Red Hot Chili Peppers Re-Enter Billboard Artist 100 Chart At No. 1
Red Hot Chili Peppers have re-entered the Billboard Artist 100 chart at No. 1 to become the top musical act in the U.S. for the first time, helped by their new LP, Unlimited Love.
Unlimited Love bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 97,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data. This result meant the band earned their second chart-topper after 2006’s Stadium Arcadium.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are the first rock group to top Billboard Artist 100 since AC/DC on the November 28, 2020, list.
Unlimited Love had the largest week, by equivalent album units and album sales, for any rock album in over a year on the Billboard 200. The last larger week by a rock set was registered by Paul McCartney’s McCartney III when it debuted at No 2 on the 2 January 2021 chart with 107,000 units — of which album sales comprised 104,000.
Unlimited Love’s first-week sales were boosted by its availability across multiple colour vinyl LP variants and special editions. In total, the set sold 38,500 copies on vinyl — the largest US sales week for an album on vinyl in 2022, and the second-biggest sales week for a rock album on vinyl since Luminate began tracking music sales in 1991.
Only Jack White’s Lazaretto (40,000) posted a larger week for a rock album on vinyl (28 June 2014 chart) since 1991. Thus, Unlimited Love claimed the largest week on a vinyl for a rock album by a group in that 31-year span.
The album also gave the Peppers their first UK chart-topper in more than a decade. Prior to this, the band have topped the Official UK Albums Chart with By The Way (2002), Live in Hyde Park (2004), Stadium Arcadium (2006) and I’m With You (2011). Unlimited Love also topped last week’s UK Official Vinyl Albums Chart.