Mammoth WVH, the band headed by Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang Van Halen, soars in atop Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts dated June 26 with its self-titled debut LP.
The set starts with 31,000 equivalent album units earned in the June 11-17 tracking week, according to MRC Data, with 30,000 from album sales.
The release marks Wolfgang Van Halen’s second visit to No. 1 on both Top Rock Albums and Hard Rock Albums, and his first as the frontman of a band. Previously, Van Halen’s A Different Kind of Truth, on which he played bass, crowned both rankings in 2012.
“The response to the album, now that everyone has had a chance to hear it, has been more than I ever could’ve imagined,” Van Halen tells Billboard. “Thanks so much to everyone who bought it, streamed it, watched a video or called a radio station in support of it. It’s because of this incredible support that I’ve made it onto the Billboard charts, and words can’t express how happy and appreciative I am.
“I’m so proud of this record and have never worked harder on anything in my life. This is only the beginning. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.”
Mammoth WVH is the first act to rule Top Rock Albums with a debut full-length since Oliver Tree with Ugly Is Beautiful last August. It’s the first such act on Hard Rock Albums since Greta Van Fleet with Anthem of the Peaceful Army in November 2018, after the group reigned with EP From the Fires a year before.
Concurrently, Mammoth WVH debuts at No. 2 on the all-format Top Album Sales and No. 12 on the Billboard 200.
The album’s lead single, “Distance,” debuted at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart last November and went on to spend two weeks atop Mainstream Rock Airplay in February-March. Follow-up “Don’t Back Down” rises 10-8 on the latest Mainstream Rock Airplay list and 23-17 on Hot Hard Rock Songs.
