Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly has become his first release to top the Billboard 200 despite dropping a tad earlier than expected. The album went on to sell 363,000 equivalent copies, including single downloads and streams-breaking Spotify records in the process- on its way to the top. That was also the second largest debut of the year—behind Drake—giving hip-hop the two biggest albums of the year so far.
The Season 1 Soundtrack for Empire fell only one spot, giving hip-hop the top two spots on this week's charts as well. The album dropped a small amount, selling 110,000 copies, but it fell far less than last week's no. 2—Madonna's Rebel Heart—which dropped out of the Top 10.
No. 3 was another debut, as Modest Mouse's Strangers to Ourselves moved 77,000 equivalent copies. It's the band's first album in eight years, however it couldn't reach that record's sales plateaus, even with downloads and streams factored in.
The Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack kept stayed strong, keeping the no. 4 spot with 60,000 in equivalent sales. Taylor Swift once again managed to stay in the Top 5 with 1989, which hasn't fallen out during its first 21 weeks. It sold 56,000 copies this week. The low sales week allowed Drake to move up one spot to no. 6 with If You're Reading This It's Too Late, with 52,000 equivalent copies sold. Ed Sheeran continues the stand of the old guard, as x moved another 49,000 copies.
Marina and The Diamonds and Froot is the last new album to drop in the Billboard 200 Top 10 (although many more will feature in tomorrow's pure album sales chart). It was her highest debut week yet, charting at no. 8 with 46,000 in sales.
Sam Smith has managed to land in the Top 10 during In The Lonely Hour's 40th week (having fallen out previously). His first album came in just behind Froot, with just more than 46,000 copies. Maroon 5 rounds out the Top 10 with V, which moved 44,000 copies.
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