NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 20: Madonna speaks onstage during the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio ... [+]
Last week, Madonna surprised some when she scored her ninth No. 1 album, beating legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen to the top of the Billboard 200 with her latest studio effort Madame X. By doing so, she made history in a number of ways, and now, a week after she debuted the set in the highest possible rung, she’s done so again...though perhaps not for a reason she was hoping.
This time around, Madame X falls from No. 1 all the way to No. 77 on the Billboard 200, a massive drop on the all-genre tally. It’s not uncommon for some albums to enjoy large opening weeks and then quickly descend the ranking, but Madonna’s tumble is one of the largest of all time.
The 76-position decline now stands as the fourth-farthest ever, and the biggest of 2019 by far.
The record for the farthest fall from No. 1 is still held by Bon Jovi’s This House Is Not for Sale, which once returned to the peak position for a single frame and then almost disappeared off the Billboard 200 entirely, crashing to No. 169. In second place on the list of the largest tumbles is Brand New’s Science Fiction, which almost became the first title to dip outside the top 100 in just its second frame, declining from No. 1 to No. 97 in one turn. In third place is last year’s Iridescence by Brockhampton, which slipped from first place to eighty-eighth.
From this point on, Madonna’s Madame X may lose some ground every week, having already suffered its great decline, or it may vanish from the Billboard 200 entirely in just a short time. The singer’s latest set enjoyed a sizable first frame due to bundles that gave fans the album alongside concert tickets. If Madame X can produce a proper hit single, something it hasn't managed to do just yet, the full set may see its position improve, though at this point, that seems unlikely.
