Billboard’s rock albums charts dated April 21, finally had a great act top at the No. 1 for the first time. Thirty Seconds to Mars laid down some evolutionary led in their new album America to hit the tops while vying with strong contenders.
This is the first time Thirty Seconds to Mars leads at number 1 on both Top Rock Albums and Alternative Albums with their fifth studio album America. Catching 62,000 equivalent album units earned from the week up to April 12 with 54,000 being traditional album sales, as reported by Nielsen Music.
Jared Leto with Seconds to Mars had a previous high of No. 3 on Top Rock Albums when they released Love Lust Faith + Dreams in 2013 and got snagged at No. 2 on Alternative Albums, with This Is War in 2009. They have been around and their experience has broken through.
They also got to the highest realms of the Billboard 200, sitting at No. 2 beating Love Lust and Faith + Dreams which hit No. 6.
This is the first album in four years that has taken top 10s on the all-encompassing Rock Airplay chart, including the single Walk on Water, which for seven weeks, beginning in December 2017 was steady in the top. Dangerous Night meanwhile just moved from 13-9, with 5.9 million audience impressions.
Walk on Water was a No. 2 hit on Alternative Songs, the best since Thirty Seconds to Mars hit No. 1 in 2010 with This Is War and was the first top 10 on Mainstream Rock Songs at No. 6. The group also rebroke into pop with Walk on Water at No. 31 since Closer to the Edge in 2011, according to Billboard.
On Consequence of Sound's Kyle Merideth With, Jared Leto spoke about the new album America saying, "We explore a lot of different musical styles with this record, you know we do strings and tuba and gospel choirs and guitars and drums and a lot of unexpected sounds and it's really fun to explore the new territory, and it's a great way to break new ground and say new things."
This aptly fits into the dynamic of a "constantly evolving," America. Here's the full interview.
Essentially the album goes from the miniature to the grand scale, from the perspective of the individual to how society affects all individuals, with emphasis on themes such as freedom, immigration and the role of government. It also presents a personal take on interpersonal relationships forging trance, pop, and rock into a synthesized fuse.
Thirty Seconds to Mars is leading the way in experimental rock right now but with a lot of bands having great led certainly Leto and company will be jamming with the current spike their recent releases have given them to give them a bigger boost.