‘Black Panther: The Album’ Earns Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart

The set logs the most weeks at No. 1 for a soundtrack since “Frozen” in 2014. Plus, Tory Lanez launches at No. 3.

Black Panther: The Album collects a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, as the set climbs 2-1 on the list dated March 17. The album earned 76,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 8 (down 23 percent), according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 15,000 were in traditional album sales.

With a third week atop the list, Black Panther: The Album has now logged the most weeks at No. 1 for a soundtrack since Frozen topped the chart for 13 nonconsecutive weeks in 2014. Between Frozen and Black Panther, there were eight soundtracks that reached No. 1, all spending either one or two weeks in the penthouse. Further, in the last 15 years, while 29 soundtracks have hit No. 1, only four have spent at least three weeks at No. 1: Black Panther, Frozen, High School Musical 2 (four weeks, 2007) and Bad Boys II (four weeks, 2003).

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new March 17-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s websites on Tuesday, March 13.

Black Panther: The Album debuted at No. 1 on the chart dated Feb. 24, and spent its first two weeks atop the list. It slipped to No. 2 on the March 10 chart.

At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, The Greatest Showman soundtrack steps 5-2 with 60,000 units (up 14 percent). The album benefits from exposure on ABC TV’s broadcast of the Academy Awards on March 4, where the soundtrack’s “This Is Me” was nominated for best original song and was performed on the show by the movie’s Keala Settle. While the tune didn’t take home the Oscar, the show-stopping performance clearly motivated music consumers. The album’s sales grew 19 percent to 39,000 for the week. The set also gains thanks to its vinyl LP release on March 2, as The Greatest Showman also debuts at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart with 5,000 copies sold.

With Black Panther: The Album and The Greatest Showman at Nos. 1 and 2 on the Billboard 200, soundtracks rule the top two on the chart for the first time in nearly eight years. It last happened on the June 26, 2010-dated list with the TV soundtrack Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals at No. 1, and the theatrical movie soundtrack The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at No. 2.

Notably, it’s been nearly 20 years since two theatrical film soundtracks have monopolized the top two. One has to scroll all the way back to July 25, 1998, when Armageddon — The Album and City of Angels were at Nos. 1 and 2.

Back on the new Billboard 200 chart, Tory Lanez notches his highest charting album yet, as his second full-length studio effort Memories Don’t Die debuts at No. 3. The set earned 54,000 units, of which 15,000 were in traditional album sales. The album’s bow is driven mostly by streaming activity, as it tallied 36,000 SEA units (equaling 54 million on-demand audio streams for the set’s tracks in its opening week).

Memories Don’t Die follows Lanez’s debut effort, I Told You, which bowed and peaked at No. 4 on the Sept. 10, 2016, list with 52,000 units earned in its first week.

Migos’ Culture II slips 3-4 on the latest Billboard 200, with 52,000 units (down 13 percent), while Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) climbs 6-5 with 36,000 units (down 9 percent). Post Malone’s Stoney is up one slot to No. 6 with 35,000 units (down 11 percent), Imagine Dragons’ Evolve rises 8-7 with 29,000 units (down 4 percent) and Camila Cabello’s Camila jumps back into the top 10 with a 12-8 ascent, tallying 27,000 units (up 3 percent).

Rounding out the top 10: Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. is steady at No. 9 with 26,000 units (down 9 percent) while 6ix9ine’s DAY69 falls 4-10 in its second week with 24,000 units (down 55 percent).

Source: billboard.com