July 27, 2025 • 15 mins
Tyler, The Creator scores his fourth No. 1 album as DON’T TAP THE GLASS smashes the Billboard 200. We break down the numbers behind his success, the power of physical album sales, and other major chart stories: Alex Warren’s breakthrough, Ozzy Osbourne’s posthumous climb, Jessie Murph’s top 10 debut, and BTS’s live album entry. A full dive into what’s really shaping the charts right now.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So when you're looking for new music, or maybe just
trying to figure out what's actually clicking with people right now,
where do you turn? Is it playlists, yeah, algorithms, or
just what your friends are talking about.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's interesting how we all find music differently.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Right because, honestly, if you want a real snapshot, the
Billboard charts tell such a fascinating story. It's way more
than just a list of numbers.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Oh absolutely, it's not just a leaderboard. You start looking
at the charts and you see the strategies, the shifts,
and how fans are engaging. It really tells you how
music is being consumed like right now.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And that is exactly what we're going to unpack today.
In this deep dive, we've gone deep into the latest
Billboard two hundred Albums chart. This is the one dated
August second, twenty twenty five, using data from the week
ending July twenty fourth. Our mission really is to pull
out the most important kind of nuggets of knowledge from
all that data, give you a shortcut to understanding what's
(00:55):
happening at the well the cutting edge.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Think of it like peeling back the onion layers, not
just seeing who's on top, but digging into how they
actually got there and what kinds of unique approaches are
working today.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Okay, so let's jump right in. Then the huge news,
the one everyone's probably seen lighting up their feeds, Tyler
the Creator's new album, Don't Tap the Glass straight in
it number one, huge debut. It really is. It's more
than just a win. It feels like a statement and
how he pulled it off, especially considering some other like
really surprising moves in the top ten. It's fascinating stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, And what's really remarkable it isn't just this album
hitting number one. Don't Tap the Glass is actually Tyler
the Creator's fourth consecutive number one album on the Billboard
two hundred four in a row.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, following Chromacopeia last year, call Me if You Get
Lost in twenty twenty one, and I go back in
twenty nineteen. I mean, that level of consistent dominance, it's
pretty rare.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
That is incredible streak. It really shows a solid connection
with his audience. And get this, Don't Tap the Glass
is also his eighth album to hit the top ten,
and even wilder, every single one of his albums that
has ever charted has made it into the top ten
that just speaks volumes, doesn't it about his artistic vision
and the loyalty of his fans?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
It absolutely does. But if we look a bit closer
at the strategy for this number one, the timing for
the release of Don't Tap the Glass is particularly interesting. Okay,
how so, well, he announced it on a Friday, July eighteenth, right,
but then he released it on a Monday, July twenty
first kind of an off cycle release?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Uh? Okay, a Monday release. That does feel a bit unusual.
How does that work with Luminades tracking week? Doesn't that
usually run Friday to Thursday? What did that do to
his first week numbers?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, you're right to pick up on that, because Lumina's
tracking week does start on Friday. Dropping it on Monday
meant Don't Tap the Glass only had four days of
activity counted in its first official tracking period.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Only four days, and still hit number.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
One exactly despite that shorter window, it's still pulled off
this huge debut, And it's not totally out of the
blue either. This is actually the second off cycle release
in a row to debut at number one. Remember Jack
Boys two that dropped on a Sunday the week before huh.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Okay, so maybe there's something to these off cycle drops
a strategy.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
It makes you wonder, right, are artists deliberately using these
kind of unusual release windows for maximum impact? Something to watch?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
So with only four days, how did Don't Tap the
Glass manage to rack up? Was it one hundred nine
and ninety seven thousand equivalent album units by the end
of that Thursday, July twenty fourth. What was really fueling
that number?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Well, the breakdown tells a really compelling story. A huge chunk.
One hundred and twenty eight thousand of those units came
directly from actual.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Album sale wow, pure sale.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah, pure sales, making it the top selling album of
the week, obviously number one on the Top album Sales chart.
