It appears the multiple stadium-size listening events and feuding with Drake online helped Kanye West’s Donda secure significant first-week sales numbers. West earned his tenth #1 album.
Donda managed to bring in 309,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release. The project racked up 357 million on-demand streams which is the largest streaming week of the year for an album, so far. Donda surpassed J. Cole’s The Off-Season (325 million streams).
Kanye West’s 2019 Gospel-inspired album, Jesus Is King, opened at #1 with 264,000 album-equivalent units. 2018’s Ye also landed at #1 on the Billboard 200. Ye moved just 208,000 first-week units.
The commercial success of Donda helped Kanye West climb up the list of most #1 albums in Billboard history. With his tenth No. 1 on his résumé, West is now tied with Eminem for second-most Number Ones for a Hip Hop artist.
West’s “Jail” collaborator Jay-Z holds the all-time rap record. Fourteen Jay-Z albums reached the pinnacle of the Billboard 200 throughout his career. The Brooklyn-bred emcee only trails The Beatles (19) for most Number Ones ever.
Entertainment legends Bruce Springsteen and Barbra Streisand both have eleven Number Ones. The late Elvis Presley is leveled with Eminem and Kanye West with ten career chart-toppers.
Drake is almost certain to join Kanye West and Eminem in a tie for third among rappers and fourth all-time when Certified Lover Boy tops the Billboard 200 next week. Certified Lover Boy is presently projected to move 575,000-625,000 first-week units.
Kanye West might jump over Drake again on the all-time list if the rumors of Watch The Throne 2 dropping before the end of 2021 are true. Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in 2011 by selling 436,000 first-week copies.
Elsewhere on the most recent Billboard 200 chart, Doja Cat’s Hip Pop album Planet Her remained at #4 for a second straight week. The Kid LAROI’s former #1, F*ck Love, jumped two spots to #5.
Rod Wave’s SoulFly fell from #3 to #8, and Trippie Redd’s Trip at Knight tumbled seven positions to #9. Lil Tecca just made it into the top 10 with We Love You Tecca 2 opening at #10 with 30,000 first-week units.