It's a wild week in the Billboard charts, mostly because the Prince posthumous fever didn't die down a bit. In fact, it went even crazier, landing the late artist five releases in the top 10! Only Beyonce and Rihanna were able to secure positions within the top 7, as Prince occupies most of those spots with compilations and proper albums alike. It's worth noting that he currently has nineteen albums on the Billboard 200, an unprecedented accomplishment even for The Purple One.
Let's not take Prince's purple reign away from Beyonce though, who snags the #1 spot with her latest LEMONADE. Rihanna continues dominate with ANTI, A$AP Ferg shows up seriously strong in the #8 spot with his sophomore album Always Strive and Prosper, and NF debuts impressively at #12 to round out our look at the top slots.
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1) Beyonce - LEMONADE: Beyonce's latest album was yet another surprise for her fanbase, appearing on Tidal with virtual no warning ahead of time. It matters little for the queen though, as she does 652,665 TAEU (total album equivalent units) and a whopping 485,094 in pure sales for its debut week, snagging the #1 spot.
2) Prince - Very Best of Prince: There's plenty of Prince in the top 10 and elsewhere this week, as the singer's death boosts sales and streams of all things purple. His Very Best of Prince compilation does the best, though, doing 391,354 TAEU and 216,472 in pure sales as it lands in the #2 spot.
3) Prince - Purple Rain: At the #3 spot is Purple Rain, what many consider to be Prince's best studio album. This one does 150,246 TAEU and 133,171 in pure sales.
4) Prince - The Hits/The B-Sides: This Prince compilation lands at #4 on the Billboard 200 after appearing at the #6 spot last week. Doing 105,612 TAEU and 56,399 in pure sales, The Hits/The B-Sides have people surely partying like its 1999 all over again.
5) Rihanna - ANTI: Rihanna's fifth studio album peaked at #1, but hasn't floated too far away since then. Even amidst of #PrinceFever, ANTI lands in the #5 spot, moving 50,369 TAEU and 14,941 sales for its fourteenth week on the charts.
6) Prince - Ultimate: Prince's Ultimate compilation also lands in the top 10, comin' in at the #6 spot. It does 39,577 TAEU and 37,400 pure sales, ranking in at the highest point its ever been.
7) Prince - 1999: A true classic, 1999 has already been on the Billboard charts for 155 weeks, but after landing at #31 last week, its current position at #6 is still a feat. The record moves 36,428 TAEU and 32,732 pure sales as it continues to climb the charts.
8) A$AP Ferg - Always Strive and Prosper: Ferg's newest album has received mixed reviews from our readership, but the people have chosen to purchase and stream it enough to land it in the top 10. Debuting at #8, Always Strive and Prosper does 35,483 TAEU and 22,297 in pure sales for its first week on the charts.
9) Kanye West - The Life of Pablo: Coming it at the #11 spot, despite just 57 sales in the past week, is Kanye West with The Life of Pablo. The record rides high on its streams, doing 30,010 TAEU in the past seven days.
10) NF - Therapy Session: Nathan "Nate" John Feuerstein is a Christian rapper from Gladwin, Michigan, and although his subject matter is mighty different from your typical MC's, he's doing numbers. Debuting at #12 with his sophomore studio record Therapy Session, NF does 29,184 TAEU and 24,664 sales in his first week.
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Desiigner had a slow and steady climb to claiming the #1 with his smash single "Panda," and he's sticking around for at least another week. Meanwhile, Drake's "One Dance" is gunning for the top spot, landing at the #2 position after coming in at #3 last week. All twelve songs on Beyonce's LEMONADE is on the Hot 100, an insane feat even for a queen such as herself. Prince has 8 tracks on the Hot 100, each of which coming in the top 40 spots.