Alex Warren’s second full-length album, WILDCHILD, has become his first No. 1 on two Billboard charts at once. The set tops both Top Album Sales and Vinyl Albums on the Sept. 12-dated rankings, according to Billboard.
The album also enters the Billboard 200 at No. 2. That marks Warren’s second top 10 and his highest-charted set yet. It is also his first entry on the Indie Store Album Sales chart, where it lands at No. 9.
The Follow-Up to a Strong Debut
WILDCHILD follows Warren’s first full-length, You’ll Be Alright, Kid, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, No. 7 on Top Album Sales and No. 5 on Vinyl Albums. That record included the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Ordinary.”
The new album arrives with 75,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week, which ended Sept. 3, according to Luminate. That is Warren’s best week ever by units. Album sales make up 55,000 of that sum, also his best sales week. Streaming activity and track purchases drove the rest.
What Helped the First-Week Numbers
Warren released WILDCHILD across many physical and digital formats. Fans could buy 13 vinyl editions, two of them signed, plus five CD editions, two signed, three download versions and a cassette.
The source reports that the album’s first-week sales were aided by its availability across those formats. The set also had three charted songs on the Billboard Hot 100 before its release: “Passenger” (No. 100 in June), “Fine Place To Die” (No. 87 in May) and the radio-promoted single “Fever Dream” (No. 21 in March).
A Crowded Top 10
WILDCHILD leads a busy Top Album Sales chart this week. New releases from The Warning, Billy Strings, Sara Bareilles, Mastodon and Prince also arrive in the top 10.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the week’s top-selling albums based only on pure album sales. That means physical and digital download purchases combined. The chart’s history dates to May 25, 1991, when Billboard began using piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate.
How the Charts Measure Sales
Pure album sales were the sole measurement for the Billboard 200 until the list dated Dec. 6, 2014. After that, the Billboard 200 switched to a method that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units.
The two charts use different methods. WILDCHILD tops the sales-only rankings while sitting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
| Chart | WILDCHILD Position |
|---|---|
| Top Album Sales | No. 1 |
| Vinyl Albums | No. 1 |
| Billboard 200 | No. 2 |
| Indie Store Album Sales | No. 9 |
Key Numbers
- 75,000: first-week equivalent album units, per Luminate
- 55,000: first-week pure album sales
- 13: vinyl editions, two signed
- 5: CD editions, two signed
- 3: download versions
- 1: cassette
Warren’s first-week total is his best ever by units and by sales. He now holds a No. 1 on two charts for the first time.
Source: billboard.com
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