Empire Soundtrack Debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200; Madonna Leads in Pure Sales

The cast recording for the hit show Empire opened at the top of the Billboard 200 this week, taking the official No. 1 spot on the combined sales-plus-streaming chart. While Madonna posted the highest number of pure album sales, Empire’s stronger track-equivalent album (TEA) and streaming-equivalent album (SEA) figures pushed the soundtrack ahead on the overall chart.

Industry observers initially expected only modest sales for the Empire soundtrack, yet the release surprised many by performing well across multiple consumption metrics. Billboard typically waits until midweek to confirm chart winners, but the result was disclosed early. Empire moved a significant number of traditional album units and added thousands more through TEA and SEA, creating a combined total that secured the chart-topping position. The soundtrack also benefited from visibility tied to a recent television performance and from contributions by artists familiar from the Idol franchise—Jennifer Hudson is among the album’s featured vocalists, which may have helped broaden its appeal.

Madonna: Strong Pure Sales, Lower Streaming Impact

Madonna claimed the week’s top spot in pure album sales, a testament to her enduring fan base that still buys full albums. However, her combined total on the sales-plus-streaming chart fell short of Empire’s, largely because the album generated relatively limited TEA and SEA activity. That pattern—high physical and digital album purchases but modest single-track sales and streaming—has become a familiar one for legacy acts that retain core collectors but attract fewer casual listeners on streaming platforms.

Comparisons to Madonna’s previous studio release illustrate how marketing strategies can influence first-week totals. An earlier album benefited from an aggressive ticket-bundling approach that substantially lifted its debut numbers. This time around, fewer bundling opportunities and lower streaming traction translated into a noticeably smaller opening week in combined units, even though concert ticket demand remains strong.

Other Notable Chart Moves

Country star Luke Bryan continued to perform well with his seasonal release, holding steady near the top of both pure-sales and combined charts. The Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack and Taylor Swift’s hugely popular 1989 collection swapped positions on the combined ranking this week, underscoring the way TEA and SEA shifts can rearrange positions compared with the sales-only list.

Sam Smith, Drake and Ed Sheeran maintained their places inside the top ten on both charts, while Maroon 5 rose several positions in the combined tally, and Big Sean secured a top-ten spot on the combined chart as well. These movements reflect a mix of traditional sales and ongoing streaming momentum across established pop and hip-hop catalogues.

Reality TV and Competition Show Releases

The charts this week also featured numerous releases tied to reality competition series. Several alumni and contestants posted respectable sales or combined totals: Kelly Clarkson, Olly Murs, and Carrie Underwood all appeared on the sales list, while One Direction and Fifth Harmony performed better on the combined chart where streaming counts more heavily. A recent single-week surge for a Survivor contestant also showed up on the sales chart before dropping off the combined listing, illustrating how short-term promotional pushes can briefly influence rankings.

Sales Chart

LW TW Artist / Album — Label — Sales — Index — % Change

— 1 MADONNA — REBEL HEART — Interscope — 116,472 — —
— 2 EMPIRE CAST — SOUNDTRACK, SEASON 1 — Twentieth Century Fox/Columbia — 107,140 — —
— 3 LUKE BRYAN — SPRING BREAK…CHECKIN’ OUT — Capitol Nashville — 83,658 — —
3 4 TAYLOR SWIFT — 1989 — Big Machine — 39,145 — -7%
2 5 FIFTY SHADES OF GREY — SOUNDTRACK — Republic — 36,606 — -36%
9 6 SAM SMITH — IN THE LONELY HOUR — Capitol — 29,234 — -2%
4 7 DRAKE — IF YOU’RE READING THIS, IT’S TOO LATE — YMCMB/Republic — 28,362 — -27%
7 8 ED SHEERAN — X — Atlantic — 28,088 — -13%
1 9 KELLY CLARKSON — PIECE BY PIECE — RCA — 25,911 — -68%
10 10 NOW 53 — Various Artists — NOW/Legacy — 24,281 — -11%
…
16 15 MAROON 5 — V — 222/Interscope — 18,080 — -5%
…
— 33 OLLY MURS — NEVER BEEN BETTER — Epic — 7,449 — —
…
— 42 CHASE RICE — IGNITE THE NIGHT — Dack Janiels — 5,701 — —
…
48 47 CARRIE UNDERWOOD — GREATEST HITS: DECADE #1 19 — Arista Nashville — 5,217 — -10%
…
— 50 ONE DIRECTION — FOUR — Syco/Columbia — 4,619 — -7%

Sales Plus Streaming Chart (SPS)

LW TW Artist / Album — Label — SPS — Index — % Change — [TEAs/SEAs, Position Change]

— 1 EMPIRE CAST — SOUNDTRACK, SEASON 1 — Twentieth Century Fox/Columbia — 128,640 — — [21.5K, +1]
— 2 MADONNA — REBEL HEART — Interscope — 121,972 — — [5.5K, -1]
— 3 LUKE BRYAN — SPRING BREAK…CHECKIN’ OUT — Capitol Nashville — 95,158 — — [11.5K, 0]
2 4 FIFTY SHADES OF GREY — SOUNDTRACK — Republic — 72,106 — -24% [35.5K, +1]
3 5 TAYLOR SWIFT — 1989 — Big Machine — 63,145 — -15% [24K, -1]
8 6 SAM SMITH — IN THE LONELY HOUR — Capitol — 60,634 — 35% [31K, 0]
4 7 DRAKE — IF YOU’RE READING THIS, IT’S TOO LATE — YMCMB/Republic — 58,862 — -17% [30.5K, 0]
5 8 ED SHEERAN — X — Atlantic — 51,288 — -12% [25K, 0]
7 9 MAROON 5 — V — 222/Interscope — 45,580 — -2% [27.5K, +6]
6 10 BIG SEAN — DARK SKY PARADISE — Def Jam — 36,460 — -30% [17.5K, +3]
…
1 12 KELLY CLARKSON — PIECE BY PIECE — RCA — 33,911 — -65% [8K, -3]
…
18 19 NOW 53 — Various Artists — NOW/Legacy — 24,281 — -11% [0K, -9]
…
— 35 FIFTH HARMONY — REFLECTION — Epic — 11,441 — -4% [Not on Sales Chart]
…
39 37 ONE DIRECTION — FOUR — Syco/Columbia — 11,119 — -8% [5.5K, +13]
…
— 39 OLLY MURS — NEVER BEEN BETTER — Epic — 10,449 — — [3K, -6]
…
— 50 CARRIE UNDERWOOD — GREATEST HITS: DECADE #1 19 — Arista Nashville — 8,717 — -28% [3.5K, -3]

The latest rankings underline how the modern album market is driven by a combination of physical and digital purchases alongside track sales and streaming. Releases that generate strong single-track performance or streaming activity can move up the combined chart even when they trail in pure album sales, while artists with dedicated buyers can still dominate the sales list despite lower streaming figures.