Lana Del Rey Lands First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200
Singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey captures her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, as "Ultraviolence" bows atop the list. The album, which was released June 17, sold 182,000 in the week ending June…
Singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey captures her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, as “Ultraviolence” bows atop the list. The album, which was released June 17, sold 182,000 in the week ending June 22, according to Nielsen SoundScan — her best sales week yet.
Del Rey’s arrival is the largest sales week for a female artist since the week ending Dec. 29, 2013, when Beyonce’s self-titled album sold 310,000 in its third week on the chart.
“Ultraviolence” follows Del Rey’s major-label debut album, “Born to Die,” which Polydor/Interscope Records released in January 2012. It debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 77,000 sold in its first week (ending Feb. 5, 2012). Del Rey has also charted two EPs: a self-titled effort that hit No. 20 and “Paradise,” which reached No. 10.
“Born to Die” surpassed 1 million in sales earlier this year in February. Its cumulative total stands at nearly 1.1 million.
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Notably, “Ultraviolence” captures the No. 1 slot even though Del Rey hasn’t performed on American TV in more than two years. She is seemingly taking the less-is-more approach when it comes to promoting the new set, having done only a handful of U.S. print interviews. She has, however, toured and released a number of music videos for “Ultraviolence.” (Del Rey’s last U.S. TV performance? The March 22, 2012 edition of “American Idol.”)
Conversely, Sam Smith — who was quite visible on TV in the last week — arrives at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with his debut full-length album, “In the Lonely Hour.”
The British singer’s set sold 166,000 copies — the largest debut for a solo artist’s first album since the week ending Nov. 25, 2012. That week, Phillip Phillips’ “The World From the Side of the Moon” launched with 169,000 at No. 4.
During release week, Smith played CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman,” ABC’s “Good Morning America” and ABC’s “The View,” in addition to a buzzed-about gig at New York’s Apollo Theater (joined by Mary J. Blige). He also did the usual round of radio station visits, as well as an in-store album signing event in New York at Rough Trade NYC.
Smith is currently ridinghigh on a number of Billboard’s airplay charts, including Adult Alternative Songs, where the album’s “Stay With Me” rises one rung to No. 1. It also steps 15-14 on Pop Songs, 10-8 on Adult Pop Songs and 21-15 on Adult Contemporary, and debuts at No. 35 on Rhythmic Songs.
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Following Smith on the Billboard 200 is rock band Linkin Park, who starts at No. 3 with “The Hunting Party.” The album, the group’s sixth studio effort, enters with 110,000 sold. Its last studio set, 2012’s “Living Things,” bowed at No. 1 with 223,000. The new release is the act’s first studio set to miss the top slot since its debut album, “Hybrid Theory,” peaked at No. 2 in 2002. All told, Linkin Park has notched five No. 1s (four studio sets, plus a mashups effort with Jay Z: “Collision Course”).
The week ending June 22 marks the first frame this year where three albums each sold in excess of 100,000 copies. That last happened in the holiday frame ending Dec. 29, 2013. (The last time it occurred when sales weren’t pumped by the Christmas shopping season was the week ending Oct. 6, 2013.)
The “Frozen” soundtrack dips 3-4 with 42,000 (down 15 percent) in its 26th consecutive week in the top five. The last album to string together a longer top five run was Adele’s “21,” which spent 29 weeks in the region between Dec. 17, 2011 and June 30, 2012. (“21” actually spent 68 total weeks in the top five, with two separate consecutive runs of 39 and 29 frames.)
Back on the Billboard 200, country legend Willie Nelson scores his highest-charting album since 1982 — and only his third solo top 10 — as “Band of Brothers” debuts at No. 5 with 37,000 sold. The set was supported by a well-received concert and promotion with shopping channel QVC. Sources suggest the network contributed a significant portion of the album’s first-week sales. Nelson last charted higher with “Always on My Mind,” which spent four weeks at No. 2 between July 10 and July 31, 1982.
