Remember when Taylor Swift had the No. 1 album?
It seems so long ago. Last week U2 bumped Ms. Swift’s “Reputation” from the top spot after three weeks. And this week Luke Bryan hits No. 1 with “What Makes You Country” (Capitol Nashville).
Back in 2014, when Ms. Swift released “1989,” she held at No. 1 for the first three weeks before losing that spot to One Direction for a single week. But then she regained the peak for two more weeks, and eventually notched a total of 11 weeks at No. 1. Already, next week’s chart will likely be topped by Eminem’s latest. Will Ms. Swift regain the top slot?
“What Makes You Country,” Mr. Bryan’s new album, reached No. 1 with the equivalent of 108,000 sales, including 99,000 copies sold as a full album and a modest 7.8 million streams, according to Nielsen.
That was enough to hold off “Reputation,” which is No. 2 this week with the equivalent of just under 100,000 sales, including 68,000 copies sold as a full album and 39 million streams. Sales may have been helped by its release on vinyl, as a gatefold double picture disc (list price: $40).
Ed Sheeran’s “÷” is No. 3 in its 41st week on the chart, and Pentatonix’s “A Pentatonix Christmas” is in fourth place.
Next on the chart are two new releases. “Double or Nothing,” by the rapper Big Sean and the producer Metro Boomin, opened at No. 5. “Quality Control Presents: Control the Streets, Volume 1,” a compilation album from the Atlanta rap label Quality Control, starts at No. 6.
Continue reading the main storyU2’s “Songs of Experience,” last week’s top album, fell to No. 13.
Continue reading the main story
