Beginning in January, Billboard will be implementing updates to its weekly album charts. These changes are set to take effect with the Billboard charts dated Jan. 18, 2025, marking a significant shift in how album rankings are determined.
Transition to Consumption-Based Rankings
With the upcoming updates, six of Billboard’s long-standing album genre charts will move from sales-only rankings to consumption-based tallies. Additionally, three album genre charts that were already consumption-based will see an expansion in their depths. This shift is aimed at providing a more accurate reflection of the popularity of albums based on equivalent album units earned.
Understanding Consumption-Based Album Charts
Consumption-based album charts rank the most popular titles of the week by equivalent album units earned. These units are compiled by Luminate and include album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA), and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit represents either one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or a specific number of ad-supported or paid/subscription on-demand audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.
Historical Shifts in Billboard Charts
The transition from traditional album sales-based rankings to consumption-based tallies began with the overall all-genre Billboard 200 chart in December 2014. Subsequently, the majority of Billboard’s album genre charts made the shift to consumption-based ranking in January 2017. With the upcoming updates in January 2025, almost all of Billboard’s genre album charts will have fully migrated to consumption-based ranking.
Changes to Specific Album Genre Charts
Here’s a summary of the changes to Billboard’s album genre charts starting from Jan. 18, 2025:
Bluegrass Albums
Transitions from a 10-position album sales-only chart to a 15-position consumption-based chart, ranking albums by equivalent album units.
Blues Albums
Transitions from a 10-position album sales-only chart to a 15-position consumption-based chart, ranking albums by equivalent album units.
Cast Albums
Transitions from a 10-position album sales-only chart to a 15-position consumption-based chart, ranking albums by equivalent album units.
Classical Crossover Albums
Transitions from a 10-position album sales-only chart to a 15-position consumption-based chart, ranking albums by equivalent album units.
Traditional Classical Albums
Transitions from a 10-position album sales-only chart to a 15-position consumption-based chart, ranking albums by equivalent album units.
Kid Albums
Transitions from a 15-position album sales-only chart to a 25-position consumption-based chart, ranking albums by equivalent album units.
New Age Albums
Expands from 10 to 15 positions, remaining a consumption-based chart that ranks albums by equivalent album units.
Tropical Albums
Expands from 20 to 25 positions while remaining a consumption-based chart that ranks albums by equivalent album units.
World Albums
Expands from 15 to 25 positions, still a consumption-based chart that ranks albums by equivalent album units.
Conclusion
As Billboard’s album genre charts transition to consumption-based ranking, the industry will see a more accurate representation of album popularity based on equivalent album units. These changes aim to adapt to the evolving music landscape and provide a comprehensive view of album performance in the market.
FAQs
Q: What is the significance of transitioning to consumption-based ranking for Billboard’s album charts?
A: The shift to consumption-based ranking allows for a more holistic view of album popularity, considering factors such as album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums.
Q: How will the expansion of depths in certain album genre charts impact the music industry?
A: The expanded depths in album genre charts will provide a more comprehensive ranking system, accommodating a wider range of albums and offering a more nuanced understanding of album performance.
Credit: www.billboard.com
