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After spending over three decades in the music business, progressive metal titan Dream Theater knows that its complex musical compositions — which have clocked running times exceeding 30 minutes — aren’t an easy sell. So the band long ago established itself as a road warrior, relying on fan loyalty and live performance for sustenance. After weathering the blow of the 2020 pandemic, the quintet resumed touring in February 2022. In April, the act had another highlight with its first Grammy Award win in the best metal performance category, for “The Alien” from its 2021 album A View From the Top of the World.
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This June, Dream Theater launched its Dreamsonic tour, a 29-date North American trek featuring a multiact lineup that wraps July 26 in Phoenix. And though Dream Theater has presented its concerts in “an evening with” format longer than even co-founder/guitarist John Petrucci can remember, he promises “something different” on this outing while chatting with Billboard from Hollywood, Fla., where the band played the city’s Hard Rock Live Arena. Rounding out the bill on the inaugural jaunt are djent stylists Animals As Leaders and experimentalist Devin Townsend.
Once Dream Theater finishes Dreamsonic, Petrucci will return to the Sunshine State Aug. 3-6 for the fourth edition of his band camp, John Petrucci’s Guitar Universe. The W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale hosts the four-day stretch of master classes, concerts and jam sessions that boasts an all-star lineup of guitar instructors and encourages musicians from beginners to virtuosos to attend. According to johnpetruccisguitaruniverse.com, “The span of the players in this camp — stylistically, age, gender, nationality — represents a cross-section of the guitar community all in one spot.”
Below, Petrucci discusses the ideation and execution of Dreamsonic, plus future plans for the band and its new “traveling festival.”
What does the band aim to do with Dreamsonic?
What we we’re trying to do is something different from the usual sort of “an evening with” that we do during a normal tour cycle. We wanted to put together our own package that represented a cross-section of different bands in the prog metal genre, under that umbrella, and have it be a traveling, branded tour. In this case, we call it Dreamsonic so that we could bring this back at any time, at any place in the world, and have a different collection of bands.
Since we started, the genre has grown, and prog rock and prog metal have expanded to mean all these different things. So it’s kind of interesting how many bands are out there, but they’re doing slightly different things. And this inaugural run is a prime example of that because Animals As leaders and Devin Townsend and Dream Theater are all considered prog metal bands, but we’re all doing it in a very different way. That’s what this tour is all about.
How long has Dream Theater been doing “an evening with” format?
I’m not sure when we started that. It definitely has been some time now. The last couple of runs that we did, we did stray from that for the first time and took out a single opener on a run we did through Europe and in the U.S. But for the most part, we’ve been doing “an evening with” since I can remember now. There’s a couple reasons [for that]. One is that our fans really appreciate and want to see us in that context because there’s just so much material to dive into. And the second reason is because there’s so much material to dive into. Putting together a three-hour show is easy. There’s so much, and we have so many epics that take up a ton of time. So the challenge becomes, in this circumstance on the Dreamsonic tour, [that] we have to make our set an hour-and-a-half.
Why were Animals As Leaders and Devin Townsend chosen for this first run?
There’s a couple reasons with this type of thing, with all the bands on tour and so many different schedules that every band is in the midst of, whether they be in the studio or touring or doing festivals overseas. You come up with your list of bands that you’d like to see [on the bill], and then the next part is seeing which ones will coincide with the time period you’re looking at. Both Devin and Animals were looking to go out in the summer in the U.S., so that just worked out perfectly.
Are you following the prototype of any particular festival?
You know, I’ve been calling it a festival, but I guess when you imagine a festival, you picture a weekend and there’s many bands over the course of that weekend, and it’s just in one spot … Years ago, we did Dave Mustaine’s Gigantour … It’s in the vein of that, where there’s a bunch of bands and it’s a traveling tour, so I’m not sure what the technical word for it is when it travels like that. So I’m calling it a festival. (Laughs.) A traveling festival.
It’s early days, but do you hope to expand the lineup in the future?
Yeah, definitely. This is the type of thing where we can embark on this at any point, whether it be [for] an album touring cycle or whether it be during some downtime or whatever. This is the inaugural run; we decided to do it in the U.S., but we could really bring this anywhere: Europe, Asia, South America. And as far as the lineup, I think the beauty of this is that, again, there are so many bands that we know of … some that have been around for a while, some that are super young, that are doing this type of thing in their own way, and that’s the beauty of it. We can put together endless combinations of groups that would present a great, entertaining, really cool show packed with music, but still be diverse and different enough in the style of the bands.
