Frank Sinatra trades one No. 1 album for another as one version of ‘Ultimate Sinatra’ replaces another atop one Billboard chart — and almost two simultaneously. UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 01: Photo of Frank SINATRA; posed, next to microphone, recording at Columbia Recording studios, Liederkrantz Hall (Photo by William Gottlieb/Redferns)
Redferns
Frank Sinatra is one of dozens of artists who maintain a presence on the Billboard charts long after their passing. These days, it is rare to see him on any songs list or even the Billboard 200, the all-encompassing ranking of the most-consumed albums in the nation. Instead, it is on the jazz tallies where Sinatra sets up camp each and every frame.
During his lifetime, Sinatra was regarded primarily as a pop artist, though these days, Billboard classifies much of his work under the now somewhat vague jazz label. The late legend returns to multiple rankings focused on that style this week and even manages to reenter one at No. 1 more than a quarter-century after his death.
Frank Sinatra Returns to No. 1
Ultimate Sinatra reenters the Traditional Jazz Albums chart at No. 1. The tally tracks the most-consumed projects that Billboard classifies as traditional jazz, which generally encompasses the more old-school side of the genre. The compilation is slowly approaching 400 frames on the roster, a milestone it may reach in only a matter of weeks.
Ultimate Sinatra Has Ruled for Nearly 200 Weeks
Ultimate Sinatra has now spent an incredible 183 weeks atop the Traditional Jazz Albums chart. It’s exceedingly rare for any title – song or album – to make it to triple-digit turns atop any tally, and Sinatra’s compilation is closing in on 200 weeks in charge. The compilation debuted at No. 1 more than a decade ago, in May 2015, and has repeatedly returned to the summit ever since. Sinatra has scored several additional leaders in the years that followed, but Ultimate Sinatra remains unbeatable within his catalog.
Frank Sinatra Trades One No. 1 for Another
Sinatra essentially trades one champion for another this week. Last frame, a slightly altered version of the compilation, officially titled Ultimate Sinatra: The Centennial Collection, ruled the Traditional Jazz Albums ranking. Now, the standard Ultimate Sinatra takes over again, while the expanded project disappears.
Such a change can occasionally happen on the charts when one edition of a release suddenly outperforms another in terms of total consumption. A similar situation sometimes occurs with singles, when a remix featuring another artist becomes more popular than the original take. If that version accounts for enough activity, Billboard may update the chart credit to reflect the collaboration. Last week, Ultimate Sinatra: The Centennial Collection apparently outperformed the original Ultimate Sinatra, but this frame, that is no longer the case.
Frank Sinatra Has Pushed Several Ultimate Sinatras to No. 1
Ultimate Sinatra: The Centennial Collection became Sinatra’s eighth No. 1 on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart earlier this summer. The compilation debuted on the roster in May 2015 – at the same time as Ultimate Sinatra – but it did not climb to the summit until June 2026, more than 11 years later.
Ultimate Sinatra: The Centennial Collection has quickly become Sinatra’s third-longest-running ruler on the tally. It trails Ultimate Sinatra and Nothing But the Best, with the latter having accumulated 34 frames in the penthouse. As of last time around, Ultimate Sinatra: The Centennial Collection has already passed another compilation, Sinatra: Best of the Best, which began an eight-week run at No. 1 in August 2012.
Here are all of Frank Sinatra’s No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Traditional Jazz Albums chart.
- Live at the Meadowlands
- Nothing but the Best
- Seduction: Sinatra Sings of Love
- Sinatra: Best of the Best
- The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings with Count Basie
- Ultimate Christmas
- Ultimate Sinatra
- Ultimate Sinatra: The Centennial Collection
Ultimate Sinatra Nearly Rules Another Chart
Ultimate Sinatra also returns to the slightly-more-encompassing Jazz Albums chart this week, where it narrowly misses out on another week at No. 1. The compilation reenters at No. 2, trailing Sade’s The Best of Sade, which holds at the summit.
Frank Sinatra Charts Two Albums in America
Nothing But the Best is Sinatra’s only other album to chart in America this week, and it appears on the same two rankings as Ultimate Sinatra. The compilation drops two spaces on both tallies, sliding to No. 11 on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart and No. 13 on the Jazz Albums roster.
ForbesFrank Sinatra’s Album Becomes A Sales Chart Win Decades After Its ReleaseBy Hugh McIntyre