The National Notch Fifth Top Rock & Alternative Albums No. 1 in a Row
Written by djfrosty on May 9, 2023
The National rules Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart dated May 13 for a fifth total and consecutive time with its new album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein.
The release bows with 32,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week, April 28-May 4, including 24,000 via album sales, according to Luminate.
With 15,000 copies sold on vinyl, the set also debuts atop Vinyl Albums, where it’s the group’s fourth No. 1.
The Matt Berninger-fronted band’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums No. 1 streak dates to High Violet in May 2010. In between that set and First Two Pages of Frankenstein, the five-piece reigned with three other sets, also for a week each: Trouble Will Find Me (June 2013), Sleep Well Beast (September 2017) and I Am Easy to Find (June 2019).
The new set also bows at No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts.
Concurrently, the LP’s “The Alcott,” featuring Taylor Swift, enters Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 13, thanks to 2.9 million official U.S. streams and 4,000 sold. The song is the album’s next single at adult alternative radio.
The set’s lead single, “Tropic Morning News,” led the Adult Alternative Airplay chart for a career-high five weeks, beginning on the March 18-dated list. It became the band’s second No. 1, among five top 10s, on the tally, after two-week ruler “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” in August 2017.
“News” also hit No. 25 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart and No. 28 on Alternative Airplay.