Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman surged to a new peak on the Billboard Vinyl Albums chart this week, driven by a highly anticipated Tenth Anniversary Edition. Despite a spike in physical sales for the 2026 reissue, the pop star was blocked from claiming the No. 1 spot.
The album originally dropped in May 2016, marking Grande’s critical pivot to a more mature R&B and pop sound with hits like “Into You” and “Side to Side.” To celebrate the milestone this year, Republic Records rolled out exclusive physical variants, including a popular “Black in Clear” webstore pressing and alternate Tenth Anniversary covers.
The 2026 vinyl market is currently experiencing an unprecedented gridlock caused by legacy acts. Paul McCartney just secured his 24th Number 1 album with his newly released The Boys of Dungeon Lane, eating up a significant portion of the physical market share.
Michael Jackson’s classic catalog also experienced a historic 2026 resurgence on the Vinyl Albums chart. This sudden spike was triggered directly by the $217 million global debut of the Michael biopic in April. The cinematic release pushed titles like Off the Wall and Thriller back to the top of physical retail channels, leaving little room for contemporary pop variants.
In a poetic chart parallel, the current situation mirrors the album’s original release cycle. When Dangerous Woman debuted a decade ago, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, making it Grande’s very first album to miss the top spot. Exactly ten years later, the anniversary vinyl edition is repeating history by stalling just shy of No. 1.