The rest about sixty nine thousand units were streaming equivalent
album units SEA units.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Okay, so streams converted into album.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Units, right, and that sixty nine thousand SEA units equals
a massive ninety three point three four million and on
demand official streams for the album's tracks, which put it
at number four on the Top streaming albums Start Track
equivalent album units TEA were pretty negligible here, so.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Those traditional album sales were really the heavy lifter. What
was driving those sales so hard, especially you know now
when streaming is supposedly king.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
That's the really interesting part. More than half of its
first week came from those physical sales, and it seemed
like it was largely because of five different physical options
he offered. Yeah, a vinyl LP, a CD, and then
three different deluxe box sets that actually included branded clothing,
ah the merch bundles exactly, and crucially, all of these
were sold exclusively through Tyler's own official web store, direct
(04:41):
to fan smart and to make it even more appealing,
these physical versions had one bonus track that wasn't on
the standard ten song digital or streaming version.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
So a real incentive to buy the physical copy.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Precisely, it gave fans a tangible reason to purchase it.
Really really highlights the power of that direct to fan
sales channel and you know, cater to collectors.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That makes total sense. Yeah, give people something exclusive, something
they can hold, and they'll buy it. But Okay, Tyler
wasn't the only artist making big moves in the top ten, right,
This is where it gets like really interesting with some
unexpected jumps.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Absolutely. First up, we've got Alex Warren he just hit
the top ten for the very first time ever with
You'll Be Alright. Kid made a huge leap actually, from
number nineteen all the way up to number five.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Nineteen to five. That's a massive jump. What happened there.
That's a two hundred and seven percent increase in units
right up to seventy three thousand.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, huge search. And it looks like this boost was
mainly because the album was expanded. They added ten extra
songs to.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It, ah the deluxe treatment after the initial release.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Pretty much so. Of those seventy three thousand units, about
fifty nine thousand were sea units from streaming. That was
up one hundred and fifty seven percent, equaling over eighty
million streams. But here's the real eye opener the album
sales part. Okay, it jumped by a massive nine four
hundred and eighty three percent.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Nine thousand percent.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, land in thirteen thousand units and pure sales and
debuting at number seven on the top album Sales chart.
It just shows how adding content and having strategic physical
options can really ignite sales, even for someone hitting the
top ten for.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
The first time, and a lot of you listening probably
know his big single Ordinary Right to spent what seven
weeks at number one on the Hot one hundred. That
kind of hit definitely helps build awareness for the album too.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Oh for sure, a huge hit single greases the wheels.
And similar to Tyler, Warren also leaned into physical sales.
He had five different vinyl versions out there, including some
signed ones, plus two CD editions, one of which was
also signed.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
So again physical products, signed copies really pushing those fan incentives.
It reinforces that physical isn't dead, not by a long shot, not.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
At all, especially with these collectible angles. Now.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
There was also a more somber reason for a big
chart move, the passing of the rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.
On July twenty second, his greatest hits collection, The Essential
Ozzy Osbourne just vaulted up the chart, didn't it, From
one thirty four way up to numbers Yeah, that was quite.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
A jump, A really significant and honestly heartfelt moment reflected
on the charts. The Essential Ozzy Osbourne it had actually
peaked way back in two thousand and three at number
eighty one, so this is its first time ever cracking
the top ten.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Wow, after all these years, right.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
It really underscores his lasting impact and it's actually Ozzie's
tenth top ten charting album overall, counting his solo work.
The album earned nearly forty four thousand equivalent units that week,
which was a three hundred and nine percent increase, clearly
driven by renewed interest after the sad news.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
That's a really powerful tribute from the fans, is It
shows how enduring his music is. What did that unit
breakdown look like for Ozzy?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
A big chunk thirty five thousand units were sea units
from Screaming. That equaled about forty eight point seven million streams,
so lots of people were listening. It also saw a
huge jump in track equivalent album units TEA up almost
nine hundred percent, and album sales were up nearly two hundred.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Percent, so listening, track downloads, album purchases a bit of everything.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, it really shows how deep his passing resonated. People
went back to the catalog. And you know, his solo
career had huge top tens like Patient number nine, Ordinary Man,
going back to No More Tears. Plus of course his
Black Sabbath work gave him two more top tens with
thirteen and Master of Reality. A true legend.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Definitely okay, moving on another exciting debut in the top
ten Jesse Murph. She got her first top ten album
with Sex Hysteria, debuting at number eight. How did that
one perform?