Is it more difficult to launch an endeavor like this in this tough economy than when you typically go on the road?
Well, everything is more difficult now, just across the board, so I guess the short answer is yes. But everybody is experiencing the same thing, so it’s something that you navigate the best that you could. And we’re cognizant as well [about] what is happening in the economy and how many tours are out post-COVID-19 shutdown. We’re conscious of ticket prices and trying to make these events not too crazy and somewhat affordable. All the challenges that are out there, with venues and gas prices and equipment and rentals and trucks and crew — I mean, every band is facing the same thing, so you just sort of deal with it and you have a team together, hopefully, that knows how to manage and negotiate these things in the best way that you can, which we do. We have a very, very strong team.
Do you have any dates on the books for Dreamsonic once the tour is done?
No, this will be the end of the tour cycle for us. We’ve been touring for quite a while now in support of A View From the Top of the World, which is the latest Dream Theater record … Dreamsonic will actually be the last touring that we’ll do for 2023, and at some point, we’ll move on to working on a new record.
Do you anticipate doing Dreamsonic annually, or will it go out when it feels right?
I think it’s when we feel it’s the right time to do it. Annually is a little tough because sometimes we’re in the studio a certain year, or we’re back to “an evening with” and supporting the record in that format. So I think this is going to be the type of thing that when the timing feels right, then we’ll do it. But I think the important thing with the inaugural run was really getting all the infrastructure and everything in place, and building and establishing a brand so it’s something we could take out in the future. And hopefully, when people hear that name, Dreamsonic, they’ll know it’s going to be a showcase of some of the best prog metal in the world.
At the end of the night, do members from all three bands do any type of jam together?
Yes, we do, actually. I look forward to it every night for the encore. We play the song “The Spirit Carries On” from [1999’s Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory] album, which is such a Dream Theater fan favorite. It’s such a great moment in the show regardless, but we kick it up a notch by having Devin and a couple of guys from his band, and [Tosin] Abasi comes out from Animals. Everyone’s standing up smiling, crying, singing and it just creates this great [moment of] camaraderie. That’s been something that we’re all really enjoying so much.
Anything else that you care to add?
This isn’t so much a Dream Theater thing, it’s more of a me thing that I’m really looking forward to. At the end of this tour, about a week later, I host a guitar camp. It’s called John Petrucci’s Guitar Universe.
[This year’s lineup includes] Tosin Abasi from Animals. Fredrik Akesson, who’s the guitar player in Opeth. Lari Basilio, she’s a Brazilian guitar player, kind plays more of a fusion style. Ola Englund, who’s a Swedish sort of YouTuber guy. Guthrie Govan, who is just one of the craziest and most amazing guitar players on the planet. Tim Henson and Scott LePage, they’re in a band called Polyphia, which is another band that would be under that prog flag that would be great on a Dreamsonic tour. Aaron Marshall is in a band called Intervals. My wife, Rena Petrucci, she’s in a band called Mainstreak, and she’s a guest artist. Plini, who’s from Australia, writes some incredible instrumental music. Jason Richardson, another shredder. Joscho Stephan, who’s a gypsy-jazz guy from Germany, and then Zakk Wylde, who of course, we all know. I think there’s only 10 slots left. So I don’t know when this [article] is going to come out, but if people are interested, they better act on it. (Laughs.)
For the last 16 weeks, one label has topped the Billboard 200 – Republic Records. That marks the longest streak for any label at No. 1 since 1998, when the Titanic soundtrack kept the Sony Classical label afloat at No. 1, also for 16 weeks.
Republic has led the chart since the March 18-dated tally, when Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time (released via Big Loud/Mercury/Republic) debuted at No. 1. That album spent 12 weeks in a row at No. 1, and then stepped aside on the June 10 and 17 charts when Taylor Swift’s Midnights (on Republic) returned to the top and Stray Kids’ 5-STAR (JYP/Imperial/Republic) debuted at No. 1, respectively. One Thing at a Time then returned to No. 1 for the last two weeks (June 24 and July 1 charts).
Sony Classical was the last label to rule the Billboard 200 for 16 straight weeks – and it did so with just one album: the Titanic soundtrack. From the Jan. 24 through May 9, 1998-dated charts, the Titanic album sailed at No. 1 (the entirety of its run in the top spot).
