Music

Not only marking the biggest sales week for a rock album in 2017, but the new effort is also the seventh rock album to lead the chart this year.

• Dec 11, 2017

AceShowbiz - U2 scores their eighth No. 1 album on Billboard 200 as their latest album "Songs of Experience" debuts atop the chart. The effort, which was released on December 1 via Interscope, sold 186,000 equivalent album units, including 180,000 in traditional album sales, in the week ending December 7, according to Nielsen Music.

"Songs of Experience" marks the biggest sales week for a rock album in 2017 since Metallica's "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" arrived atop the chart in 2016 with 291,000 units. Additionally, the new effort is the seventh rock album to lead Billboard 200 this year, following LCD Soundsystem's "American Dream", Brand New's "Science Fiction", Arcade Fire's "Everything Now", Linkin Park's "One More Light" and The Killers' "Wonderful Wonderful".

Another effort that debuts on this week's Billboard 200 is Chris Stapleton's "From a Room: Volume 2". The set, which follows "From a Room: Volume 1", launches at No. 2 with 125,000 units, including 116,000 in traditional album sales. The previous chart topper, Taylor Swift's "Reputation", falls to No. 3 with 112,000 units.

Ed Sheeran's "Divide (division sign)" climbs one spot to No. 4 with 68,000. The set manages to ascend after the singer released a remix of "Perfect" featuring Beyonce Knowles. Meanwhile, Pentatonix's "A Pentatonix Christmas" dips three spots to No. 5 with 66,000 units. At No. 6, Demi Lovato's "Tell Me You Love Me" returns to the top 10 with 63,000 units.

Sam Smith's "The Thrill of It All" dips from No. 3 to No. 7 with 47,000 units, while Michael Buble's "Christmas" soars from No. 9 to No. 8 with 42,000 units. At No. 9, Miguel's "War & Leisure" debuts on this week's top 10 with 40,000 units, marking the singer's third top 10 effort. Closing out the top 10 for this week is Garth Brooks' "The Anthology: Part 1, The First Five Years", which descends six spots to No. 10 with 40,000 units.

1. "Songs of Experience" - U2 (180,000 units)
2. "From a Room: Volume 2" - Chris Stapleton (125,000 units)
3. "Reputation" - Taylor Swift (112,000 units)
4. "Divide (division sign)" - Ed Sheeran (68,000 units)
5. "A Pentatonix Christmas" - Pentatonix (66,000 units)
6. "Tell Me You Love Me" - Demi Lovato (63,000 units)
7. "The Thrill of It All" - Sam Smith (47,000 units)
8. "Christmas" - Michael Buble (42,000 units)
9. "War & Leisure" - Miguel (40,000 units)
10. "The Anthology: Part 1, The First Five Years" - Garth Brooks (40,000 units)