On the Charts: Thomas Rhett Ends Country Music’s Number One Drought
Country singer Thomas Rhett‘s Life Changes debuted atop the Billboard 200, giving country music its first Number One album of 2017.
Life Changes sold a total of 123,000 copies – and 94,000 traditional copies – to open at Number One, the first country album since Jason Aldean’s They Don’t Know in October 2016 to do so. Rhett’s previous LPs, 2015’s Tangled Up and 2013’s It Goes Like This, both peaked at Number Six, Billboard reports.
It was a big week for country albums and new releases as six LPs, including Rhett’s, debuted in the Top 10. EDM duo Odesza’s A Moment Apart finished at Number Two with 63,000 total copies, one spot ahead of the National‘s Sleep Well Beast; the National have peaked at Number Three with three straight albums: Sleep Well Beast, Trouble Will Find Me and High Violet.
Also debuting in the Top 10 were Jack Johnson’s All the Light Above It Too (Number Five, 44,000 copies) and two more country singers, Dustin Lynch’s Current Mood (Number Seven) and Kip Moore’s Slowheart (Number 10).
Lil Uzi Vert’s Luv Is Rage 2 led the returnees at Number Four, with XXXTentacion’s 17 landing at Number Six. Kendrick Lamar’s Damn. at Number Eight and Khalid’s American Teen at Number Nine closed out the Top 10.
Next week charts should features a fifth straight new Number One as Foo Fighters look for their second-ever Billboard 200 chart-topper with Concrete and Gold. However, the band might face some competition from K-pop act BTS.