Drake Dropped The Albums “Iceman,” “Habibti,” And “Maid Of Honour” On May 15
Drake has added another major chart record to his career, becoming the first artist to hold the top three spots on the Billboard 200 at the same time.
The 39 year old rapper released “Iceman” on May 15, then surprised fans by dropping two additional projects, “Habibti” and “Maid of Honour.” Drake had teased the extra releases during a May 14 livestream while promoting “Iceman.”
“Iceman” debuted at No. 1 with 463,000 album units in its first week. The release marks Drake’s 15th No. 1 album, tying him with Taylor Swift for the most No. 1 albums among solo artists. The Beatles still hold the overall record with 19 No. 1 albums.
The release also moved Drake past Jay Z as the solo male artist and R&B and hip hop artist with the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.
“Habibti” debuted at No. 2 with 114,000 units, while “Maid of Honour” entered at No. 3 with 110,000 units.
According to Billboard, the achievement marks the first time one artist has occupied the top three album slots at once since the Billboard 200 began publishing weekly in 1956.
How Drake’s Record Compares To Michael Jackson
The milestone also comes with historical context. After Michael Jackson died in June 2009, three of his albums, “Number Ones,” “The Essential Michael Jackson” and “Thriller,” were the top three selling albums for the week ending June 28, 2009.
At that time, catalog albums were excluded from the Billboard 200, meaning Jackson’s projects were not ranked on that chart and were instead listed on the now discontinued Top Comprehensive Albums chart.
Billboard later changed its rules and began allowing catalog albums back onto the Billboard 200 in December 2014. Under the current system, Drake’s three album sweep stands as the first official top three takeover on the chart.
For an artist who has already spent years collecting chart records, the triple release shows Drake still understands the numbers game. Whether fans view the move as strategy, dominance or pure volume, the Billboard 200 made the result plain.
