# List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1961

These are the number-one albums in the United States per Billboard magazine during the year 1961. From May 25, 1959 through July 1963, separate charts existed for albums in mono and stereo formats. Beginning 1961, these charts were called Top LP's - Action Albums - Monaural and Top LP's - Action Albums - Stereophonic. From the beginning of April 1961, the names changed to Top LP's - 150 Best-Selling Mono LP's and Top LP's - 50 Best-Selling Stereo LP's. On May 8, 1961, the mono chart's name was changed again to Top LP's - 150 Best-Selling Monaural LP's.

## Chart history

Key :
| † | Indicates best performing album of 1961 |
Chart history :
| Issue date | Mono | Mono | Mono | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Ref. |
| Issue date | Album | Artist(s) | Label | Album | Artist(s) | Label | Ref. |
| January 9 | The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back! | Bob Newhart | Warner Bros. | G.I. Blues | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| January 16 | Wonderland by Night | Bert Kaempfert | Decca | G.I. Blues | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| January 23 | Wonderland by Night | Bert Kaempfert | Decca | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| January 30 | Wonderland by Night | Bert Kaempfert | Decca | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| February 6 | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| February 13 | Wonderland by Night | Bert Kaempfert | Decca | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| February 20 | Wonderland by Night | Bert Kaempfert | Decca | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| February 27 | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| March 6 | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| March 13 | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| March 20 | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| March 27 | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| April 3 | G.I. Blues | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| April 10 | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot |
| April 17 | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| April 24 | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| May 1 | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| May 8 | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| May 15 | G.I. Blues | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| May 22 | G.I. Blues | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| May 29 | G.I. Blues | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Calcutta! | Lawrence Welk | Dot | |
| June 5 | Camelot † | Original Broadway Cast | Columbia | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| June 12 | Camelot † | Original Broadway Cast | Columbia | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| June 19 | Camelot † | Original Broadway Cast | Columbia | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| June 26 | Camelot † | Original Broadway Cast | Columbia | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| July 3 | Camelot † | Original Broadway Cast | Columbia | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| July 10 | Camelot † | Original Broadway Cast | Columbia | Exodus | Ernest Gold / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | |
| July 17 | Carnival! | Original Broadway Cast | MGM | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| July 24 | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| July 31 | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| August 7 | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| August 14 | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| August 21 | Something for Everybody | Elvis Presley | RCA Victor | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| August 28 | Something for Everybody | Elvis Presley | RCA Victor | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| September 4 | Something for Everybody | Elvis Presley | RCA Victor | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| September 11 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Stars for a Summer Night | Various Artists | Columbia | |
| September 18 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| September 25 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| October 2 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| October 9 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| October 16 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| October 23 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| October 30 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| November 6 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| November 13 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | |
| November 20 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Stereo 35/MM | Enoch Light & the Light Brigade | Command | |
| November 27 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Stereo 35/MM | Enoch Light & the Light Brigade | Command | |
| December 4 | Judy at Carnegie Hall | Judy Garland | Capitol | Stereo 35/MM | Enoch Light & the Light Brigade | Command | |
| December 11 | Blue Hawaii | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Stereo 35/MM | Enoch Light & the Light Brigade | Command | |
| December 18 | Blue Hawaii | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Stereo 35/MM | Enoch Light & the Light Brigade | Command | |
| December 25 | Blue Hawaii | Elvis Presley / Soundtrack | RCA Victor | Stereo 35/MM | Enoch Light & the Light Brigade | Command | |