Republic could capture a 17th straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (on the July 8 chart, the top 10 of which is slated to be announced Sunday, July 2). The last label to hold the No. 1 spot for 17 weeks was Mercury, in 1992, when Billy Ray Cyrus’ Some Gave All logged 17 consecutive frames at No. 1 (June 13-Oct. 3, 1992, the entirety of its weeks at No. 1).
Mercury Records was founded in 1945 and continued to operate as a label until the late 1990s. It was reactivated in 2007 but went dormant again in the mid-2010s. Most recently, in 2022, it was relaunched as an imprint of Republic Records. As for Republic, the company debuted as a label in 1995, co-founded by brothers Avery and Monte Lipman. Today, they are Republic’s chief operating officer and chief executive officer, respectively.
If Republic can manage a 17th and then an 18th week in a row at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (on the July 15 chart), it would mark the longest reign for a label since Capitol claimed the top slot for 18 straight frames with M.C. Hammer’s Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em in 1990 (on the July 7-Nov. 3, 1990-dated lists). Please Hammer spent a total of 21 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1.
One Thing at a Time recently made news as the album with the most total weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (14) since Adele’s 21 (released via XL/Columbia Records) collected 24 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in 2011-12. That 24 weeks in the lead for 21 were pieced together through 10 different stays atop the list, none of which were long enough to give XL or Columbia 16 weeks in a row atop the list.
Fuerza Regida talks about how regional Mexican music has exploded and taken over the Billboard charts, collaborating with other big regional Mexican acts like Grupo Frontera, Peso Pluma, Natanael Cano, their tour and more.
Jesús “JOP” Oritz Paz:¿Quién es Fuerza Regida? ¿Cómo describirías a Fuerza Regida? We would describe Fuerza Regida as unique, crazy, spontaneous. Fuerza Regida.
I used to cut hair, one of my clients say “hey, I got this band right there looking for bass player.” So I was just going to be the bass player in the band. Came in, I played the bass all practice, and then they asked me, “Do you sing? Sing a little bit.”
I sing a song, and they’re like, “Hey, you want to be the singer?” I’m like, “Yeah, we’re a group.” That’s how we met. Then later on, we had met him but he was like 14, we just be like, “Hey, what’s up little guy.”
Just cashing out. We had a hit song in San Bernardino, “Uno Personal.” It was a cover. It was not a hit but it was like a hit because they were like, “Who the hell are these Fat Boys?” You know, just singing, you know? But from there is history.
Doing some type of music that my culture did and like being famous for it was like one of my dreams. Cuando llegó la música mexicana a Los Angeles ya estaba ahí, todos con el mismo flow. Todos con la tejana, todos con un pintado, todos con boots, para nosotros en solo música. For us is just music, so we love it … My dad listens to this, we come on home you listen to and it’s just that’s what’s special about it. Nothing else. Nothing so special. Like, where’s difference just a certain music we grew up with and we love it.
Watch the full cover profile above.
ATEEZ lands its first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated July 1) as the Korean pop group’s latest release, The World EP.2: Outlaw, opens atop the tally. The six-song set launches with 101,000 copies sold — the act’s best sales week yet. In total, it’s the fourth top 10-charting set for the eight-member ensemble.
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Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, Queens of the Stone Age’s In Times New Roman… debuts at No. 2, while three older albums all surge into the top 10 following their premiere on vinyl: J. Cole’s Born Sinner, Gracie Abrams’ Good Riddance and Lil Peep’s Crybaby.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new July 1, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on June 27. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of The World EP.2: Outlaw’s 101,000 copies sold in its first week, physical sales comprise a little over 98,000 (all on CD) and digital album sales comprise the remaining sales.
Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of The World EP.2: Outlaw was issued in collectible CD packages (21 total, including exclusive editions for Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart, as well as some signed editions), each containing a standard set of branded merchandise items and randomized branded elements (action cards, partner cards, photo cards). Of the album’s sales, 97.5% were on the CD format, with the remainder generated by digital download album purchases. The set was not released on any other retail format (cassette, vinyl, etc.).
The World EP.2: Outlaw is the 10th album to sell at least 100,000 copies in a single week in 2023. Of those 10, seven of them are K-pop titles, with sales largely driven by collectible CD variants.
Queens of the Stone Age start at No. 2 on Top Album Sales with its latest set, In Times New Roman…, bowing with 36,000 copies sold. It’s the fifth top 10-charting effort for the group. Vinyl sales drove the majority of the album’s starting sum, with nearly 21,000 sold on the format (the band’s best week ever on vinyl, bolstered by its availability across seven variants). In Times New Roman… also debuts at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart — its third leader on that tally.
