Toby Keith Posthumously Hits No. 1 On Billboard 200 Albums Chart

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For the first time in 14 years, Toby Keith has landed at the No. 1 spot on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.

It was announced Monday (February 12), one week after Toby Keith passed away, that his 2008 album, 35 Biggest Hits, posthumously earned the country star his 5th No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Toby previously topped the chart with Unleashed (2002), Shock’N Y’all (2003), Big Dog Daddy (2007) and Bullets in the Gun (2010).

Toby’s 35 Biggest Hits replaces Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At A Time album at No. 1, marking the first time in nearly a decade that a country album has replaced another country album at No. 1.

According to Billboard, “consumption of Keith’s 35 Biggest Hits surged by 953% week over week” following his passing. On streaming platforms, the album earned 64 million streams.

Toby Keith died Monday, February 5, after a valiant battle with stomach cancer. 

Best known for his songwriting, philanthropy and patriotism, the 62-year-old star left behind a massive library of timeless music that will impact country music lovers for decades to come.

Toby was diagnosed with cancer in late 2021, and went public with his diagnosis the following June. He told his fans at the time that he was going to take time to “breathe, recover and relax.”

 

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In the months that followed, Toby slowly returned to the spotlight. He appeared at local sporting events, concerts, and even traveled to Nashville to accept the BMI Icon Award for songwriting and perform on the inaugural People’s Choice Awards where he gave his final televised performance.

For the performance he sang “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” a song he wrote five years prior after a day spent with Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood. The song immediately flew to the top of the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart, and became one of the biggest songs of 2023.

Upon Toby Keith’s death, many of his past hits re-entered the charts as country fans rushed to mourn him through his incredible music library.

Stream Toby Keith’s 35 Biggest Hits on Spotify HERE.

Watch Toby sing “Don’t Let The Old Man In” in the video below.