Paul McCartney's latest studio album McCartney III has debuted at number one on the US Billboard album chart with the biggest sales week for a rock album by a solo artist since his last studio set, Egypt Station, also came in at number one.
The achievement also marks the third largest sales week for a vinyl album since Nielsen Music/MRC Data began compiling music sales in 1991.
McCartney III sold 104,000 copies in the US in the week ending December 24, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
The last solo rock album to garner a bigger sales week was Egypt Station, which came in at number one on in September, 2018 with 147,000 copies sold.
McCartney III and Egypt Station are the ex-Beatle's two number one albums on the Top Album Sales chart, which launched in May 1991.
According to Billboard, McCartney III's impressive sales were boosted by its availability across many CD and vinyl LP formats, including editions with alternative cover art or colored vinyl.
The latest album from the 78-year-old ex-Beatle sold 53,000 copies on CD, almost 32,000 on vinyl LP, 18,000 as a digital download and 1,000 on cassette.
Charts differ of course, perhaps one needs to drill down and do the math. Billboard is one thing, but Taylor Swift's Evermore album is top of the Rolling Stone Top 200 Albums Chart for a second week, pulling in 165,700 units during the week of December 18 through December 24.
The album, Swift’s second number one album of 2020, strode ahead of her pal McCartney, whose 18th solo album entered the Rolling Stone chart at number two.
