Lady Gaga’s Debut Album Brings The Superstar To A Special Milestone

18 years ago, Lady Gaga changed the sound of top 40 pop when she began promoting her then-upcoming debut album, The Fame. The full-length introduced her to the world as an odd and exciting new figure in pop music, as it blended familiar songwriting structures with electronic dance production. At the time, the move was a gamble, as dance music had not topped the charts in years, but the risk paid off.

The Fame is regarded as one of the most successful electronic dance albums of all time, and Gaga’s star has not dimmed in the nearly two decades since it arrived. Americans continue to consume The Fame in large numbers without pause, and this week, the Grammy-winning project is on the rise as it celebrates hitting an impressive milestone.

The Fame Reaches a Special Chart Milestone

On the current Billboard 200, the chart company’s list of the biggest albums in America, The Fame reaches 450 weeks. Only a handful of projects by women have achieved the same feat, and this week, a little more than 10% of all the titles on the Billboard 200 have also crossed the same threshold.

The Fame Climbs as Lady Gaga Celebrates a Landmark Week

As The Fame makes it to 450 weeks as one of the most-consumed albums in the nation, the project climbs more than 10 spaces, lifting from No. 95 to No. 82. According to data shared by Luminate, The Fame moved just under 14,500 equivalent units between actual purchases and streaming activity in the United States alone last tracking frame. That sum is up a dramatic 26% from the period prior.

A Star Is Born Trails The Fame by Hundreds of Weeks

Gaga sees one of her albums crack 450 turns on the Billboard 200 for the first time. The Fame is one of only two releases by the Grammy and Oscar winner to live on the list for triple-digit turns. Her soundtrack for the film A Star Is Born, which also credits Bradley Cooper, managed 109 stints somewhere on the chart.

The Fame Never Hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200

The Fame may be Gaga’s longest-charting album by a large margin on the Billboard 200, but somehow, despite its incredible popularity, the electronic dance effort never made it to No. 1. The Fame, which debuted on the Billboard 200 in November 2008, reached its No. 2 peak in January 2010, more than a year after it landed on the list.

The Fame is one of eight projects by Gaga that have appeared on the Billboard 200 that never made it to the throne. The Fame Monster, The Remix, and Love for Sale – one of Gaga’s several collaborative albums with Tony Bennett – all spent time inside the top 10, peaking at Nos. 5, 6, and 8, respectively, but like The Fame, didn’t get a chance to rule.

How Many Lady Gaga Albums Reached No. 1?

Gaga has collected seven No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, which is one of the most impressive accumulations among female stars. A Star Is Born, Born This Way, Mayhem, Chromatica, Joanne, Cheek to Cheek – another joint effort with Bennett – and Artpop all spent at least one frame in charge of the ranking.

The Fame Nearly Returns to No. 1 on the Dance Chart

The Fame appears on just two lists this week in America. Gaga nearly reclaims the penthouse on the Top Dance Albums chart, as her first full-length steps up from No. 3 to No. 2.

Mayhem Slides as The Fame Soars

The Fame is one of a pair of titles by Gaga that live on the Billboard 200, and it is the more popular of the two. Mayhem, her most recent full-length, which is currently nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, dips more than 20 spaces, falling to No. 98.

Both Mayhem and Born This Way slip slightly on the Top Dance Albums chart, settling at Nos. 3 and 15, respectively.