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Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down Back On Billboard 200 Chart After Inauguration Performances

By Brad Faber
Published on: 04:49 PST, Jan 28, 2017

The Billboard 200 chart measures the top 200 performing albums in the United States in a given week. The performance of the albums is “based on their overall consumption,” which takes into account “pure album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA),” according to Billboard.

Since playing at the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration” for President Donald Trump on the eve of his inauguration, country superstar Toby Keith and rock band 3 Doors Down have catapulted their way back onto the Billboard 200 chart.

According to Billboard, 3 Doors Down’s The Greatest Hits album rocketed all the way to No. 94 on the Billboard 200 chart. Previously, 3 Doors Down’s The Greatest Hits album, which was released in 2012, had never been higher than No. 100. It has been nowhere to be found on the Billboard 200 chart since April 2016, per Billboard.

As Forbes reported, with a mix of “sales and streaming,” 3 Doors Down was able to move a total of “6,000 equivalent copies” of the album. With the exception of the song “The Broken,” 3 Doors Down’s The Greatest Hits album features all of the songs performed at the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration,” which are “Kryptonite,” “Here Without You,” and “When I’m Gone.”

Per Billboard, Toby Keith’s 35 Greatest Hits, which moved 5,000 units, hit No. 159 on the Billboard 200 chart. Toby Keith’s 35 Greatest Hits reached its high-water mark in 2008, rising all the way to the No. 2 spot as a new album, per Billboard.

Toby Keith’s 35 Greatest Hits album features three of the songs he played at the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration” in “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American),” “Beer For My Horses,” and “American Soldier.” Missing from the album is “Made In America,” which was released after 35 Greatest Hits came out.

The challenge of bringing in A-list performers to sing at the inauguration was well-documented, and many artists were said to have turned down invitations to perform. Others such as Broadway singer Jennifer Holliday and The Bruce Springsteen B Street Band backed out after initially agreeing to perform.

However, Toby Keith and 3 Doors Down were two of the major acts who stepped up to the plate. The Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration also featured performances by “God Bless The USA” singer Lee Greenwood, The Frontmen Of Country, and The Piano Guys.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Keith defended his decision to perform, saying that he “[doesn’t] apologize for performing for [the] country or military.” Lee Greenwood also spoke of the honor of performing for his country, and said in interviews with The Hollywood Reporter and Variety that artists who turned down a chance to perform may ultimately regret their decision.

Once a Democrat, Keith is now an Independent, as he has explained to the Chicago Tribune. During Keith’s performance, he thanked President Obama for his service. He also saluted President Trump as well as all five branches of the military and the men and women who have served.

Billboard also noted that while The Piano Guys did not chart on the Billboard 200, they have seen an improvement in sales as well.

“The Piano Guys picked up a 33 percent increase in album sales for the week (rising to a little more than 2,000 sold) along with a 50 percent increase in digital song sales (6,000). On-demand streams for the group (which has long been popular on YouTube) lift 10 percent to 4.43 million.”

Forbes reports that Greenwood and other artists who participated in the inaugural events, such as Big & Rich and Chrisette Michele, didn’t find their way onto the Billboard 200 chart. Forbes noted that Jackie Evancho of America’s Got Talent, who sang the National Anthem, currently doesn’t have an album that is “featured on the Billboard 200.”

According to Billboard, the latest Billboard 200 chart only tracked the numbers from “the week ending January 19,” which was the day of the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration.” Billboard notes that further effects of performing at the inauguration event could soon be unveiled.

“As the latest tracking week only reflected one day of impact from the concert (Jan. 19), there could be further gains in the tracking week ending Jan. 26.”

Billboard reports that the album Starboy by The Weeknd has remained at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart for the fourth consecutive week.

[Featured Image By Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images]

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