Rihanna [Official Anti Cover via DefJam]
The US album sales and consumption races for the March 11-17 tracking week were among the closest in recent memory.
How close?
The #1 and #2 albums on the Hits Daily Double pure sales chart are separated by fewer than 2,000 weekly copies. The #1 and #2 albums on Hits’ consumption chart are separated by fewer than 1,000 units.
Such differentials are well within the discrepancy range that typically exists between the Hits Daily Double and Billboard reports. One, consequently, cannot assume the albums that sit atop the Hits charts will lead the corresponding Billboard listings.
One can, however, use Hits’ charts to learn the multiple albums that rank as the week’s top performers. He can also use the charts to realize just how closely contested these races were.
— Leading Hits’ pure sales chart is Joey + Rory’s “Hymns.” Hits says the album sold approximately 43,893 US copies.
Adele’s “25,” which takes #2 on Hits, sold approximately 42,292.
Since Billboard’s sales data can sometimes differ by a few thousand copies, one should not yet assume “Hymns” and “25” will respectively hold #1 and #2 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart.
This week’s other top pure sales performers, per Hits: Killswitch Engage’s “Incarnate” (~32,605), Chris Stapleton’s “Traveller” (~27,282), Bethel Music’s “Have It All” (~24,488), 3 Doors Down’s “Us And The Night” (~24,075), Randy Houser’s “Fired Up” (~22,917), Kendrick Lamar’s “untitled unmastered” (~22,726), Flatbush Zombies’ “3001: A Laced Odyssey” (~19,441), and Rihanna’s “ANTI” (~16,624).
— The top spot on Hits’ consumption chart (pure sales + track sales/10 + track streams/1500) meanwhile belongs to Rihanna’s “ANTI.”
Hits says “ANTI” generated approximately ~53,595 weekly units, which gives it a slight edge over Adele’s “25” (~52,757).
The Hits-Billboard discrepancy can sometimes be fairly notable for total consumption, so one should definitely not assume the same “ANTI”-“25” dynamic will exist atop the Billboard 200.
As for Hits’ chart, Justin Bieber’s “Purpose” follows closely with ~49,383 units.
This week’s other top consumption performers, per Hits: “Hymns” (~44,505), “Incarnate” (~34,425), “untitled unmastered” (~34,283), “Traveller” (~34,230), “Blurryface” (~33,060), Kevin Gates’ “Islah” (~30,085), Bryson Tiller’s “T R A P S O U L” (~27,242).
Billboard is expected to reveal the week’s Top 10 albums this Sunday.