Hailed as the 2000's Princess of Pop, Britney Spears' musical range has spanned over three decades. Since signing to Jive Records in the late 1990s, the Toxic singer has nine albums in her discography catalog, ranging from Baby One More Time in 1999 to Glory in 2016. One Grammy, 13 Guinness World Records, and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star are a testament to her undisputed status in pop culture.
Now, the young Britney has become a full-time, proud mother of two. As the singer's fan-made #FreeBritney movement has been in the limelight this year, it's the best time to take a look back at her legendary career by ranking her studio albums, based on their first-week sales.
9 'Britney Jean' (Approx. 107,000 Copies)
After departing her long-lasting venture with Jive Records, Britney Spears signed to RCA to release her eighth LP and debut album under the label, Britney Jean. Unfortunately, the EDM-fueled record drew some controversies over the authenticity of some vocals. The rating stank, and it became the singer's worst-selling and lowest-charting album with only 107,000 copies sold within the first week.
8 'Glory' (Approx. 111,000 Album-Equivalent Units)
Glory is a departure from the disappointing performance of Britney Jean. Released in 2016 under RCA Records, Glory centers around the themes of self-acceptance and celebration with elements of hip-hop, EDM, and urban R&B in every corner. As noted by Billboard, the album debuted at number three on Billboard 200 and sold over 111,000 album-equivalent units within the first week.
A re-issue version of the album was released in 2020, with two additional songs "Swimming in the Stars" and Backstreet Boys-featured "Matches."
7 ...Baby One More Time (Approx. 121,000 Copies)
For a debut album, 121,000 first-week sales aren't bad at all. Spears' 1999 ...Baby One More Time catapulted her into a teen sensation. Spears, who was only 16 when the album's lead single of the same name was released, enjoyed success after departing the all-female pop group Innosense. She ended up receiving a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, although she lost to Christina Aguilera that year.
6 'Femme Fatale' (Approx. 276,000 Copies)
Platinum-certified Femme Fatale is a fresh voice of Britney Spears that incorporates the sound of EDM and synth-pop and intertwines it beautifully with techno and dubstep.
Released in 2011, Femme Fatale consists of singles like "Hold It Against Me," "Criminal," and "I Wanna Go." To promote the record, Spears embarked on her three-legged sixth worldwide tour in 79 dates from North America to Asia.
5 'Blackout' (Approx. 290,000 Copies)
After a series of public meltdowns and controversies, Britney Spears presented the fans with some of the best-selling works of her career. Blackout, released in 2007, revolves around love and her struggle with fame and media scrutiny. Singles like "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me" propelled the album to where it's at now, with many contemporary critics refers the album as the "Bible of Pop."
In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Britney admitted her favorite song on the album was "Heaven on Earth," explaining, "it's a cool track. It's like, I love the producers who did that and it's kind of different from all the other songs."
4 'Circus' (Approx. 505,000 Copies)
A year after Blackout, Spears welcomed fans to her new show, Circus. The 2007 album departs the rather-darker-toned themes in Blackout to a more positive and lighter one. After her well-documented struggle with her conservatorship, Circus scored a record to be the singer's first album to have top-five singles charting on the Billboard 100.
3 'In The Zone' (Approx. 609,000 Copies)
After three previous teeny-bop records, Britney Spears said goodbye to her teen idol persona and completely ventured into a much-matured audience with In the Zone. Released in 2003, In the Zone was supported by the likes of "Toxic," "Everytime," and "Me Against the Music." All the three mentioned singles enjoyed international success and charted at the top five in several countries.
2 'Britney' (Approx. 745,000 Copies)
With Britney, the singer invites fans to her journey into adulthood. With much more sexually-fueled singles, Britney became the singer's first album to debut her increasingly provocative image. The Grammy-nominated album addresses sexuality and adulthood with elements of disco, hip-hop, and electronica. Interestingly, Justin Timberlake, who was the singer's lovebird at the time, contributed to the album's production as one of the producers.
1 'Oops!... I Did It Again' (Approx. 1,319,000 Copies)
Constantly hailed as Britney Spears' magnum opus, Oops!... I Did It Again is currently the singer's highest-selling album with over one million record sales within the first seven days. Released in 2000, the teen pop and funky record landed the singer's Albums Artist of the Year at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards and a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards.
"When I did the first album, I had just turned 16. I mean, when I look at the album cover, I'm like, 'Oh, my lordy.' I know this next album's going to be totally different--especially the material," the singer told MTV about the album's production.