Stray Kids’ former leader 5-STAR: The 3rd Album falls 2-3 on Top Album Sales with 27,000 (down 41%), ENHYPEN’s Dark Blood rises 5-4 with 13,000 (down 34%) and Taylor Swift’s Midnights climbs 7-5 with 11,000 (down 34%).
J. Cole’s chart-topping Born Sinner, released in 2013, returns to the chart for the first time since 2014, as its vinyl release prompts its re-entry at No. 6 with 11,000 sold (up 39,761%) — nearly all from vinyl sales. For its 10th anniversary, the album was pressed on three vinyl variants, including a Target-exclusive edition. On Vinyl Albums, the set debuts at No. 2.
Gracie Abrams’ Good Riddance, which was released in February, jumps back onto Top Album Sales at No. 7 — a new peak — with 10,000 sold (up 3,322%, its best sales week yet; almost entirely from vinyl sales). It was available across five vinyl variants and starts at No. 3 on the Vinyl Albums chart.
Lil Peep’s Crybaby, released in 2016, hits Top Album Sales for the first time as its vinyl release prompts its debut at No. 8 with 8,000 sold (up 631%), with 7,000 of that sum on vinyl. It’s the third top 10-charting set for the late Lil Peep, who died in 2017, and all of his chart entries have been posthumous. Crybaby bows at No. 5 on the Vinyl Albums chart.
Rounding out the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart is SEVENTEEN’s SEVENTEEN 10th Mini Album: FML (climbing 11-9 with 8,000; down 4%) and Swift’s Folklore (13-10 with nearly 8,000; up 6%).
Rae Sremmurd talks about performing their new song during the BET Awards pre-show, their love of groups like Outkast, Backstreet Boys, the Ying Yang twins, being excited to see Busta Rhymes being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and more on the red carpet of the 2023 BET Awards!
Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time clocks a 14th nonconsecutive and total week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated July 1), marking the most weeks at No. 1 for any album since Adele’s 21 logged 24 nonconsecutive weeks in charge in 2011-12.
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One Thing at a Time earned 110,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending June 22 (down 1%), according to Luminate. One Thing at a Time is now Republic Records’ album with the most weeks at No. 1 ever on the Billboard 200, surpassing the 13 weeks of Drake’s Views in 2016. One Thing at a Time was released via Big Loud/Mercury/Republic, while Views was issued via Young Money/Cash Money/Republic.
One Thing at a Time debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart dated March 18 and spent it first 12 weeks at No. 1. It then stepped aside for two weeks, and then returned to the top for the last two consecutive frames (June 24 and July 1-dated charts).
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 albums chart, ATEEZ scores its highest-charting set yet as The World EP.2: Outlaw bows at No. 2, Gunna lands his fifth top 10-charting effort as A Gift & A Curse debuts at No. 3 and Queens of the Stone Age log their fourth top 10 as In Times New Roman… launches at No. 9.
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, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new July 1, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on June 27. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of One Thing at a Time’s 110,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 22, SEA units comprise 103,500 (down 1%, equaling 139.04 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 36 songs), album sales comprise 4,500 (down less than 1%) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 2%).
One Thing at a Time has earned in excess of 100,000 equivalent album units in all 16 of its chart weeks. Since the Billboard 200 began ranking titles by equivalent album units in December of 2014. The set ties Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti in 2022 for the most weeks north of 100,000 (since Dec. 2014).
ATEEZ scores its highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 as The World EP.2: Outlaw bows at No. 2 with 105,500 equivalent album units earned — the Korean pop act’s best week by units. Album sales comprise nearly all of that sum — 101,000, which marks the group’s biggest sales week (and the top-selling album of the week). SEA units comprise 4,5000 — equaling 6.32 million on-demand official streams of the set’s six songs, while TEA units comprise a minimal sum.
The World EP.2: Outlaw is the third top 10-charting effort for the eight-member group, which previously hit the top 10 with Spin Off: From the Witness (No. 7 in January) and The World EP.1: Movement (No. 3 in 2022).
Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of The World EP.2: Outlaw was issued in collectible CD packages (21 total, including exclusive editions for Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart, as well as some signed editions), each containing a standard set of branded merchandise items and randomized branded elements (action cards, partner cards, photo cards). Of the album’s sales, 97.5% were on the CD format, with the remainder generated by digital download album purchases. The set was not released on any other retail format (cassette, vinyl, etc.).
