5 Seconds Of Summer Become First Band To Debut Their First 3 Albums At #1
In a week where there’s no shortage of action at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart, 5 Seconds Of Summer debut at No. 1 with the band’s third full-length studio album, Youngblood. The set arrives atop the tally with 142,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 21, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 117,000 were in traditional album sales.
Youngblood was released on June 15 via One Mode/Capitol Records.
5 Seconds Of Summer finish ahead of the surprise-release album from the Carters (the husband-and-wife team of JAY-Z and Beyoncé), new entries from Nas and Christina Aguilera, as well as two albums that return to the top 10 by late rapper/singer XXXTentacion.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the US based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new June 30-dated chart (where 5 Seconds of Summer debut at #1) will be posted in full on Billboard’s websites on Tuesday, June 26.
Industry forecasters expected a race for #1 between Youngblood and the Carters’ Everything Is Love (#2 with 123,000 units), though ultimately Youngblood pulled out ahead in the last couple days of the tracking week thanks to a surge in album sales. The band whipped its fan base into a frenzy via social media, pointing out how it was in contention for #1, and its fans responded by snapping up albums. (Even Niall Horan got in on the action, tweeting how the album “has got to be the number 1 record this week.”)
Of Youngblood’s overall unit bow of 142,000, 117,000 were in album sales, 3,000 were in TEA units and 23,000 were in SEA units.
Youngblood gives 5 Seconds Of Summer their third straight chart-topper, following the Australian band’s first two full-length studio sets: 2015’s Sounds Good Feels Good (which debuted with 192,000 units, with 179,000 in album sales) and its 2014 self-titled album (259,000 in album sales, before the chart transitioned to a consumption units-ranked list).
Further, 5 Seconds Of Summer becomes the first Australian act with three #1 albums on the Billboard 200.
5 Seconds Of Summer also extend their record as the only band (not vocal group) to debut at #1 with their first three full-length studio albums; it was already the first band to bow atop the list with its first two full-length studio sets. In addition to the three full-length studio efforts, the band has also charted with a live album (LIVESOS, #13 in 2015) and an introductory EP (She Looks So Perfect, #2 in 2014).
Youngblood bows at #1 from a full seven days of tracking activity. It was available across all streaming services, and for sale on CD, digital download, vinyl LP and cassette. The album was also assisted by sales generated by merchandise/album bundles sold via the group’s official site, as well as a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with its 2018 US tour.
As for Everything Is Love, it arrives in the runner-up slot with 123,000 units — of which 70,000 were in traditional album sales, 4,000 in TEA units, and 49,000 in SEA units.
The album was surprise-released mid-day on June 16, and was initially only available to stream and purchase (as a digital album) through Tidal. By the morning of June 18, the set was widely available through subscription tiers on audio streaming services and to purchase through other digital retailers, like iTunes. It has not been announced if the album will be issued on CD or any other physical configuration.
Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s previous solo albums — 2016’s Lemonade and 2017’s 4:44, respectively — both opened at #1 on the Billboard 200. And, like Everything Is Love, those albums had a unique release rollout, making it difficult to compare their debuts to that of Everything Is Love.
A version of this article was originally published at Billboard.