Chris Stapleton’s ‘Traveller’ Reaches 500-Week Run on Billboard 200

With his inaugural album Traveller, Chris Stapleton has reached a notable achievement, as his record has now hit 500 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart — this is a remarkable accomplishment only achieved by a few records in the history of music. The record was first released in May 2015 and still resonates with listeners almost 10 years later. This week, Traveller moved from No. 87 to No. 91 on the Billboard 200, with Luminate reporting 12,700 equivalent album units sold, including nearly 1,000 pure album sales.

The album's long-term success is often credited to Stapleton's breakout performance at the 2015 Country Music Awards. That moment served as a turning point in his career, propelling the album to mainstream recognition. "We sold 27,000 records the first week and played David Letterman, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, but [after the CMA's] the album went back into the chart at No. 1. Doesn't suck! The lesson is, make music that you love," Stapleton said.

While Traveller remains his most enduring release, Stapleton's other albums, including Starting Over and Higher, continue to perform well across country and Americana charts. Currently, Traveller holds the No. 15 spot on the Top Country Albums chart and No. 9 on the Top Americana/Folk Albums chart. Next week, it will mark its tenth year on the country chart.

The 500-week run highlights Stapleton's lasting impact and the timeless quality of Traveller, setting a new benchmark for country artists aiming for both critical and commercial longevity.