Iconic albums that were just shy of No. 1 (2024)

Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup/Sipa USA

Everything Is Love is the debut joint album by musical legends Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Released in June 2018, the project debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart after only four full days of tracking on streaming services. Like their other projects, Everything Is Love received praise from audiences and critics — earning them the Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album in 2019.

Efren Landaos/Sipa USA

Ed Sheeran’s sixth solo project, Subtract, won’t be for everyone. However, it's a personal project and deeply moving. It explores themes of loss, grief, sadness, and so much more that takes listeners on an emotional journey. It debuted at No. 2 after selling 110,000 units.

Daniel DeSlover/Sipa USA

Lil Nas X’s debut studio album, Montero, opened to rave reviews, praising the singer for creating a meaningful record that empowered the LGBTQ+ community and queer listeners worldwide. The project sold 126,000 units in its first week, landing the singer their first top-two album of their career. It spawned the No. 1 hit singles "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" and "Industry Baby.”

Dan MacMedan, Dan MacMedan/USA TODAY NETWORK

Ariana Grande’s third album, Dangerous Woman , was where the tide started to shift in the singer’s career. She showcased her powerhouse vocals on the project’s lead single (of the same name) and featured industry giants Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, and Future on some of the records’ most popular songs, “Side To Side,” “Let Me Love You,” and “Everyday.” It’s her only album that failed to reach the No. 1 spot after selling 175,000 units and being blocked by Drake’s album, Views.

Ron Elkman/USA TODAY NETWORK/Sipa USA

Blackout , released in 2007, was the first album by icon Britney Spears not to debut atop the Billboard 200 chart. After selling nearly 300,000 copies, the dance-pop album took the No. 2 spot and produced the smash-hit singles “Gimme More” and “Piece of Me.”

Robert Hanashiro, Robert Hanashiro / USA TODAY NETWORK

Like most of Lizzo’s projects, her second album, Special, featured themes of self-love, personal growth, and freedom of expression. It houses the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, “About Damn Time,” and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It was the highest-charting album of 2022 by a female artist until being passed by Beyoncé’s Renaissance.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

As the name suggests, Meek Mill’s debut album, Dreams and Nightmares, features tracks with hopeful messaging (dreams) and songs with darker themes (nightmares). It was just shy of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, being blocked by Taylor Swift’s album Red. Despite that, it sold 165,000 units in its first week and has since reached gold certification status.

Shawn Punch/AdMedia/Sipa USA

Blackpink’s debut studio record, The Album, was released on October 2, 2020, to rave reviews. It features the Billboard Hot 100 No. 13 single, “Ice Cream,” featuring Selena Gomez, and sold 110,000 units within its first week, becoming the highest-charting album by a girl group since Danity Kane’s Welcome to the Dollhouse in 2008.

Sthanlee B. Mirador/Sipa USA

Fantasia’s Side Effects of You is her fourth studio album, released in 2013. The record, which houses moving tracks focusing on love and heartbreak, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart after selling nearly 100,000 copies.

PA Images/Sipa USA

Queen, Nicki Minaj’s fourth studio album, features a wide range of musical styles, including hip-hop, trap, and a little bit of pop. It features additions from rap legend Eminem, R&B star The Weeknd, and pop princess Ariana Grande. It snagged the No. 2 spot behind Travis Scott’s Astroworld after selling 185,000 units.

Stephen Smith/SIPA USA

Another iconic album from Nicki Minaj that debuted at No. 2 is her 2014 project, The Pinkprint. The record includes a mix of musical styles and artists, including Beyoncé , Drake, Lil Wayne, and the Hot 100 No. 2 single, "Anaconda."

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Destiny Fulfilled is the fourth and final album by the best-selling girl group Destiny’s Child. Released in 2004, it’s one of the trio’s most popular projects, having sold over seven million copies and spawning two No. 3 singles, “Soldier” and “Lose My Breath.”

F. Sadou/AdMedia

Even though NSYNC’s first album of the same name debuted at No. 82 on Billboard’s chart in May 1997, the voice (or looks) of lead singer JT Chasez caused this project to skyrocket to No. 2 five months later. As of today, the nostalgic album, which houses the tracks “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and “Here We Go,” has sold over 11 million copies in the United States.

Anthony Behar/Sipa USA

Rihanna is no stranger to releasing smash-hit singles. Her iconic tracks, “Umbrella,” “Shut Up and Drive,” and “Don’t Stop the Music” hail from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart after selling 162,000 copies in its first week.

Fred Duval / SOPA Images/Sipa USA

From the boy band NSYNC, Justin Timberlake released his debut studio album, Justified, in 2002 and sold a groundbreaking 439,000 copies in its opening week. Despite the substantial sales, JT’s project reached No. 2, right behind the 8 Mile soundtrack, thanks to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” Justified features one of Timberlake’s most recognizable songs, “Cry Me A River,” which has sold over 1.2 million copies.

Anthony Behar/Sipa USA

Nobody could stop Mariah Carey in the ‘90s. Her seventh album, Rainbow, garnered much praise from fans worldwide and produced two No. 1 singles, "Heartbreaker" and "Thank God I Found You.” Although it didn’t top the chart, it debuted at No. 2 after selling over 300,000 copies in its first week and stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 35 weeks.

Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Sipa USA

After selling 180,000 copies, Pink’s fifth album, Funhouse, came in second behind AC/DC’s Black Ice in 2008. It features the memorable track “So What,” which became a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit and one of the singer’s most popular songs. Although the project didn’t take home any major awards, the record received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2010.

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

This album from Demi Lovato is quite moving, focusing on the singer’s personal struggles with addiction, healing, and personal growth. The title track of the same name was released on March 26, 2021, and reached No. 56 on the Hot 100. Even then, the album performed well, opening at No. 2 after selling 74,000 units.

Fred Duval / SOPA Images/Sipa USA

Lady Gaga came out of the gate swinging with her debut album, The Fame. Popular songs include “Just Dance,” “LoveGame,” “Paparazzi,” and “Poker Face.” Although it initially debuted at No. 17 on the chart, after a re-release as a deluxe album, The Fame shot to No. 2 in January 2010. Globally, it has been sold over 18 million times.

PA Images/Sipa USA

24K Magic , Bruno Mars’ 2016 album, reached No. 2 on the chart after selling over 230,000 copies in its first week. It's known for producing the No. 1 hit “That’s What I Like,” “Finesse” (remix featuring Cardi B), and the title track "24K Magic."