Matchbox Twenty scores first No. 1 album on Billboard with ‘North’

Matchbox Twenty hadn’t released a new full-length album since 2002 until North, which came out last week. Their fans certainly didn’t forget about the band, propelling the album to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200.

North sold 95,000 copies during its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers. While that was enough to top the Billboard 200 chart, it is a significant drop from 2002’s More Than You Think You Are. That album sold 178,000 copies during its first week, but only reached No. 6.

The group’s best sales week came in 2000, when Mad Season debuted with 365,000 copies sold, but only reached No. 3. Their last release, 2003’s EP, hit No. 43, while their 2007 greatest hits set reached No. 3.

North has benefited from a successful lead single. “She’s So Mean” is currently at No. 8 on the Adult Pop Songs airplay chart.

The No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 chart is held by Imagine Dragons’ Night Visions, which sold 83,000 copies. That was followed by Lecrae’s Gravity, which sold 72,000 during its first week.

The rest of the Top 10 includes Now 43 (35,000 copies); Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away (29,000); Overexposed by Maroon 5 (29,000); 2 Chainz’s Based on a T.R.U. Story (26,000) and Trey Songz’s Chapter V (24,000). Cat Power’s new Sun came in at No. 10 with 23,000 copies sold.

Taylor Swift dominated the Digital Songs chart, notes Reuters. Her “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” topped the chart again with 284,000 downloads. “Ronan” debuted at No. 2 with 211,000 downloads.