Billboard 200 8/21/2021: Happier Than Ever #1 85k

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever’ Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

By Keith Caulfield
8/15/2021

Plus: Nas’ 'King’s Disease II' debuts in the top five and George Harrison’s 1971 No. 1 'All Things Must Pass' returns to the top 10 after its 50th anniversary reissue.

Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever holds atop the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week, as the set earned 85,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 12 (down 64%), according to MRC Data. The album debuted at No. 1 a week ago with 238,000 units – the fifth-largest week of 2021 for an album. Happier Than Ever is the second album released in 2021 to spend its first two weeks at No. 1, following Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album (which spent 10 weeks at No. 1, all consecutive, from its debut on the Jan. 23-dated chart).

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Aug. 21, 2021-dated chart (where Happier Than Ever holds at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard's website on Aug. 17. For all chart news, follow billboard and billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Happier Than Ever’s 85,000 equivalent album units earned in the tracking week ending Aug. 12, SEA units comprise 49,000 (down 42%, equaling 66.1 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs), album sales comprise 36,000 (the top-selling album of the week; down 76%) and TEA units comprise less than 1,000 (down 55%).

Olivia Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Sour is up one spot to No. 2 with 61,000 equivalent album units earned (down 6%).

Nas scores his 15th top 10 album on the Billboard 200, and highest charting effort since 2012, as King’s Disease II debuts at No. 3. The set, released on Aug. 6, earned 56,000 equivalent album units in its first week. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 35,000 (equaling 47.44 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 19,000 and TEA units comprise a little over 1,000.

King’s Disease II was announced only a week before its release, on July 29, and is the sequel to King’s Disease, which was released in 2020 and debuted and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 (dated Sept. 5, 2020). The new album is Nas’ highest-charting set since 2012’s Life Is Good debuted at No. 1 on the Aug. 4, 2012-dated list.

Nas landed his first top 10 album 25 years ago, when his second studio album, It Was Written, bowed at No. 1 on the July 20, 1996, chart.

The Kid LAROI’s former chart-topper F*ck Love falls 2-4 with nearly 56,000 equivalent album units (down 15%), Doja Cat’s Planet Her is steady at No. 5 with 55,000 units (up 2%) and Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album is a non-mover at No. 6 with 44,000 units (down 2%).

George Harrison’s former No. 1 album All Things Must Pass returns to the top 10 for the first time since 1971, as the set re-enters at No. 7 following its 50th anniversary reissue on Aug. 6. The album was newly mixed and reissued in a variety of formats for its re-release. All versions of the album, including the original 1970 release, are combined for tracking and charting purposes.

All together, the set earned 32,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the tracking week ending Aug. 12 -- up 1,401% (from about 2,000 in the week previous). Of its 32,000 units earned, album sales comprise 28,000, SEA units comprise 3,000 (equaling 3.96 million on-demand streams of the album’s tracks) and TEA units comprise less than 1,000. The album, Harrison’s third solo studio effort and first No. 1 album, topped the Billboard 200 chart for seven consecutive weeks in 1971 (Jan. 2-Feb. 13, 1971-dated charts). It launched a pair of top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart: his first No. 1, the double-sided hit “My Sweet Lord” / “Isn’t It a Pity,” and the No. 10 hit “What Is Life.”

With All Things Must Pass’ return to the top 10, it marks Harrison’s first time in the region since 1988, when Cloud Nine peaked at No. 8. It’s also Harrison’s highest rank since Dark Horse galloped to No. 4 on Jan. 25, 1975. (Harrison died in 2001.)

Rounding out the new Billboard 200 top 10 are Lil Baby and Lil Durk’s former No. 1 The Voice of the Heroes (holding at No. 8 with 28,000 equivalent album units earned; down 6%), Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia (stationary at No. 9 with 27,000 units; down 6%) and Polo G’s former No. 1 Hall of Fame (a non-mover at No. 10 with 24,000 units; down 4%).

[Gary]

weeks in the top 10


31 MORGAN WALLEN
28 DUA LIPA
15 GEORGE HARRISON
12 OLIVIA RODRIGO
10 LIL BABY & LIL DURK
9 POLO G
7 DOJA CAT
6 KID LAROI
2 BILLIE EILISH
1 NAS

[reginaphalange]

Doja is holding up so well that I wouldn’t be surprised if she snags #1 at some point surpassing Olivia. I’m so happy for her.

