“The Dark Side of the Moon,” Pink Floyd‘s seminal album from 1973, is approaching 1,000 non-consequetive weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart. It sits at #167 on the most-recent chart, dated Jan. 10, marking its 996th week.
Released in March 1973, “Dark Side” became the longest-charting LP in Billboard history in 1983. It’s held that title ever since.
But for a quirk in Billboard rules that prohibited older “catalog” albums from re-entering the Billboard 200 between 1991 and 2009 — the magazine changed that rule in ’09 — “Dark Side” likely would have passed the 1,000-week milestone years ago.
Its 996 weeks on the chart equal more than 229 months — more than 19 years — otherwise unheard of in Billboard history. The second-longest charting album is “Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers” at 920 weeks. “Journey’s Greatest Hits” is third at 890 weeks.
The Billboard 200 became a weekly part of the magazine in March 1956.
Pictured: “The Dark Side of the Moon” debuting at #95 in Billboard on what was then called the “Top LP’s & Tape” chart on March 17, 1973.
