Luke Bryan 'Kill the Lights' Tops Billboard 200 Chart Again Over NWA, Melanie Martinez

Kill the Lights had a second massive sales week, Billboard reports, and moved another 99,000 album equivalent units. (The Billboard 200 includes pure album sales, single sales and streams.) In two weeks, Bryan has moved 403,000 actual copies of his latest studio album and is the first country act to spend two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in two years. The last singer to do it? Also Luke Bryan, with his 2013 record Crash the Party.

Beneath Bryan's monstrous new release, an old favorite saw a huge spike in sales; Ed Sheeran's latest album x rose four spots up to No. 2, moving 97,000 copies with a 196 percent increase. Sheeran's massive sales numbers, which come over a year after x was released, are thanks to his NBC special and a Google Play sale where his album was available for 99 cents.

Dr. Dre takes up the Nos. 3 and 4 spots on the chart. His new album Compton slipped down one spot to No. 3 this week moving 51,000 units. The album is immeditaly followed by N.W.A.'s massive 1988 album Straight Outta Compton, which saw a 254 percent sales bump thanks to the biopic film of the same name. The No. 4 position marks a new high for the album, 27 years after its release.

Beneath the Dre back-to-backs the Now 55 compilation slips down two spots to No. 5.

The biggest new album on the charts this week goes to The Voice alum Melanie Martinez, whose debut album Cry Baby started at No. 6 with 40,000 albums sold. Led by single "Soap," the album marks Martinez's first appearance on the Billboard 200. The No. 7 spot, however, goes to an artist comfortable in the chart's top 10. Taylor Swift's 1989 spends its 43rd on the charts with a No. 7 position and 32,000 copies sold.

Swift bested the new release from rockers Bullet for My Valentine, whose new album Venom debuted at No. 8 with 28,000 copies sold.

Bullet for My Valentine barely bested familiar releases Future's DS2 and Sam Hunt's Montevallo, which sit at Nos. 9 and 10 (respectively). All three of the albums round to 28,000 copies sold.

Tags

Luke Bryan, Ed Sheeran, Dr. Dre, NWA, Melanie Martinez, Taylor Swift, Bullet for My Valentine, Future, Sam Hunt