. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Unequaled . . 25 August 1996 . 9 August 2022.
71. Web site: September 7, 1996. .
72. Mayfield, Josh. "Between the Bullets: Big But Not Huge". Billboard. September 14, 1996.
73. Web site: September 14, 1996. .
74. Mayfield, Josh. "Between the Bullets: Big But Not Huge". Billboard. September 14, 1996.
75. Web site: September 21, 1996. .
76. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 12 September 1996 . 9 August 2022.
77. Web site: September 28, 1996. .
78. Billboard Staff . Eminem's 'Encore' Takes No. 1 Bow . . 9 August 2022.
79. Web site: October 5, 1996. .
80. Web site: Soundtrack album sets off big sales . 9 August 2022.
81. Web site: October 12, 1996. .
82. Web site: Soundtrack album sets off big sales . 9 August 2022.
83. Web site: October 19, 1996. .
84. Web site: Nirvana Album Debuts At No. 1 . 9 August 2022.
85. Web site: October 26, 1996. .
86. Web site: Dion album returns to No. 1 . 9 August 2022.
87. Web site: November 2, 1996. .
88. Web site: Counting Crows take their No. 2 to No. 1 . 9 August 2022.
89. Web site: November 9, 1996. .
90. Web site: Van Halen bows in at the top of the album chart . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809075231/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/11/02/van-halen-bows-in-at-the-top-of-the-album-chart/ . dead . August 9, 2022 . 9 August 2022.
91. Web site: November 16, 1996. .
92. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Artists Formerly Known as Hits . . 10 November 1996 . 9 August 2022.
93. Web site: November 23, 1996. .
94. Web site: Garrett . Ural . The Oral History of 2Pac's 'Makaveli' Album: How A Michael Jackson Feature Almost Happened . . 9 August 2022.
95. Web site: November 30, 1996. .
96. Web site: Harpaz . Dan . Snoop Dogg Releases Album "Tha Doggfather" . 9 August 2022.
97. Web site: December 7, 1996. .
98. Web site: INTERNATIONAL FOCUS . 9 August 2022.
99. Web site: December 14, 1996. .
100. Web site: Independent label takes top two spots on album chart . 9 August 2022.
101. Web site: December 21, 1996. .
102. Mayfield . Geoff . Between the Bullets: Mixed Blessings . Billboard . New York . 108 . 51 . December 21, 1996 . 92 . 0006-2510 . Google Books.
103. Web site: December 28, 1996. .
104. Web site: L.A. Times Archives . Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press. . . 19 December 1996 . 9 August 2022.