Grateful Dead Gets Guinness World Record for 66 Top 40 Albums on Billboard 200

The Grateful Dead snagged a Guinness World Records title on Dec. 4. The group has charted more Top 40 albums on the U.S. Billboard 200 than anyone else — 66 in total. Dave's Picks Vol. 56 landed at No. 25 in November, marking their latest achievement.

Craig Glenday, the editor-in-chief for Guinness World Records, handed them the honor via Instagram video. He said that the band created "60 incredible years of music" and "an incredible, unmatched achievement ... So congratulations, you are officially amazing.” 

Back in February 2024, the group broke a tie with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. That's when their 59th Top 40 entry hit the charts. Every Dave's Picks release since then has pushed them further ahead.

The Bay Area group started 60 years ago. They quit performing in 2015, two decades after lead guitarist Jerry Garcia passed away. Phil Lesh, a founding bassist, kept playing until he died in October 2024.

Bob Weir and Mickey Hart still play with Dead & Company, which includes John Mayer. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame awarded them in 1994, and they received a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Mark Pinkus runs Rhino Records as president. He said the label plans to keep preserving what the band created through archival releases. "What a wonderful way to close out their 60th anniversary celebrations," Pinkus said in a statement.

Rhino Music released Dave's Picks Vol. 56 as a four-CD set. It contains almost five hours of music from Rainbow Theatre shows in London during March 1981. The label also dropped a 60-disc set called Enjoying the Ride in May. It packed 450 live tracks, most of which had never been released before. 

During their anniversary celebrations, the band became a 2024 Kennedy Center Honoree. Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, the only woman who performed in their lineup, died in Nov.