Nicki Minaj’s ‘The Pinkprint’ Blocked From Topping Album Chart By Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’

Robbie Daw | December 24, 2014 8:57 am
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Maybe Nicki Minaj just didn’t twerk her anaconda charmer hard enough. The Young Money rapstress’ third studio album The Pinkprint has become her first to miss out on the top spot on the Billboard 200 (so far, at least), as it debuts this week at #2, while Taylor Swift‘s unstoppable 1989 returns to the #1 position for a sixth non-consecutive trip to the chart throne.

Billboard notes that 1989 shifted 375,000 more total units, with 331,000 of those being album sales. Minaj’s Pinkprint starts out with 244,000 units, 194,000 of which were album sales.

To date, Taylor’s fifth studio album has sold 3.36 million copies since its October release. That puts 1989 just behind the Frozen soundtrack (3.46 million) as the year’s top-seller. Another chart feat for Swift: She;s now tied with Mariah Carey for the second-most weeks ever (30 total) at #1 on the Billboard 200 among women. The only diva to outperform those two is Whitney Houston, who’s spent 46 weeks total at the top.

The other new entry in the Top 10 this week is D’Angelo‘s long-awaited comeback album Black Messiah, which enters at #5 on the strength of 117,000 unites (111,000 in sales).

The Top 10 of the Billboard 200:

1. Taylor Swift, 1989 *6 weeks*
2. Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint *new*
3. Pentatonix, That’s Christmas To Me
4. J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive
5. D’Angelo And The Vanguard, Black Messiah *new*
6. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour
7. One Direction, Four
8. Ed Sheeran, x
9. Garth Brooks, Man Against Machine
10. AC/DC, Rock Or Bust

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