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, Sex Hysteria came in with forty four thousand equivalent
album units. This is actually her third project to chart
after releases in twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four.
So she's been building momentum, right.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
She had those hot one hundred hits like Blue Strips
and Touchy like a Gangster leading up to.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
This, exactly building that profile and you know, following the
pattern we're seeing. She offered multiple versions of the album too.
There was a standard thirteen song digital version, but then
a fifteen song digital streaming version with bonus tracks featuring
Boucci Maine and another artist, and then a fifteen song
physical version CD and vinyl, but with different bonus tracks
compared to the digital deluxe, plus multiple vinyl variants including
(09:06):
sign ones and two CD versions again one signed.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's becoming a clear playbook, isn't it. Offer variety, offer exclusives,
offer signed stuff, really engage the dedicated fans to drive
those sales and units.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
It seems to be working across different artists and genres
right now.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And speaking of dedicated fans t days, they're back in
the top ten, but this time with something new for them,
a live album, Permission to Dance on Stage Live debuted
at number ten.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, this is a pretty big milestone for them. It's
their eighth album to hit the top ten overall, which
is amazing in itself, but significantly it's their very first
live album to get.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Up that high. That's cool. How did the units break
down for a live album?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It launched with forty three thousand equivalent units and here again,
album sales were really strong. Thirty six thousand units came
from pure sales, landing it at number two on the
top album sales chart, just behind Tyler Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Number two in sales for a live album. Right.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
The rest was made up of sea units about five
thousand equaling around six point five million streams and negligible tea.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
You know. It kind of reminds me of earlier this year,
back in January, when Taylor Swift's Lover Live from Paris
hit number two. It feels like live albums are maybe
having a moment in twenty twenty five, making a real
impact on the charts.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Again, it could be this is the second big one
this year, and it absolutely showcases the power of BTS's
fan base the ry. Their physical offerings were key too.
They had five different CD variants apparently packed with collectible stuff, photos,
things like.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
That, again catering to that collector mentality exactly.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
It's a testament to those super dedicated fan bases and
just the ongoing demand for physical items you can collect,
even for live recordings. It shows a different but still
powerful side of album consumption.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Okay, so we've been thrown around terms like equivalent album
unit CTA tracking week, and while a lot of listening
probably follow this stuff closely, maybe a quick refresher on
the mechanics behind the Billboard two hundred could help clarify
why some of these trends we're seeing are so significant.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, that's a good idea. I think. The main thing
to remember is that the Billboard two hundred isn't just
about album sales anymore, hasn't been for a while. It
ranks albums based on what they call multimetric consumption, and
all that data is compiled by Luminate, which is an
independent data company.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Right, so it's not just buying the CD or vinyl.
What are the different pieces that make up one of
those equivalent album units.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So you've got three main components. First is straightforward traditional
album sales, buying the whole album digital or physical.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
That's one unit, okay.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Then you have track equivalent albums or TEA. This is
where they bundle up sales of individual tracks from an album.
Ten track sales from the same album count as one
equivalent album unit.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Gotcha, Ten singles equals one album basically.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah. And the third piece, which is often huge now,
is streaming equivalent albums or ACA. This converts streams an
album's songs into units. But there's a distinction here. Yeah,
it takes three thy seven hundred and fifty streams from
ad supported services think free Spotify, YouTube to equal one
album unit, but it only takes twelve hundred and fifty
(12:13):
streams from paid or subscription services like premium Spotify, Apple
Music to equal one unit.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Ah, So paid streams count almost three times as much
as free streams exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
It reflects the higher revenue generated. And when you think
about those numbers, needing twelve hundred and fifty paid streams
just to equal one album unit, it puts into perspective,
the sheer volume of listening happening today, the scale is
just immense.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
That really does and illuminate is the company making sure
all this data millions and millions of streams and sales,
is accurate before the chart comes out.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Precisely, they do a thorough review, They authenticate the data,
They filter out anything that looks suspicious or can't be verified.
