Willie Nelson Expands Collection of No. 1 Albums With ‘Bluegrass’ Debut
Written by djfrosty on September 28, 2023
Music legend Willie Nelson may be best known for as a country superstar, but some might not realize he’s visited many other Billboard album genre charts outside of the Top Country Albums chart — where’s racked up a record 53 top 10s, with 18 of them hitting No. 1. Over the years, Nelson has placed high-charting efforts on these genre-specific album rankings: Blues Albums, Kid Albums, Reggae Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums, Jazz Albums, Americana/Folk Albums and Top Christian Albums.
Now, Nelson’s new Bluegrass album, released on Sept. 15, appropriately debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart (dated Sept. 30), marking his first appearance on the 21-year-old tally. On the album, Nelson reinterprets a dozen of his older songs, joined by a bluegrass ensemble. Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart ranks the top-selling bluegrass albums of the week in the U.S., based on traditional album sales, as tracked by Luminate. In the week ending Sept. 21, Nelson’s Bluegrass sold 3,000 copies.
Below is a recap of Nelson’s history on Billboard’s major album genre charts, aside from Top Country Albums. (In addition, Nelson has logged 83 entries on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.)
Chart Name
Album Title, Peak Position, Peak Date
Blues Albums
Milk Cow Blues, No. 2, Oct. 7, 2000
Kid Albums
Rainbow Connection, No. 7, June 30, 2001
Reggae Albums
Countryman, No. 1 (nine weeks at No. 1), July 30, 2005
Traditional Jazz Albums
Two Men With the Blues (Nelson and Wynton Marsalis), No. 1 (four weeks), July 26, 2008
Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles (Nelson & Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones), No. 1 (five weeks), April 16, 2011
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, No. 1 (five weeks), March 19, 2016
My Way, No. 2, Sept. 29, 2018
That’s Life, No. 1 (two weeks), March 13, 2021
Jazz Albums
Two Men With the Blues (Nelson and Wynton Marsalis), No. 1 (four weeks), July 26, 2008
Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles (Nelson & Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones), No. 2, April 16, 2011
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, No. 1 (three weeks), March 19, 2016
My Way, No. 2, Sept. 29, 2018
That’s Life, No. 1 (two weeks), March 13, 2021
Americana/Folk Albums
Last Man Standing, No. 1, May 12, 2018
Ride Me Back Home, No. 1, July 6, 2019
First Rose of Spring, No. 1, July 18, 2020
The Willie Nelson Family, No. 12, Dec. 4, 2021
A Beautiful Time, No. 3, May 14, 2022
Top Christian Albums
Just As I Am: 18 Hymns and Gospel Favorites (Willie Nelson and Bobbie Nelson), No. 37, Aug. 27, 2022
Bluegrass Albums
Bluegrass, No. 1, Sept. 30, 2023