The album's forecast quickly rose to around 125,000 on March 11, the day after it went on sale.
When talking to Billboard about Empire's performance over the past week or so, multiple sources have used phrases like 'huge surprise,' 'has really blown up' and 'how an album can change…!' What's especially notable is that Empire wasn't even initially a contender for No. 1 between the titles, with some giving the edge to the multi-artist Empire soundtrack. Madonna Brings 'Living for Love' to 'Ellen'Ī week ago, industry forecasters were projecting that there was a race for No. The rest of the new Billboard 200 chart's top 10 will be revealed on Wednesday, March 18. The Live Nation/Interscope Records release is Madonna's 21st top 10 album. Madonna's Rebel Heart, also issued on March 10, starts in the No.
1 since 2010, when three different Glee albums arrived atop the list. It's the first TV soundtrack to debut at No. The Empire soundtrack was released March 10 through Columbia Records and bows with 130,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending March 15, according to Nielsen Music.
