Alabama Shakes and Yelawolf Top Albums Charts, Representing Home State

Alabama Shakes started high up on the Billboard 200 and now they do the same on the Albums charts thanks to the high-volume of full records sold by the band. The band's Sound & Color becomes the first independent label record to top the chart during 2015, thanks to more than 87,000 units moved...making up more than 90 percent of its Billboard 200 total.

Thanks to Yelawolf, the top two places on the Albums chart belong to performers from Alabama this week. The rapper also had his largest sales week, moving more than 55,500 copies of his Love Story, which represents an even larger share represented by actual album sales...more than 95 percent.

Another rapper becomes the first returning act to appear this week, although we haven't seen him near the top of the chart in a while. Drake got a boost in sales for If You're Reading This It's Too Late after it appeared on CD for the first time, marking its first physical release. That development helped it rise 107 percent in sales (to 26,000), from no. 20 to no. 3.

Another new album appears at no. 4 thanks to full album sales, although it couldn't crack the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. Mexican rock band Maná comes in at no. 4 with Cama Incendiada, which sold 25,500 copies.

Reba McEntire demonstrates once again that country music fans are more likely to invest in a full record versus singles. While last week's no. 1 Shawn Mendes fell to no. 12 with Handwritten, while McEntire's Love Somebody (last week's no. 2) stays at no. 5 after selling another 24,000 copies.

Former country musician Taylor Swift serves as the meat in the country sandwich between McEntire and Sam Hunt. She comes in at no. 6 with 23,500 copies sold of her 1989, while Hunt rises to no. 7 with his Montevallo, which sold another 19,500 copies thanks to exposure from the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Tyler, The Creator gets one more week in the Top 10 with Cherry Bomb, which sold 18,500 copies at no. 8, barely edging no. 9 In The Lonely Hour from Sam Smith (18,000 copies sold).

Although Furious 7 is still raging on the Billboard 200 at no. 2 thanks to streams and single sales of Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again," it can only hold down the no. 10 spot on the Albums charts with just less than 18,000 in sales.

Tags

Furious 7 Soundtrack, Sam Smith, Tyler The Creator, Sam Hunt, Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire, Drake, Yelawolf, Alabama Shakes