Big Sean's First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200

Rapper Big Sean scores his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as Dark Sky Paradise bounds in atop the tally.

The artist's third album was released through G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Records on Feb. 24 and moved 173,000 units in the week ending March 1, according to Nielsen Music.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

Pure album sales comprised 81 percent of Dark Sky Paradise's first week (equating to 139,000 copies sold), and it also leads the Top Album Sales chart.

With that opening sum, it gives Big Sean his best sales week ever as well, trumping the 87,000 start of his first album, Finally Famous, in 2011. His second studio set, 2013's Hall of Fame, bowed with 72,000. Both sets debuted and peaked at No. 3.

Dark Sky Paradise is the third No. 1 album for G.O.O.D. Music, following Common's Finding Forever in 2007 and Kanye West's Yeezus in 2013.

Kid Rock collects his eighth top 10 album, as First Kiss debuts at No. 2 with 146,000 units. It also enters at No. 2 on Top Album Sales, with 137,000.

The new album is Kid Rock's first release for Warner Bros. Records after a lengthy career with Atlantic Records. All of seven Kid Rock's studio albums beginning with 1998's Devil Without a Cause have reached the top 10. (He claimed an additional top 10 with the compilation The History of Rock.)

The Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack holds at No. 3, moving another 108,000 units (down 35 percent). In its three weeks on sale, the album has sold 393,000 copies. That makes it the fastest-selling soundtrack since Fox TV's Glee: The Music -- The Christmas Album shifted 399,000 in its first three weeks (back in late 2010), and the fastest-selling theatrical compilation soundtrack since the first Twilight album moved 396,000 in its first three frames (2008).

Drake's former No. 1, If You're Reading This It's Too Late, falls two spots to No. 4 in its third week on the chart with 99,000 units (down 47 percent). A week ago, it became the first release of 2015 to sell more than a half-million copies. Its three-week sum now stands at 683,000.

Taylor Swift's 1989 dips one slot to No. 5 with 78,000 units (down 15 percent). Ed Sheeran's x is also down a position to No. 6, shifting 73,000 units (down 10 percent).

Chris Brown and Tyga's collaborative album Fan of a Fan debuts at No. 7 with 67,000 units. It's the seventh top 10 for Brown, and the third for Tyga.

Wrapping up the latest top 10 is Sam Smith's In the Lonely Hour (6-8 with 60,000 units; down 17 percent), Imagine Dragons' Smoke + Mirrors (1-9 with 55,000 units; down 72 percent) and Maroon 5's V (7-10 with 49,000 units, up 6 percent).

Blessings …...

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