Luke Bryan And Dr. Dre Storm On Top Of ‘Billboard’ Album Chart

Luke Bryan has a lot to celebrate this week as his album tops the Billboard 200 album chart. Billboard broke the news this afternoon.

“Luke Bryan celebrates his third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as his new release Kill the Lights makes a smashing debut atop the list. The album — which was released on Aug. 7 through Capitol Records Nashville — moved 345,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Aug. 13, according to Nielsen Music.”

Billboard goes on to note that Kill the Lights marks the third-largest sales week of 2015 for an album. Only Drake’s surprise album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly have sold more during the first week. Luke Bryan’s album has received generally positive reviews. All Music Guide gave the album an almost perfect rating.

“Kill the Lights winds up feeling happy and generous, an inclusive record that plays to teenage desires as effectively as memories of an adolescence left behind.”

However, Jim Farber of the New York Daily News gave Like Bryan his worst review. Farber believes that Kill The Lights serves up a lot of ballads about hunting, fishing, and scarecrows that aren’t particularly convincing given that Bryan’s vocals are so bland. Well, perhaps Bryan gets the last laugh with his No. 1 debut.

Dr. Dre also has something to celebrate. According to Billboard, Dre’s new album, Compton, debuts at No. 2 with 295,000 equivalent album units sold. Dr. Dre debuts with about three times the sales of most albums that have been debuting at No. 1. Compton is Dre’s first album in 16 years and is exclusively available for purchase at iTunes for two weeks. Dre’s album, the soundtrack for the hit movie Straight Outta Compton, has received overall outstanding reviews. The Telegraph gave the album four stars.

“He seems to have found a new and more sincere voice, less bullish than we have heard him before, whilst using a fantastic roster of contributors to push the mood and narrative.”

The Telegraph goes on to summarize that despite all the new rappers coming on board, Dre has “still got it.” Speaking of still having it, Taylor Swift‘s 1989 album remains in the top five with 33,000 album equivalents sold. Swift will likely remain in the top ten for a year when her album’s anniversary hits in October.

It’s quite possible that Dr. Dre will end up at the top of Billboard’s 200 chart next week as Compton is at No. 1 on iTunes. Luke Bryan has fallen to No. 3, but could climb back up as the week progresses. Which artist do you think will be No. 1 next week — Dr. Dre or Luke Bryan? Let us know in the Comments section.

[Photo by Ilya S. Savenok / Getty Images Entertainment]