On the latest Billboard 200 albums chart, One Direction made history, as the group’s Four debuted atop the list.
The act is the first group to see its first four studio albums enter at No. 1. Four was released on Nov. 17 through SYCO/Columbia Records, and sold 387,000 copies in the week ending Nov. 23, according to Nielsen SoundScan. One Direction’s effort was one of three debuts in the top 10, as it was joined by Nickelback’s No Fixed Address (No. 4, with 80,000) and In This Moment’s Black Widow (No. 8 with 36,000).
Of course, there was lots of chart action outside of the top 10. Let’s take a closer look:
— Soundtrack, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I (No. 18): The third soundtrack in The Hunger Games film series arrive, selling 21,000 in its first week. The compilation was executive-produced and curated by Lorde, who has three tracks on the set (“Ladder Song” and two versions of “Yellow Flicker Beat”). On the album, Lorde is joined by such artists as CHVRCHES, Charli XCX, Grace Jones, The Chemical Brothers and Miguel. In the film’s first weekend (Nov. 21-23) at the U.S. and Canada box office, it earned $121.9 million according to Box Office Mojo, the largest opening weekend this year.
— Soundtrack, Interstellar (No. 20): The science fiction/adventure film sees its accompanying score album sail in at No. 20, with 20,000. Composed by Hans Zimmer, the set also starts at No. 4 on the Soundtrack Albums chart (one rung behind The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I).
— Various Artists, The Art of McCartney (No. 27): The all-star tribute compilation to the songs of Paul McCartney boasts an impressive lineup of talent. The set — which includes Billy Joel (covering “Maybe I’m Amazed”), The Cure (“Hello Goodbye”) and Heart (“Band on the Run”) — bows with 17,000 sold. It also starts at No. 3 on Compilation Albums. McCartney himself last debuted a new album in 2013 with New, which entered and peaked at No. 3.
— Various Artists, Christmas At Downton Abbey (No. 44): If you’ve longed for holiday songs by Downton Abbey’s Mr. Carson and Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, you’re in luck. The new Christmas At Downton Abbey compilation features actors Jim Carter (Carson) and Elizabeth McGovern (Crawley) performing tracks like “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “The First Noel.” As none of the album’s songs are featured in the hit TV series, the set is considered a compilation (not a soundtrack), and thus debuts on our Compilation Albums chart at No. 6. It also launches at No. 7 on the Top Holiday Albums list.
— Kristin Chenoweth, Coming Home (No. 48): The Tony Award and Emmy Award-winning singer/actress debuts with her highest-charting album yet, Coming Home. The live effort, recorded in her home town of Broken Arrow, Okla., sold 9,000 in its first week. The concert was filmed, and will make its PBS debut on Nov. 28, and eventually be released to home video on Feb. 3, 2015.
— Soundtrack Annie (No. 116): The soundtrack to the upcoming musical movie Annie premieres at No. 116 with 4,000 sold. The film, which stars Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, opens in U.S. theaters on Dec. 18. This is the fourth visit to the chart for the little orphan Annie, following a 1977 original cast album (No. 81 peak), its first movie soundtrack in 1982 (No. 35), and then a TV movie soundtrack in 1999 (No. 175).