First two albums to debut at No.1 on US albums chart

Elton John (UK, b. Reginald Dwight) has the distinction of recording the first and second albums to debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The first was Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy on 7 June 1975. In the same year on 8 November, Rock of the Westies also entered in pole position.

Captain Fantastic… was Elton’s ninth studio album and features the single “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” and the opening title track. Rock…, Elton’s 10th studio effort, includes the singles “Island Girl” and the double A-side “Grow Some Funk of Your Own”/“I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)”. Both albums were produced by Gus Dudgeon.

Captain Fantastic… spent six consecutive weeks at No.1 between 7 June and 12 July 1975 and returned to No.1 for a seventh week on 30 August. Rock… topped the chart for three weeks in a row from 8 November.

The Billboard 200 was originally titled Top LPs when the magazine’s separate stereo and mono album charts were combined for the first time on 17 August 1963. The chart was expanded from 150 to 175 positions on 1 April 1967, and from 175 to the current 200 positions on 13 May 1967.