[Naos]

Glad to see George Harrison's re-release do so well. Man was a legend.

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass' Album Returns to Top 10 on Billboard 200 Chart After 50th Anniversary Reissue

By Keith Caulfield
8/15/2021

The former No. 1 hasn’t been in the top 10 in over 50 years.

George Harrison’s former No. 1 album All Things Must Pass returns to the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart for the first time since 1971, as the set re-enters at No. 7 (on the Aug. 21-dated list) following its 50th anniversary reissue on Aug. 6.

The album was newly mixed and reissued in a variety of formats for its re-release. All versions of the album, including the original 1970 release, are combined for tracking and charting purposes.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Aug. 21, 2021-dated chart (where All Things Must Pass returns to the top 10) will be posted in full on Billboard's website on Aug. 17. For all chart news, follow billboard and billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

All together, the set earned 32,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the tracking week ending Aug. 12 -- up 1,401% (from about 2,000 in the week previous), according to MRC Data. Of its 32,000 units earned, album sales comprise 28,000, SEA units comprise 3,000 (equaling 3.96 million on-demand streams of the album’s tracks) and TEA units comprise less than 1,000.

The album, Harrison’s third solo studio effort and first No. 1 album, topped the Billboard 200 chart for seven consecutive weeks in 1971 (Jan. 2-Feb. 13, 1971-dated charts). It debuted at No. 5 on the Dec. 19, 1970 chart, and was last in the top 10 on the March 27, 1971-dated list, where it ranked at No. 9.

The album launched a pair of top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart: Harrison’s first No. 1, the double-sided hit “My Sweet Lord” / “Isn’t It a Pity,” and the No. 10 hit “What Is Life.” (Harrison of course racked up numerous earlier No. 1s on both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts as a member of The Beatles.)

With All Things Must Pass’ return to the top 10 on the Billboard 200, it marks Harrison’s first time in the region since 1988, when Cloud Nine peaked at No. 8. It’s also Harrison’s highest rank since Dark Horse galloped to No. 4 on Jan. 25, 1975. (Harrison died in 2001.)

All Things Must Pass was reissued in a sizable number of formats for its anniversary. Among them: a standard 23-track set (available as either a digital album, a two-CD or a three-vinyl LP set) a deluxe edition (23 standard tracks, plus 17 demos, outtakes and jams, on a three-CD or five-vinyl LP set), a super deluxe edition (23 standard tracks plus 47 demos, outtakes and jams, on digital download, a five-CD-plus blu-ray set, or an eight-vinyl LP set) and even an uber deluxe edition (the same 23 standard tracks and 47 bonus tracks on the super deluxe -- on five CDs, one blu-ray and eight vinyl LPs -- but housed in a collectible wooden crate with memorabilia and two books documenting the making of the album). Pricing for the various editions ranged from about $13-$25 (for the standard album across its various formats) to $1,000-plus (depending on the retailer) for the uber deluxe edition.

[iamsorare]

Doja cat coming?

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

^We'll see what HITS has latter to say about that. Somehow, I don't think we can count out The Killers album until then. They have a whole bunch of physical and some signed CDs in their website.

[phieaglesfan712]

I started the new thread for HITS 8/20. It's already Tuesday, and I'm surprised no one has made one yet.

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

^The reason for the latter is that HITS didn't do any early predictions on Saturday about the new albums.

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Barbra Streisand Makes Chart History With 'Release Me 2' Billboard 200 Debut

By Keith Caulfield
8/18/2021

The legend is the first woman with top 20-charting albums on the Billboard 200 in every decade from the ‘60s through the ‘20s.

Barbra Streisand adds another chapter to her storied Billboard chart career, as her latest album, Release Me 2, debuts at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Aug. 21). With the debut, she becomes the only woman with new top 20 -- or even top 40 -- albums in every decade from the 1960s through the 2020s.

The rarities compilation includes archival recordings from Streisand’s vault, including duets with Willie Nelson (“I’d Want It to Be You”), Barry Gibb (“If Only You Were Mine”) and even Kermit the Frog (“Rainbow Connection”). The set was released via Columbia/Legacy on Aug. 6 and launches with 22,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 12, according to MRC Data. It's the sequel to the 2012 album Release Me, which debuted and peaked at No. 7.

