Update: Billboard has made the news official: Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” debuts at #1 on the Top Album Sales and Billboard 200 charts.
It tops the former thanks to what Billboard reports as 232,000 in pure opening week US sales. The inclusion of SEA (track streams/1500) yields an opening week consumption total of 276,000, which easily scores “Blonde” #1 on the Billboard 200.
Both figures are the third-best opening week tallies this year; only Drake’s “Views” and Beyonce’s “Lemonade” got off to hotter starts.
The Top 5 of this week’s Billboard 200 also features two other debuts: Tory Lanez’ “I Told You” at #4 with 52,000 units and Lindsey Stirling’s “Brave Enough” at #5 with 49,000.
Drake’s “Views” (#2, 77,000 units) and “Suicide Squad: The Album” (#3, 76,000 units) also appear in the weekly Top 5.
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It did not launch until the second day of the tracking period, but Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” had no trouble dominating the weekly US sales race.
Its consumption total also easily ranks as the week’s best.
According to Hits Daily Double, “Blonde” sold approximately 232,140 US copies during the August 19-25 tracking week. The sales figure more than quintuples that of the week’s #2 seller.
The inclusion of SEA (track streams/1500) results in an opening week consumption total of ~278,361 units (because the album’s songs were not available for individual purchase, TEA — track sales/10 — was not a factor). The tally more than triples that of the closest competitor.
Due later this weekend, Billboard’s more authoritative data may differ slightly from that reported by Hits. The discrepancy will not, however, change the outcomes: the sales figure will earn “Blonde” #1 on Top Album Sales, while the consumption sum will position Ocean’s album atop the Billboard 200.
This week’s other pure sales leaders: Lindsey Stirling’s “Brave Enough” (~42,690 US sales), “Suicide Squad: The Album” (~36,412), Tory Lanez’ “I Told You” (~31,403), Drake’s “Views” (~22,281) and Dolly Parton’s “Pure & Simple” (~21,040).
This week’s other consumption leaders: “Views” (~77,316 units), “Suicide Squad” (~74,176), “I Told You” (~53,382), “Brave Enough” (~46,828), and “Blurryface” (~32,469).