It's all about ensuring the chart's integrity. And like we
talked about with Tyler, their tracking week runs strictly from
Friday morning through Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Which explains why those Monday or Sunday releases have that
sort of compressed first week impact.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Right, they only get partial credit for that first week,
which makes debuts like Tyler's even more impressive.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Okay, that's super helpful context And just quickly beyond the
big debuts and jumps, what else happened in the rest
of the top ten. Any other notable moves, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
A few shuffles. Morgan wallins I'm the Problem actually moved
up from three to two. The soundtrack for K Pop
Demon Hunters that climbed from five to three. Jack Boys two,
last week's number one, dipped to number four. An album
from Justin Bieber Swag went from two down to six,
and Clips's let God's sort them out drop from four
(13:39):
to nine.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
So always moving, always shifting. The charts really are this
dynamic landscape, aren't They?
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Absolutely never static, always reflecting what listeners are engaging with
and the strategies artists are using week to week.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
So if we kind of pull back now and look
at the bigger picture from this week's chart, what does
all this tell us? But you know how music is
being consumed now, both for us as listeners and maybe
for the artists trying to connect with us.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Well, I think what really stands out is just how
varied the past success are. Right now, you see these
charts and they vividly show artists connecting in really diverse ways.
You've got Tyler the creator with these super strategic physical releases,
the bonus tracks, the Bold Off Cycle drop, then Alex
Warren expanding his album using sign merch, then the really
(14:24):
poignant posthumous surge for Ozzy Osbourne, and then BTS showing
the power of live albums and dedicated fan bases. It's
not just one formula.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
It definitely feels like even with streaming being so dominant
physical sales are having this like resurgence is a powerful force,
especially when artists tie them to collectors, editions, exclusives that
direct a fan approach exactly.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
It gives fans something tangible, right, something special that deepens
the connection beyond just hitting play on a streaming service.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
It reinforces that bond.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
So it kind of raises this interesting question looking forward,
You know, what do all these different strategies, the exclud
of webstore drops, the weird release days, the expanded albums
of science stuff. What does that suggest about how album
releases might keep evolving and how are fans going to
engage with artists beyond just listening. What other like innovative
strategies might we see next, And maybe how much does
(15:17):
that direct, really specific fan engagement truly impact commercial success
in today's music world.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
That's a great question. How much does that deeper connection
really move the needle compared to just mass streaming lots
to chew on.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
There definitely some food for thought until our next deep
dive
So when you're looking for new music, or maybe just
trying to figure out what's actually clicking with people right now,
where do you turn? Is it playlists, yeah, algorithms, or
just what your friends are talking about.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's interesting how we all find music differently.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Right because, honestly, if you want a real snapshot, the
Billboard charts tell such a fascinating story. It's way more
than just a list of numbers.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Oh absolutely, it's not just a leaderboard. You start looking
at the charts and you see the strategies, the shifts,
and how fans are engaging. It really tells you how
music is being consumed like right now.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And that is exactly what we're going to unpack today.
In this deep dive, we've gone deep into the latest
Billboard two hundred Albums chart. This is the one dated
August second, twenty twenty five, using data from the week
ending July twenty fourth. Our mission really is to pull
out the most important kind of nuggets of knowledge from
all that data, give you a shortcut to understanding what's
(00:55):
happening at the well the cutting edge.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Think of it like peeling back the onion layers, not
just seeing who's on top, but digging into how they
actually got there and what kinds of unique approaches are
working today.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Okay, so let's jump right in. Then the huge news,
the one everyone's probably seen lighting up their feeds, Tyler
the Creator's new album, Don't Tap the Glass straight in
it number one, huge debut. It really is. It's more
than just a win. It feels like a statement and
how he pulled it off, especially considering some other like
really surprising moves in the top ten. It's fascinating stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, And what's really remarkable it isn't just this album
hitting number one. Don't Tap the Glass is actually Tyler
the Creator's fourth consecutive number one album on the Billboard
two hundred four in a row.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, following Chromacopeia last year, call Me if You Get
Lost in twenty twenty one, and I go back in
twenty nineteen. I mean, that level of consistent dominance, it's
pretty rare.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
That is incredible streak. It really shows a solid connection
with his audience. And get this, Don't Tap the Glass
is also his eighth album to hit the top ten,
and even wilder, every single one of his albums that
has ever charted has made it into the top ten
that just speaks volumes, doesn't it about his artistic vision
and the loyalty of his fans?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
It absolutely does. But if we look a bit closer
at the strategy for this number one, the timing for
the release of Don't Tap the Glass is particularly interesting. Okay,
how so, well, he announced it on a Friday, July eighteenth, right,
but then he released it on a Monday, July twenty
first kind of an off cycle release?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Uh? Okay, a Monday release. That does feel a bit unusual.
