Pop punk band All Time Low didn't have a smash single to help it get new album Future Hearts to the top of the Billboard 200, but it was the strongest contender in the field of pure album sales last week, taking no. 1 on the Albums Charts with 70,000 units, It was the only new album to crack the Top 10 in terms of album sales.
The only album to top Future Hearts on the Billboard 200 was the Furious 7 soundtrack, which was driven by streams and downloads of the Wiz Khalifa track "See You Again." The success of that song and the film itself has helped driven pure album sales of the record higher as well, as this week it jumps from no. 9 to no. 2 on the charts by selling 45,000 copies.
Kendrick Lamar and To Pimp A Butterfly is running in the opposite direction from the Furious 7 soundtrack. Both were released four weeks ago but while one has increased its sales every week, Lamar has done the opposite. To Pimp A Butterfly sold 27,500 copies last week (but has sold many more copies than Furious overall).
Taylor Swift made a strong recovery, at least in terms of ranking...if not actual sales. Her Billboard smash 1989 came back into the Top 5 on the albums charts by selling another 27,000 copies and taking no. 4. The Empire season one soundtrack got a boost thanks to lack of competition, coming up from no. 12 to no. 5. It sold 24,000 copies.
Wale may have fallen out of the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 during his second week with The Album About Nothing, but he remains no. 6 on the albums chart with 23,500 copies sold. Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour remains as stalwart as ever, rising one place to no. 7 with 21,000 in sales.
Two single-letter albums come in at nos. 8 and 9, respectively, both selling around 19,000 copies: Maroon 5 and V get the first nod while Ed Sheeran's x follows closely behind. The Top 10 is rounded off by Darius Rucker and Southern Style, which sold 18,000 copies.
