Pentatonix made its mark digitally, but recently the group secured its first No. 1 album on the Billboard charts by winning out in pure album sales over competitors, not in digital streaming.
The YouTube a cappella darlings just barely beat out established act Demi Lovato, who had considerable radio play and promotion leading up to her album release. Lovato sold relatively the same number of units, 98,000, but Pentatonix edged her out in album sales.
Billboard renovated its charts in 2014 to include on-demand and streaming metrics in addition to sales numbers, but Pentatonix didn’t need a digital push to win, selling 11,000 more units than Lovato, who was more bolstered by streaming.
The self-titled album is the group’s fifth Top 10 showing on the charts, according to Billboard. The group previously charted with That’s Christmas to Me, PTX: Vol. III, PTX: Vol. II, PTXMAS, and PTX: Volume 1. Pentatonix is the group’s first all-originals effort, with only one reimagined song in conjunction with Jason Derulo.
The group, their fans, and their famous friends have been celebrating the chart placement on social media.
https://twitter.com/scotthoying/status/658660021778034688
https://twitter.com/mitchgrassi/status/658656041819729920
https://twitter.com/kirstin_taylor/status/658655597961711617
Well this is just effing fantastic! Congrats @PTXofficial!!!! https://t.co/AG28w92MwE
— Sara Bareilles (@SaraBareilles) October 26, 2015
Enormous congrats to Pentatonix!! Well deserved!!! https://t.co/2B66lmGU3J
— Peter Hollens (@PeterHollens) October 26, 2015
Congratulations to @PTXofficial on their first No. 1 Album!!! That’s amazing and you guys totally deserve it!! 🎵
— Thomas Sanders (@ThomasSanders) October 26, 2015
HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE!!! https://t.co/oqBLJncFmB
— Avi Kaplan (@Avi_Kaplan) October 26, 2015
OH MY GOD! They did it! Pentatonix made history and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 by a few hundred albums. 😲 pic.twitter.com/EPrbTjQM7y
— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) October 26, 2015
HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE!!! https://t.co/oqBLJncFmB
— Avi Kaplan (@Avi_Kaplan) October 26, 2015
They aren’t the only YouTubers who’ve gained traction in mainstream music lately. Troye Sivan‘s most recent EP Wild hit No. 5 on the charts, and a full-length is due in December. With other digital stars like Shawn Mendes dominating pop radio, it’s not unthinkable for an all-YouTube and Vine Top 10 in the future. And they don’t even need streaming services to do it.
H/T Billboard | Screengrab via PTXofficial/YouTube
