Update: While recent history tells us to wait until Tuesday for a final sales figure, the present indication is that the “Descendants” soundtrack won the weekly album sales race.
According to Nielsen Music, “Descendants” shifted 30,000 complete albums during the July 31-August 6 tracking week. While that is the lowest total for a #1 album in the history of the Soundscan era, it is still enough for a #1 debut on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart.
With Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 album equivalent unit) and Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 album equivalent unit) included, “Descendants” posted a first-week consumption total of 42,000 units. That earns it the #1 spot on the consumption-oriented Billboard 200.
Readers are reminded that the data is not final until Tuesday; revisions can emerge in the interim period. For now, however, here is the Top 10 of this week’s Billboard 200:
1) Descendants – 42K total units (30K from pure sales)
2) Future – DS2 – 37K total units
3) Taylor Swift – 1989 – 35K total units
4) Ed Sheeran – x – 30K total units
5) Sam Hunt – Montevallo – 27K total units
6) Jill Scott – Woman – 27K total units
7) Lil Dicky – 26K total units (22K from pure sales)
8) twenty one pilots – 25K total units (17K from pure sales, 7K of which were vinyl copies)
9) Led Zeppelin – In Through the Out Door – 24K total units (23K from pure sales)
10) Drake – If You’re Reading This it’s Too Late – 23K total units
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Not simply a strong television performer, Disney’s “Descendants” also produced a successful soundtrack.
That soundtrack appears to have comfortably won the weekly album sales race.
According to Hits Daily Double, “Descendants” moved approximately 31,115 pure copies during the July 31-August 6 tracking week. While Billboard’s more authoritative data will differ slightly, the disparity should not affect the overall outcome: “Descendants” was the week’s best-selling album and will debut at #1 on the Top Album Sales chart.
From a pure sales standpoint, the album’s closest competition came from the trio of Led Zeppelin re-issues. “In Through the Out Door” appears to have led the way with a sales total of approximately 24,040; “Coda” and “Presence” moved approximately 23,773 and 23,713, respectively.
Other notable pure sales performers include Lil Dicky’s “Professional Rapper” (~23,140 pure sales), Jill Scott’s “Woman” (~22,586) and Taylor Swift’s “1989” (~20,296).
Thanks to strong track sales and streaming activity, “Descendants” is also expected to top the consumption-oriented Billboard 200. With Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 album equivalent unit) and Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 album equivalent unit) included, Hits reports that “Descendants” drove approximately 46,115 total consumption units (albums + TEA + SEA) during the aforementioned July 31-August 6 tracking week.
Barring a major disparity in Billboard’s data, such a total should position the soundtrack ahead of Taylor Swift’s “1989.” Hits credits the Swift album with a consumption total of approximately 39,419.
Other notable consumption performers include Future’s “DS2” (~34,752), Ed Sheeran’s “x” (~30,037), Sam Hunt’s “Montevallo” (~28,294) and Lil Dicky’s “Professional Rapper” (~26,900).
While Billboard’s initial wave of data will arrive Sunday or Monday, nothing will be considered final until Tuesday.