Michael Jackson’s Number Ones topped the Billboard 200 after his death in 2009. David Bowie didn’t live to see Blackstar become his first No. 1 album. Prince, too, had a chart-topping sale surge following his death last Thursday.
The Very Best of Prince and Purple Rain re-entered the albums chart at No. 1 and No. 2 last week, respectively, according to Billboard. This makes Prince the first artist to simultaneously hold the top two spots since Nelly did so in 2004 with Sweat and Suit.
Purple Rain, already 13 times platinum, pushed 69,000 equivalent units (63,000 in pure album sales) in its 100th cumulative week on the chart. The masterpiece was last seen on the Billboard 200 in 2014, the project’s 30th anniversary. The Very Best of Prince, a collection of the Purple One’s greatest hits from his self-titled album to Diamonds and Pearls, is Prince’s first No. 1 album since 2006’s 3121 (the Batman soundtrack, Around the World in a Day and Purple Rain are the other three). It moved 179,000 units (100,000 in traditional sales).
There are six other Prince albums on the Billboard 200, including The Hits/The B-Sides triple-disc set at No. 6, 1999, his self-titled sophomore LP, Sign ‘O’ the Times, Ultimate, and HITnRun: Phase One.