The World EP.2: Outlaw is the 10th album to sell at least 100,000 copies in a single week in 2023. Of those 10, seven of them are K-pop titles, with sales largely driven by collectible CD variants.
Gunna earns his fifth top 10-charting set on the Billboard 200 as A Gift & A Curse debuts at No. 3. The title launches with 85,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 84,000 (equaling 112.65 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 15 songs) while album sales comprise 1,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
A trio of former No. 1s is next on the Billboard 200 as Taylor Swift’s Midnights is a non-mover at No. 4 (60,000; down 13%); SZA’s SOS rises 8-5 (48,000; down 3%); and Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album climbs 9-6 (46,000; up 1%). Metro Boomin’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack dips 5-7 (42,000; down 22%) and Lil Durk’s Almost Healed falls 7-8 (41,000; down 17%).
Queens of the Stone Age land their fourth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as In Times New Roman… debuts at No. 9 with 40,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 36,000, SEA units comprise 4,000 (equaling 5.68 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 10 songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Sales of the album were bolstered by its availability across seven vinyl variants, and combined, the set sold nearly 21,000 vinyl copies.
Rounding out the new Billboard 200’s top 10 is Swift’s chart-topping Lover, which is steady at No. 10 with 40,000 (up 6%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
Portugal. The Man frontman John Gourley talks about the crazy whirlwind success of the band’s hit single “Feel It Still” (a Billboard Hot 100 top 10), why their upcoming music is their most personal yet and more. John Gourley: The stakes have changed. The motivation has changed. The reason I’m doing this piece all changed […]
In the newest episode of Billboard’s Growing Up, Shaggy reflects on his whirlwind career, including how he developed his signature singing voice and the creation of his smash hit, “It Wasn’t Me.” See the industry titan take a trip down memory lane and tease his upcoming One Fine Day: Sting & Shaggy music festival, which […]
SRMG, the largest integrated media group from the Middle East/North Africa region, has partnered with Billboard to launch Billboard Arabia. The newly launched platform is dedicated to celebrating artists with Arab roots by spotlighting their music and promoting personal stories on a global stage.
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Billboard Arabia aims to be the premier global destination for artists with Arab roots – bringing the latest releases, reviews and interviews from the biggest names, exclusive coverage of regional and global events, original photography and special video content together in one centralized location. Billboard Arabia will launch several charts over the next year, utilizing data from the top digital streaming platforms such as Spotify, Anghami, YouTube and others, to highlight the artists and songs driving the global and regional music industry.
Billboard Arabia will celebrate and amplify the work of Arab artists for a global audience by republishing content across Billboard’s digital products. It will also host the Billboard Arabia Music Awards, as well as live concerts, activations, and regional and international events to celebrate all music genres and the artists that are inspiring innovation in the industry.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, MENA (Middle East/North Africa) is the fastest-growing music region in the world. In 2022 alone, a handful of rising Arab artists garnered more than 1 billion streams, demonstrating the significant potential of the music market in the MENA region.
“The music scene in the MENA region is rapidly transforming,” said Jomana R. Al-Rashid, CEO of SRMG. “However, there is currently no dedicated platform to spotlight and tell the stories of the Arab artists leading innovation in the global music industry. Our partnership with Billboard will help fill that void in the market. Billboard Arabia is more than just a digital platform. It will be the premier destination to celebrate the Arab music community and empower the business of music through data-driven charts, live concerts and awards. Our vision at SRMG is to ensure that creators and audiences have increased access to high-quality, original content and impactful experiences.”
“We are excited to join forces with SRMG to launch Billboard Arabia,” said Mike Van, president of Billboard. “Billboard has a strong legacy of recognizing and amplifying artists across genres, languages, and cultures with a mission to share the power of music with new fans everywhere. SRMG’s reach and access in the region coupled with our experience will ensure artists with Arab roots are heard around the world.”
Billboard Arabia was announced Wednesday (June 21) from the SRMG Beach at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. As part of the announcement of Billboard Arabia, several artists from MENA are joining SRMG in Cannes to celebrate the diversity of sounds from the region, including performances from Elyanna, Felukah, Kouz1, DJ Outlaw, Jeed, Moayad Al Nefaie, Flipperachi, Meshaal and DJ Rodge.
Billboard Arabia is now live across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, all at the @billboardarabia handle.
