Update: Billboard has made the news official: The Weeknd’s “Starboy” is #1 on the Top Album Sales and Billboard 200 charts.
It tops the former with what Billboard reports as 209K pure US album sales. It tops the latter with 348K total consumption units (pure album sales + track sales/10 + track streams/1500).
Pentatonix’s “A Pentatonix Christmas” rises to #2 on the Billboard 200 with 131K units, while Metallica’s “Hardwired … To Self-Destruct” falls two places to #3 with 75K. Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” drops two spots to #2 with 73K, and the “Moana” soundtrack soars eleven places to #5 with 66K.
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The Weeknd’s “Starboy” predictably dominated the opening week US album sales race. It also posted the week’s best consumption total by a considerable margin.
According to BuzzAngleMusic/HDD, “Starboy” sold approximately 227,396 pure US copies during the November 25-December 1 tracking week. The addition of TEA (track sales/10) and SEA (track streams/1500) yields an opening week consumption tally of 366,309 units.
Due Sunday, Billboard’s more authoritative data will differ slightly from the BuzzAngle figures. The discrepancy will not, however, change the outcomes. The sales total will earn “Starboy” #1 on Top Album Sales, while the consumption tally will slot the album atop the Billboard 200.
“Starboy” will be the second straight #1 album for The Weeknd, who previously topped the Billboard 200 with 2015’s “Beauty Behind The Madness.”
This week’s other top pure sales performers: Pentatonix’s “A Pentatonix Christmas” (~117,049 sales), Garth Brooks’ “The Ultimate Collection” (~102,601 sales), Metallica’s “Hardwired … To Self-Destruct” (~67,399 sales) and Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” (~51,921 sales)
This week’s other top consumption performers: “A Pentatonix Christmas” (~128,934 units), “The Ultimate Collection” (~102,601 units), “24K Magic” (~72,499 units), and “Hardwired … To Self-Destruct” (~71,539 units)
