Nielsen Music's biggest album debut sales weeks of all time

[Mills 446]

The following are the albums which sold the most copies during their opening weeks in the United States since Nielsen Music began tracking actual record sales in 1991. 

Rank / Peak / Title (Year of Release) / Artist / Sales / Week Ending
1 / 1. No Strings Attached (2000) - N Sync - 2,415,859 - 3/26/00
2 / 2. Celebrity (2001) - N Sync - 1,879,955 - 7/29/01
3 / 2. The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) - Eminem - 1,760,049 - 5/28/00
4 / 3. Black & Blue (2000) - Backstreet Boys - 1,591,191 - 11/26/00
5 / 4. Oops!… I Did It Again (2000) - Britney Spears - 1,319,193 - 5/21/00
6 / 6. 1989 (2014) - Taylor Swift - 1,286,544 - 11/2/14
7 / 6. Red (2012) - Taylor Swift - 1,208,290 - 10/28/12
8 / 6. The Massacre (2005) - 50 Cent - 1,140,638 - 3/6/05
9 / 1. Millennium (1999) - Backstreet Boys - 1,133,505 - 5/23/99
10 / 8. Born This Way (2011) - Lady Gaga - 1,108,403 - 5/29/11

11 / 6. Confessions (2004) - Usher - 1,096,213 - 3/28/04
12 / 1. Double Live (1998) - Garth Brooks - 1,085,373 - 11/22/98
13 / 5. Chocolate Starfish (2000) - Limp Bizkit - 1,054,511 - 10/22/00
14 / 11. Speak Now (2010) - Taylor Swift - 1,046,718 - 10/31/10
15 / 9. Feels Like Home (2004) - Norah Jones - 1,022,149 - 2/15/04
16 / 12. Tha Carter III (2008) - Lil Wayne - 1,005,545 - 6/15/08
17 / 16. The 20/20 Experience (2013) - Justin Timberlake - 968,018 - 3/24/13
18 / 15. Tha Carter IV (2011) - Lil Wayne - 963,970 - 9/4/11
19 / 12. Graduation (2007) - Kanye West - 956,936 - 9/16/07
20 / 1. Vs. (1993) - Pearl Jam - 950,377 - 10/24/93

21 / 2. Sevens (1997) - Garth Brooks - 896,932 - 11/30/97
22 / 10. Weathered (2001) - Creed - 887,229 - 11/25/01
23 / 12. Up! (2002) - Shania Twain - 874,137 - 11/24/02
24 / 13. Get Rich or Die Tryin (2003) - 50 Cent - 872,082 - 2/9/03
25 / 17. Late Registration (2005) - Kanye West - 860,330 - 9/4/05
26 / 2. Anthology 1 (1995) - The Beatles - 855,473 - 11/26/95
27 / 17. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2004) - U2 - 839,696 - 11/28/04
28 / 15. Meteora (2003) - Linkin Park - 810,488 - 3/30/03
29 / 2. Doggystyle (1993) - Snoop Dogg - 802,858 - 11/28/93
30 / 29. Marshall Mathers LP2 (2013) - Eminem - 792,394 - 11/10/13

Notables under:
31. Black Ice (2008) - AC/DC - 784,288 - 10/26/08 
32. Home (2002) - Dixie Chicks - 779,828 - 9/1/02
33. Use Your Illusion II (1991) - Guns N Roses - 770,000 - 9/22/91
34. Live Like You Were Dying (2004) - Tim McGraw - 765,739 - 8/29/04
35. Britney (2001) - Britney Spears - 745,744 - 11/11/01
36. As I Am (2007) - Alicia Keys - 742,426 - 11/18/07
37. Recovery (2010) - Eminem - 741,413 - 6/27/10
38. X&Y (2005) - Coldplay - 737,294 - 6/12/05
39. Everyday (2001) - Dave Matthews Band - 732,720 - 3/4/01
40. The Breakthrough (2005) - Mary J. Blige - 727,163 - 12/25/05

41. Me And My Gang (2006) - Rascal Flatts - 721,747 - 4/9/06
42. Viva La Vida (2008) - Coldplay - 721,207 - 6/22/08
43. Break The Cycle (2001) - Staind - 716,003 - 5/27/01
44. Nellyville (2002) - Nelly - 714,114 - 3/30/02
45. Long Road Out Of Eden (2007) - Eagles - 710,946 - 11/4/07
46. Encore (2004) - Eminem - 710,880 - 11/14/04
47. 8 Mile OST (2002) - Eminem / others - 702,226 - 11/3/02
48. I Dreamed A Dream (2009) - Susan Boyle - 700,779 - 11/29/09
49. And Then There Was X (1999) - DMX - 698,403 - 12/26/91
50. Curtis (2007) - 50 Cent - 691,304 - 9/16/07

51. Use Your Illusion I (1991) - Guns N Roses - 685,000 - 9/22/91
52. FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006) - Justin Timberlake - 684,461 - 9/17/06 
53. Hello Nasty (1998) - Beastie Boys - 681,572 - 7/19/98
54. Kingdom Come (2006) - Jay Z - 680,052 - 11/26/06
55. Load (1996) - Metallica - 680,000 - 6/9/96
56. Flesh Of My Flesh (1998) - DMX - 670,227 - 12/27/98
57. The Don Killuminati (1996) - Tupac Shakur - 664,000 - 11/10/96
58. Survivor (2001) - Destiny's Child - 663,280 - 5/6/01
59. Ricky Martin (1999) - Ricky Martin - 660,807 - 5/16/99
60. Nothing Was The Same (2013) - Drake - 657,922 - 9/29/13

