The first Billboard 200 albums chart impacted by the new global release day — and Nielsen Music’s shift in tracking weeks — has arrived.
With Friday now the new release day for most major albums (beginning July 10), Nielsen Music will alter its sales tracking week to Friday through Thursday, instead of the traditional Monday through Sunday.
— Last week’s Billboard 200 (dated July 18) was the final chart to use the Monday through Sunday tracking frame (week ending July 5).
— Next week’s Billboard 200 (dated Aug. 1) will be the first to use Friday through Thursday tracking frame (week ending July 16 data).
— This week’s Billboard 200 (dated July 25) acts as a transition chart between the two different tracking cycles, and reflects a one-time only 11-day sales tracking frame (ending July 9).
The new July 25-dated chart is, as one would expect, very similar to the July 18 chart. That’s not only because of the extended 11-day tracking frame that overlaps with the July 18 chart, but also because so few new albums were released between July 6-9.
Leading the new Billboard 200 is Meek Mill‘s Dreams Worth More Than Money, which racks up a second stanza at No. 1. The album moved 307,000 equivalent album units in the 11-day frame ending July 9. That sum combines the 246,000 units it earned in the week ending July 5 with the 61,000 units it collected between July 6 and July 9.
Taylor Swift‘s 1989 rises 3-2 (77,000 units), Miguel‘s Wildheart slips 2-3 (65,000) and Ed Sheeran‘s X holds at No. 4 (63,000). The soundtrack to Magic Mike XXLdances up five slots, climbing 10-5 with 48,000. Sam Hunt‘s Montevallo moves 8-6 (48,000 units), Breaking Benjamin‘s Dark Before Dawn falls 6-7 (43,000), James Taylor‘s Before This World descends 5-8 (41,000) and X Ambassadors‘ VHS dips 7-9 (39,000). Maroon 5‘s V rounds out the top 10, stepping 11-10 with 38,000.
As noted earlier, since there were so few new releases issued between July 6-9, very few titles debut on the new chart. Just three albums debut this week, led by Jake Miller‘s Rumors EP, which starts at No. 61 with 16,000 units. The set was released on July 8.
All of Billboard’s charts dated July 25, including the Billboard 200, will be posted to Billboard’s websites on Tuesday, July 14. Going forward, the top 10 of the Billboard 200 is scheduled to be revealed in a news story on Billboard’s sites every Saturday, while the full chart will refresh the following Tuesday at billboard.com/charts.
[Billboard]