Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The Album Sales chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Pure album sales were the measurement solely utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Good Kid has sold particularly well in recent weeks on vinyl at independent record stores, as well as Target and Walmart, thanks to sale pricing and holiday promotions. On the Vinyl Albums chart dated Jan. 9, the set races 8-2 (a new peak), while on the Tastemaker Albums chart (which ranks the top-selling albums at indie stores), it vaults 12-2. In the past month, the album has sold 31,000 copies on vinyl.
Good Kid was a strong seller on vinyl throughout 2020, as it finished the year as the No. 10 biggest-selling vinyl release (117,000 sold) and the top-selling rap album of the year on vinyl. In total, since its release, Good Kid has sold 1.98 million copies on CD, vinyl LP and digital download, with 341,000 of that sum on vinyl.
Elsewhere on Top Album Sales, Taylor Swift’s Evermore jumps back to No. 1 for its second total week atop the tally, with 26,000 copies sold (down 74%). It fell to No. 2 a week ago when Paul McCartney’s McCartney III opened at No. 1.
NCT’s Resonance, Pt. 1 skips 5-2 with 18,000 sales (down 35%), Swift’s former No. 1 Folklore moves 4-3 with 17,000 sales (down 48%), McCartney III falls 1-4 with nearly 17,000 sales (down 84%) and Harry Styles’ Fine Line ascends 10-5 with 11,000 sold (down 45%).
Playboi Carti’s new Whole Lotta Red, which opens at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, debuts at No. 6 on Top Album Sales with 10,000 sold.
Chris Stapleton’s Starting Over is steady at No. 7 with 9,500 (down 57%), BTS’ former No. 1 Be rises 9-8 with 9,000 sold (down 57%) and The Beatles’ Abbey Road is back in the top 10 for the first time in a year, as it bumps 12-10 with 8,000 sold (down 51%). The album was last in the top 10 on the Jan. 18, 2020-dated list, when it ranked at No. 8.
