By entering the Billboard 200 at No. 1 this week, Cardi B’s AM I THE DRAMA? joins a short list of chart-topping albums with titles that pose questions.
Some of these titles, like AM I THE DRAMA? and Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, include question marks. Others, like Olivia Newton-John’s Have You Never Been Mellow, do not. (The question mark is implied.) The title of one chart-topping album was simply a question mark. (I guess in that case the question was implied.)
Numerous classic albums with question-posing titles didn’t reach No. 1, which is why this list doesn’t include such albums as the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Are You Experienced? (No. 5 in 1967), Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On (No. 6 in 1971), Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything? (No. 29 in 1972), Devo’s Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (No. 78 in 1978), Los Lobos’ How Will the Wolf Survive? (No. 47 in 1985), Mary J. Blige’s What’s the 411? (No. 6 in 1992) and Shakira’s Dónde Están los Ladrones? (No. 131 in 1998). (BTW, the English translation of Shakira’s title is Where Are the Thieves?)
One near-miss deserves mention. Luke Bryan reached No. 1 in 2017 with What Makes You Country, but listening to the title song’s lyrics again, it’s not intended as a question. Key lines: “Just be proud of what makes you country/Whatever makes you country.”
Here’s a complete list of albums that have topped the Billboard 200 (which originated on a consistent, weekly basis in March 1956) with titles that posed questions.