Kid Cudi nabs his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as Man on the Moon III: The Chosen debuts atop the chart dated Dec. 26. The set, released through Republic Records on Dec. 11, earned 144,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Dec. 17, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
Prior to the Moon III landing, the rapper previously reigned with the set’s previous installment, 2010’s Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager and 2013’s Indicud, both of which debuted in the top slot and reigned for one week.
Beyond the two leaders, Kid Cudi’s three other projects all reached the top five: 2009’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day (No. 5), 2014’s Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon (No. 2) and Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ (No. 5, 2017).
In addition, the act Kids See Ghosts, a duo comprising Kid Cudi and Kanye West, also claimed a No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with their eponymous LP in 2018.
Man on the Moon III: The Chosen likewise debuts at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart and at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200, behind Taylor Swift’s Evermore.
As Man on the Moon III arrives, 18 of its tracks dot the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, led by the top 10 arrivals “Tequila Shots” (No. 7) and “She Knows This” (No. 9). The pair produce Kid Cudi’s third and fourth top 10s, following his 2009 breakthrough “Day and Night” (No. 5) and this year’s “The Scotts,” billed to The Scotts, Travis Scott, and Kid Cudi, which debuted at No. 1 in May and held for one week.
Here’s a full rundown of where all 18 Man on the Moon III cuts show on the ranking:
No. 7, “Tequila Shots”
No. 9, “She Knows This”
No. 12, “Show Out,” with Skepta and Pop Smoke
No. 16, “Another Day”
No. 21, “Mr. Solo Dolo III”
No. 22, “Dive”
No. 24, “Heaven on Earth”
No. 27, “Sad People”
No. 28, “Damaged”
No. 32, “Beautiful Trip”
No. 33, “The Void”
No. 35, “Rockstar Knights,” with Trippie Redd
No. 37, “Sept. 16”
No. 39, “Elsie’s Baby Boy (Flashback)”
No. 40, “Lovin’ Me,” featuring Phoebe Bridgers
No. 44, “The Pale Moonlight”
No. 47, “4 Da Kidz”
No. 50, “Lord I Know”
With 18 simultaneous placements, Kid Cudi becomes the fifth artist to post at least that many entries on the chart in a single week. His company includes Drake, who has claimed 10 separate weeks with 18-plus entries, Lil Uzi Vert and The Weeknd, each with two such weeks, and Lil Wayne and Pop Smoke, who have managed the feat once apiece.