“Band of Brothers” is Nelson’s second top 10 in a row, following the all-star collaborations set “To All the Girls,” which debuted and peaked at No. 9 last November. Like “Band of Brothers,” the “Girls” album was promoted through QVC. The album, which included guest turns from the likes of Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton, debuted with 43,000.
Nelson has also collected one other top 10 album: the 1976 collaborations set “Wanted! The Outlaws.” The effort, recorded with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, peaked at No. 10.
Miranda Lambert’s “Platinum” slides 2-6 on the new chart with 34,000 (down 45 percent) while Jack White’s “Lazaretto” falls 1-7 with nearly 34,000 (down 75 percent).
Pop diva Jennifer Lopez nets her eighth top 10 album as “A.K.A.” starts at No. 8 with 33,000. Her last studio set, 2011’s “Love?,” debuted and peaked at No. 5 with 83,000. The arrival of “A.K.A.” is Lopez’s smallest sales debut for any of her studio albums, dipping below the 48,000 bow of her Spanish-language set “Como Ama Una Mujer” in 2007.
EDM superstar Deadmau5 lands the sixth and final debut in the top 10, as “while(1<2)” launches at No. 9 with 30,000. The sales number is purely from downloads, as the set was exclusively available digitally in its first week. Its physical CD release arrived a week later, on June 23. The album is the producer-DJ’s second top 10 set, following the No. 6 debut and peak of “Album Title Goes Here” (58,000 start).
Brantley Gilbert’s “Just As I Am” rounds out the top 10, as it descends 4-10 with 26,000 (down 34 percent).
Over on the Digital Songs chart, we have a new No. 1, as Magic’s “Rude” bumps Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” (featuring Charli XCX) from the top slot. “Rude” sold 210,000 downloads (up 1 percent), while “Fancy,” which falls to No. 2, shifted 195,000 (down 14 percent).
Ariana Grande’s “Problem,” featuring Azalea, holds at No. 3 with 162,000 (down 13%). Smith’s “Stay With Me” is also a non-mover at No. 4 with 148,000 (down 10 percent), and Nico & Vinz’s “Am I Wrong” is stationary at No. 5 with 140,000 (down 3 percent).
Maroon 5’s “Maps” finds its way to a No. 6 debut with 138,000. It’s the first single from the group’s upcoming album, “V,” which will be released Sept. 2. The group’s last album, “Overexposed,” was ushered in by the single “Payphone,” which sold 493,000 downloads in its first week and debuted at No. 1 on Digital Songs.
Right behind Maroon 5 is another debut, from 5 Seconds of Summer, as their “Kiss Me Kiss Me” enters at No. 7. It’s the latest in a string of preview tracks from the band’s upcoming full-length self-titled debut. It previously released “She Looks So Perfect” (No. 14 peak), “Don’t Stop” (No. 9) and “Good Girls” (No. 8).
Jason Derulo’s “Wiggle,” featuring Snoop Dogg, falls 6-8 with 128,000 (down 9 percent), and DJ Snake & Lil Jon’s “Turn Down For What” erodes 8-9 with 98,000 (down 16 percent). Charli XCX’s “Boom Clap” closes out the top 10, as it drops 9-10 with 97,000 (down 16 percent).
Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending June 22) totaled 4.55 million units, down 1 percent compared with the sum last week (4.61 million) and down 17 percent compared with the comparable sales week of 2013 (5.5 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 116.6 million, down 15 percent compared with the same total at this point last year (137 million).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 21 million downloads, down 3 percent compared with last week (21.5 million) and down 21 percent stacked next to the comparable week of 2013 (26.5 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 572.1 million, down 13 percent compared with the same total at this point last year (657 million).
Next week’s Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2013 when: Wale’s “The Gifted” opened at No. 1 with 158,000, while Kanye West’s “Yeezus” fell 1-3 with 65,000 (down 80 percent in its second week).
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