# List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1991

The album chart name changed from "Top Pop Albums" to "Billboard 200 Top Albums" on September 7, 1991. The highest-selling albums and EPs in the United States are ranked in the Billboard 200, which is published by Billboard magazine. In 1991, a total of 14 albums claimed the top of the chart. One of which, American rapper Vanilla Ice's To the Extreme started its peak on the issue dated November 10, 1990, and spent 8 weeks atop the chart in 1991.
Mariah Carey's self-titled debut album was the longest running number-one album of the year, spending 11 consecutive weeks atop the chart and was the best-selling album of 1991. Starting in 1991, Billboard began using Nielsen Soundscan data for its album chart, which provided more precise and accurate sales figures. The first date to use this methodology was the June 1, 1991 dated chart when the number one album was Out of Time by R.E.M., which topped the chart with sales of 89,000.

## Chart history

Key :
| † | Indicates best performing album of 1991 |
| | Indicates #1 album before Nielsen SoundScan tracked sales |
| Issue date | Album | Artist(s) | Sales |
| January 5 | To the Extreme | Vanilla Ice | |
| January 12 | To the Extreme | Vanilla Ice | |
| January 19 | To the Extreme | Vanilla Ice | |
| January 26 | To the Extreme | Vanilla Ice | |
| February 2 | To the Extreme | Vanilla Ice | |
| February 9 | To the Extreme | Vanilla Ice | |
| February 16 | To the Extreme | Vanilla Ice | |
| February 23 | To the Extreme | Vanilla Ice | |
| March 2 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| March 9 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| March 16 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| March 23 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| March 30 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| April 6 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| April 13 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| April 20 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| April 27 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| May 4 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| May 11 | Mariah Carey † | Mariah Carey | |
| May 18 | Out of Time | R.E.M. | |
| May 25 | Time, Love & Tenderness | Michael Bolton | |
| June 1 | Out of Time | R.E.M. | 89,000 |
| June 8 | Spellbound | Paula Abdul | 88,000 |
| June 15 | Spellbound | Paula Abdul | 89,000 |
| June 22 | Niggaz4Life | N.W.A | 954,000 |
| June 29 | Slave to the Grind | Skid Row | 134,000 |
| July 6 | For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge | Van Halen | 243,000 |
| July 13 | For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge | Van Halen | 195,000 |
| July 20 | For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge | Van Halen | 142,000 |
| July 27 | Unforgettable... with Love | Natalie Cole | 517,000 |
| August 3 | Unforgettable... with Love | Natalie Cole | 329,000 |
| August 10 | Unforgettable... with Love | Natalie Cole | 287,000 |
| August 17 | Unforgettable... with Love | Natalie Cole | 211,000 |
| August 24 | Unforgettable... with Love | Natalie Cole | 170,000 |
| August 31 | Metallica | Metallica | 598,000 |
| September 7 | Metallica | Metallica | 290,000 |
| September 14 | Metallica | Metallica | 213,000 |
| September 21 | Metallica | Metallica | 171,500 |
| September 28 | Ropin' the Wind | Garth Brooks | 300,000 |
| October 5 | Use Your Illusion II | Guns N' Roses | 770,000 |
| October 12 | Use Your Illusion II | Guns N' Roses | 340,000 |
| October 19 | Ropin' the Wind | Garth Brooks | 254,000 |
| October 26 | Ropin' the Wind | Garth Brooks | 270,000 |
| November 2 | Ropin' the Wind | Garth Brooks | 230,000 |
| November 9 | Ropin' the Wind | Garth Brooks | 220,000 |
| November 16 | Ropin' the Wind | Garth Brooks | 190,000 |
| November 23 | Ropin' the Wind | Garth Brooks | 175,000 |
| November 30 | Ropin' the Wind | Garth Brooks | 167,000 |
| December 7 | Achtung Baby | U2 | 295,000 |
| December 14 | Dangerous | Michael Jackson | 326,500 |
| December 21 | Dangerous | Michael Jackson | 378,000 |
| December 28 | Dangerous | Michael Jackson | 370,000 |