Billboard 200 Grooves: J. Cole No. 1

Billboard: J. Cole easily tops the Billboard 200 with his fourth studio album, ‘4 Your Eyez Only.’

No. 1 on the Billboard 200 wasn’t in dispute in the least this week.  Rapper J. Cole scores a fourth no. 1 album with 4 Your Eyez Only, launching with a robust 492,000 units. The rapper’s star continues to rise with every release.  Interestingly, he’s somewhat underrated, but still sells albums. J. Cole isn’t the sole story on the Billboard 200, dated December 31, 2016.

1.) J. Cole debuts robustly at no. 1 with his fourth album, 4 Your Eyez Only.

2.) Pentatonix continues to dominate the holiday seasons, with two top-five Christmas albums: A Pentatonix Christmas rises from no. 3 to no. 2 while That’s Christmas to Me ascends from no. 8 to no. 5.

3.) The Weeknd slips one spot with Starboy (no. 2 to no. 3).

4.) Post Malone takes his full-length debut Stoney to no. 6.  The album was propelled by streams and tracks more than pure sales.

5.) Hamilton reenters the top 10 this week, rising four spots from no. 11 to no. 7.

6.) Michael Bublé (Christmas) reenters the top 10 this week as well, also rising four spots from no. 13 to no. 9.  Way down the charts, Nobody But Me improves 12 spots (no. 82 to no. 70).

7.)  The Rolling Stones slide from no. 4 to no. 10 with Blue & Lonesome.

8.) Tech N9ne misses the top 10 as The Storm starts more modestly than his latest studio efforts at no. 12.

9.) Garth Brooks earns another spot on the Billboard 200 as The Ultimate Collection bows at no. 13. In other news, Gunslinger slides from no. 46 to no. 85. The Ultimate Hits also free falls from no. 58 to no 94.

10.) Last week’s no. 1 album, The Hamilton Mixtape, plummets from no. 1 to no. 14.

11.) After starting respectably at no. 5, Childish Gambino sees “Awaken, My Love!” slip 15 spots to no. 20.

12.) After a sub-par debut at no. 14, John Legend sees Darkness and Light slide 15 spots (no. 29).

13.) Sundance Head gets the top debut honors from The Voice: Season 11 collection at no. 30.  Billy Gilman, former child musician, debuts at no. 77 with his The Voice: Season 11 collection.

14.) AB-Soul starts at no. 34 with latest effort, Do What Thou Wilt.

15.) Brett Eldredge sees Glow improve 13 spots from no. 52 to no. 39.

16.) Kane Brown suffers a horrid second week as his self-titled debut slides from no. 10 to no. 47.

17.) Grace VanderWaal started respectably with Perfectly Imperfect EP, but in its second week, it slides from no. 9 to no. 53. Ouch!

18.) Leonard Cohen sees a spike with his final album, You Want it Darker (no. 109 to no. 55).

19.) A Tribe Called Quest continues to see We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service slip down the charts (no. 40 to no. 57).

20.) Solange rebounds as A Seat At The Table moves up from no. 101 to no. 72.

21.) Neil Young debuts quietly on the Billboard 200 at no. 76 with Peace Trail.

22.) Prince plunges 38 spots with his compilation, 4Ever (no. 91 to no. 53).

23.) Maren Morris sees Hero improve 60 spots (no. 161 to no. 101).

24.) Sing soundtrack starts modestly at no. 113. Likewise, the La La Land soundtrack also starts modestly at no. 118.

25.) Christian rapper Trip Lee takes The Waiting Room to no. 139.

Photo Credit: Dreamville / RocNation