K-pop girl group TWICE scores its first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated June 26) as Taste of Love launches with 43,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending June 17, according to MRC Data. It’s a record sales week for the nine-member act, and first top 10 for the group.
Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of the album was issued in multiple collectible packages (four, including a Target-exclusive edition), each with assorted internal paper goods and randomized elements. Of the album’s 43,000 copies sold, the CD editions combined sold 39,000. The rest of the sales came from the album’s digital download.
TWICE replaces another K-pop act at No. 1, as Tomorrow x Together’s The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, falls 1-9 in its second week with 14,000 sold (down 65%). The last time two K-pop acts went back-to-back at No. 1 was when Blackpink’s The Album debuted at No. 1 on the Oct. 17, 2020-dated chart, one week after SuperM’s Super One: The 1st Album bowed atop the list (dated Oct. 10).
Also on the new Top Album Sales chart, efforts from Mammoth WVH, Migos, Polo G, Garbage, Maroon 5 and Prince debut in the top 10.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now MRC Data. Pure album sales were the measurement solely utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Mammoth WVH’s self-titled album (the solo debut from Wolfgang Van Halen) bows at No. 2 with 30,000 copies sold in the week ending June 17. Of that sum, CD album sales comprise 12,000, digital album sales comprise 11,000 and vinyl LP sales comprise 7,000.
Mammoth WVH also arrives at No. 1 on Independent Albums, Top Rock Albums and Hard Rock Albums.
A pair of hip-hop albums are next up on Top Album Sales, as Migos’ Culture III and Polo G’s Hall of Fame debuts at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. Culture III sold 23,000 copies while Hall of Fame sold 18,000. Neither album was available in a physical format, only as digital downloads. Both also had their first-week sales aided by deep discounting at digital retailers for a portion of the week.
Hall of Fame also starts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums charts.
Rock band Garbage returns with its highest charting effort in over 15 years on Top Album Sales, as No Gods No Masters debuts at No. 5. The set, which is the group’s first new studio album since 2016, bows with 16,000 copies sold. Garbage has only gone higher on Top Album Sales with 2005’s Bleed Like Me, which debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the April 30, 2005-dated chart.
No Gods No Masters additionally launches in the top five on Independent Albums, Top Rock Albums and Alternative Albums.
Olivia Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Sour dips 4-6 with nearly 16,000 copies sold (up 21%) while Taylor Swift’s previous leader Evermore falls 1-7 with 15,000 (down 33%).
Maroon 5’s new studio album Jordi bows at No. 8 on Top Album Sales with nearly 15,000 sold. All seven of the group’s full-length studio albums have reached the top 10 on the tally. In total, Maroon 5 has notched a dozen charting entries on Top Album Sales.
Prince closes out the top 10, as his Record Store Day-exclusive title, the first vinyl pressing of the rare album The Truth, debuts at No. 10 with 13,000 copies sold.
Source
