Hozier Scores First Billboard 200 Albums Chart Topper With ‘Wasteland, Baby!’

Hozier has scored his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as his sophomore full-length set Wasteland, Baby! debuts atop the list. The LP, on March 1, earned 89,000 equivalent album units in the US in the week ending 7 March, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 75,000 were in physical album sales.

Wasteland is the first rock album to lead the Billboard 200 in more than three months, since Mumford & Sons’ Delta debuted at No. 1 on the Dec. 1, 2018-dated chart.

Wasteland follows the Dublin singer-songwriter’s 2018 EP ‘Nina Cried Power’, which topped out at No. 60. Before that, the singer-songwriter’s self-titled debut full-length set bowed and peaked at No. 2 on the Oct. 25, 2014-dated list. That album was led by the smash single ‘Take Me to Church,’ which climbed to No. 1 on the Hot Rock Songs tally the week after the album arrived on the charts. ‘Take Me To Church’ spent 23 weeks atop the list, and also hit No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

The Hozier album has spent 174 weeks on the Billboard 200 (including its re-entry on the new March 16-dated list at No. 175) and has earned 2.6 million equivalent album units in the U.S., with 972,000 of that sum in album sales.

Hozier’s new album’s debut week of 89,000 units is the largest for any rock album since Mumford & Sons’ Delta started with 230,000 units (chart dated Dec. 1, 2018). Wasteland also snares the largest sales week for a rock album since Delta, with 75,000 copies sold (Delta moved 214,000 in its debut frame). Wasteland’s opening tally was aided by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with Hozier’s U.S. tour, which began last night, 10 March.

At No. 2 on the new Billboard 200 is Ariana Grande’s former leader, Thank U, Next, which holds in the runner-up slot for a second week. It earned 86,000 equivalent album units. Thank U, Next spent its first two weeks at No. 1.

Format: UK English