How does that work with Luminades tracking week? Doesn't that
usually run Friday to Thursday? What did that do to
his first week numbers?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, you're right to pick up on that, because Lumina's
tracking week does start on Friday. Dropping it on Monday
meant Don't Tap the Glass only had four days of
activity counted in its first official tracking period.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Only four days, and still hit number.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
One exactly despite that shorter window, it's still pulled off
this huge debut, And it's not totally out of the
blue either. This is actually the second off cycle release
in a row to debut at number one. Remember Jack
Boys two that dropped on a Sunday the week before huh.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Okay, so maybe there's something to these off cycle drops
a strategy.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
It makes you wonder, right, are artists deliberately using these
kind of unusual release windows for maximum impact? Something to watch?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
So with only four days, how did Don't Tap the
Glass manage to rack up? Was it one hundred nine
and ninety seven thousand equivalent album units by the end
of that Thursday, July twenty fourth. What was really fueling
that number?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Well, the breakdown tells a really compelling story. A huge chunk.
One hundred and twenty eight thousand of those units came
directly from actual.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Album sale wow, pure sale.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah, pure sales, making it the top selling album of
the week, obviously number one on the Top album Sales chart.
The rest about sixty nine thousand units were streaming equivalent
album units SEA units.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Okay, so streams converted into album.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Units, right, and that sixty nine thousand SEA units equals
a massive ninety three point three four million and on
demand official streams for the album's tracks, which put it
at number four on the Top streaming albums Start Track
equivalent album units TEA were pretty negligible here, so.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Those traditional album sales were really the heavy lifter. What
was driving those sales so hard, especially you know now
when streaming is supposedly king.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
That's the really interesting part. More than half of its
first week came from those physical sales, and it seemed
like it was largely because of five different physical options
he offered. Yeah, a vinyl LP, a CD, and then
three different deluxe box sets that actually included branded clothing,
ah the merch bundles exactly, and crucially, all of these
were sold exclusively through Tyler's own official web store, direct
(04:41):
to fan smart and to make it even more appealing,
these physical versions had one bonus track that wasn't on
the standard ten song digital or streaming version.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
So a real incentive to buy the physical copy.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Precisely, it gave fans a tangible reason to purchase it.
Really really highlights the power of that direct to fan
sales channel and you know, cater to collectors.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That makes total sense. Yeah, give people something exclusive, something
they can hold, and they'll buy it. But Okay, Tyler
wasn't the only artist making big moves in the top ten, right,
This is where it gets like really interesting with some
unexpected jumps.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Absolutely. First up, we've got Alex Warren he just hit
the top ten for the very first time ever with
You'll Be Alright. Kid made a huge leap actually, from
number nineteen all the way up to number five.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Nineteen to five. That's a massive jump. What happened there.
That's a two hundred and seven percent increase in units
right up to seventy three thousand.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, huge search. And it looks like this boost was
mainly because the album was expanded. They added ten extra
songs to.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It, ah the deluxe treatment after the initial release.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Pretty much so. Of those seventy three thousand units, about
fifty nine thousand were sea units from streaming. That was
up one hundred and fifty seven percent, equaling over eighty
million streams. But here's the real eye opener the album
sales part. Okay, it jumped by a massive nine four
hundred and eighty three percent.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Nine thousand percent.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, land in thirteen thousand units and pure sales and
debuting at number seven on the top album Sales chart.
It just shows how adding content and having strategic physical
options can really ignite sales, even for someone hitting the
top ten for.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
The first time, and a lot of you listening probably
know his big single Ordinary Right to spent what seven
weeks at number one on the Hot one hundred. That
kind of hit definitely helps build awareness for the album too.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Oh for sure, a huge hit single greases the wheels.
