Blackstar is David Bowie’s first number one album in the U.S.
Billboard reports that Blackstar is David Bowie’s first number one album on its album chart. The album, which was released on January 8, two days before he died, had moved a total of 181,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, which included 174,000 pure album sales. His next closest debut to that at number two in 2013, when The Next Day was released and sold 85,000 copies its first week.
Past Bowie albums to place on the Billboard album chart include Let’s Dance (No. 4, 1983), ChangesOneBowie (No. 10, 1976), Station to Station (No. 3, 1976), Young Americans (No. 9, 1975), David Live (No. 8, 1974) and Diamond Dogs (No. 5, 1974).
All vinyl copies of Blackstar are currently sold out on the retail market, and the next pressing is expected to be released in late January.
Over the weekend, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band paid tribute to Bowie with a cover of “Rebel Rebel” in Pittsburgh. Watch the performance below.
Read our tributes to Bowie, Starman: Remembering David Bowie and Our David Bowie Memories roundtable. Also take a look at our feature, Celebrate the Catalog: David Bowie’s albums rated.
