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Luke Combs Lands First No. 1 Album with Record-Setting Week on Billboard 200 Chart
Combs’ ‘What You See Is What You Get’ breaks record for biggest streaming week for a country album.
Luke Combs blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with his new release, What You See Is What You Get. The country album, which was released on Nov. 8 via River House/Columbia Nashville, launches with 172,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 14, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 109,000 were in album sales.
What You See Is What You Get marks Combs’ first No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, it logs the largest week for a country album in over a year, and it’s the biggest streaming week ever for a country album.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units are comprised of traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Nov. 23-dated chart (where What You See Is What You Get debuts to No. 1) will be posted in full Nov. 19 on Billboard‘s websites.
Of What You See Is What You Get’s overall unit start of 172,000, album sales comprise 109,000, TEA units equal 6,000 and SEA units total 58,000. The latter sum translates to 74 million on-demand audio streams for the album’s 17 tracks.
What You See Is What You Get is Combs’ second full-length studio album, following 2017’s This One’s for You. The latter peaked at No. 4 and has been in the top 40 every week since June 2018.
Here are some notable achievements for Combs with the bow of What You See Is What You Get:
Biggest Week for a Country Album in Over a Year: With 172,000 equivalent album units earned, What You See Is What You Get tallies the largest week for a country album in over a year. The last larger week earned by a country set came when Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty bowed at No. 1 with 266,000 units on the Sept. 29, 2018-dated chart.
Second No. 1 Country Album in 2019: What You See Is What You Get is just the second country album to top the Billboard 200 in 2019, of a total of 35 No. 1 albums. Earlier in the year, Thomas Rhett’s Center Point Road logged country’s first No. 1 of 2019, when it debuted atop the list dated June 15 and spent one week in the penthouse. In all of 2018, there were 40 total No. 1s, with three country leaders: Jason Aldean’s Rearview Town (one week, April 28), Underwood’s Cry Pretty (Sept. 29) and Kane Brown’s Experiment (one week, Nov. 24).
Combs’ Biggest Week in Units & Album Sales: What You See Is What You Get logs Combs his largest week in both total units earned, and in album sales. His previous high in units came when This One’s for You garnered 55,000 units (June 16, 2018-dated chart) after it was reissued with bonus tracks a year after its initial release. Combs’ previous high in album sales was registered in the debut week of This One’s for You, with 35,000 sold (June 24, 2017 chart). What You See Is What You Get’s debut week was bolstered by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with Combs’ upcoming tour, in addition to some merchandise/album bundles sold via Combs’ official website.
Record Streaming Week for a Country Album: What You See Is What You Get logged 58,000 in SEA units, which translates to 74 million on-demand audio streams for the album’s 17 tracks during the tracking week ending Nov. 14. That easily smashes the previous one-week streaming record for a country album. Previously, Gene Autry’s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Other Christmas Classics held the record for the biggest streaming week for a country album, when it earned 43.71 million streams for its tracks on the Jan. 5-dated list — thanks heavily to Christmastime plays of the album’s holiday favorites “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding falls one rung, earning 72,000 equivalent album units (down 7%). The album has spent five nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s former leader AI YoungBoy 2 is a non-mover at No. 3 with 50,000 equivalent album units (down 18%), Summer Walker’s Over It climbs 5-4 with 48,000 units (though down 9%); and Taylor Swift’s former topper Lover rises 8-5 with just over 38,000 units (up 12%). The latter gains partly due to consumption generated by the new version of the set’s title track, now boasting Shawn Mendes.
Kanye West’s previous No. 1 Jesus Is King falls 2-6 with 38,000 equivalent album units (down 47%), DaBaby’s former leader Kirk slips 6-7 with 32,000 units (down 11%), and Billie Eilish’s earlier No. 1 When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? rises one spot to No. 8 with 31,000 units (down 2%). Rounding out the top 10: Young Thug’s previous No. 1 So Much Fun slips 7-9 with 30,000 units (down 15%) and Rod Wave’s Ghetto Gospel ascends 14-10 in its second chart week, with 27,000 units (up 24%). The latter gains thanks to the streaming popularity of the album’s “Heart On Ice” remix featuring Lil Durk.
Source: billboard.com