The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling

independent music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s and

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

s (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by

Nielsen SoundScan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

and published weekly by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to

major labels A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...

. Rankings are compiled by point-of-purchase sales obtained by Nielsen, and from legal

music download A music download (commonly referred to as a digital download) is the digital transfer of music via the Internet into a device capable of decoding and playing it, such as a personal computer, portable media player, MP3 player or smartphone. Thi ...

s from a variety of

online music store A digital music store is a business that sells digital audio files of music recordings over the Internet. Customers gain ownership of a license to use the files, in contrast to a music streaming service, where they listen to recordings without ...

s. The chart began in the week of February 5, 2000.''Billboard''. Feb 5, 2000
/ref> The top 25 positions are published through the ''Billboard'' website, with further chart positions available through a paid subscription to Billboard.biz. As with all ''Billboard'' charts, albums appearing on the Independent chart may also concurrently appear on the ''Billboard'' 200, the main chart published based solely on sales, as well as any of the other ''Billboard'' charts. In addition, exclusive album titles which are only sold through individual retail sites may also be included in the chart, following a revised chart policy announced on November 7, 2007. The chart's first number one was ''

Who Let the Dogs Out "Who Let the Dogs Out" is a song performed by Bahamian junkanoo band Baha Men. Originally released by Anslem Douglas (titled "Doggie"), it was covered by producer Jonathan King who sang it under the name Fat Jakk and his Pack of Pets. He brough ...

'' by

Baha Men The Baha Men are a Bahamian junkanoo band formed in New Providence, Bahamas in 1977. They are best known for their Grammy Award-winning hit song "Who Let the Dogs Out". History Early years The Baha Men formed in 1977 as High Voltage, initia ...

, which went on to top the year-end chart for 2001.

Best-selling top independent albums by year

Since 2002, Billboard.biz has annually published an end-of-year list of the top 50 best selling independent albums. ''Billboard'' also independently announced the highest selling album for 2001.

Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cru ...

have topped this chart three times since its inception, twice with their 2002 album ''

Kings of Crunk ''Kings of Crunk'' is the fourth studio album by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Background ''Kings of Crunk'' was released in October 2002. Based on the success of the album's 2nd single "Get Low", ''Kings of Crunk'' made the top twenty of the ...

''. *2001 (see

2001 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2001. Specific locations * 2001 in British music * 2001 in Norwegian music * 2001 in South Korean music Specific genres * 2001 in classical music * 2001 in country music * ...

- ''

'' *2002 (see

2002 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002. Specific locations * 2002 in British music * 2002 in Norwegian music * 2002 in South Korean music Specific genres * 2002 in classical music * 2002 in country musi ...

Mannheim Steamroller Mannheim Steamroller is an American neoclassical new-age music ensemble founded and directed by percussionist/composer Chip Davis in 1974. The group is known primarily for its ''Fresh Aire'' series of albums, which blend classical music with ele ...

- ''

Christmas Extraordinaire ''Christmas Extraordinaire'' is Mannheim Steamroller's sixth Christmas album overall and the group's fourth Christmas studio album. The album was originally released in 2001. The song "O Tannenbaum" features a lead vocal by Johnny Mathis. Five of ...

'' *2003 (see

2003 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2003. Specific locations * 2003 in British music * 2003 in Irish music *2003 in Norwegian music * 2003 in South Korean music Specific genres * 2003 in classical mus ...

- ''

'' *2004 (see

2004 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2004. Specific locations *2004 in British music * 2004 in Irish music * 2004 in Norwegian music * 2004 in South Korean Music Specific genres * 2004 in classical music * 200 ...

): Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz - ''Kings of Crunk'' *2005 (see

2005 in music 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...

): Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz - ''

Crunk Juice ''Crunk Juice'' is the fifth and final studio album by American hip hop group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. It was released on November 16, 2004, under BME Recordings and TVT Records. The production was primarily handled by Lil Jon himself, who ...

'' *2006 (see

2006 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006. Specific locations *2006 in British music *2006 in Irish music *2006 in Norwegian music *2006 in South Korean music *2006 in Swiss music Specific genres * 2006 i ...

Little Big Town Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman (née Roads), Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbro ...

- ''

The Road to Here ''The Road to Here'' is the second studio album by the American country music group Little Big Town. The album was released on October 4, 2005 on Equity Records and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album was nominated for Best Country ...

'' *2007 (see

2007 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007. Specific locations *2007 in British music * 2007 in Canadian music * 2007 in Irish music * 2007 in Japanese music * 2007 in Norwegian music * 2007 in South Korean musi ...

): Various Artists - ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

'' *2008 (see

2008 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2008 in music. This year was the peak of record sales in the United States, with sales declining year on year since then. Specific locations *2008 in British music * 2008 in Canadian m ...

The Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s ...

- ''

Long Road out of Eden ''Long Road Out of Eden'' is the seventh and most recent studio album by American rock band the Eagles, released in 2007 on Lost Highway Records as their first ever double album. Nearly six years in production, it is the band's first studio al ...

'' *2009 (see

2009 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2009 in music. Specific locations *2009 in American music *2009 in Australian music *2009 in British music * 2009 in Canadian music *2009 in European music (Continental Europe) * 2009 ...

Jason Aldean Jason Aldean (born Jason Aldine Williams; February 28, 1977) is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to BBR Music Group, Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released ten albums and 40 singles. His 2010 ...

- '' Wide Open'' *2010 (see

2010 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2010 in music. Specific locations *2010 in American music * 2010 in Asian music *2010 in Australian music *2010 in British music *2010 in Canadian music * 2010 in European music (Contine ...

): Jason Aldean - ''Wide Open'' *2011 (see

2011 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2011 in music. Specific locations * 2011 in American music * 2011 in Asian music * 2011 in British music * 2011 in Canadian music * 2011 in European music (Continental Europe) * 2011 in ...

): Jason Aldean - ''

My Kinda Party ''My Kinda Party'' is the fourth studio album released by American country music artist Jason Aldean. It was released on November 2, 2010 by Broken Bow Records. The songs were written by various songwriters including Neil Thrasher, Brantley Gilber ...

'' *2012 (see

2012 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2012 in music. This year was the peak of music downloads sales in the United States, with sales declining year on year since then. Specific locations * 2012 in African music *2012 in Ame ...

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...

- ''

Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books *Babel (book), ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * Babel (2012 manga), ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * Babel (20 ...

'' *2013 (see

2013 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2013 in music. Specific locations Specific genres Albums released Highest critically reviewed albums (Metacritic) Awards Bands formed * Band-Maid * Beach Slang * Bi ...

): Mumford & Sons - ''Babel'' *2014 (see

2014 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2014 in music. Specific locations Specific genres Albums released Awards Bands formed * Akdong Musician * Antemasque (band), Antemasque * American Wrestlers * The Babe R ...

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

- '' Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences'' *2015 (see 2015 in music): Jason Aldean - ''

Old Boots, New Dirt ''Old Boots, New Dirt'' is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Jason Aldean. It was released on October 7, 2014 via Broken Bow Records. Its lead single, "Burnin' It Down", reached the top of the US Hot Country Songs chart duri ...

'' *2016 (see

2016 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2016 in music. Specific locations Specific genres Albums released Significant performances * March 25 – British rock and roll band, The Rolling Stones become the second ...

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...

- ''

A Moon Shaped Pool ''A Moon Shaped Pool'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, and physically on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime producer Nigel Godrich. ...

'' *2017 (see

2017 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2017 in music. Specific locations * African *American * Asian *Australian * Brazilian *British *Canadian * Chinese * Danish * European *Finnish *French *German * Icelandic *Indian *Irish ...

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

- '' Hardwired... to Self-Destruct'' *2018 (see

2018 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2018 in music. Specific locations * African *American * Asian ** Chinese ** Japanese **Philippine ** South Korean *Canadian * European **British ** Scandinavian *** Danish *** Finnish ** ...

): Jason Aldean - '' Rearview Town'' *2019 (see

2019 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2019 in music. Specific locations *African music * American music * Asian music *Australian music * Brazilian music *British music *Canadian music *Chinese music * Czech music *Danish m ...

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...

- '' Map of the Soul: Persona'' *2020 (see

2020 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2020 in music. Specific locations *African music * American music *Asian music *Australian music *Brazilian music *British music *Canadian music *Chinese music *Czech music *Danish musi ...

Bad Bunny Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (born March 10, 1994), known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. His musical style is defined as Latin trap and reggaeton. He rose to prominence in 2016 with his song "Diles", wh ...

– ''

YHLQMDLG ''YHLQMDLG'' (acronym for "Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana", Spanish for "I Do Whatever I Want") is the second solo studio album and third overall by Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny. It was released on February 29, 2020, by Rimas Entertain ...

'' *2021 (see

2021 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2021 in music Specific locations * African music * American music *Asian music * Australian music *Brazilian music *British music *Canadian music * Chinese music *Czech music *Danish mu ...

): Bad Bunny – ''

El Último Tour Del Mundo ''El Último Tour Del Mundo'' (; Spanish for "The Final Tour of the World", stylized in all caps) is the third solo studio album and fourth overall by Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny. It was released on November 27, 2020, by Rimas Enter ...

References

External links

''Billboard'' Independent Albums''Billboard''
{{Billboard Billboard charts