Florence + The Machine Tops Album Charts; Merle Haggard Sets Career Mark

The first sales week for Florence + The Machine's How Big How Blue How Beautiful was certainly the first (and possibly third) adjective featured in the album's title, as the third record from the songstress sold 128,000 copies and took the top spot on the Album Charts, holding off also-rans Taylor Swift and A$AP Rocky. It was the highest sales week of Welch's career.

Swift came in at no. 2, as 1989 continues to maintain a presence on the Albums Chart after 32 weeks. Her appearance at the Billboard Music Awards led to a resurgence of sales, as has the success of current single "Bad Blood," both of which led to 34,500 in further sales this week. That was enough to pass last week's no. 1, Rocky and At.Long.Last.A$AP, which moved another 30,500 copies in its second week.

It was a more historic week for Merle Haggard, who saw the first Top 10 debut in his nearly 50-year career thanks to Django and Jimmie, the collaborative album he performed with pal Willie Nelson. That album hit the charts with 30,000 copies sold.

That's the first of four consecutive debuts on this week's Albums Chart, however the next two are interesting because of the dramatic shift in placement from the Billboard 200 to the Albums Chart. Jason Derulo came in at no. 4 on the Billboard 200 with Everything Is 4, thanks to the streaming and download success of his single "Want to Want Me." That was higher than Nelson and Haggard, as well as the next two entries on the Albums Chart. However, when only pure record sales are considered, Derulo actually comes in behind all three. Fellow country performer Billy Currington enters at no. 5 with 23,500 copies sold of his Summer Forever, while rapper Lil Durk sold just a few hundred copies less of his own Remember My Name, taking no. 6. Derulo finally lands at no. 7 with 4, which sold just 22,500 full copies.

The Pitch Perfect 2 soundtrack earns a fourth week in the Top 10, coming in just a few copies short of Derulo. Twenty One Pilots gets a third week as Blurryface places at no. 9 with 19,500 in sales.

The slow sales week allows one more new album to crack the Top 10, as Dom Kennedy and his creatively-titled By Dom Kennedy album starts with 19,000 copies sold.

Tags

Dom Kennedy, Twenty One Pilots, Pitch Perfect 2, Jason Derulo, Lil Durk, Billy Currington, A$AP Rocky, Taylor Swift, Florence + The Machine