UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1960: Photo of Grateful Dead Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The Weeknd scores his first-ever No. 1 this week on the Top Album Sales chart, Billboard’s ranking of the EPs and full-lengths that actually sold the most copies in the U.S. throughout the prior tracking frame. The Canadian powerhouse’s Dawn FM rises to the summit in its third frame on the tally, and it beats one of the most successful bands in the tally’s tenure to the peak position. While the group may be forced to settle for the runner-up spot, they do make history thanks to their current placements, and they reach an incredible milestone on one of the most important rosters published by the music magazine.
The Grateful Dead debuts not one, but two titles on this week’s Top Album Sales chart, and because of them, the band is truly in a league of their own. With a pair of new releases finding space on the ranking for the first time, the jam outfit has now sent more than 100 releases to the list. That’s an incredible accomplishment, and it’s likely that they’re the first to hit that milestone.
Up first from The Grateful Dead on the current Top Album Sales chart is Dave’s Picks, Volume 41: Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, MD – 5/26/77, which comes in behind only The Weeknd at No. 2. That set launches with nearly 22,500 copies sold, according to MRC Data. That puts it more than 14,000 copies behind Dawn FM, but it also makes it one of just two efforts to sell at least 20,000 copies in the U.S. this period. Further down on the Top Album Sales chart comes Fillmore West 1969, March 1st, which begins its time on the tally at No. 88.
The Grateful Dead has now placed 101 different collections onto the Top Album Sales chart, with the vast majority of them being live efforts. The band regularly shares recordings from past concerts, and their enormous and dedicated fan base eats them up. Sometimes the titles are shared as simple collections, while in other instances, individual members Dick and Dave select music and past shows to be released as new albums. The group has also succeeded with traditional full-lengths, box sets, compilations and more.
Unbelievably, while The Grateful Dead has now sent more than 100 releases to the Top Album Sales chart, with all of them selling thousands of copies in a single week, the band has never hit No. 1 on the ranking. They have reached the top 10 with 28 efforts, including one this frame, but none have managed to conquer the tally.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2022/02/10/the-grateful-dead-make-history-with-two-new-bestselling-albums/