The Decca Broadway release of the Stephen Schwartz musical has topped the chart for 23 of the 29 weeks the chart has been published. The recording has dominated the spot, only being toppled before by the two-disc "Harry" recording and The Color Purple for one week each. Then Rhino's release of Jersey Boys, following the Four Seasons musical's Tony win, took hold of the top slot for the past four weeks.

Walt Disney Records' original Broadway cast recording of the Phil Collins musical Tarzan, which has held steady at No. 3 since it debuted there on the chart three weeks ago, trades places with Decca Broadway's original cast album of Mamma Mia! which was at No. 4 last week. The original Broadway cast album of The Wedding Singer (on Masterworks Broadway) rounds out the top five.

Remaining on the chart since its inception (along with Wicked and Mamma Mia!) are the recordings of Monty Python's Spamalot, Hairspray, Avenue Q and the highlights release of Rent.

This past season's hits The Drowsy Chaperone (on Ghostlight Records) and Sweeney Todd (Nonesuch) also placed alongside two other Walt Disney Records releases: The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast – the latter of which re-enters the chart at No. 15.

* A recent addition to Billboard's listings, the Top Cast Albums chart debuted in Billboard on Jan. 12, 2006. Stephen Schwartz' Wicked - which opened on Broadway in October 2003 (album released Dec. 16, 2003) - appeared at the top of the first chart. The chart measures sales of albums from stage musicals, Broadway recordings mostly fill the 15-slot table, but cast albums from other locales are also eligible. The addition of the chart to Billboard's 112 charts generates exposure for the genre which does not often chart on the Billboard 200.

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