‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Has Biggest Debut for Multi-Act Soundtrack Since 2005
'Fifty Shades of Grey' owns the biggest debut for a multi-act compilation soundtrack since 2005's 'Get Rich or Die Tryin'.'
All things related to Fifty Shades of Grey are red-hot. The novels were best-selling phenomenons. The film did big business at the box office. And now the movie’s companion album scored the biggest debut for a multi-act compilation soundtrack since 2005.
The soundtrack ties down the No. 2 slot on the Billboard 200 as it debuts with 258,000 album equivalent units (of which 210,000 are traditional album sales) earned in the week ending Feb. 15, according to Nielsen Music. It also arrives at No. 1 on Soundtrack Albums. The set feature contributions from Ellie Goulding, Annie Lennox, Beyonce, the Rolling Stones, the Weeknd and more.
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That 210,000 sales start is the largest debut for a soundtrack since Michael Jackson‘s This Is It danced in at No. 1 with 373,000 in the week ending Nov. 1, 2009. (The album consists entirely of studio versions of Jackson’s hit singles.)
More impressive: Fifty owns the biggest bow for a multi-act compilation soundtrack since 2005’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (317,000). That album featured 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Mobb Deep, Young Buck, Tony Yayo and others.
The film Fifty Shades of Grey was a blockbuster in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters, earning $93 million in its four-day holiday weekend debut (Feb. 13-16), according to Box Office Mojo — a record haul for President’s Day weekend.