On September 13, 2021, news broke that Grammy-winning Nigerian superstar, Wizkid's album, Made In Lagos had tied Fela's The Best of Black President as the album with the longest run on Billboard's World Music Albums chart.
Released as a posthumous album in 1999, The Best Best of Fela Kuti is a 2-CD compilation album released by MCA Records. It was issued in the United States in 2000 as part of a reissue series of Kuti's albums. On the other hand, 'Made In Lagos' was released in 2020 by RCA Records.
Both albums have spent a total of 45 weeks respectively on the chart. While Wizkid's album peaked at No. 1, Fela's album peaked at No. 3.
This then got Pulse Nigeria asking; what are the other long-running Nigerian albums to chart on the Billboard World's Music Albums Chart?
We were able to find five and here they are;
5.) Burna Boy - Twice As Tall
Year of release: 2020
Label: Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic/Warner
Weeks on the chart: 12
Peak position: 1 [August 28, 2020]
On August 14, 2020, Nigerian singer, Burna Boy released his album, Twice As Tall. In its first week, the album became the first Nigerian album to have one million pure YouTube streams from Nigeria. It also debuted on the UK albums chart at 11, France at 29 and The Netherlands at 10.
But the biggest coup of all was charting at No. 54. A new record for Nigerian albums.
4.) Davido - A Good Time
Year of release: 2019
Label: Columbia Records/Sony
Weeks on the chart: 25
Peak: 6 [December 1, 2019]
A Good Time is arguably Davido's best album yet. Containing around six hit records, the album was released on November 22, 2019.
3.) Burna Boy - African Giant
Year of release: 2019
Label: Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic/Warner
Weeks on the chart: 36
Peak position: 6 [August 9, 2019]
In 2019, Burna Boy quickly followed his well-received Outside album with African Giant - named after his infamous rant at the organizers of Coachella. The Grammy-nominated album was celebrated as a refreshing development from Africa.
2.) Fela - The Best of Black President
Year of release: 1999
Label: MCA
Weeks on the chart: 45
Peak position: 3 [January 22, 2010]
Released as a posthumous album in 1999, The Best Best of Fela Kuti is a 2-CD compilation album released by MCA Records. It was issued in the United States in 2000 as part of a reissue series of Kuti's albums.
1.) Wizkid - Made In Lagos
Year of release: 2020/2021
Label: RCA/SONY
Weeks on the chart: 10.
Peak position: 28 [September 6, 2021]
With this new peak, 'Made In Lagos' becomes Nigeria's highest charting album on the Billboard 200, surpassing Burna Boy's Twice As Tall, which peaked at No. 54. Last week, 'Made In Lagos' peaked at No. 58. When the album dropped in October 2020, 'Made In Lagos' peaked at No. 80.
In a review of 'Made In Lagos (Deluxe),' Pulse Nigeria noted that, "Made In Lagos’ has risen to No. 58 on the Billboard 200. The highest chart position for a Nigerian album on the chart is No. 54, by Burna Boy’s ‘Twice As Tall.’ With a deluxe version and surging success of ‘Essence,’ ‘Made In Lagos’ could rise even further on the charts."
'Made In Lagos' is No. 1 on this list because it will inevitably pass Fela's incredible milestone on the chart.