• Imagine Dragon Outsells Drake on Albums Chart; Grammy Winners Slide Down and Aaron Watson Debuts

    Imagine Dragons narrowly edged out Drake on this week's Billboard 200 charts, as streaming and single downloads allowed the emcee and 'If You're Reading This It's Too Late' to almost catch the rock band's 'Smoke + Mirrors.' On the pure albums chart however, the Las Vegas band had a more significant cushion: Its second album sold 169,500 copies, marking the highest sales week of its career. Drake's surprise album sold 129,000 copies in its second week.

  • Imagine Dragons Dominates Neutral Billboard 200 with 'Smoke + Mirrors'; Drake and Fifty Shades Soundtrack Stay Strong

    Imagine Dragons started out strong on the Billboard 200 with its second album Smoke + Mirrors, debuting at no. 1 with the band's highest sales week ever. Although its last album Night Visions has sold more than 2.5 million copies, those sales came from its staying-power, whereas its highest selling week was "just" 83,000 copies. Dragons' new set debuted with 195,000 equivalent album sales after its first week.

  • Imagine Dragons' New Album 'Smoke + Mirrors' Debuts at No. 1 in UK

    "Shots" all around for Imagine Dragons. Following the massive success of its debut album Night Visions, it seems like the Las Vegas rockers are prepping for another massive record. Its latest effort Smoke + Mirrors debuted at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, besting releases from the likes of Drake, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

  • Drake and 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Top Albums Sales Charts; Sam Smith, Beck and '2015 Grammy Nominees' Gets Award Show Boost

    Thanks to a week featuring at least two huge debuts, the album charts this week aren't too far from what the Billboard 200 reflected. Drake starts out with the biggest release of the year thus far, and in fact the biggest release of the last year (excluding a certain Taylor Swift). If You're Reading This It's Too Late sold 497,500 copies during its first three days of availability, suggesting that it could have racked up even more if the emcee had settled for a more traditional release date.

  • Drake Shocks 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Soundtrack, Tops Billboard 200 with Surprise 'If You're Reading This It's Too Late'

    Everyone expected the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack to run away with this week's Billboard 200 chart...but then Drake happened. The emcee and his LP/mixtape If You're Reading This It's Too Late topped the list by moving 575,000 equivalent albums. The new metric for the chart, which takes streams into consideration, played to his favor as the album received more first-week streams than any other album in Spotify history. Among the other accomplishments that Drake managed to nab with his surprise album was becoming just the second hip-hop act to land his first four albums atop the Billboard 200 (the other is DMX). He quickly became the second bestselling performer for 2015 (behind Taylor Swift).

  • Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney's 'FourFiveSeconds', Ellie Goulding 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Song Reach Hot 100 Top 10 as Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson Keep at No. 1

    It's still a month full of "Uptown Funk" on the Hot 100 this week. For the sixth consecutive week, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' throwback Uptown Special single tops the Billboard Hot 100. Though it's been a great ride for the track, it may be over soon as two new songs from Rihanna and Ellie Goulding debut in the top 10 and two stars prep major music video debuts.

  • Now 53 Outsells Taylor Swift, Becomes First Record to Top Albums Chart but Not Billboard 200; Kid Ink Cracks Top 10

    The new Billboard 200 format has been hot on its incorporation of streams and single downloads into arranging the most relevant chart in music, yet the folks at Billboard failed to notice one thing this past week: For the first time ever, the top of the 200 was different than the album at the top of the albums chart. Although Taylor Swift and 1989 was no. 1 on the chart everyone was watching, it only sold 77,000 actual copies. That's a boost from last week, but not enough to take no. 1 on the albums chart from Now 53, which sold 98,000 copies.

  • Taylor Swift Tops Billboard 200 Again, Fifth Harmony Shows Up, Bob Dylan and Diana Krall Cover, Nicki Minaj Sets Interesting Mark

    Taylor Swift and 1989 is at no. 1 in the Billboard 200 for the 11th time, tying Fearless for the performer's most weeks at the top of the charts with one album. The record shifted 108,000 equivalent units, a slight uptick from last week. 1989 is one of four albums that have spent at least ten weeks at no. 1 since 2010, the others being Fearless, the Frozen soundtrack as well as Adele's 21. Swift's album is followed this week by Now 53, the newest edition of the hits collection, at no. 2 with 99,000 units moved.

  • Meghan Trainor Reveals She Never Thought She'd Be a Pop Star in 'Seventeen'

    Meghan Trainor may be one of the biggest rising pop stars right now, with two hit singles and a pair of Grammy nominations under her belt, but the "Lips Are Movin'" singer wasn't always sure she would be able to be a star. In the cover story for the latest issue of Seventeen, Trainor admitted she was once to insecure about her "bass" to reach for her dreams.

  • Taylor Swift Tops Album Sales Charts as Ne-Yo, Charlie Wilson and the Bethel Music Group Debut in Top 10

    This week's Billboard 200 didn't reflect much in terms of new music but the Albums Chart has better news, introducing two new debut discs. Taylor Swift and 1989 are at the top again however, selling 71,000 copies. As we mentioned yesterday, that makes her only the second female performer to top the chart for at least 10 weeks with two different albums (the other being Whitney Houston). Also interesting: This week's stop at the top marks the first time since Lecrae's Anomaly during September that an album went to no. 1 with less than 100,000 in sales.

  • Taylor Swift Sets Records with '1989' on Billboard 200, While Maroon 5, Ne-Yo and Grammy Nominees Resurge

    One week after a surge of new releases and the Billboard 200 has gotten back to the same ol' as Taylor Swift and 1989 reclaim the top spot on the charts. The album moved 101,000 equivalent albums as it earned its tenth week atop the Billboard 200 and the first time in three weeks. This makes Swift openly the second woman ever to have two separate albums that have spent at least 10 weeks at no. 1, with Whitney Houston being the other.

  • Grammys 2015 Record of the Year Nominees, Who Should Win & Who Will Win: Sam Smith, Sia & Taylor Swift Duke It Out

    When it comes to the Grammys, sometimes it seems like it's all about the big four: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist. In a year filled with pop gems from every corner of the genre, this year's nominations for Record of the Year are stacked. From throwback singles from Sam Smith and Meghan Trainor to modern demonstrations of pop from Taylor Swift, Sia and Iggy Azalea, there seems to be no clear cut winner.

  • Grammys 2015 Song of the Year Nominees: Who Should Win, Will Win

    Song of the Year is perhaps the crux of the whole "The Grammys only care about Top 40 music" argument. Album of the Year and Record of the Year can be judged on sales without much moral handwringing, but Song of the Year? The actual craft of writing a song that resonates with millions while building upon centuries of human achievement? The Grammy 2015 nominees include Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor, and we will tell you who should win and who will win.
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