Billboard 200: Future Earns Another No. 1 Album With ‘Future’

Future keeps on rolling, earning another no. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with his surprise, self-titled effort. 

Surprise! Future earns another no. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with his surprise album, Future. Definitely a big deal, Future moved 140,000 units, a robust total in the current music industry climate.  That said, less than 50% of those units – approximately 43% – were pure sales.  This speaks on the rise of streaming, which according to Billboard, outpaced pure sales for this album.

While Future snags the biggest headline, there were some more newbies that added some oomph to the Billboard 200.  Charlie Wilson can still put up numbers at 64 years of age.  In It to Win It landed at no. 7, with a respectable 48,000 units.  Unsurprisingly, most of that total – approximately 98% – were pure sales.  Veteran artists tend to sell better, even when their albums are available for streaming.  Also, typically, they perform better physically.  Likely this is due to the demographic purchasing such albums.

Beyond Wilson, Ryan Adams and Alison Krauss both arrive in the top 10.  For Adams, Prisoner starts at no. 8 with 45,000 units (93% pure sales).  For Krauss, Windy City lands at no.9 with 38,000 units (approximately 95% pure sales).  Unsurprisingly, both artists pack more punch in the sales department.  Neither are as old as Wilson, but both have a base more likely to buy than stream.

Beyond the four newbies, the rest of the top 10 is made up of holdovers.  Bruno Mars continues to do work with 24K Magic, sitting in the runner-up slot once more.  Fifty Shades Darker tumbles two spots from no. 1 to no. 3, but still delivers decent numbers.  The Weeknd (Starboy), Migos (Culture), and Big Sean (I Decided.) all hang tough, sitting ahead of Uncle Charlie’s In It to Win It.  The other holdover? The Trolls soundtrack.  #Can’tStopTheFeeling!

Who’s got next on the Billboard 200? Future again.  The rapper dropped a second surprise album with HNDRXX, arguably the better effort of the two.   Besides Future, Little Big Town dropped their highly anticipated new LP, The Breaker.  The Breaker serves as the follow-up to their “Girl Crush” parent album, Pain Killer (2014).  Otherwise, expect more holdover action.

Photo Credit: Epic, RCA, Blue Note