Niall Horan earns his third straight No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated June 24) – the entirety of his solo studio releases – as The Show debuts atop the tally. The set bows with just over 68,000 copies sold in the United States in the week ending June 15, according to Luminate.
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Horan’s first two albums, Heartbreak Weather (in 2020) and Flicker (in 2018) both debuted at No. 1.
The Show was released on June 9 via Neon Haze/Capitol Records.
Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Noah Kahan, P1Harmony, Janelle Monae and Extreme all make waves with their latest releases.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new June 24, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on June 21, one day later than usual, owed to the Juneteenth holiday in the United States on June 19. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of The Show’s 68,000 copies sold in its first week, physical sales comprise 62,000 (33,700 on vinyl; 22,900 on CD and 500 on cassette) and digital album sales comprise 6,000. That nearly-34,000 sum on vinyl represents Horan’s biggest week on wax, and the largest sales week for any vinyl album released by Capitol Records in the modern era (since Luminate began tracking data in 1991). Unsurprisingly, The Show debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Vinyl Albums chart – Horan’s first No. 1 on the list.
The Show’s sturdy sales start was bolstered by an array of available physical editions: eight deluxe boxed sets containing a CD and branded merch, a signed CD sold through Horan’s webstore, a Target-exclusive CD with an alternative cover and a poster packaged inside, a zine CD package sold through his webstore, six vinyl variants (including color variants for Target, Spotify, Urban Outfitters and his webstore) and a cassette.
Notably, Horan equals the No. 1 count of his One Direction bandmate Harry Styles, who also saw his first three solo studio efforts all debut at No. 1 on Top Album Sales (his self-titled release in 2017, Fine Line in 2019 and Harry’s House in 2022). One further member of One Direction has topped the tally: Zayn, with his debut set Mind of Mine in 2016. (One Direction itself notched four No. 1s on Top Album Sales.)
Stray Kids’ 5-STAR falls to No. 2 in its second week on Top Album Sales, with 46,000 copies sold (down 81%).
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s latest release, Weathervanes, bows at No. 3 on Top Album Sales with 28,000 sold. It’s the sixth top 10-charting title for Isbell on the tally.
Noah Kahan’s Stick Season re-enters Top Album Sales at No. 3 following its deluxe reissue with seven bonus tracks, and its first pressing on vinyl, on June 9. The set sold 23,000 copies in the week ending June 15 – up 3,080%. The album originally debuted and peaked at No. 57 on the list dated Oct. 29, 2022. Vinyl comprises most of Stick Season’s sales for the week – 20,500. It bows at No. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart. It had a relatively slim vinyl release – just three vinyl variants were issued for the set.
Korean pop group P1Harmony makes its debut on Top Album Sales with Harmony: All In, 6th Mini Album, bowing at No. 5 with 20,500 sold. Effectively all of that figure is CD album sales, thanks to the six-track set’s availability across 21 different collectible versions of the album, including some that were signed by the act. All of the iterations contain a standard set of branded merchandise items, along with randomized merch (photo cards and post cards).
ENHYPEN’s Dark Blood falls 2-6 on Top Album Sales in its second week on the list, selling 19,000 (down 78%).
Janelle Monae returns to the top 10 of Top Album Sales for the first time in over five years, as her new studio release The Age of Pleasure premieres at No. 7. The album sold 19,000 copies. She last debuted on the chart in May of 2018 with Dirty Computer, which bowed and peaked at No. 3. In total, Pleasure is her third top 10-charting set on Top Album Sales.
Taylor Swift’s chart-topping Midnights dips 6-8 on Top Album Sales with 17,000 sold (down 29%) while Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are falls 4-9 in its second week with 13,000 (down 77%).
Closing out the top 10 on Top Album Sales is a band that’s been absent from the top 10 for over 30 years – Extreme. The rock group’s new album Six bows at No. 10 with 12,500 copies sold. The set marks the band’s first studio album since 2008. The act was last in the top 10 with III Sides to Every Story, which debuted and peaked at No. 10 on the Oct. 10, 1992-dated chart.
In the week ending June 15, there were 1.924 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 8.5% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.587 million (down 8.4%) and digital albums comprised 337,000 (down 8.9%).
There were 711,000 CD albums sold in the week ending June 15 (down 25.9% week-over-week) and 865,000 vinyl albums sold (up 13.5%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 16.192 million (up 4.5% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 21.963 million (up 24.5%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 46.956 million (up 9.2% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 38.403 million (up 15.1%) and digital album sales total 8.553 million (down 11.1%).
