Billboard: Lady Gaga Takes ‘Joanne’ to no. 1 on the Billboard 200

Billboard: Lady Gaga leads a star-studded top 10 including new albums from Michael Bublé, Pentatonix and Korn.

To no one’s surprise, Lady Gaga debuts at no. 1 on the Billboard 200. Joanne was prognosticated to debut at no. 1 and that’s exactly what the project did.  Joanne posted robust numbers, moving 201,000 units.  Gaga did well for herself as far as traditional sales as well, selling nearly 85% of the aforementioned total.  Given the fact that it is a time where albums don’t sell, Joanne outperforms.

Lady Gaga was the main attraction, but not the only attraction.  Michael Bublé lands in the runner-up spot with Nobody But Me, which moves 91,000 units (~93% pure sales). Pentatonix releases another holiday effort with A Pentatonix Christmas, which starts at no. 3 with 60,000 units (~ 87 % pure sales). Korn keeps the newbies rolling as The Serenity of Suffering lands at no.4 with 57,000 units (more than 96% pure sales).

There’s more! Chris Tomlin launches at no. 6 with Never Lose Sight (32,000 units, ~94% pure sales).  Trans-Siberian Orchestra starts at no. 9 with The Ghosts of Christmas (27,000 units, mostly sales). Leonard Cohen earns the final debut in the top 10 at no. 10 with You Want It Darker (25,000 units, 96% pure sales). All told, seven new albums debuted in the top 10.

The rest of the top-10 are familiar names: Drake (Views), Suicide Squad, and Hamilton.  This means, some of the mainstays slip out of the top echelon this week.  Kings of Leon experience a horrid second week according to Billboard, as Walls slips from no. 1 to no. 20.   Others exiting the top 10 include Twenty One Pilots (Blurryface) and Ariana Grande (Dangerous Woman).  Both – particularly Twenty One Pilots – have been hot as of late.

Who’s got next on the Billboard 200? Kenny Chesney should make a splash with Cosmic Hallelujah.  By far, Chesney has the highest profile new release of the week.  Others that should make a splash include Meek Mill’s mixtape DC4 as well as Jeezy’s Trap or Die 3.

Photo Credit: Interscope