The Who’s classic album Who’s Next returns to Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Sept. 30) following its expanded deluxe reissue on Sept. 15 across an array of formats, many containing a hefty number of bonus tracks. The set re-enters the tally at No. 8. The album was first released in 1971 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and spun off two Billboard Hot 100-charting singles in “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (No. 15 peak) and “Behind Blue Eyes” (No. 34). The set also houses the rock radio staple “Baba O’Riley.”
Also in the top 10 of the new Top Album Sales chart, new releases from Mitski, Demi Lovato, Dan + Shay, Thirty Seconds to Mars and Baroness debut.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The 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 Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement 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.
The sales of the Who’s Next reissue was bolstered by its availability in multiple configurations. On the low end is the base original nine-track album remastered on CD, vinyl and digital download, up through a lavish $300 Super Deluxe Edition boxed set with 10 CDs, a Blu-Ray Audio disc, a 100-page hard back book, posters and other merchandise.
All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes. In the week ending Sept. 21 in the U.S., Who’s Next sold 9,500 copies – up from a negligible sum the previous week. Of its 9,500 sold, physical sales comprise 9,000 (6,000 on vinyl, 3,000 on CD) and digital downloads comprise 500.
At No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts notches a second week in the lead (44,000; down 71%) after debut atop the tally a week ago. V’s Layover is steady at No. 2 (21,000; down 76% in its second week).
Mitski’s The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We arrives at No. 3 with 20,000 copies sold. It’s the second top 10 for the artist, following the chart-toping debut of Laurel Hell in 2022. Demi Lovato’s Revamped – a collection of rock reinterpretations of her previously released songs – bows at No. 4 with 11,000 sold, giving the singer her ninth top 10 (the entirety of her charting efforts). Dan + Shay’s new studio album Bigger Houses moves in at No. 6 with nearly 11,000 sold, marking the fifth consecutive and total top 10 for the duo.
Thirty Seconds to Mars’ first studio album in over five years, It’s the End of the World But It’s a Beautiful Day, debuts at No. 6 with nearly 10,000 sold. It’s the third top 10 set for the rock act, who was last on the chart with the 2018 studio set America (No. 2 debut and peak).
Rounding out the debuts in the top 10 is Baroness’ latest album Stone, which starts at No. 7 with nearly 10,000 sold. It’s the second top 10-charting title for the act, following 2019’s Gold & Grey (No. 5 debut and peak).
Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) falls 5-9 on Top Album Sales (9,000; down 4%) and NewJeans’ chart-topping 2nd EP ‘Get Up’ descends 6-10 (8,500; down 3%).
In the week ending Sept. 21, there were 1.670 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 5.4% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.336 million (down 7%) and digital albums comprised 334,000 (up 1.6%).
There were 574,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Sept. 21 (down 11.4% week-over-week) and 752,000 vinyl albums sold (down 3.4%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 25.049 million (up 0.9% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 33.412 million (up 19.9%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 72.266 million (up 6.4% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 58.848 million (up 10.9%) and digital album sales total 13.418 million (down 9.8%).
