One Direction made Billboard chart history this week with their third album, Midnight Memories. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, making them the first group in over 45 years to have their first three albums reach the No. 1 spot.
Midnight Memories sold 546,000 copies during its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers, reports Billboard. Both Up All Night and Take Me Home began at No. 1, with each album selling more copies than the previous. Up All Night only sold 176,000 copies when it launched, but Take Me Home started with 540,000.
A group hasn’t had their first three albums all reach No. 1 since The Monkees achieved that in 1967. Their first four albums all reached No. 1 thanks to the hit NBC series they starred on.
One Direction is also only the third pop group since 1991 to have multiple albums sell half-a-million copies in a single week. The other groups to do so are ‘N SYNC and The Backstreet Boys.
Back to the Top 10, Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2, which was last week’s No. 1, came in at No. 2, even though it sold more copies this week. It sold 199,000 copies.
Garth Brooks’ Walmart exclusive set Blame It All on My Roots sold 164,000 copies, even though it was released on Thanksgiving Day and cost $24.96. The rest of the Top 10 includes holdovers, with the Robertsons’ Duck The Halls selling another 137,000 copies for the No. 4 slot. Katy Perry’s PRISM logged in at No. 5 with 136,000 copies.
Kelly Clarkson’s Wrapped In Red sold 131,000 and was followed by Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP with 116,000 copies. Luke Bryan’s Crash My Party took No. 8 with 109,000, while Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz sold another 79,000. Now 48 was in the tenth slot with 77,000 copies.
Pitbull and Ke$ha’s “Timber” topped the Digital Songs chart with 237,000 downloads.
image: Amazon