Streisand made her Billboard 200 chart debut 58 years ago this week, on the Aug. 17, 1963-dated chart, when The Barbra Streisand Album bowed at No. 17. It later peaked at No. 9 on the Nov. 8, 1963-dated chart.

The only other act with a new top 20, or top 40, set in the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s, '10s and '20s is Bob Dylan. He most recently visited the region with the No. 2-peaking Rough and Rowdy Ways (July 4, 2020-dated chart).

Streisand and Dylan not only share sustained success on the Billboard 200, but also a longtime label home: Columbia Records. Dylan’s debut album arrived in 1962 and Streisand’s first set bowed in 1963, both on the label. Nearly every one of both act’s charting albums has been released through Columbia. For Streisand, who has been signed to Columbia her entire career, her only non-Columbia efforts were the 1964 Funny Girl original Broadway cast recording, on the Capitol label, and the Funny Lady film soundtrack, on Arista, in 1975. Dylan only stepped away from Columbia for about a year, when he released two albums in 1974 via Asylum Records: his first No. 1, Planet Waves, and the live set Before the Flood.

Streisand also extends her record for the most top 40-charting albums among women in the history of the chart (which began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in 1956). Release Me 2 brings her total of top 40-charting albums to 54. In second place among women is Aretha Franklin, with 26. Among all acts, Frank Sinatra has the most top 40 albums, with 58.

Streisand additionally remains the woman with the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, with 11. And she's the only artist with No. 1 albums in every decade from the '60s through '10s.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multimetric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. For all chart news, follow billboard and billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever’ Steady at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart

By Keith Caulfield
8/19/2021

Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever is steady at No. 1 for a second week on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Aug. 21). The set sold 36,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 12 (down 76% from its opening-week sales of 153,000).

Happier is ahead of five debuts on the tally at Nos. 2-6 from George Harrison, Barbra Streisand, Nas, BTS and Chris Young.

Thus far, Happier has sold 188,000 copies in the U.S. and ranks as the No. 7 biggest-selling album of 2021. Taylor Swift’s Evermore is the year’s top-seller, with 408,000 copies sold.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now MRC Data. Pure album sales were the measurement solely utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow billboard and billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, first released in 1970, debuts on the 30-year-old Top Album Sales chart at No. 2 with 28,000 copies sold (up 6,426%), following the album’s 50th anniversary rerelease on Aug. 6. The album was newly mixed and reissued across a number of formats, and most were bolstered with an array of outtakes, jams and demos from the album’s recording sessions. All versions of the album are combined for sales tracking and charting purposes. All Things Must Pass is Harrison’s highest-charting album on the 30-year-old Top Album Sales chart.

Barbra Streisand’s from-the-vaults rarities compilation Release Me 2 bows at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 21,000 copies sold. It’s the sequel to her 2012 archival effort Release Me, which debuted and peaked at No. 3.

On the Billboard 200, Release Me 2 starts at No. 15. With the debut, she becomes the only woman with new top 20, or even top 40, albums on the Billboard 200 in every decade from the 1960s through the 2020s.

Nas lands his 15th top 10 on Top Album Sales as King’s Disease II arrives at No. 4 with 19,000 sold. It also starts atop the equivalent album units-based Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts (his 10th and fifth leaders on those tallies, respectively).

BTS’ Japanese-language hits compilation album BTS, The Best bows at No. 5 with 17,000 sold (following its physical CD release on Aug. 6, after only previously being available to purchase as a digital download).It also re-enters the units-based World Albums chart for its first week at No. 1, giving the act its 12th chart-topper. The album spent one previous week on the list (No. 15; June 26 chart) after its initial digital and streaming release on June 16.

Chris Young’s new studio album Famous Friends debuts at No. 6 on Top Album Sales with 14,000 sold. Further, it debuts at No. 3 on the units-ranked Top Country Albums chart, his eighth consecutive top 10 (comprising the entirety of his charting efforts).

Rounding out the new top 10 on Top Album Sales: Prince’s Welcome 2 America falls 2-7 in its second week (9,000; down 83%), Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours jumps 22-8 (just over 7,000; up 85% following its release on gold colored vinyl at Target on Aug. 6), Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour slips 7-9 (7,000; down 14%) and Taylor Swift’s Folklore descends 9-10 (nearly 7,000; down 10%).