One Direction Make History With #1 Billboard Debutchain saw images

One Direction Make History With #1 Billboard Debut

British boy band are first U.K. group to debut in the top spot on American albums chart.
By Gil Kaufman

One Direction
Photo: Getty Images

British boy band One Direction will set a record next week when their first album, Up All Night, debuts at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart. Yes, believe it or not, Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis will be the first British group to debut at #1 with their first effort thanks to sales of 176,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.

That's just enough to keep fellow Brit Adele at #2 for a second week, as sales of 21 dropped 24 percent to 148,000. Last week's #1, Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball, dropped by 71 percent to 57,000 as it falls to #4 in its second week. The only other new face in the top 10 is worship band Passion, whose White Flag debuts at #5 on sales of 49,000.

The rest of the top 10: Guns N' Roses benefited from 25-cent sales on Google Music and Amazon, as their Greatest Hits jumps more than 600 percent to #3 on sales of 85,000. Whitney Houston's Greatest Hits holds steady at #6 (45,000), and Drake also hangs in at #7 with Take Care (36,000). NOW 41 falls five spots to #8 (29,000), Gotye moves up 7 spots to #9 with Making Mirrors (24,000) and fun. tick up a few to #10 with Some Nights (22,000).

Further down the line, veteran rapper Tech N9ne debuts at #15 with the Klusterfuk EP (17,000) and Say Anything hit #22 with Anarchy, My Dear (14,000).

Over on the iTunes charts, fun.'s collaboration with Janelle Monáe, "We Are Young," tops the singles chart, followed by the Wanted with "Glad You Came," Nicki Minaj's "Starships," Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" and Flo Rida's "Wild Ones." Rounding out the singles tally is Kelly Clarkson at #6 with "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," One Direction with "What Makes You Beautiful," Train's "Drive By," Justin Bieber signee Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and Katy Perry's "Part of Me."

One Direction also own the iTunes albums chart, beating out Adele, the "Project X" soundtrack, Gotye, Passion, fun., Springsteen, Tech N9ne, Miike Snow's Happy to You and Luke Bryan's Spring Break 4 ... Suntan City.

Adele may have to settle for runner-up again next week, thanks to the upcoming chart debut of the "Hunger Games" soundtrack featuring songs from Taylor Swift and Arcade Fire, as well as the new album from the Shins, Port of Morrow, and the sophomore release from former Grammy Best New Artist winner Esperanza Spalding.

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