Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter
June 25th, 2021
Prince and the Revolution’s iconic Purple Rain was released 37 years ago today (June 25.) Its run on the top of the Billboard 200 Album Chart has made it one of the most successful soundtracks of all time.
This got us thinking about other soundtracks that topped the Billboard 200 over the years. Here are seven, and some may surprise you.
The 'Saturday Night Fever' not only topped the Billboard album chart for a staggering 24 weeks, it also won the GRAMMY for Album of the Year.
What 'Saturday Night Fever' was to the 1970s, that’s what 'Purple Rain' was to the 1980s. Oddly enough, this Prince vehicle also topped the Billboard album chart for 24 weeks.
An undeniable classic that has entertained families for generations, the soundtrack to Disney’s 'Mary Poppins' topped the Billboard album chart for 14 weeks in 1965 thanks to the incomparable Julie Andrews.
What makes this soundtrack’s success so interesting is that it’s the only soundtrack to top the Billboard 200 album chart that is comprised entirely of previously released songs. It’s worth mentioning that each track is a classic rock/classic hits mainstay, which only helps prove the staying power of these songs.
Another example of the power of classic rock! This soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 chart for two weeks on the strength of the film’s use of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Just how huge was this TV series? Its soundtrack was the number one album on the Billboard 200 for 11 weeks with tracks from Glenn Frey, Tina Turner, Phil Collins and that killer instrumental theme from Jan Hammer.
Kenny Loggins, FTW! Between “Danger Zone” and Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away,” it’s no wonder this soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 chart for five weeks in 1986.
