Drake Achieves Ninth No. 1 Album On Billboard 200 Chart With 'Care Package'

Drake achieves his ninth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as his new archival compilation album, Care Package, premieres in the top slot. The set, which was released on Aug. 2 via OVO Sound/Republic Records, launches with 109,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 8, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 16,000 were in album sales.

Care Package collects 17 of Drake’s stray tracks — many of which were never officially released and only available via Soundcloud or YouTube.

Drake extends his own record for the most No. 1 albums this decade, as all nine of his leaders have arrived since 2010. Care Package is also the first No. 1 album for OVO Sound, the label co-founded by Drake. All of Drake’s previous albums were released via Young Money/Cash Money/Republic.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units are comprised of traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Aug. 17-dated chart (where Care Package bows at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard's websites on Aug. 13.

With Drake notching his ninth No. 1, he continues his remarkable run on the Billboard 200. He’s charted 11 entries on the list, and just two of them have missed the top slot. This March, his So Far Gone mixtape, which was originally released for free in early 2009 but never commercially issued or distributed to streaming services until earlier this year, peaked at No. 5 following its official release. Then, back in 2009, the So Far Gone EP — a distillation of the original So Far Gone mixtape — marked Drake’s first commercial album release and peaked at No. 6.

Among artists with the most No. 1s on the Billboard 200, Drake is in legendary company. He’s tied with Garth Brooks, Eminem, Madonna and The Rolling Stones with nine each. Ahead of them: The Beatles (19), Jay-Z (14), Bruce Springsteen and Barbra Streisand (11), and Elvis Presley (10).

Care Package’s first-week units totaled 109,000. Of that sum, 90,000 were via SEA units, equating to 115.5 million on-demand audio streams for its songs during the tracking week. The remainder of the album’s starting unit sum came from TEA units (3,000) and album sales (16,000). Notably, the latter figure comprised only sales via digital retailers like the Apple iTunes Store. Care Package did not have any merchandise/album bundles or a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer in play — as has become the norm for many No. 1 albums. (Care Package is only available commercially as a digital download. No physical release for the set, on CD or otherwise, has been announced.)

At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200, Ed Sheeran’s former leader, No.6 Collaborations Project, rises one spot with 49,000 equivalent album units (down 16%). Billie Eilish’s previous chart-topper, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, also climbs one rung (4-3) with 47,000 units (up less than 1%).

Lil Durk scores his first top 10 album, as Love Songs 4 the Streets 2 debuts at No. 4 with 44,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, 4,000 were in album sales. The set’s entry was driven largely by streaming activity, with the album garnering 39,000 SEA units in its premiere frame (equaling 52.7 million on-demand audio streams for the set’s songs). The rapper has tallied five previous entries on the Billboard 200, going as high as No. 14 in 2015 with Remember My Name.

Chris Brown’s former No. 1 Indigo holds steady at No. 5 with 37,000 equivalent album units earned (down 9%), while NF’s The Search dips from No. 1 to No. 6 in its second week, with 36,000 units (down 72%).

SOURCE