Solange has earned her first no. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with A Seat at the Table, despite only giving her fans a heads up about the release three days ahead of time with a book of poetry and art. The 30-year-old’s well-received third studio album also topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and R&B Albums charts, ahead of Lemonade, her sister Beyonce‘s record-setting no. 1 album from earlier this year.
A Seat at the Table and Lemonade allowed the Knowles sisters to join Michael and Janet Jackson as the only pairs of solo siblings to have earned top-selling albums in the same calendar year. In 2001, Michael’s Invincible and Janet’s All For You both topped the Billboard 200. Coincidentally, Master P, who Solange tapped to narrate the album, and Silkk the Shocker have both earned no. 1 albums, albeit during different years. Master P topped the chart with 1997’s Ghetto D and 1998’s MP Da Last Don, while Silkk the Shocker earned a no. 1 album in 1999 with Made Man.
Here are the 10 best-selling hip-hop or R&B albums on the Billboard 200 for the week ending October 6, determined by total equivalent album units. Pure album sales are in parentheses, with total streams in brackets.
1. Solange — A Seat at the Table — 72,268 (45,844) [35,682,222]
3. Drake – Views – 46,893 (6,813) [51,897,993]
4. Suicide Squad: The Album – 38,021 (12,375) [20,546,147]
10. Travi$ Scott – Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight – 23,700 (2,039) [29,943,459]
12. Rihanna – ANTI – 21,228 (4,070) [21,166,051]
18. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo – 18,932 (1) [25,675,772]
22. Beyonce — Lemonade — 16,850 (11,703) [1,287,448]
28. Frank Ocean – Blonde – 15,485 (3,322) [18,245,577]
32. DJ Khaled — Major Key — 15,037 (3,304) [12,869,902]
34. Chance The Rapper — Coloring Book — 13,955 (0) [20,933,773]
In the Hot 100, The Weeknd continued his “Starboy” ways as the Daft Punk collaboration rose one spot to no. 2 while continuing to top the Hot R&B songs and four other charts. D.R.A.M.‘s “Broccoli” rose to no. 6, up two spots from last week. The Virginian’s first Hot 100 track also topped the Hot Rap Songs chart for a fifth week, ahead of his forthcoming Big Baby D.R.AM. debut album, scheduled for release on October 21.
(Via Billboard 200, Hot 100)
