If you didn’t have enough signs that Christmas is fast approaching, here’s another: Two holiday albums are moving up the top 10 on the Billboard 200. Pentatonix’s 2016 album A Pentatonix Christmas rebounds from No. 5 to No. 2 in its 18th chart week. Michael Bublé’s 2011 album Christmas rebounds from No. 23 to No. 9 in its 60th chart week.
Pentatonix’s album spent two weeks at No. 1 in its first holiday season. It has sold 1,068,000 copies in traditional album sales. This is the fourth consecutive Christmas season that Pentatonix has cracked the top three with a holiday album.
Bublé’s album logged five weeks at No. 1 in its first holiday season. It has sold 4,129,000 copies in traditional album sales. This is the seventh consecutive holiday season that Buble’s album has cracked the top 10. Buble’s album is the first album—of any description—to appear in the top 10 in seven consecutive years.
Five other Christmas albums are listed in the top 40 on this week’s chart. Pentatonix’s 2014 album That’s Christmas to Me rebounds from No. 33 to No. 16 in its 38th chart week, Lindsey Stirling’s Warmer in the Winter jumps from No. 40 to No. 22 in its sixth week, Gwen Stefani’s You Make It Feel Like Christmas jumps from No. 44 to No. 23 in its fourth week, Josh Groban’s 2007 album Noel rebounds from No. 58 to No. 28 in its 78th chart week, and Mariah Carey’s 1994 album Merry Christmas rebounds from No. 67 to No. 31 in its 70th chart week.
Bublé’s album is No. 1 on Top Catalog Albums for the second week in a row (and the 24th week overall). Only one Christmas album in the Nielsen era (which dates to 1991) has spent more time at No. 1 on the catalog chart. Kenny G’s Miracles: The Holiday Album headed the catalog chart for 27 weeks from 1995 through 1998.
Note: A Pentatonix Christmas was removed from the catalog chart last week. The popularity of the newly released deluxe edition, which contains six new tracks, led Billboard to stop charting it as a catalog album.
Top Albums
Taylor Swift’s Reputation logs its third straight week at No. 1. It’s the first album to spend its first three weeks at No. 1 since Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN.last spring. It’s the first album by a female artist to achieve this feat since Adele’s 25 spent its first seven weeks at No. 1 two years ago.
Reputation is Swift’s third consecutive studio album to spend its first three weeks at No. 1. Red and 1989 also spent their first three weeks on top before being toppled by One Direction albums—Take Me Home and FOUR, respectively. U2’s new album, Songs of Experience, will challenge Reputation for No. 1 next week. Expect a tight race for the top spot between these two albums.
Reputation sold 131K in traditional album sales this week, bringing its three-week total to 1,580,000.
Sam Smith’s The Thrill of It All holds at No. 3 in its fourth week. The album debuted at No. 1.
Garth Brooks’s five-CD boxed set The Anthology: Part 1: The First Five Years holds at No. 4 in its second week. The album moves up to No. 1 on Top Country Albums, displacing Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s The Rest of Our Life. This is Brooks’s 17th No. 1 country album. Only two other artists have amassed 17 or more No. 1 albums. George Strait leads all artists with 26 No. 1 albums. Willie Nelson has also had 17. But both of those artists have been at it far longer than Brooks. Nelson first topped the country chart in October 1975. Strait first topped the chart in February 1984. Brooks first topped it in October 1990. This is Brooks’s fourth boxed set to top the country chart. No other artist has ever topped the country album chart with a boxed set.
Ed Sheeran’s ÷ rebounds from No. 9 to No. 5 in its 39th week. The album spent its first two weeks at No. 1.
Post Malone’s Stoney rebounds from No. 10 to No. 6 in its 51st week. The album peaked at No. 4.
P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma dips from No. 6 to No. 7 in its seventh week. The album debuted at No. 1.
Lil Uzi Vert’s Luv Is Rage 2 holds at No. 8 in its 14th week. The album debuted at No. 1.
A Fabolous/Jadakiss collabo, Friday on Elm Street, debuts at No. 10. It’s Fabolous’ sixth top 10 album; Jadakiss’ fifth.
