# List of Top Country Albums number ones of 1988

Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1988, 11 different albums topped the chart, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide.
In the issue of Billboard dated January 2, Randy Travis was at number one with the album Always & Forever, its 26th week in the top spot. Three weeks later the album broke the previous record of 28 weeks at number one set by the band Alabama with both Feels So Right and Mountain Music between 1981 and 1983. Always & Forever would ultimately spend a total of 43 weeks at number one; its record would stand until Shania Twain spent 50 weeks atop the chart with Come On Over between 1997 and 2000. Two months after Always & Forever finally left the top spot, Travis returned to number one with Old 8x10, which would spend eight weeks atop the chart in 1988 and double that figure early the following year. The singer would achieve a fourth consecutive number one in 1989 before his chart performance began to decline in the subsequent decade.
In addition to Travis, Ricky Van Shelton had two number ones in 1988. After years of playing small venues while working a day job, Shelton had secured his first major-label record deal in 1986 at the age of 34. His debut album, Wild-Eyed Dream, entered the Top Country Albums chart in March 1987 and took an entire year to reach number one, finally topping the chart in its 52nd week on the listing. Shelton returned to number one in November with Loving Proof, which spent the final nine weeks of 1988 in the top spot. K. T. Oslin also topped the chart for the first time in 1988; she spent the sole week of her career at number one when 80's Ladies topped the listing in the issue of Billboard dated February 27.

## Chart history

| Issue date | Title | Artist(s) |
| January 2 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| January 9 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| January 16 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| January 23 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| January 30 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| February 6 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| February 13 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| February 20 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| February 27 | 80's Ladies | K. T. Oslin |
| March 5 | Wild-Eyed Dream | Ricky Van Shelton |
| March 12 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| March 19 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| March 26 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| April 2 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| April 9 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| April 16 | Wild-Eyed Dream | Ricky Van Shelton |
| April 23 | If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' | George Strait |
| April 30 | If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' | George Strait |
| May 7 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| May 14 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| May 21 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| May 28 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| June 4 | Always & Forever | Randy Travis |
| June 11 | Reba | Reba McEntire |
| June 18 | Reba | Reba McEntire |
| June 25 | Reba | Reba McEntire |
| July 2 | Reba | Reba McEntire |
| July 9 | Reba | Reba McEntire |
| July 16 | Reba | Reba McEntire |
| July 23 | Reba | Reba McEntire |
| July 30 | Reba | Reba McEntire |
| August 6 | Alabama Live | Alabama |
| August 13 | Wild Streak | Hank Williams Jr. |
| August 20 | Wild Streak | Hank Williams Jr. |
| August 27 | Old 8x10 | Randy Travis |
| September 3 | Old 8x10 | Randy Travis |
| September 10 | Old 8x10 | Randy Travis |
| September 17 | Old 8x10 | Randy Travis |
| September 24 | Old 8x10 | Randy Travis |
| October 1 | Old 8x10 | Randy Travis |
| October 8 | Old 8x10 | Randy Travis |
| October 15 | Old 8x10 | Randy Travis |
| October 22 | Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room | Dwight Yoakam |
| October 29 | Greatest Hits | The Judds |
| November 5 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |
| November 12 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |
| November 19 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |
| November 26 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |
| December 3 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |
| December 10 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |
| December 17 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |
| December 24 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |
| December 31 | Loving Proof | Ricky Van Shelton |