Music

Bieber's 'Purpose' tops the chart with 649,000 equivalent album units in its first week, while its biggest competitor 1D's 'Made in the A.M.' lands on No. 2.

• Nov 23, 2015

AceShowbiz - It's official, Justin Bieber is the winner of the race against One Direction for No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. The Canadian star's latest release "Purpose" earned 649,000 equivalent album units, including 522,000 in pure album sales, in the week ending November 19, according to Nielsen Music.

The 522,000 pure album sales is the biggest sales week in 2015, surpassing Drake's "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" which moved 495,000 in pure album sales in February. It's also the largest sales week ever for Bieber, whose previous high was 374,000 for his "Believe" in 2012.

"Purpose", Bieber's fifth set to open at the top of the U.S. chart, also marks the biggest sales week for an album since Taylor Swift's "1989" debuted with 1.29 million in November 2014, and the largest for a male artist's album since Eminem's "MMLP2" ("The Marshall Mathers LP 2") sold 792,000 copies in November 2013.

As predicted, One Direction's "Made in the A.M." trails behind Bieber's "Purpose" at No. 2. with 459,000 in equivalent album units (402,000 in pure album sales). It's the group's fifth straight album to debut in the top two of the chart. The number surpasses the boyband's fourth effort "FOUR" which debuted on the chart with 387,000 last year.

With six other new entries, a total of eight newcomers dominate the chart this week. At No. 3 is Logic's "The Incredible True Story" with 135,000 units (118,000 in pure album sales). Young Jeezy's "Church in These Streets" opens at No. 4 with 107,000 units (98,000 in album sales), while Chris Young's "I'm Comin' Over" debuts at No. 5 with 65,000 units (57,000 in album sales).

Last week's champion Chris Stapleton's "Traveller" falls to No. 6 with additonal 53,000 copies. Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Letters From the Labyrinth" follows at No. 7 with 46,000 units (nearly all from pure album sales). The Weeknd's "Beauty Behind the Madness" drops four places to No. 8 with additional 43,000 units.

Alessia Cara's debut full-length album "Know-It-All" arrives at No. 9 with 36,000 units (22,000 in pure album sales). Gospel star Kirk Franklin's new album "Losing My Religion" rounds out the top 10 with 35,000 units (33,000 in album sales).

1. "Purpose" - Justin Bieber (649,000)
2. "Made in the A.M." - One Direction (459,000)
3. "The Incredible True Story" - Logic (135,000)
4. "Church in These Streets" - Young Jeezy (107,000)
5. "I'm Comin' Over" - Chris Young (65,000)
6. "Traveller" - Chris Stapleton (53,000)
7. "Letters From the Labyrinth" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra (46,000)
8. "Beauty Behind the Madness" - The Weeknd (43,000)
9. "Know-It-All" - Alessia Cara (36,000)
10. "Losing My Religion" - Kirk Franklin (35,000)