Country music is a quintessentially American genre, but its global appeal is growing. Case in point: Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem, which enters the Official U.K. Albums Chart at No. 1.
Wallen’s 2021 album Dangerous: The Double Album, debuted and peaked at No. 77 on the Official U.K. Albums chart. His 2023 album, One Thing at a Time, debuted and peaked at No. 40 on that chart, setting up his current breakthrough. Speaking to the U.K.’s Official Charts Company, Wallen said: “The massive growth that we’ve seen in the U.K. is truly something special…. I am so grateful and humbled my music is connecting in a place where we have spent time and worked to build a real and meaningful relationship with our fans there. Thank you guys so much!”
I’m the Problem is just the 11th album to reach No. 1 on both Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and the all-genre Official U.K. Albums chart. All 11 of these albums, which we list below, have been released since the late 1990s.
None of the six artists who have had the most No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums appear on this list. George Strait, who has amassed a record 27 No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums, has never cracked the Official U.K. Albums Chart. Neither have Kenny Chesney, who has had 17 No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums, or the late Merle Haggard, who had 16.
Garth Brooks, who has had 17 No. 1s on Top Country Albums, just missed making this list. He peaked at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart in 1994 with In Pieces. That album was No. 1 on Top Country Albums for seven weeks in 1993.
Willie Nelson, who has had 18 No. 1 country albums, topped out at No. 16 with his highest-charting album in the U.K., Legend: The Best of Willie Nelson. Tim McGraw, who has had 17 No. 1 country albums, topped out at No. 43 in the U.K. with his highest-charting U.K. album, Two Lanes of Freedom.
Two late, great singers – Glen Campbell and Jim Reeves – are also not present, even though they both topped both charts (but with different albums). Campbell had nine No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums, but his only No. 1 album in the U.K. (1976’s 20 Golden Greats) was not among them. Reeves, best known for his 1960 ballad smash “He’ll Have to Go,” had four No. 1 albums on Top Country Albums, and two No. 1 albums on The Official U.K. Albums Chart, but none of them overlapped.
Lionel Richie had one No. 1 album on Top Country Albums, 2012’s Tuskegee, on which he teamed with various top country stars, but it stalled at No. 7 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
Here are the 11 albums that reached No. 1 on both Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and the all-genre Official U.K. Albums chart.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: Sept. 11, 1999 (11 weeks)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: Nov. 22, 1997 (50 weeks)
Notes: This was Twain’s third studio album. Her previous album, The Woman in Me, was No. 1 on Top Country Albums for 29 weeks, but stopped at No. 7 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: Oct. 5, 2002 (2 weeks)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: Oct. 12, 2002 (3 weeks)
Notes: This hit-studded collection was Presley’s seventh No. 1 on Top Country Albums and his 10th No. 1 on The Official U.K. Albums Chart, but his first (and still his only) album to lead both lists.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: Nov. 10, 2007 (1 week)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: Nov. 17, 2007 (7 weeks)
Notes: This was the genre-defying group’s seventh and most recent studio album. It was their first double album. This was the band’s first album to reach No. 1 on Top Country Albums, though the Various Artists tribute album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles topped the chart for 13 weeks in 1993-94 on its way to winning the CMA Award for album of the year.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: Nov. 3, 2012 (1 week)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: Nov. 10, 2012 (16 weeks)
Note: This was Swift’s fourth studio album; her last in the period when she was primarily a country artist.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: Oct. 12, 2017 (1 week)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: Oct. 21, 2017 (1 week)
Notes: This was Twain’s fifth studio album. Her fourth studio set, Up!, logged six weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, but peaked at No. 4 in the U.K. Twain’s sixth studio album, Queen of Me, reached No. 1 in the U.K., but stalled at No. 2 on Top Country Albums.
Date Reached No. 1 in the UK: April 22, 2021 (1 week)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: April 24, 2021 (3 weeks)
Notes: This re-recording of her second studio album was Swift’s first Taylor’s Version release. The original album logged 35 weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, but stalled at No. 5 on the Official U.K. Albums chart.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: Nov. 25, 2021 (1 week)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: Nov. 27, 2021 (7 weeks)
Notes: This was a re-recording of Swift’s fourth studio album. It was the first Taylor’s Version album to receive Grammy recognition. The extended, 10-minute version of “All Too Well” was nominated for song of the year and won best music video. “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” was nominated for best country song.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: July 20, 2023 (1 week)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: July 22, 2023 (2 weeks)
Notes: This was a re-recording of Swift’s third studio album. The original album logged 13 weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, but stalled at No. 6 on the Official U.K. Albums chart.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: April 11, 2024 (1 week)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: April 13, 2024 (4 weeks)
Notes: This was Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, her first that was marketed as a country album.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: Aug. 29, 2024 (1 week)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: Aug. 31, 2024 (6 weeks)
Notes: This was Posty’s sixth studio album; his first that was marketed as a country album.
Date Reached No. 1 in the U.K.: May 29, 2025 (1 week so far)
Date Reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums: May 31, 2025 (1 week so far)
Notes: This is Wallen’s fourth studio album, and his third in a row that’s a double album.
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