Update 2: Final Billboard/Nielsen data confirms that Justin Bieber’s “Purpose” sold 522,000 US copies during its first week of release.
The tally earns Bieber’s album the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart.
With Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 unit) and Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 unit) added to the sales total, “Purpose” claims a first week consumption total of 649,000 units. That earns Bieber’s album a corresponding #1 on the Billboard 200.
The two first week totals, thus far, rank as the year’s best. Adele’s “25” will, however, easily seize that distinction based on its first week of activity.
One Direction’s “Made In The AM,” which entered the market on the same day as “Purpose,” sold 402,000 pure copies during the tracking week. With TEA and SEA included, it generated 459,000 consumption units.
The Billboard 200’s Top 10 follows:
1) Justin Bieber – Purpose – 649K units (522K from sales)
2) One Direction – Made In The AM – 459K units (402K from sales)
3) Logic – The Incredible True Story – 135K units (118K from sales)
4) Jeezy – Church In These Streets – 107K units (98K from sales)
5) Chris Young – I’m Comin’ Over – 65K units (57K from sales)
6) Chris Stapleton – Traveller – 53K units
7) Trans-Siberian Ochestra – Letters From the Labyrinth – 46K units (46K from sales)
8) The Weeknd – Beauty Behind The Madness – 43K units
9) Alessia Cara – Know-It-All – 36K units (22K from sales)
10) Kirk Franklin – Losing My Religion – 35K units (33K from sales)
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Update: Hits Daily Double has revised its figures for the new Justin Bieber and One Direction albums.
The updated report says that Justin Bieber’s “Purpose” sold approximately 508,114 pure US copies during the November 13-19 tracking week. With Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 unit) and Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 unit) added to the sales total, it generated approximately 628,806 first-week consumption units.
The sales and consumption figures for One Direction’s “Made In The AM” are now listed at ~419,778 and ~481,896, respectively.
Billboard’s final data, which should arrive Sunday, will differ slightly. The outcome will not differ: “Purpose” will claim #1 on Top Album Sales and the Billboard 200.
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Thanks to a total that bests even the significantly upgraded late-week projections, Justin Bieber’s “Purpose” easily won the weekly album sales race.
It also cruised to victory in the total consumption battle.
According to Hits Daily Double’s preliminary report, “Purpose” sold approximately 504,281 copies during the November 13-19 tracking week. Due Sunday, Billboard’s final, more authoritative report will differ slightly.
The ultimate outcome will not change: “Purpose” will take #1 on Top Album Sales.
It will also take #1 on the Billboard 200. With Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 unit) and Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 unit) added to the sales total, Hits reports a first-week consumption total of roughly 619,949 units.
Going into the week, industry analysts were expecting 300-350,000 in pure album sales and 350-400,000 in total units. As recently as Tuesday, projections were at 470-490,000 in sales and 560-580,000 in total units.
If the numbers hold up in the final Billboard report, “Purpose” will leapfrog Drake’s “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” and claim the year’s best opening week sales and consumption totals. Adele’s “25” will, however, seize that throne this coming week.
One Direction’s “Made In The AM” follows as the week’s #2 album in both regards. Per Hits, it sold approximately 414,778 pure copies and generated approximately 470,021 in total consumption units.
While not as hot as “Purpose,” it, too, obliterated industry expectations. Analysts expected the same 300-350K sales/350-400K units for the 1D album.
Other notable pure sales performers: Logic’s “The Incredible True Story” (~110,092 sales), Jeezy’s “Church In These Streets” (~83,365 sales), Chris Young’s “I’m Comin’ Over” (~56,750 sales)
Other notable consumption performers: Logic’s “The Incredible True Story” (~128,122 units), Jeezy’s “Church In These Streets” (~91,576 units), Chris Young’s “I’m Comin’ Over” (~64,241 units)