The Weeknd Returns To No. 1 With His Decade-Old Breakout Album


In the summer of 2015, The Weeknd was already bubbling under as a hot new name in the music industry. He’d earned critical acclaim and found his way to a handful of charts around the world, but he hadn’t yet properly broken out as a superstar.

His debut album Beauty Behind the Madness, and the many singles included on its tracklist, changed all that. The alternative R&B and pop set was one of the most successful titles of that year, and it made the Canadian musician a household name. A decade later, fans have returned to Beauty Behind the Madness to celebrate its legacy and continue to buy and stream the collection in large numbers, even sending it back to No. 1 in the United Kingdom.

Beauty Behind the Madness Returns to No. 1

Beauty Behind the Madness returns to the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Albums chart, and it is now back at No. 1. The Weeknd’s title has spent 11 weeks ruling on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Albums chart, which ranks the bestselling full-lengths and EPs in those styles. It debuted in the top spot in September 2015 and was last seen in first place in February 2016.

Eight No. 1s for The Weeknd

Beauty Behind the Madness is one of eight leaders on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Albums chart from The Weeknd, who also ruled with Kiss Land, Starboy, My Dear Melancholy, After Hours, The Highlights, Dawn FM, and Hurry Up Tomorrow. His first project to reach the list, Trilogy, stalled at No. 2, while House of Balloons peaked at No. 19 just a few years ago.

Hundreds of Weeks on the Chart

Beauty Behind the Madness is now up to 136 weeks on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Albums chart. Starboy is The Weeknd’s longest-running project, with 286 frames to its credit. After Hours has lasted exactly half a decade with 260 stays. The Highlights, a greatest hits compilation, is up to 192 stints on the list.

Beauty Behind the Madness Returns to Five Charts

The Weeknd brings Beauty Behind the Madness back to five charts in the U.K. The set only reaches the top 10 on the hip-hop and R&B list, but nearly reenters that region on three sales tallies. The classic also makes its way back to the main ranking of the most consumed albums in the U.K.