[WEEKLY SALES] Music Biz 2016 Breakthrough Artist Halsey Earns First #1 Album with ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’

James Donio, President of the Music Business Association (Music Biz), commented on this week’s sales numbers issued by Nielsen (published in Billboard) and BuzzAngle Music (published in HITS Daily Double):

“In May 2016, we presented Halsey with our Music Biz 2016 Breakthrough Artist Award. Since then, she has become a household name thanks to “Closer,” her massively successful duet with The Chainsmokers, which spent 12 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Now, we could not be prouder to see her reach the top of the Nielsen and BuzzAngle Music charts with her own new album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. The record moved over 106,000 album equivalent units to land at #1 on both charts, becoming Halsey’s first solo chart-topper and the first album by a woman to take the top spot since Lady Gaga’s Joanne in November 2016. We wish Halsey the best as her career continues to develop. Other notable debuts this week came from Country artist Luke Combs, who hit #4 on the BuzzAngle Music chart and #5 on the Billboard 200 with This One’s for You; Rock band All Time Low, who reached #9 on the Billboard 200 with Last Young Renegade; and legendary Pink Floyd singer/songwriter Roger Waters, who landed at #10 on the BuzzAngle Music chart with his new solo album Is This the Life We Really Want? Next week, we’ll see whether Katy Perry, who received our Music Biz 2012 Artist of the Year Award, can top the charts with her new album, Witness.”