Billboard’s Top Artists of the 21st Century chart reflects performance on weekly Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024. (Titles released prior to mid-1999 are excluded,

Billboard is ranking the Top 200 Albums of the 21st Century, and we’re sharing our top five and how they broke records on the Billboard 200..  What’s your favorite album of all time? Let us know in the comments!

In the 21st century, music became more universal, immediate, and accessible than ever before. On Jan. 1, 2000, the average cost of a CD was about $18, which meant if you wanted to legally own 250 albums,

"The kicky, 23-year-old British singer released her second album, the break-up requiem 21, in February, but it wasn't just heartbreak that made her popular," Billboard wrote in December 2011. "In contemporary music,