50 Years Ago: ‘The Sound of Music’ Soundtrack Hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200
50 years ago, "The Sound of Music" soundtrack hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Fifty years ago this week, the charts were alive with The Sound of Music, as the film’s soundtrack hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated Nov. 13, 1965.
The album — led by the film’s star Julie Andrews — spent two weeks at No. 1 on the weekly Billboard 200, and earned a staggering 109 weeks in the top 10. The album was so hot it was in the weekly top 10 from the May 1, 1965-dated chart through July 16, 1966. It was a regular (but not quite weekly) presence in the top 10 off and on through early 1968. The soundtrack was so successful on the chart, it was recently ranked as the No. 2 album on the all-time Billboard 200 chart.
The Sound of Music film soundtrack followed the chart-topping success of the Broadway stage musical’s cast album, which spent 16 weeks at No. 1 earlier in the decade.
Earlier in 2015, Andrews spoke to Billboard about the movie’s half-century anniversary and its enduring appeal. “I don’t think I could have possibly guessed, ever, that it was going to be iconic as it has become. If anyone had told me that 50 years after the fact I’d be still speaking to you about it and its magic, I could not have anticipated that or believed it.”
The film and stage show’s popularity endures. The movie was celebrated on the Academy Awards earlier this year by Lady Gaga, while Carrie Underwood starred in NBC TV’s live staging of the musical in 2013.