Update 2: Powered by stronger streams and track purchases, the soundtrack to FOX’s “Empire” bests Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” on this week’s Billboard 200 chart.
“Empire” tops the Billboard 200 on the strength of its 130,000 total consumption units. 110,000 came from sales, 17,000 came from Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 album sale) and 3,000 came from Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 album sale).
“Rebel Heart” follows with 121,000. A more impressive 116,000 came from sales, but the album only received a 4,000 unit boost from TEA and a 1,000 upgrade from SEA.
The week’s full top ten follows:
1) Empire – 130K total units (110K from pure sales)
2) Madonna – Rebel Heart – 121K total units (116K from pure sales)
3) Luke Bryan – Spring Break…Checkin’ Out – 106K total units
4) 50 Shades of Grey – 72K total units
5) Taylor Swift – 1989 – 62K total units
6) Sam Smith – In the Lonely Hour – 61K total units
7) Drake – If You’re Reading This it’s Too Late – 58K total units
8) Ed Sheeran – x – 53K total units
9) Maroon 5 – V – 48K total units
10) Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise – 38K total units
**12) Kelly Clarkson – Piece by Piece – 32K total units
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Update: Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” was the week’s best selling album, but the “Empire” soundtrack claims the top spot on its Billboard 200 chart.
The 116,000 opening week sales figure for “Rebel Heart” bests the 110,000 for the soundtrack to FOX’s juggernaut TV series. The consumption race, however, skews in favor of “Empire.”
With Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 album sale) and Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 album sale) added to the mix, “Empire” boasts a first week consumption unit total of 130,000. Not notably boosted by TEA or SEA, the “Rebel Heart” consumption total clocks in at 121,000 units.
Billboard elaborates that “Empire” received a 17,000 unit boost from TEA and a 3,000 upgrade from SEA. Madonna’s album earned 4,000 from TEA and 1,000 from SEA.
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In moving what Hits Daily Double reports as approximately 116,472 first week copies, Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” did not simply best forecasts. It ranked as this past week’s best-selling album.
Comfortably ahead of the “Empire” soundtrack (~107,140) and Luke Bryan’s “Spring Break…Checkin’ Out” (~83,658) in pure sales, “Rebel Heart” is a lock to claim #1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart even given the likelihood that the publication’s data will differ slightly from that reported by Hits.
If Hits’ data holds up, “Rebel Heart” will not, however, land at #1 on the revamped Billboard 200.
Now centered on consumption, the BB200 ranks albums based on weekly sales, Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 album sale) and Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 album sale).
By earning considerably stronger TEA and SEA marks, the “Empire” soundtrack claims a higher overall consumption unit total. It is thus set to claim the #1 spot on the Billboard 200.
According to Hits, “Empire” scored a first week consumption unit total (Sales + TEA + SEA) of about 128,640. Madonna’s album, despite winning the sales race, grabs the runner-up spot in the consumption battle. It claims a first week total of approximately 121,972.
Billboard’s data will not align precisely with the Hits data, but the disparity will doubtfully be enough to change the pecking order on the Billboard 200. “Empire” is almost surely this week’s #1 album.
Luke Bryan’s “Spring Break…Checkin’ Out” will also appear at #3 on the BB200. Hits reports a consumption total in the 95,158 ballpark.
