Pop/rock band Matchbox Twenty scores its first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 as its new “North” album debuts with 95,000 sold according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Pop-rock band Matchbox Twenty scored their first No. 1 album with their long-awaited “North” release, selling 95,000 record to top the Billboard 200 chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures on Wednesday.
“North” is the first full-length studio album since 2002 for the four piece band from Florida, which formed in 1995 and had big hits with singles “Unwell,” and “3 A. M”.
Sales for “North” were powered by the new album’s first single “She’s So Mean,” released in June. Matchbox Twenty have not played a major tour since 2008 and started work on “North” about two years ago. Band members have said the disc was delayed because they wanted to get the album right after such a long absence.
“North” was one of four new arrivals on the Billboard 200. Rock band Imagine Dragons came in at No. 2 with their first full-length effort “Night Visions,” and Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae debuted at No. 3 with “Gravity. ”
It was the highest Billboard entry ever for Lecrae, and came just a week after fellow Christian singer TobyMac debuted at No. 1 with “Eye On It” in what was the first Christian act to reach the top Billboard 200 spot since 1997. TobyMac slipped to No. 8 in this week’s chart.
As expected, pop/rock band Matchbox Twenty scores its first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 as its new “North” album debuts with 95,000 sold according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the group’s first full-length studio album since 2002’s “More Than You Think You Are,” which debuted and peaked at No. 6 off a 178,000 launch.
Since then, the act released an EP in 2003 (aptly titled “EP”) which went to No. 43 and a greatest hits package in 2007 titled “Exile On Mainstream.” The latter bowed and peaked at No. 3, starting with 131,000.
The group’s breakthrough debut album, 1996’s “Yourself Or Someone Like You,” topped out at No. 5 on the chart the following year, but spent a whopping 119 weeks on the tally. In 2000, the act issued its second set, “Mad Season,” which reached No. 3 and earned its best single sales week — when it started with 365,000.
The new album was led by the single “She’s So Mean,” which became the group’s 13th top 10 hit on the Adult Pop Songs airplay chart (known as Adult Top 40 on Billboard. biz). This week “Mean” holds for a third straight week at No. 8 — its so-far peak.
On the digital songs chart, country pop artist Taylor Swift topped the list for the fourth consecutive week with her infectious hit single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” while her new cancer charity single “Ronan,” entered at No. 2.