Tom Petty Wins Album Sales Race for First Time Ever

Nobody who follows music is oblivious to the existence of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

One might, however, be unaware of the fact that the veteran rock act had never scored a #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Sales chart. Until this week.

According to Billboard, the band’s “Hypnotic Eye” debuts atop the chart with 131,000 first week sales.

Not simply responsible for giving Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers its first number one, the 131K count also makes for Petty’s best debut sales frame since Soundscan tracking began in 1991 and best overall week since his solo “Wildflowers” moved 161,000 in December 1994.

Indicative of a vintage week on the charts, Eric Clapton’s “The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale” claimed #2 with sales of 61,000. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack release “The Awesome Mix Vol. 1,” which features vintage tunes, claimed #3 with 60,000 sales.

5 Seconds of Summer’s self-titled debut landed at #4 with 54,000 sales in week two. Shawn Mendes’ self-titled EP was #5 with 48,000.

Brian Cantor

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002. Brian's reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader -- and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. Contact Brian at brian.cantor[at]headlineplanet.com.

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Brian Cantor