Two albums drop out of the top 10 this week. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s The Rest of Our Life drops from No. 2 to No. 20. Maroon 5’s Red Blue Pills drops from No. 7 to No. 14.
Bruno Mars’s 24K Magic rebounds from No. 52 to No. 27 in its 54th week. The album debuted and peaked at No. 2. Last Tuesday, Nov. 28, Mars received six Grammy nominations, including Album, Record and Song of the Year. The following night, CBS aired his first prime-time network TV special.
The Moana soundtrack jumps from No. 46 to No. 43 in its 54th week. The album peaked at No. 2. It’s No. 1 on Top Soundtracks for the 32nd week. (It held off a challenge from the Coco soundtrack, which enters the Billboard 200 at No. 48. Coco has been No. 1 at the box office the last two weekends.)
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ Who Built the Moon? debuts at No. 49. The album enters the Official U.K. Albums Chart at No. 1.
Coming Attractions: Look for U2 to debut at No. 1 or No. 2 next week with Songs of Experience. Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume 2 is on track to debut at No. 3. Also due: Miguel’s War & Leisure.
Top Songs
Post Malone’s “Rockstar” (featuring 21 Savage) logs its eighth week at No. 1 in its 11th week on the chart. That’s the longest run at No. 1 by a rap song (broadly defined) since Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” (featuring Charlie Puth) topped the chart for 12 weeks in 2015. “Rockstar” has spent each of its first 11 weeks at No. 1 or No. 2. “Rockstar” logs its eighth week at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Camila Cabello’s “Havana” (featuring Young Thug) holds at No. 2 for the fifth week in its 16th week on the chart. The smash logs its fifth week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. That’s the longest run at No. 1 in the U.K. for a single by a female solo artist in the lead position since Rihanna’s “We Found Love” (featuring Calvin Harris) was No. 1 for six weeks in late 2011.
Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” jumps from No. 5 to No. 3 in its 14th week. The song sold 60K digital copies, which allows it to move up to No. 1 on Top Digital Songs. It displaces “Havana.”
Lil Pump’s “Gucci Gang” dips from its No. 3 peak to No. 4 in its 12th week.
Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder” dips from its No. 4 peak to No. 5 in its 31st week. The song tops the 1 million mark in digital sales. It’s the second million-selling single from the group’s album, Evolve. “Believer” is up to 1,535,000. Evolve is the first album to spawn two million-selling singles since Bruno Mars’s 24K Magic. The title song to Mars’ album is up to 1,769,000. “That’s What I Like” is up to 1,680,000. Imagine Dragons’ debut album, Night Visions, also spawned two million-sellers. “Radioactive” is closing in on 8.3 million in digital sales. “Demons” has passed 4.5 million. The singles from the band’s sophomore album, Smoke + Mirrors, were markedly less successful. “Thunder” logs its fifth week at No. 1 on Top Rock Songs.
Sam Smith’s “Too Good at Goodbyes” rebounds from No. 7 to No. 6 in its 12th week. The song peaked at No. 4.
Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” dips from No. 6 to No. 7 in its 22nd week. The song logged three weeks at No. 1.
G-Eazy’s “No Limit” (featuring A$AP Rocky and Cardi B) jumps from No. 11 to No. 8 in its 12th week. This is G-Eazy’s second top 10 hit. “Me, Myself & I,” a collabo with Bebe Rehxa, reached No. 7 in 2015. It’s A$AP Rocky’s third top 10 hit; Cardi B’s second.
Maroon 5’s “What Lovers Do” (featuring SZA) inches up from No. 10 to No. 9 in its 14th week. This matches its highest ranking to date.
Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” drops from No. 8 to No. 10 in its 24th week. The song peaked at No. 4.
Demi Lovato’s “Sorry Not Sorry” drops out of the top 10 this week.
LANCO’s “Greatest Love Story” hit No. 1 on Top Country Songs last week, displacing Luke Combs’s “When It Rains It Pours,” which in turn displaced Kane Brown’s “What Ifs” (featuring Lauren Alaina). These are the first No. 1 country hits for all of these acts.