And similar to Tyler, Warren also leaned into physical sales.
He had five different vinyl versions out there, including some
signed ones, plus two CD editions, one of which was
also signed.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
So again physical products, signed copies really pushing those fan incentives.
It reinforces that physical isn't dead, not by a long shot, not.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
At all, especially with these collectible angles. Now.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
There was also a more somber reason for a big
chart move, the passing of the rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.
On July twenty second, his greatest hits collection, The Essential
Ozzy Osbourne just vaulted up the chart, didn't it, From
one thirty four way up to numbers Yeah, that was quite.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
A jump, A really significant and honestly heartfelt moment reflected
on the charts. The Essential Ozzy Osbourne it had actually
peaked way back in two thousand and three at number
eighty one, so this is its first time ever cracking
the top ten.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Wow, after all these years, right.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
It really underscores his lasting impact and it's actually Ozzie's
tenth top ten charting album overall, counting his solo work.
The album earned nearly forty four thousand equivalent units that week,
which was a three hundred and nine percent increase, clearly
driven by renewed interest after the sad news.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
That's a really powerful tribute from the fans, is It
shows how enduring his music is. What did that unit
breakdown look like for Ozzy?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
A big chunk thirty five thousand units were sea units
from Screaming. That equaled about forty eight point seven million streams,
so lots of people were listening. It also saw a
huge jump in track equivalent album units TEA up almost
nine hundred percent, and album sales were up nearly two hundred.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Percent, so listening, track downloads, album purchases a bit of everything.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, it really shows how deep his passing resonated. People
went back to the catalog. And you know, his solo
career had huge top tens like Patient number nine, Ordinary Man,
going back to No More Tears. Plus of course his
Black Sabbath work gave him two more top tens with
thirteen and Master of Reality. A true legend.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Definitely okay, moving on another exciting debut in the top
ten Jesse Murph. She got her first top ten album
with Sex Hysteria, debuting at number eight. How did that
one perform?
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, Sex Hysteria came in with forty four thousand equivalent
album units. This is actually her third project to chart
after releases in twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four.
So she's been building momentum, right.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
She had those hot one hundred hits like Blue Strips
and Touchy like a Gangster leading up to.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
This, exactly building that profile and you know, following the
pattern we're seeing. She offered multiple versions of the album too.
There was a standard thirteen song digital version, but then
a fifteen song digital streaming version with bonus tracks featuring
Boucci Maine and another artist, and then a fifteen song
physical version CD and vinyl, but with different bonus tracks
compared to the digital deluxe, plus multiple vinyl variants including
(09:06):
sign ones and two CD versions again one signed.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's becoming a clear playbook, isn't it. Offer variety, offer exclusives,
offer signed stuff, really engage the dedicated fans to drive
those sales and units.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
It seems to be working across different artists and genres
right now.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And speaking of dedicated fans t days, they're back in
the top ten, but this time with something new for them,
a live album, Permission to Dance on Stage Live debuted
at number ten.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, this is a pretty big milestone for them. It's
their eighth album to hit the top ten overall, which
is amazing in itself, but significantly it's their very first
live album to get.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Up that high. That's cool. How did the units break
down for a live album?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It launched with forty three thousand equivalent units and here again,
album sales were really strong. Thirty six thousand units came
from pure sales, landing it at number two on the
top album sales chart, just behind Tyler Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Number two in sales for a live album. Right.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
The rest was made up of sea units about five
thousand equaling around six point five million streams and negligible tea.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
You know. It kind of reminds me of earlier this year,
back in January, when Taylor Swift's Lover Live from Paris
hit number two. It feels like live albums are maybe
having a moment in twenty twenty five, making a real
impact on the charts.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Again, it could be this is the second big one
this year, and it absolutely showcases the power of BTS's
fan base the ry. Their physical offerings were key too.