61. Significant Other (1999) - Limp Bizkit - 634,877 - 6/27/99
62. Take Care (2011) - Drake - 630,571 - 11/20/11
63. Growing Pains (2007) - Mary J. Blige - 629,366 - 12/23/07
64. Minutes To Midnight (2007) - Linkin Park - 622,827 - 5/20/07
65. Busted Stuff (2002) - Dave Matthews Band - 621,725 - 7/21/02
66. Now 7 (2001) - Various Artists - 621,419 - 8/5/01
67. The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003) - 618,325 - 12/7/03
68. Beyonce (2013) - Beyonce - 617,319 - 12/15/13
69. High School Musical 2 OST (2007) - HSM Cast - 615,361 - 8/19/07
70. Measure of a Man (2003) - Clay Aiken - 612,859 - 10/19/03

71. Wu-Tang Forever (1997) - Wu-Tang Clan - 612,069 - 6/8/97
72. In The Zone (2003) - Britney Spears - 609,364 - 11/23/03
73. All For You (2001) - Janet Jackson - 605,128 - 4/29/01
74. Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors (2002) - Tim McGraw - 601,516 - 12/1/02
75. Metallica (1991) - Metallica - 600,000 - 8/18/91
 

Timeline of Nielsen Music's biggest album debut sales week of all time:

Year established / Title / Artist / Record-setting sales / Week Ending
1991 - Metallica - Metallica - 600,000 - 8/18/91
1991 - Use Your Illusion II - Guns N Roses - 770,000 - 9/22/91
1993 - Vs. - Pearl Jam - 950,377 - 10/24/93
1998 - Double Live - Garth Brooks - 1,085,373 - 11/22/98 
1999 - Millennium - Backstreet Boys - 1,133,505 - 5/23/99
2000 - No Strings Attached - N Sync - 2,415,859 - 3/26/00

About Nielsen Music:
Popularly known as SoundScan, it’s the leading music sales measurement company which tracks and reports over-the-counter record sales at music retail stores, both in-store and digitally, and is the official source of Billboard for their record popularity charts. 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Gaga in the Top 10

 The list sadly shows how album sales have changed in 10 years... 

[Future Lover 2,588]

Taylor is queen of first week sales 

[Yanko 9,860]

8 / 6. The Massacre (2005) - 50 Cent - 1,140,638 - 3/6/05

11 / 6. Confessions (2004) - Usher - 1,096,213 - 3/28/04

are these albums good? 

[Paper Planes 340]

Someone get Taylor Swift and Eminem to release a joint album. They'd make their way to the top of that list

[Jewels n Drugs 4,628]

 

[Serendipity 7,821]

 

@Mills, do you have one for the United World Chart?

Utada Hikaru from Japan opened with 3.2 million I think

[ItsTommyBitch 12,640]

 

@Mills, do you have one for the United World Chart?

Utada Hikaru from Japan opened with 3.2 million I think

​She did, (approximately) but Nielsen is for the U.S, so its not entirely relevant here I think  

Slay @ you knowing and giving recognition to the true Queen of Asia and first week sales though  

[Serendipity 7,821]

​She did, (approximately) but Nielsen is for the U.S, so its not entirely relevant here I think  

Slay @ you knowing and giving recognition to the true Queen of Asia and first week sales though  

I like Utada

 

OT: Doesn't Gaga have the biggest opening sales this decade WW?

[Mills 446]

 

@Mills, do you have one for the United World Chart?

Utada Hikaru from Japan opened with 3.2 million I think

​None. The United World Chart is based on MediaTraffic's sales estimations, and not from actual over-the-counter record sales. And I'm personally not a fan of sales estimations, especially if it's from a third-party source which is not yet recognized by either the mainstream media or the global music industry itself. So when it comes to worldwide figures, the ones reported by IFPI and the labels are the only ones I track and believe to, since they're the ones which have an actual and direct access to the music retailers across the world. And they rarely publish first-week sales. 

But if you're interested with the world's most successful albums of the digital era (late 2004-present), based on official worldwide figures as promoted and/or released by the labels, I do have a list of them. Here they are: 

 

[RAMROD 96,470]

All these iconic albums are mostly from 90s.

So proud tbh! 

 

[Serendipity 7,821]

​None. The United World Chart is based on MediaTraffic's sales estimations, and not from actual over-the-counter record sales. And I'm personally not a fan of sales estimations, especially if it's from a third-party source which is not yet recognized by either the mainstream media or the global music industry itself. So when it comes to worldwide figures, the ones reported by IFPI and the labels are the only ones I track and believe to, since they're the ones which have an actual and direct access to the music retailers across the world. And they rarely publish first-week sales. 

But if you're interested with the world's most successful albums of the digital era (late 2004-present), based on official worldwide figures as promoted and/or released by the labels, I do have a list of them. Here they are: 

 

​http://atrl.net/forums/showthread.php?t=476477

Utada is best selling Japanese act of all time

Highest opening week sales by a female artist 
1. Hikaru Utada - Distance 3,002,720
2. Ayumi Hamasaki - A Best 2,874,870
3. Hikaru Utada - Deep River 2,350,170
4. Hikaru Utada - First Love 2,026,870
5. Namie Amuro - Sweet 19 Blues 1,921,850
6. Ayumi Hamasaki - I Am 1,751,360
7. Ayumi Hamasaki - Duty Duty 1,682,760
8. Hikaru Utada - SIngles Collection Singles Collection 1,403,102
9. Britney Spears - Oops I Did It Again 1,319,193
10. Taylor Swift - Red 1,209,817

 

This is for the global list

 

I think Gaga opened with 1.9 million with BTW