Metallica’s “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct” has topped a 2017 mid-year US rock sales report by Nielsen Music.
According to Billboard, the project ranks as the most popular rock album in the US for the tracking period of December 30, 2016 through June 29, 2017
The veteran metal band’s tenth album sold 540,000 equivalent album units, of which 487,000 were in traditional album sales.
“Hardwired…” topped the list ahead of releases by Twenty One Pilots ("Blurryface"), the soundtrack to Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, and Imagine Dragons (“Evolve”), among others.
Nielsen Music notes that total rock album consumption - based on equivalent album units - fell 7.8 percent in the first half of 2017, to 61.49 million units earned (down from 66.69 million in the first six months of 2016).
Total rock album sales eroded 20.9 percent to 32.9 million (down from 41.6 million) and rock digital song sales collapsed 27.9 percent to 63.74 million downloads sold (from 88.47 million a year ago).
“Hardwired…” debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 last November with opening week sales of 291,000 equivalent album units, of which 282,000 were in traditional album sales.
The band are currently playing dates on a summer stadium tour of North America that will wrap up in Edmonton, AB on August 16.
Nielsen Music
2017’s Mid-Year Top 10 Rock Albums
(Based on Overall Equivalent Album Units)
01. Metallica, Hardwired… To Self-Destruct (540,000)
02. Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface (451,000)
03. Soundtrack, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 (353,000)
04. Imagine Dragons, Evolve (345,000)
05. Soundtrack, Suicide Squad: The Album (303,000)
06. Panic! at the Disco, Death of a Bachelor (281,000)
07. Gorillaz, Humanz (274,000)
08. John Mayer, The Search for Everything (259,000)
09. The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (233,000)
10. Twenty One Pilots, Vessel (216,000)
Nielsen Music
2017’s Mid-Year Top 10 Selling Rock Albums
(Based on Traditional Album Sales)
01. Metallica, Hardwired… To Self-Destruct (487,000)
02. Soundtrack, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix, Vol. 2 (351,000)
03. Gorillaz, Humanz (184,000)
04. Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface (177,000)
05. John Mayer, The Search for Everything (169,000)
06. Linkin Park, One More Light (130,000)
07. Panic! at the Disco, Death of a Bachelor (113,000)
08. Imagine Dragons, Evolve (109,000)
09. Soundtrack, Suicide Squad: The Album (101,000)
10. The Rolling Stones, Blue & Lonesome (92,000)
See also:
PRO VIDEO: Metallica perform 1997 classic in Orlando
Metallica: Hardwired… To Self-Destruct hits 1 million in US sales
Lars Ulrich explains Metallica’s approach to touring
PRO VIDEO: Metallica perform Master Of Puppets classic in Chicago
Search Metallica at hennemusic
