David Byrne on Colbert | Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
Update: Billboard has made the news official.
David Byrne’s “American Utopia” tops this week’s Top Album Sales chart, but Logic’s “Bobby Tarantino II” mixtape debuts as a dominant #1 on the Billboard 200.
Aided by a concert ticket/album bundle (redeemed albums count as sales), “American Utopia” sold what Billboard reports as 63K pure US copies this week. That convincingly ranks as the week’s best pure sales total — and thus earns the new album the pinnacle position on Top Album Sales.
As it only received a negligible amount of TEA (track sales/10) and SEA (track streams/1500), it also debuts with 63K in overall consumption units. That figure is enough for #3 on the Billboard 200.
Far stronger from a TEA and SEA standpoint, “Bobby Tarantino II” takes #1 on the Billboard 200 with 119K total units (32K from album sales).
Lil Yachty’s “Lil Boat 2” debuts at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 64K units, while “Black Panther: The Album” slips to #4 with 63K.
Credited with 49K units, Judas Priest’s “Firepower” debuts at #5.
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This week’s US album race yields a split-chart scenario.
David Byrne’s new “American Utopia” leads for pure sales, but Logic’s “Bobby Tarantino II” mixtape claims victory for overall consumption.
According to Hits Daily Double and BuzzAngle, “American Utopia” sold approximately 58,075 pure US copies this week. The figure was boosted by an concert ticket-album bundle (albums redeemed as part of the promotion count toward sales).
While “Bobby Tarantino II” only sold ~30,118 pure US copies, it received a far bigger lift from TEA (track sales/10) and SEA (track streams/1500). The summation of sales, TEA and SEA yields a first-week consumption total of ~116,895 total US units.
Due Sunday, Billboard’s more authoritative data may differ slightly from that reported by Hits. The discrepancies should not, however, be enough to change the landscape atop either chart.
The pure sales total should earn “American Utopia” #1 on Billboard Top Album Sales, while the consumption tally should position “Bobby Tarantino II” atop the Billboard 200.
This week’s pure sales leaders (via Hits/BuzzAngle):
David Byrne – American Utopia (58,075 pure US sales)
Judas Priest – Firepower (43,197 pure US sales)
Jimi Hendrix – Both Sides Of The Sky (31,954 pure US sales)
The Greatest Showman – Soundtrack (31,150 pure US sales)
Logic – Bobby Tarantino II (30,118 pure US sales)
This week’s total consumption leaders:
Logic – Bobby Tarantino II (116,895 total US consumption units)
Lil Yachty – Lil Boat 2 (64,265 total US consumption units)
Black Panther – Soundtrack (63,167 total US consumption units)
David Byrne – American Utopia (58,758 total US consumption units)
The Greatest Showman – Soundtrack (49,146 total US consumption units)