Rapper Big Sean earned the first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart thanks to his new album, Dark Sky Paradise. He kept Kid Rock from earning a No. 1 during a slow week for the music business.
Dark Sky Paradise moved 173,000 units during the past chart week, which ended on March 1, according to Nielsen Music data for Billboard. Of that total, 139,000 comes from pure album sales. The rest is made up of track downloads and album streams.
It’s also the best sales week of Big Sean’s career. His most recent album, 2013’s Hall of Fame, debuted with 72,000 copies sold. Both of his first two albums debuted at No. 3.
Kid Rock came in second with 146,000 units (137,000 albums sold) for First Kiss. It is his first release under a new deal with Warner Bros. records and keeps his Top 10 debut streak alive. All of his past albums have started in the Top 10.
Last week’s No. 1, Imagine Dragon’s Smoke + Mirrors, took a huge tumble. It came in at No. 9 with just 55,000 units.
Here’s the full Top 10: (*new release)
1. Big Sean, Dark Sky Paradise* (173,000 total units)
2. Kid Rock, First Kiss (146,000)
3. Fifty Shades of Grey (108,000)
4. Drake, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (99,000)
5. Taylor Swift, 1989 (78,000)
6. Ed Sheeran, X (73,000)
7. Chris Brown & Tyga, Fan of a Fan* (67,000)
8. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour (60,000)
9. Imagine Dragons, Smoke + Mirrors (55,000)
10. Maroon 5, V (49,000)
image of Big Sean with Ariana Grande courtesy of INFphoto.com