They had five different CD variants apparently packed with collectible stuff, photos,
things like.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
That, again catering to that collector mentality exactly.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
It's a testament to those super dedicated fan bases and
just the ongoing demand for physical items you can collect,
even for live recordings. It shows a different but still
powerful side of album consumption.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Okay, so we've been thrown around terms like equivalent album
unit CTA tracking week, and while a lot of listening
probably follow this stuff closely, maybe a quick refresher on
the mechanics behind the Billboard two hundred could help clarify
why some of these trends we're seeing are so significant.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah, that's a good idea. I think. The main thing
to remember is that the Billboard two hundred isn't just
about album sales anymore, hasn't been for a while. It
ranks albums based on what they call multimetric consumption, and
all that data is compiled by Luminate, which is an
independent data company.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Right, so it's not just buying the CD or vinyl.
What are the different pieces that make up one of
those equivalent album units.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So you've got three main components. First is straightforward traditional
album sales, buying the whole album digital or physical.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
That's one unit, okay.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Then you have track equivalent albums or TEA. This is
where they bundle up sales of individual tracks from an album.
Ten track sales from the same album count as one
equivalent album unit.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Gotcha, Ten singles equals one album basically.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah. And the third piece, which is often huge now,
is streaming equivalent albums or ACA. This converts streams an
album's songs into units. But there's a distinction here. Yeah,
it takes three thy seven hundred and fifty streams from
ad supported services think free Spotify, YouTube to equal one
album unit, but it only takes twelve hundred and fifty
(12:13):
streams from paid or subscription services like premium Spotify, Apple
Music to equal one unit.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Ah, So paid streams count almost three times as much
as free streams exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
It reflects the higher revenue generated. And when you think
about those numbers, needing twelve hundred and fifty paid streams
just to equal one album unit, it puts into perspective,
the sheer volume of listening happening today, the scale is
just immense.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
That really does and illuminate is the company making sure
all this data millions and millions of streams and sales,
is accurate before the chart comes out.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Precisely, they do a thorough review, They authenticate the data,
They filter out anything that looks suspicious or can't be verified.
It's all about ensuring the chart's integrity. And like we
talked about with Tyler, their tracking week runs strictly from
Friday morning through Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Which explains why those Monday or Sunday releases have that
sort of compressed first week impact.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Right, they only get partial credit for that first week,
which makes debuts like Tyler's even more impressive.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Okay, that's super helpful context And just quickly beyond the
big debuts and jumps, what else happened in the rest
of the top ten. Any other notable moves, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
A few shuffles. Morgan wallins I'm the Problem actually moved
up from three to two. The soundtrack for K Pop
Demon Hunters that climbed from five to three. Jack Boys two,
last week's number one, dipped to number four. An album
from Justin Bieber Swag went from two down to six,
and Clips's let God's sort them out drop from four
(13:39):
to nine.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
So always moving, always shifting. The charts really are this
dynamic landscape, aren't They?
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Absolutely never static, always reflecting what listeners are engaging with
and the strategies artists are using week to week.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
So if we kind of pull back now and look
at the bigger picture from this week's chart, what does
all this tell us? But you know how music is
being consumed now, both for us as listeners and maybe
for the artists trying to connect with us.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Well, I think what really stands out is just how
varied the past success are. Right now, you see these
charts and they vividly show artists connecting in really diverse ways.
You've got Tyler the creator with these super strategic physical releases,
the bonus tracks, the Bold Off Cycle drop, then Alex
Warren expanding his album using sign merch, then the really
(14:24):
poignant posthumous surge for Ozzy Osbourne, and then BTS showing
the power of live albums and dedicated fan bases. It's
not just one formula.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
It definitely feels like even with streaming being so dominant
physical sales are having this like resurgence is a powerful force,
especially when artists tie them to collectors, editions, exclusives that
direct a fan approach exactly.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
It gives fans something tangible, right, something special that deepens
the connection beyond just hitting play on a streaming service.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
It reinforces that bond.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
So it kind of raises this interesting question looking forward,
You know, what do all these different strategies, the exclud
of webstore drops, the weird release days, the expanded albums
of science stuff. What does that suggest about how album
releases might keep evolving and how are fans going to
engage with artists beyond just listening. What other like innovative
strategies might we see next, And maybe how much does
(15:17):
that direct, really specific fan engagement truly impact commercial success
in today's music world.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
That's a great question. How much does that deeper connection
really move the needle compared to just mass streaming lots
to chew on.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
There definitely some food for thought until our next deep
dive
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