List of Billboard Best Selling Pop Albums number ones of 1951
Introduction Two albums recorded by Mario Lanza (pictured in 1949) topped the charts in 1951.His soundtrack to the film ''The Great Caruso'' topped the 33 1/3 and 45 rpm chart for ten weeks each from June to August. His christmas record ''Mario Lanza Sings Christmas Songs'' reached number one on both charts in late December.The ''Billboard'' magazine publishes a weekly chart that ranks the best-selling albums in the United States. The chart nowadays known as the ''Billboard'' 200 was titled Best Selling Pop Albums in 1951.Starting with the issue dated July 22, 1950, ''Billboard'' decided to split the popular albums chart between the two common album formats at the time–33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm, because the versions of the albums were often not released simultaneously and larger retailers had issues filling out ''Billboards'' questionnaire.The cast recording of the 1949 musical ''South Pacific'', composed by Richard Rodgers and mainly recorded by Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin, spent nineteen combined weeks on top between January and April. The most dominant individual artist in 1951 was Mario Lanza. Three albums recorded by Lanza topped the charts for thirty combined weeks. The first of which, the soundtrack to the 1950 film ''The Toast of New Orleans'', in which Lanza starred in topped the 45 rpm chart for six weeks in February and March. The soundtrack to his follow-up film ''The Great Caruso'' reigned atop each of the charts for ten consecutive weeks. The album sold more than 100,000 copies before the film was released and became the first LP to sell more than one million copies in the US.Finally, Lanza's christmas album ''Mario Lanza Sings Christmas Songs'' was number one for the final two weeks of the year on both charts. This made 1951 the first year since the charts inception in 1945, that Bing Crosby's ''Merry Christmas'' did not reach number one in December. ''Billboard'' did not issue a year-end chart for albums in 1951.The women's album that reigned at the top of the Billboard was The Voice of Xtabay of Yma Sumac in which he remained at the top for 6 weeks.
Chart history +Issue date33 1/3 R.P.M.45 R.P.M.AlbumArtist(s)LabelAlbumArtist(s)Label''Merry Christmas''Decca''Merry Christmas''Decca''South Pacific''Original CastColumbia''South Pacific''Original CastColumbia''The Toast of New Orleans'' RCA Victor''Guys and Dolls''Original CastDecca''South Pacific''Original CastColumbia''Voice of the Xtabay''Capitol''Lullaby of Broadway'' / SoundtrackColumbia''Voice of the Xtabay''Yma SumacCapitol Records''Voice of the Xtabay''Yma SumacCapitol''Lullaby of Broadway''Doris Day / SoundtrackColumbia''Voice of the Xtabay'' &  ''Lullaby of Broadway'' '''tied'''Yma Sumac & Doris Day '''tied'''Capitol & Columbia '''tied'''''Voice of the Xtabay''Yma SumacCapitol''Mario Lanza Sings Selections from The Great Caruso''RCA Victor''Mario Lanza Sings Selections from the Great Caruso''Mario LanzaRCA Victor''Show Boat''SoundtrackMGM''Show Boat''SoundtrackMGM''Mario Lanza Sings Christmas Songs''Mario LanzaRCA Victor''Mario Lanza Sings Christmas Songs''Mario LanzaRCA Victor
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References
See also *1951 in music*List of number-one albums (United States)